[at-l] re: (pct-l) Home-made sleeping quilt

[blisterfree@surfree.com (Brett Tucker)]

Last spring I constructed a 20 degree quilt using Primaloft insulation and
1.1oz ripstop nylon, and which cost $35 in materials and weighed 2lbs 2ozs.
This kind of performance is unheard of in the commercial sleeping bag
industry, regardless of cost. But the cost is a primary factor in the
saliency of this type of sewing project, since a long distance hike can be
murder on sleeping gear, and even the most expensive down bag usually
returns home "rated" a fair number of degrees higher than went first it set
sail. For $35 each quilt, I can sew one anew each season for the next decade
or longer, for the same cost as a high-end ultralite baffle bag.

And anyone can do exactly the same, and without any special skills. All it
takes is a few hours of free time, a sewing machine, and readily-obtainable
fabric. To find out how to make a sleeping quilt for yourself, check out
http://www.rayjardine.com/projects/projects.shtml and click on the Quilt
project. The instructions are provided gratis, and expand greatly upon the
information found in The PCT Hiker's Handbook and Beyond Backpacking.

Happy sewing,
- blisterfree

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>> There are some companies that supply sleeping quilts--GoLite is one of
them; another one was mentioned when this topic came up recently, but I
don't remember what it was.  However, it requires very little sewing skill
or money to make one of your own.  Mine cost no more than 40 or 50 dollars
in materials.  Look up the instructions Ray Jardine gives in the appendix of
his PCT book, or browse through the webpages of http://www.backpacking.net/.
  If you still have questions about how to make such a quilt, you can ask
for help in the "Make Your Own Gear" forum at that website.  By the way, the
same site also has instructions for making your own "tarp tent." <<