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  1. #11
    New Member
    Join Date
    May 2013
    Location
    Minneapolis, MN
    Posts
    3
    Thanks for the great feedback everyone! So here's an update:

    1) I decided to make my own UQ with some ripstop nylon (which seems to be the overall consensus here)--which grade, color, etc is still TBT. There is a great industrial fabric warehouse near me that's open to the public once a week. I'll check there first, but if I can't find anything for a decent price, I'll check out GearSupply. The down, as I mentioned earlier, I already have in spades (probably enough for a UQ, a TQ/sleeping bag, and plenty to spare), but it is of questionable quality.
    2) I'm already practicing my sewing and baffling skills! The fam and I are going on a car camping trip near the BWCA in a couple of weeks, so I'm 'retrofitting' the sleeping bag my son has now outgrown for my daughter. This new design should be substantially smaller, lighter, and warmer than the original. All good things. I removed the batting and tapered the bottom half (like a 'partial mummy' style). I also added 3.5" high baffles to just the front (slightly more than) half of the bag, converting the back shell into a pad sleeve; the down would only compress in the back anyway and won't do much to keep her warm. After stuffing the baffles today, it has a generous 3" of loft in the front. We have travel cots for everyone to sleep on--perfect for car camping as they are quite compact, but not really a suitable for backpacking trips (3-4 lbs each). Anyway, these cots do get drafty and cold underneath due to the 8-inch gap between them and the floor.
    This raises another question: my kids haven't been backpacking yet and don't own pads of their own. Do you think a pad--fit into the bag-sleeve--made of reflectix will be enough to keep her warm on the cot (keeping in mind the high-loft top quilt of the bag)? If not, any suggestions for a cheap kid's pad?

    So after learning a few things from this first project (e.g. the importance being in an enclosed space and covering clothes/face before baffle stuffing), I think I'm ready to invest in some nylon and tackle my UQ project. If I can finish it before the BWCA trip, I may forego the cot for a night or two to test it out! Thanks again everyone. Y'all are awesome.
    Last edited by applegrass; 05-16-2013 at 20:13.

  2. #12
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Sep 2010
    Location
    Rochester, NY
    Hammock
    Hennesy
    Tarp
    various
    Insulation
    pads, foam
    Posts
    4,687
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    17
    I would not write off the down as poor quality. Treat it like 550 and get an automatic over fill.
    YMMV

    HYOH

    Free advice worth what you paid for it. ;-)

  3. #13
    Senior Member FLRider's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2011
    Location
    Gainesville, FL
    Hammock
    DIY Gathered End
    Tarp
    DIY Asym
    Insulation
    DIY Modular Quilt
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    Whoopies/MSH
    Posts
    4,471
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    14
    Be aware that you're looking for "down-proof" or "calendared" ripstop before buying. The nylon needs to be treated with hot rollers in order to seal it against down cluster migration (the nearly-microscopic holes in normal weaves are wide enough for down to sneak through over time), and those are the two terms commonly used to refer to ripstop that's been treated so.

    As to the Reflectix, not sure; I've never used it before. What kind of temperatures are you expecting on this trip?

    Otherwise, WallyWorld sells a blue CCF pad (~20" wide x 6' long) that's good to the 40s for most folks. On a cot, it won't be too narrow to protect the user, like it can be in an hammock (less of your body makes contact with a flat surface like that, as opposed to an hammock, which wraps around you--one of the secrets of hammock comfort). They run ~$10 or so, depending on your local Wal-Mart.

    Hope it helps!
    "Just prepare what you can and enjoy the rest."
    --Floridahanger

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