fleece bag

[mofro]

I was wondering how easy it would be to sow and fleece sleeping bag... i have a MH phantom 32 degree and i am thinking that this might be a little toasty for the summer months. It seems that it would not be that hard to make, but finding a zipper long enough for it to turn into a blanket style while keeping it in UL might be. Or i was thinking of just making it a half or 3/4 zip... so i was just curious on yalls thoughts, and also where to get the fleece.
thanks

[SGT Rock]

Just my experience with fleece and watching a few others try it, they are not very warm. I've seen a few miserable people on the trail with them, even in warmer weather when mountain temps can still dip into the teens. I would recommend some sort of lofting insulation like a poncho liner.

[generoll]

i bought fleece blankets with zippers from Campmor for my trip to the west last summer. we went rafting on the upper colorado river and froze our first night when the temps dipped into the 30s. i bought them for the Grand Canyon which has always been hotter then H in July, but in June at night they were inadequate. did manage to get my wife to zip hers up with mine though so it had its' compensations.

[Alligator]

I'm going to chime in and agree with Rock and Generoll on this one, they are not that warm. I have a fleece liner, the campmor microfleece one (21 oz). I have it for winter as an interim solution to buying a winter bag. I thought I'd give it a go for a week last summer in NJ during July. The first night I was a bit cold with most of my clothes on. The second night it rained (five inches), things got a little damp, and I was definitely uncomfortable and not happy about the lack of a real bag. On the third day, well the most unusual trail magic occurred, and I slept warm the rest of the trip . For 29 ounces, I just ordered a Kelty 45 degree bag (synthetic). Not UL, but you could spring for a down bag and come in much lighter. Or sew a down quilt.

Clarify conditions: Microfleece bag (not 200wt.), tarp set up teepee style, sleeping on a Prolite 4, hat, fleece gloves, microfleece top bottom, PL1 vest, average temperature sleeper (neither hot nor cold). Sorry, don't remember the temps, but it was not unseasonably cold, just damp.

[Just Jeff]

Walmart has fleece bags for $15. Or you could find some fleece on the Walmart $1 rack and sew your own. No idea how much a zipper that long costs...might bring your total cost to around $15, though.

I'm thinking about sewing a layer of DWR onto a layer of fleece so I have a "windblocker fleece" blanket...might add a bit of warmth over regular fleece. That's sometimes on the $1 rack, too.

[NICKTHEGREEK]

I was wondering how easy it would be to sow and fleece sleeping bag... i have a MH phantom 32 degree and i am thinking that this might be a little toasty for the summer months. It seems that it would not be that hard to make, but finding a zipper long enough for it to turn into a blanket style while keeping it in UL might be. Or i was thinking of just making it a half or 3/4 zip... so i was just curious on yalls thoughts, and also where to get the fleece.
thanks

Depending how you sleep a fleece bag is good for about 15 degrees of comfort. I used a mummy-shaped one with a full length zipper along with a jagbags silk liner (insurance) in both SNP and along the C&O canal towpath in the summer and had no problems with lows around 50-60 degrees. There was a pretty wide range of "bedtime" temps often as high as 90 at dusk. I was usually sleeping in a capelene T, shorts and socks. (Tent and 3/4 length pad) I don't weigh any thing except produce at the supermarket but it seemed light enough. It doesn't compress much so volume may be an issue.

[mofro]

Walmart has fleece bags for $15. Or you could find some fleece on the Walmart $1 rack and sew your own. No idea how much a zipper that long costs...might bring your total cost to around $15, though.

I'm thinking about sewing a layer of DWR onto a layer of fleece so I have a "windblocker fleece" blanket...might add a bit of warmth over regular fleece. That's sometimes on the $1 rack, too.

whats the DWR?? cause that shounds like a good opion

[TDale]

Maybe I'm just a warm sleeper, but I've been comfy at 40-45 in my old fleece bag in a tent with t-shirt and fleece pants and socks.

[neo]

not enough r value for the weight neo

[Alligator]

not enough r value for the weight neo

That's a clear way to say it.

I have found tents to add roughly 8-10 degrees of warmth also, so whether a tent is used should be considered. YMMV.

[Just Jeff]

whats the DWR?? cause that shounds like a good opion

DWR is Durable Water Repellant. It's a treatment added to Ripstop Nylon that doesn't do a whole lot for water, but it's good enough to keep the insulation of sleeping gear dry if you're in a shelter. It's pretty wind-resistant, too.

Check thru-hiker.com for more details or to buy some. There are some other suppliers linked on my page. I've found it a few times at Walmart on the $1/yd rack, but you gotta know what you're looking for because the ladies who work there most likely won't. If you put it to your mouth and can blow through it, it's just ripstop. If it feels slippery and you can barely blow through it, it's probably DWR. If it's really slippery and you can't blow through it at all, it might be silnylon (or some kind of polyester coated or something).

Like Neo said, fleece is not the best insulator based on weight and volume, but it's a decent one, and it's cheap, easy to work with, and retains insulation capability when wet.

[greatbahen]

Coleman makes a fleece sleeping bag that is rated to 50 degrees. I use mine mostly for when I stay at a friends house. I've never taken it camping. Just check on the nighttime temperatures of where you are going before you choose a sleeping bag. Some places can get pretty cold at night even in the summer, but some places just go right on being hot.

[infochuck]

IMNSHO, of course. Fleece just isn't anywhere near as light as other alternatives, all covered here.

[SGT Rock]

Sure. Fleece bag = 21 ounces weight, I wouldn't even call ones I have tried (even ones claiming 50 degrees) a 60 degree bag. On the other hand you can get a surplus poncho liner from an Army Surplus store for about the same price and weight yet the are warmer. If you want to, you can always trim it for a better fit and sew it up mummy style with a short zipper and big foot box.

[Lilred]

REI sells a synthetic 55 degree mummy bag for $59. weighs 25oz and packs really small, about 3/4 the size of a 2 litre bottle. I just bought one for my summer section hike.

http://www.rei.com/product/11429496....HP_CAMPING_TOC

[SGT Rock]

That isn't a bad bag at all.

[neo]

REI sells a synthetic 55 degree mummy bag for $59. weighs 25oz and packs really small, about 3/4 the size of a 2 litre bottle. I just bought one for my summer section hike.

http://www.rei.com/product/11429496....HP_CAMPING_TOC

yes,the rei travel sack,its is my summer hammock bag,it has a draw cord at the foot end,and zippers at the shoulders for sticking your arms thru,i love this bag
i have used it down to 50 degrees no problem in my hammock,with a ed speer
sleeping pad under me neo

[Alligator]

This is the summer bag I just ordered, Kelty Light Year 3D on sale $60, rated 45 degrees.

http://www.campmor.com/webapp/wcs/st...uctId=29027648

Mofro, if you are still interested in making something yourself, try checking out some of HungryHowie's posts. I remember him posting about making quilts.

[BeaverTrapper]

I have a camo fleece bag I got from Brigade Quartermasters. I use that and my Jacks r Better weathershield top cover down into the 50's and was warm. Not just ok, but nice and warm.

Fleece by itself is so porous, it's not that warm. If the wind blows, it tends to blow right through it. But by combining a fleece bag with a layer like the Jacks R Better weathershield, I think it's just as warm, and passes more vapor than a ranger roll (army poncho and poncho liner).