View Full Version : Sleeping Bag/ Pad Sleve
stickman
07-25-2005, 20:16
Has anyone ever sewn a sleve (or several narrower but discontinuous sleves) on the bottom of a sleeping bag to hold your pad in place? I was talking to a guy about the Big Agnes system, which he uses and likes a lot because it keeps him from rolling off the pad as he rolls around in the bag at night. I thought, why not just sew some strips of ripstop or whatever onto the bottom of my bag to form a sleve and "snake" the pad through it? It seems like it might work just as well as a BA without necessitating the purchase of a new bag. Of course you'd have to be very careful sewing so as not to sew through, and then I suppose you'd want to coat the seams with some kind of seam sealer.
Any thoughts?
Stickman
My cheapie Sierra Designs Rosa has two adjustable nylon straps attached to it that keep me on my thermarest no problem. I'm a restless sleeper and they've worked great for me. No sign of them ripping out either, which is something I was afraid of initially.
after many sleeping bags i finally found the big agnes system and swear by it now. the sleeping bag is half the weight because underneath you is only the pocket for the matress. if you don't want to switch try a couple of adhesive velcro pieces. you can find them at any fabric or craft store. no sewing required just a good job lining those guys up....:)
Just Jeff
07-26-2005, 01:01
Just going by stats on the web, BA bags always seemed heavy to me compared to other bags.
I've also heard the SD Wicked Fastbag sucked b/c the insulated part was too narrow, and if you move at all a big draft comes in...more like the Wicked Draftbag. The one I saw at REI did look pretty narrow, but I've never tried it.
Check out backpackgeartest.org before you drop the $$...
I thought the idea was to roll with the sleeping bag, the pad, hopefully, stationary underneath you. I think it would be best to anchor your pad to the tent bottom or ground cloth.
Alligator
07-26-2005, 09:10
Let's just say I roll around a lot. It helps tremendously to have my bag connected to my pad. Observations in close quarters indicate that the pad has not moved during the night, just me the sleeper. I have a SD setup with sleeping pad cord locks. SD seems to have changed the design, so I'll just have to describe. There are four attachment loops on the bottom of my bag. The locking system has four clips along a length of very light stretchy (bungy) cord. When clipped to the bottom of the sleeping pad, the cord forms the Roman Numeral X, an X with bars on top and bottom. There is a cord lock to adjust the length of the loop. This system could be easily reproduced. Just sew some reinforced loops on the bottom of your bag, put four clips on a closed loop of string or stretchy cord and have a cord lock to adjust the length.
The new SD system is listed at 8 ounces at REI! If I remember correctly, the old one which I have only weighs 1-2 ounces.
Lanthar Mandragoran
07-26-2005, 10:44
Just going by stats on the web, BA bags always seemed heavy to me compared to other bags.
I've also heard the SD Wicked Fastbag sucked b/c the insulated part was too narrow, and if you move at all a big draft comes in...more like the Wicked Draftbag. The one I saw at REI did look pretty narrow, but I've never tried it.
Check out backpackgeartest.org before you drop the $$...
I think you've struck the heart of the seeming paradox of the high-weight of BA without knowing it. They, from what I've read, offer considerably more girth than other bags of similar temperature ratings. Girth=comfort (potentially) for those who flop around a lots. Also, since they rely on a sleeve, you're not going to get drafts like the SD WF, because you won't pickup the uninsulated fabric when you roll.
Montbell takes a different tactic, they design their bags to hold as tightly as possible to your body without constricting, there for the bag rolls with you extremely well. This results in a bag with insulation all around, when you roll, that bit can fluff up.
I wish I had money and time to try both options, not sure which I would prefer...
Youngblood
07-26-2005, 11:57
I thought the idea was to roll with the sleeping bag, the pad, hopefully, stationary underneath you. I think it would be best to anchor your pad to the tent bottom or ground cloth.Sly, you probably don't use training wheels when you ride a bike either. :) I bet when you ride that you're one of those show-offs that ride with no hands at times.
Your friend,
Youngblood