A hackpack is a backpack with a set of "always carry" tools for hacking the world around us.

We are starting a project at sudo room to create ~$25 base hackpacks with optional expansion packs.

We have a mailing list where we discuss everything related to hack packs.

People currently working on project: Tunabananas, Matt, Mackenzie, Juul.

Base hackpack

Target price <= $30

This is only an initial possible version. It may be too electronics-focused. Comments/changes welcome.

  • A backpack (get from thrift store and wash at high temp)
  • Soldering iron (should be 30 watts)
  • Set of small screwdrivers (at least philips and flat-head)
  • Needle-nose pliers
  • Diagonal wire-cutters (these will probably suck, but maybe we can sharpen them?)
  • Larger screw-driver with assortment of bits
  • USB to 3.3v serial adapter
  • Multimeter
  • Assortment of resistors
  • Small assortment of diodes, caps, mosfets, buttons, switches, LEDs
  • Female to female pin header cables (like these)
  • Some male-male and female-male pin headers
  • USB stick (2 GB minimum) with bootable Linux and lots of libre books / learning materials.
  • Sharpie
  • White china marker/chalk...something that will write on dark surfaces
  • Zip ties
  • Binder clips
  • Hose clamps
  • A small LED flasher, and/or instructions to make one?
  • Shrink tubing
  • A lighter
  • A hot glue stick (melt it w/the lighter)
  • USB wall plug w/decent amperage
  • Pair of disposable gloves (rubber or vinyl)
  • Bandanna
  • Some kind of knife or blade
  • List of where to buy more of everything
  • List of other awesome things to add to hackpack, what they do and where to buy
  • A sudo room sticker
  • An invitation to sudo room

Initial attempt at price assessment spreadsheet

Consumables

  • Solder
  • Wire of different colors and thicknesses
  • Duct tape
  • Yerba mate tea

Data

I do not think we have to worry about using CC material with the non-commercial clause, as we are not trying to make a profit (Juul (talk)).

Bootable GNU/Linux

Which distro? What should we include?

Books

Comics

Audiobooks

  • ?

Art

We could have a set of cloth pens and let sudoers or buyers of hackpacks customize them.

Expansion packs

Essential reads

Dead-tree versions of $1 to $3 essential hacker works, e.g:

  • Cryptonomicon, Snow Crash or The Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson
  • Little Brother by Cory Doctorow
  • please add more

Cloth

Mackenzie is working on this. Current target is $5.

Some things that may go in the pack:

  • Scissors - $1 at dollar store
  • Sewing needles
  • Pins
  • Thread
  • Tailors chalk
  • Conductive thread
  • Instruction manual/booklet

Gluepack

  • Small glue gun
  • Glue sticks
  • Electricians tape

RXpack

Target price: $16

  • A rtl-sdr compatible usb adapter (like this one)

Wifipack

Target price: $30

  • A dual-radio OpenWRT compatible router
  • Instructions on how to flash with sudowrt firmware and do interesting things like spectrum analysis.

Mate anywhere kit

Make tea and stay awake anywhere!

Target price: $10