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  1. #1
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    DIY Bridge Hammock Under Quilt

    I had a synthetic under quilt that fit fine for a gathered end hammock but didn't work at all for my new DIY bridge hammock so I decided to make an under quilt specifically for the bridge.

    IMG_5537.jpg
    UQ laying on top of bridge hammock (green) to check for size

    IMG_5538.jpg
    Bottom view of UQ

    IMG_5539.jpg
    More loft than I expected

    Most of my design came from https://www.hammockforums.net/forum/...-DIY-Bridge-UQ which was extremely helpful.


    I ordered everything I needed for this project from http://MakeYourGear.com. I used 0.67 Argon for both the top and bottom in Brick Red and Charcoal Grey. The red is an awesome color and the grey is very dark but not quite black so it's not a harsh dark color. The fabric is surprisingly tough for something that extremely light.

    The quilt is 72" and goes from 47" (head) to 35" (middle) and is a bit shorter than I planned because I ordered 3 yards of the grey but only 2 yards of the red. Oops. So rather than do another order I changed the length. It turns out it's fine and will cover me from shoulder to foot so that's not really a problem.

    I sewed 6 baffle chambers using NoSeeUm to form 2" high baffles. This didn't turn out exactly as I expected because I expected about 2" of loft but instead got around 4" so some of my baffle width turned into height. I transferred all the down from a down comforter which I was using as a donor to the new UQ and, other than evenly distributing the down to each chamber, I didn't measure it. As a result, I added more down than I had originally planned.

    The good news is that because the top and bottom chambers were differentially cut (5.5" top, 7" bottom) there was plenty of room for the down to loft up. It did narrow the UQ slightly and puffed it up a lot but when I attached it to the hammock it fit just fine.

    If the down loft temperature chart is to be believed, while I was planning for a 20 degree UQ it ended up a -15 degree UQ. Because of the additional down it doesn't compress quite as much as I wish, I sleep very cold so the additional down is worth it. It compresses down to less than a 4L stuff sack.

    It was the most difficult project I've done in a while but ultimately very satisfying. Creating my own pattern was very time consuming but not especially difficult. Cutting the fabric wasn't too hard. Cutting the NoSeeUm was easy but not very well and made sewing the baffles more difficult than they should have been. Sewing both sides was actually pretty easy because the Argon was so small it was easy to feed around my machine. I also didn't have any problem feeding the fabric but maybe it's because my machine has dual fabric feed (like a feed dog on top). Moving the down from the comforter to the UQ took much longer than I thought it would. It wasn't difficult once I got used to it since I was grabbing a fist full at a time. I did a good job using a folded hem around the edge but I went and put a 7/8" grosgrain ribbon around it anyway because I thought it would look nice even if it cost me a bunch of grams.

    The problem with cutting the NoSeeUm is that I used the technique of rolling the fabric into a roll and cutting it which made it quick but somehow when I pressed the roll to cut it with a scissors it wasn't a straight line so it was not as easy to sew. Also, again I mis-ordered and the NoSeeUm wasn't long enough so I just cut twice as many strips as I needed and sewed them together. It was all going to be hidden inside so it really wasn't a problem.

    Was it worth it? Definitely yes. I'm extremely pleased with the look and feel of the UQ. It was a lot of fun even if it was some times challenging and I got a very warm quilt for an extremely low cost.

    I'm thinking my next project will be a down top quilt to match. I have a synthetic TQ which is pretty good but I already have a spare down comforter I picked up at a thrift store so I have the down ready. I just need to buy some more fabric. I'm trying to decide on a design -- length and width, what type of foot box, do I want one with as much down, etc.

    Hope you liked my first attempt at an under quilt.

  2. #2
    Senior Member FJRpilot's Avatar
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    I think it looks outstanding! Great job.... nice write up too. Make sure to post pictures of your TQ too.
    “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men should do nothing.”

    - Edmund Burke

  3. #3
    Senior Member Bic's Avatar
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    Looks good, and glad my vids were able to help.
    The camper formerly known as HikingDad...

  4. #4
    Senior Member kitsapcowboy's Avatar
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    Nice job. Bridge hammocks allow you to bring some lightweight, efficiently sized underquilts, which is one of the things I like about the. As the core of a shelter system.
    Smart graphic design for all your needs by BGD

  5. #5
    Senior Member TrailSlug's Avatar
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    Nice job on that quilt! You guys amaze me with your talents. That should last you many many years and looks like it should keep you warm to at least down to zero I would guess.

  6. #6
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    I took it down to 60 and was toasty warm. I may make another quilt just for summer without quite as much down now that I have the experience but I'll keep this one for all the rest of the year. Thanks for the kind words.

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