I really love travel souvenirs and I have been traveling all my life. In the past, I have collected postcards and shot glasses, hankies and Christmas ornaments. And of course, patches. Once I began to letterbox as a hobby, I enjoyed getting patches from all the places where I had been hiking and letterboxing. Each time that Ryan and I would go on a trip, I would get a patch to commemorate the event. I filled up my first backpack in record time. The LBNA (Letterboxing North America) patch is proudly displayed on the front of the pack, along with patches from many National Parks and our trips to Central America. I also have smaller patches to fill in space. Some of these are trail patches from the National Parks representing different trails. Some of them are Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts patches that I bought at antique shops or on Ebay. And the little orange patches with F100 and P100 represent "merit badges" from letterboxing. They mean that I have Found 100 letterboxes and Planted 100 letterboxes. 
The second backpack that I covered with patches has my Dartmoor 100 club patch displayed front and center! It was quite an accomplishment to find 100 letterboxes in Dartmoor, England last year and I am very proud of that patch. This backpack also has patches from many of my international travels: Ireland, Holland and Scotland. It also sports my letterboxing Pacific Northwest, Letterboxing Southeast and Letterboxing Mid-Atlantic patches. Again I used smaller Girl Scout patches and Letterboxing Merit Badges to fill in space on the backpack.
The third backpack that I just finished sewing patches onto has the Atlas Quest patch front and center. This patch represents my boyfriend, Ryan's letterboxing website. The bag also has patches from our most recent letterboxing trips to Hawaii, Nebraska, Kansas and Missouri. I still have a drawer filled with patches that I will start sewing onto a fourth backpack. There are several states and countries that I hope to visit in the future for more hiking and letterboxing adventures and patches!Hike-a-thon pledges are up to $720 from 17 people! With the letterboxers still outshining the flight attendants. Thanks so much to everyone!
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10 comments:
That is just so neat! Amanda, where do you get the state patches? Obviously I will never get to all the places you have gone, but the state patches are a good idea...as well as special places.
Zoe
State Patches can be found in gift shops at most "touristy" spots. I got my Iowa patch at a State Welcome Center. And my Maryland Patch came from a shop at Inner Harbor in Baltimore. In Hawaii, they had them at Walmart! You can also find State Patches on Ebay.
-Amanda
Amanda, What do you find is the best way of sewing these patches on? Tools and type of thread that works best? After 3 packs you should have it down to a science. Do you find they leak at the needle holes?
Larva lady of the Zelie Zips
I just use the biggest needle I have on hand. I am not much of a seamstress, so I don't know what size or type of needle it is. These are Jansport Canvas Backpacks and the needle has to be pretty sturdy to get thru the canvas. I rip off the Jansport Logo patch that comes on the bag and hand sew the patches. I use whatever thread I have on hand. Sometimes even DMC embroidery thread, mainly because I try to use a color that matches the color of the patch. I have not noticed any leaking. Again, these are canvas backpacks and not meant to be waterproof in any way. I carry them hiking and get them wet and dirty and they and the patches clean up just fine.
-Amanda
Wow, I love your patches. I have been the same, collected patches (although we call them badges) everywhere I went. I have some that are rather old now! I am frightened of sewing them on my brand new waterproof backpack and now sew them onto a car rug. My letterboxing patches I have sewn onto the back of my old hiking fleece.
What a cool way to display your patches. I have been collecting travel patches since I was in Girl Scouts. I am currently sewing them to denim squares cut from old jeans. They will eventually be sewn into a picnic quilt. I have found a few on-line sites for patches also. How do you choose which bag to carry?
Sandy
Sometimes it is difficult to decide with bag to carry! Especially when I am going to a letterboxing gathering. Sometimes I match them to what I am wearing (red pack or blue pack) :-) I want my next pack to be green!
-Amanda
... and a car rug is the lap blanket you keep in your auto, right Yorkshire Tortoise?
Marmalade
hi we are avid geocachers and will do some letterboxing in the UK in july this year, i like your patches especially the been there done that patch, do you remember where you got this one? i'd love to get one for my jacket keep having fun out there
our geocaching name is apple crumble88
I got the "Been There, Done That" patch at a shop like Spencers in the mall. You can find them on Ebay too.
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