I started searching the internet for budget down gear that are tinker-able for topquilt or underquilt use. (I have hobbies and addictions that are not very logical. I might have a shopping addiction). I thought I would provide some information on these bags that the DIY community might be interested in but have not bought because of lack of reliable information.
I chose to buy these products because they had certain features I was looking for, and were relatively affordable that I would not feel a lot of guilt for cutting up, but if you're looking to save money rather than buying good quality products, these might not be the right products for you. I like to tinker everything, and so I spend money to satisfy that addiction.
1. Ozark Trail 10F Down Mummy Bag $22.99. Description was very lacking, which is why I wanted to tell the community about this bag. https://www.amazon.com/Ozark-Trail-1.../dp/B01KH51XXK
Description says filling is a polyester and down mix. What I received has polyester insulation on the backside of the mummy bag and down filling on the frontside.
The zipper is on the right side, but the footbox is a circle. I could rotate the zipper to the backside without issue, because I had the intention of converting this into a topquilt, it was a feature I looked for.
There is no hood, and therefore unzips to pretty much the shape of a top quilt with sewn-in footbox. The stock photo hood can be zipped on, but kind of a stuff sack with no cushioning.
The outer fabric is a purple nylon and inner fabric is pink polyester which is okay but not as soft as nylon.
Baffles are sewn-through.
Draft collar in polyester.
The craft on this bag is below average with loose and misaligned threads throughout the bag. Walmart, you can do better. I bought it with zero expectations, so know what you’re paying for.
I would recommend this bag, but I am probably returning mine. The design is actually really good from a production stand point. I would assume this is much nicer than the CDTs converted to topquilt. At least no modification is needed. The down side is warmer than the poly side, but I got cold using this bag inside my house unzipped with the zipper on the backside so it might be pretty useless in the great outdoors.
I am thinking a good tinker would be to buy another bag, cut both down the middle, flip one inside out, and craft one poly-fill bag and one down-fill bag with the 4 halves. You will have two purple and pink bags and will have to move the draft collar, but might work as a stacking system. Although, I can see the benefit of having a poly-fill bag for wet summers and then adding the down layer when it gets cooler, it's not really my lifestyle. Any tinker ideas from you would be awesome, since I always try to avoid returning items.
2. Naturehike CWM400 I got for $97.80 on sale, but closer to $120 normally. Buy from Amazon to make returns easier. I opted for the lowest price I can find, so returning it to the vendor in China might be difficult. Please let me know if you have bought and returned products on Aliexpress.com. Always just assumed returns are not possible regardless of what the description says. https://m.aliexpress.com/item/329507...f1cf4e4&gclid=
The CW280 has sewn-through baffles, but the CWM400 has boxed (H Shaped) baffles per description. The bag I received does have baffle walls.
Comes in a navy color 15D nylon. The fabric is quite nice.
Rated for 42F comfort. I tested it in my garage on a 48F night. I was warm enough, but not sure what temperature my garage was at, maybe low 50s?
Description says 200x80cm. I measured 74in by 61in (opened).
Claims to have 400g (14oz) of 800fil goose down. I forgot to weigh this before alterations, but based on the CatSplat calculator that would be a lot of down for a 42F bag. So maybe we can bring to even lower temperatures.
Weighs 28oz per description. I forgot to weigh before alterations.
I wanted to buy something that already had vertical baffles to make a clew suspension underquilt. The instructions says to use long and wide quilts, and so I wanted something with minimum dimensions of 60x70inches preferably with vertical baffles.
After a lot of searching, I ended up buying the Naturehike, even though it was a lot more expensive than other options with similar designs, because it was the only manufacturer description that had information on baffled walls on amazon and aliexpress.
This bag is pretty well made. Some loose thread ends, but nothing annoying. The fabric is nice. The down is very stable, as in I cannot migrate it too much even when I purposely shake the quilt. My tinker ended up being a Spandex Underquilt Suspension. After sewing a few seams on the stretch mesh, I decided I should keep the zippers and not alter the bag, because sewing is a lot of work. I slept indoors with this underquilt and felt some cold spots but mostly warm, and so this underquilt definitely needs improvement. My craft is so bad, I might just take off my stitching and use this bag as is.
3. Black Ice Goose Down Envelope Sleeping Bag $62.55 to $126.76 this was the first bag I purchased. I bought he 1300g version, which claims to have 1300g (45 oz) of down. I thought I could use the extra down for tinkering, and mistakes were made because I am bad at sewing so I have yet to alter this bag. https://m.aliexpress.com/item/400045...160ad06&gclid=
Description says the weight of the shell is 500g. I made an assumption that no matter which amount of down I chose, the shell remains the same. After learning more about sleeping bags and down, I think I may be wrong, and that baffle heights are specific to the amount of down. No way to tell unless I buy another one...
At least there are baffle walls, although baffle height is not very high (maybe 1in). I measured about 2.5in of loft using a ruler. The down is migratable when I shake the bag.
1800g total weight. Weighed at home 1790g. The removable hood weighed 190g. So the bag itself is 1600g = 56.5oz. This is a super heavy bag.
20D nylon feels great. Softest of the 3 bags.
Description says 180cm x 80cm. I measured 66in x 58in (opened) without hood.
Rated 32F comfort. Slept in my garage, low temperature was mid 40s outside, was too warm at first, and comfortable by early morning.
Horizontal baffles, but baffle walled at mid point (where the bag would normally fold).
This bag is too hot, bulky, and heavy for my needs. Do not think I can return it to China. Have yet to tinker. What are some suggestions? Would it be possible to take down out of this bag to make it lighter? Would that ruin the loft? With this shape, what would be a good project? I assume a top quilt is possible if I use the hood as part of the foot box. 66in seems short for an underquilt mod.
I would definitely recommend the 400g-700g down-fill versions of this bag. $62 for the 400g version is much cheaper than the Naturehike bag. The craft quality is much better than the Ozark Trail, but I can see misalignments at a few locations (cord locations etc). The Naturehike also uses 15D instead of 20D making the Black Ice bulkier and slightly heavier if that is worth $40 to you. The 1300g bag I got is much more expensive and not really practical in my opinion.
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