So I have this (what I believe to be a) great idea. I want to give my backpack a proton pack make-over. I’ve looked around and I can’t really find if anyone has done this before so I’m hoping this wonderful community can give me some ideas.
Some backstory:
Ever since I was a kid I’ve always wanted my own proton pack, but could never find/afford the toy sets that were out at the time. I had to make do with a box strapped to my back with a vacuum hose (although at one point I did have the Ecto-Popper toy. But somewhere along the line I lost it. Oh how I long for one of those again). Then in my teenage years during my first trip to the San Diego Comic Con I saw group of Ghostbusters in their homemade outfits. I was fascinated and dreamt of someday creating my own (Ghostbusters are much cooler to dress up as than Jedi or Stormtroopers, in my opinion). As the years went on that desire subsided, but still always lingered in the back of my mind. Recently that idea has been rekindled thanks to the buzz surround the new game and 25th anniversary. But even as an “adult” (make your own judgements about 22 year olds) I lack the resources and funds to make the pack I’ve always dreamed of. Besides, the cold and logical part of me fears that I’d be spending a lot of energy on something that would hardly ever be used and would end up as clutter around my house. So I got the idea to create something practical. I have a backpack I use everyday and it struck me that it would be awesome if I could turn it into a proton pack too!
Anyway, here’s some photos of my backpack.
(front, empty)
(profile, I tossed some stuff in there to give it form)
I’m not really sure what kind of material it’s made out of. Probably some sort of nylon.
I’m thinking of creating most of the parts out of fabric if I can. Maybe black denim. This will keep the backpack flexible so I can continue to cram stuff in there. It’ll also make it still look like a backpack, not just some thing covered in plastic and wires.
I figure the front zipper part would be the cyclotron. I’ll make a big circle, use some red cellophane for the lights, and put a nylon strap over the top for the bumper. The little “nose” part would end up being separate and on the main backpack body.
For the crank generator I’ve seen little camera pouches at Wal Mart for real cheap. Plus side of this is it gives me an extra little storage pocket. Put a little red Warning sticker on there and attach some plastic hose. Does anyone know what that red label actually says though?
Not really sure what I’d use for the booster. Maybe another longer camera pouch.
Lastly some other details like wires and a spectra cable in their appropriate spots. If there’s any empty space maybe a “no ghost” patch to clear any ambiguity as to what it’s supposed to be. Hehe. 
Eventually down the line I think it might be neat to also make a proton gun that attaches with velcro to the bottom. That way I can go all out when I choose to, but not be stuck with it all the time.
So what do you all think? Good idea? Bad idea? Frankly, I think I can pull a lot of this off just with recycled parts around the house and do this fairly cheaply. Any and all suggestions are welcome, especially on how to attach the bits to the backpack (hot glue? I’m not very good with stitching). Cheers and thanks for reading!
