View Full Version : Making a bag liner
Mtn Scout
12-13-2010, 18:28
i am going to purchase a summer bag rated around 25. i no that most of the times the bags are not rated what they actuall are. so i bought a few yards of fleece today at a place that had a big sale. what do i need to do to make a bag liner?? any ideas
burntoutphilosopher
12-13-2010, 18:34
to could just sew it on two sides...
... how much fleece to you have, making an oval shape foot box would greatly improve how it sits on your body. then sew around the oval and along one seam with a slightly tapered top to make it wider in the shoulders.
goodluck, how thick is the fleece? i have been thinking about doing this with silk
burntoutphilosopher
12-13-2010, 18:47
"i no that most of the times the bags are not rated what they actuall are."
untrue,
if you bag is mountain hardwear, marmot, or any of the makers that let you view the EU Norm sheet, i have found them to be warmer than their stated comfort rating.
Mtn Scout
12-13-2010, 20:14
the fleece is about 3/8 thick. real lightweight but really warm. i am thinking about laying it down under my mummy bag and marking the shape off the bag.
Mtn Scout
12-13-2010, 20:17
its about 1/8-1/4 thick. evey bag i have had has never been accurate with temp rating including a mtn hardwear. cant say about the others
burntoutphilosopher
12-13-2010, 20:41
could be you just sleep cold. my north face cats meow is rated to 20 and is plenty warm at 15F
my MHW phantom 32 is plenty warm about 20F. we all sleep different. obviously i'm canadian and you're from georgia, so you didn't walk to school in 20 bellow weather much ; )
i would size the liner to YOU not the bag, non lofting insulations like fleece work best when they are tighter fitting. i would cut a footbox around the size of your two feet (stand on the corner and trace a nice oval) then make it your length (just long enough to pull your head in) and a little wider at top than on bottom, and sew one long seam along the side. obviously your own shape will affect this, are you broad shouldered, broad bellied, etc.
the turn it inside out to hide all seams... Goodluck ! ; )
Mtn Scout
12-16-2010, 15:38
should i try to put a zipper on it or just sew a few buttons up the flap side. or try to make it where you slide into the whole thing
johnnyblisters
12-16-2010, 15:46
I made a REALLY cheap liner (sub $4) out of light weight, on sale fleece. I just bought 2 yards, sewed up the feet and half way up one side. It took about 10 minutes, weighs about a pound, works great in the summer or in my 20* bag in the wintertime. KISS my friend, Keep It Simple, Stupid.
The problem with fleece is that it is so bulky to pack. And it is not wind proof when you use it alone. My homemade liner is tapered, about 30 inches at the top to about 20 inches at the foot and a bit taller than my height. One side is fleece and the other side is nylon supplex. There is no zipper or side opening. The top and bottom are sewed together by lapping the two pieces over each other from either side of the needle and just sewing zigzag through the two pieces, so the seam is flat to lay on. I thought it would be claustrophobic but it isn't. It packs pretty small and is good to use inside the bag or alone with either the fleece side or the nylon side up. I also just lay on top when it is hot and the nylon is cool on my skin. Sometimes I put my pad inside the liner and sleep on top with my bag as a quilt in the early morning cold hours.
My liner is sort of heavy but I nearly always take it. It washes easily and dries quick.
Just make it like a quilt, with a footbox.
just wear a long sleeved top and long base layer pants and you're done :D