ive been fussing around with sleeping bags cause i hate taking to much or 2 little and think having to own 3 sleeping bags is kinda overkill....

its not an original idea but i wanna make a sleeping bag "system" that i can take all of it or just what i need... I was thinking to buy a very light 40-50 degree bag, Make a inner liner from something like a military poncho liner or feild jacket liner material, a outer cover made out of something a bit tougher not sure yet, and then a very thin water repelant outer cover out of nylon or something...

anyone got any input on how to do this so it'll actually be affective or is this dumb? I know you can buy the 3 peice military sleeping bag systems but they are pricey and id rather sit around and be creative at home if i can come up with something that will be usefull.

I dont like carrying a heavy cold weather bag in summer, but dont really have the money to buy a couple different bags for different climates.

Get some DWR and PolarGuard or Primaloft from thru-hiker and it looks pretty easy. I've made quilts and they're cake and great for summer use. Maybe make a quilt for summer, add in a Primaloft overbag for winter, and a Teflon DWR bivy for either season when it's wet out.

Or you can go with down...thru-hiker has that, too. They also have instructions for bags and quilts on there.

I'm currently working on a sleep system for two - it has insulated pads for the lower part, a zip-on sleeping quilt for the main upper layer and the option of an attached double fleece bag (above & below) inside the other system for cold. It has a few other adaptations for us {more insulation on the female dino's side because she is a cold sleeper - pad on her side is a Big Agnes insulated air core (needs more padding due to ortho injuries / metal parts) while his is a thermarest pro4} I would buy this system if it existed anywhere, but it doesn't so I am making it.

I didn't make it, but it works great anyway. I bought a Sierra Designs Transition Down bag - a 15F/0F bag, 600 goosedown. I think it is a 2002 model I bought in '04. It has a zip-on lid, taking it from 15F to 0F and back. I've slept in less than 15 degrees with the 'system', and it works great. Once I did a winter trip and my feet were cold - so I just took the 0 degree lid off and stuffed it into the foot box - very warm.

Then last summer I bought a "Fastbag bottom" from Sierra Designs. They kept telling me it wouldn't work with my generation transition bag, but I bought it anyway and sewed some velcro to the nylon piece. It works great (I think they just wanted to sell another high-dollar bag). Now I zip my zero-lid to the summer bottom and I have a great 45 or 50 degree bag for summer weather. So I ended up with 3 bags in one.

So: Summer - down cover and nylon bottom - 1 lb
Cold weather - 15 degree - right at 3 lbs
Very cold weather - about 4 lbs

My only beef is that I wish it had been 800 goosedown instead of 600 - for some weight savings.

Not dumb at all. I was thinking of doing the same thing. I am going to try and make a sleeping bag "jacket" out of an old Cat's Meow on my mom's sowing machine.
Presently, I use a highlite with a silk liner and windproof emergency bivy. In total it weighs a little over a 1.5lbs. Along with this I am going to wear socks, silk pj's, a balaclava, fleece pants, fleece gloves, and a micro puff vest to bed with this set up and pray these keep my ass warm for the first month out on the trail.
Keep us updated if you get some materials from thru-hiker and attempt to make something. It would be great to hear about!

To those making your own bag here's a few cost save tips.

If you need Ripstop nylon thats water repellant/ breathable, check out Walmart. I have found some light purple Ripstop on there $1 per yd table and if you are making a down bag they have Tricot for baffles.
For your Summer bag, Joann's Fabric's has 3m Thinsulate( Warmth for less bulk version) for 19.99 per 80 x 72( 16oz ) Here's a place just for Down if you want to make 2 bags or Couples bag, per that Fill should be good for a 15-20 deg bag(s)

http://www.hungariangoosedown.com/bulkb.htm

Mike

With the title "SGT" in your name, this should be simple:
Screw sleeping bag, get hammock.:)

You must know of the magic of the US Army poncho liner.

For years, I was required to carry a sleeping bag (Mountain, Medium) in the Army (11B4VS). It was for emergency hyperthermia treatment- almost never used it. All, I ever needed -except in the Artic- was an Army Sleeping Shirt (ECWS), Poncho Liner (Greatest Sleeping gear ever invented), and a Poncho. (GI Wool long John bottoms if I was lucky.)

One day, high tec ultraliters will also discover the magic and newer lighter versions of this equipment will be made. Current poncho liners are somewhat heavy by current standards but you can't beat their versitility.

With the title "SGT" in your name, this should be simple:
Screw sleeping bag, get hammock.:)

You must know of the magic of the US Army poncho liner.

For years, I was required to carry a sleeping bag (Mountain, Medium) in the Army (11B4VS). It was for emergency hyperthermia treatment- almost never used it. All, I ever needed -except in the Artic- was an Army Sleeping Shirt (ECWS), Poncho Liner (Greatest Sleeping gear ever invented), and a Poncho. (GI Wool long John bottoms if I was lucky.)

One day, high tec ultraliters will also discover the magic and newer lighter versions of this equipment will be made. Current poncho liners are somewhat heavy by current standards but you can't beat their versitility.

While I like the "IDEA" of a hammock, I cant bring myself to sleep off the ground. I can hide a bivy so much better. neo... dont even start :D

The poncho liner is obviously part of my plan, I dont see why more people dont carry these things. I sewed a couple of zippers on mine so its a very comfortable cool weather bag liner or a warm weather bag by itself, the only part I havent got figured out is the outer cover for extreme cold weather which I also want to be moderately water proof.

So, would something like a extreemly lite summer bag combined with something like the MPI Outdoors Extreme Pro-Tech Space Bag, or even the space bag itself, be an effective 3 season bag?

Also, in addition to that last post, would some sort of space bag combined with perhaps the Poncho Liner that y'all were talking about be effective?

Who wants to sleep in a ball of tin foil? good idea for trying to go ultra light but my issue is more cost of having to own 3 different sleeping bags just to be comfortable.

If I can buy one "moderate" sleeping bag and then make a liner and cover so it can be used in a bunch of different situations while still being comfortable and easy to carry that is ideal. If I had the money I'd buy the sleep system the military uses which is essentially what I want to make and save money that I dont have :D

Yesterday at DownWorks in Santa Cruz, I saw a pad sleeve with a zipper down the sides, coming to a V at the foot. He makes them with different sized zippers to fit different bags - it basically turns any mummy bag into a Big Agnes style system.

So why don't you make a sleeve with two zippers down each side? Put on a thin bag for summer, and add a second bag for winter. Then put some elastic or spandex on the underside (like the SPE) and you can vary the pad thickness by adding extra pads in the winter (or getting an insulated inflatable).

It's pretty simple and would be much easier than making an articulated sleeping bag. For winter, you'd have the added weight of two layers of nylon, though.

wait- are you talking liner + bivy type thing for summer, then liner + down quilt and bivy for winter? I love ground sleeping with my down quilt (JRB nest) it is SO LIGHT and small. and warm. and you don't need
to insulate the back, because you have a pad.

titanium_hiker

wait- are you talking liner + bivy type thing for summer, then liner + down quilt and bivy for winter? I love ground sleeping with my down quilt (JRB nest) it is SO LIGHT and small. and warm. and you don't need
to insulate the back, because you have a pad.

titanium_hiker

Add the Weather Shield Top and you have the waterproof, windproof, breathable cover being sought....no crinkle of foil...no condensation...9 oz and low cost too.

But then, I'm biased.

Pan

Add the Weather Shield Top and you have the waterproof, windproof, breathable cover being sought....no crinkle of foil...no condensation...9 oz and low cost too.

But then, I'm biased.

Pan

i had major condensation problems with my weather shield,i only used it one time,not for me:cool: neo

Add the Weather Shield Top and you have the waterproof, windproof, breathable cover being sought....no crinkle of foil...no condensation....

But then, I'm biased.

i had major condensation problems with my weather shield,i only used it one time,not for me:cool: neo

IMO, bias shouldn't impact truth in advertising.

I guess it depends on what conditions are when you use it. I didn't have a lot of condensation when I used it.

I know that it's sort of a relative thing, but just how much warmer would adding a US poncho liner to a moderate bag, say 45F, be?

Well, most of you who know me well, know that I am stubborn as a mule at times... Today was one of them. I designed a down quilt/bag system several months ago and thought I would finally give it a shot. Well, first of all I don't sew... so I am starting out at a disadvantage. Then I priced down TOO HIGH and said "Hey, I have an idea!" .... which always means that I have a crazy idea that has a good chance of being an "UH, OHHH". This idea involved liposuction on an expensive old down comforter. The idea was to take the vaccum cleaner with a new clean bag and the tool attachment and cut a small hole in the comforter and suck out my down.

Yeah, right! Easier said than done! But three hours later, I have about 2 pounds of down all nicely compressed in a vaccum bag. I don't want to talk about the 1/2 pound floating around all over the house right now!!

So, now what do I do with it??

Well, most of you who know me well, know that I am stubborn as a mule at times... Today was one of them. I designed a down quilt/bag system several months ago and thought I would finally give it a shot. Well, first of all I don't sew... so I am starting out at a disadvantage. Then I priced down TOO HIGH and said "Hey, I have an idea!" .... which always means that I have a crazy idea that has a good chance of being an "UH, OHHH". This idea involved liposuction on an expensive old down comforter. The idea was to take the vaccum cleaner with a new clean bag and the tool attachment and cut a small hole in the comforter and suck out my down.

Yeah, right! Easier said than done! But three hours later, I have about 2 pounds of down all nicely compressed in a vaccum bag. I don't want to talk about the 1/2 pound floating around all over the house right now!!

So, now what do I do with it??


A video of that process would be.....
PRICELESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:sun

It was real funny when the Health Inspector walked in and there was down flying all over the place... he asked me three times, exactly what I was doing. After he left I realzed that I had down stuck all over my body and hair....

"quack, quack"

I know there is the danger of dampness, but is the idea of just using an old comforter really that bad?

Sorry that I only seem to ask questions, but I was actually considering a comforter as a relativly light weight option which I could get my hands on pretty easy.

If I can buy one "moderate" sleeping bag and then make a liner and cover so it can be used in a bunch of different situations while still being comfortable and easy to carry that is ideal. If I had the money I'd buy the sleep system the military uses which is essentially what I want to make and save money that I dont have :D

That army 3 bag system rocks. The insulation used is primaloft and it has a simple (no mesh, just zips closed) gore-tex bivy. I slept in the open in a low 30s rain with no problems in the system. I have heard that they can be had for about $350 but have not verified this. My solution in progress: got a 10deg REI nooksack when they revamped them and had em on sale for $120 a couple of years ago. Recently on the REI outlet site they had the mountain hardware 1st dimension 32deg for like 90 and a 20% off coupon. That got me the bags. I am in the process of making a goretex bivy which will end up at about $60 for the bivy with an attachable mesh and a small silnylon fly for the head and pack. This would put me at about $250 when all is said and done. The temp just needs to drop about 50deg in GA so I can give it a proper test:-? . I had the army system down to minus 20deg and other than being a long sized guy in a regular bag it was toasty.