/out/ - Outdoors » Thread #312651

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Anonymous Mon 05 May 2014 14:24:29 No.312651 View View Reply Original Report

Quoted By: >>312669 >>312673 >>312689 >>312807 >>313463

DIY gear thread. Anyone make their own stuff?

I don't, but I'll have a lot of time on my hands this summer and I'm looking to get into it. My fiancee has a pretty nice sewing machine so I was thinking of trying my hand at stuff/compression sacks before moving up to stuff like quilts, sleeping bags, or maybe even a hammock.

Any tips? Anything you've made? Can I expect to save a ton of money?

Anonymous

Anonymous Mon 05 May 2014 14:33:23 No.312659 Report

Quoted By: >>312663

Clothing items are already sold at razor thin profit margins (for the most part) so it really depends on if you enjoy sewing or not, because you probably won't save that much money.

I'd totally do it, just to learn a new skill. I'd make a wallet out of canvas for myself. You could fabricate stuff you cannot readily buy anywhere.

Anonymous

Anonymous Mon 05 May 2014 14:36:40 No.312663 Report

Quoted By: >>312666

>>312659
>Clothing items are already sold at razor thin profit margins

Well I wasn't really planning on jackets or pants or anything. Maybe someday, but like I said, sacks and sleeping bags and whatnot.

Anonymous

Anonymous Mon 05 May 2014 14:42:19 No.312666 Report

Quoted By: >>312668

>>312663
Sure, a sleeping bag would be easy. Just sew some blankets together and fold it in half and sew that shit on two sides.

I'd be dubious of a home-made stuff sack though. Stuff sacks are a weird shape and they have to be lightweight and strong as fuck and usually need straps sewed on to really wrench the stuff compact.

I'd just make a rectangle sleeping bag that could be rolled up tight and secured.

Anonymous

Anonymous Mon 05 May 2014 14:47:11 No.312668 Report

Quoted By:

>>312666

I kind of wanted to do a nicer lightweight mummy bag. I figured I'd do a few practice runs with some cheap material to get the shape and stitching right, then drop some dollars on real silnylon material and down to fill it.

Anonymous

Anonymous Mon 05 May 2014 14:49:21 No.312669 Report

Quoted By:

>>312651

You can make a nice hammock, lightweight tarp and stuff sacks for about $20 worth of material and thread. Provided you have your own basic machine.

Anonymous

Anonymous Mon 05 May 2014 14:55:03 No.312673 Report

Quoted By: >>312676

>>312651
https://www.hammockforums.net/forum/showthread.php?51555-Ultimate-DIY-Project-List

Anonymous

Anonymous Mon 05 May 2014 14:59:37 No.312676 Report

Quoted By: >>312693 >>312751

>>312673

That looks awesome. I just read through this:

http://thru-hiker.com/projects/down_quilt.php

Anyone know why he suggests noseeum netting for the baffles? Couldn't I just sew the two pieces together, sewing in a horizontal line, every 7 inches or so to create baffling?

Anonymous

Anonymous Mon 05 May 2014 15:51:53 No.312689 Report

Quoted By:

>>312651
regardless of how people feel about reddit, /r/myog is a great resource for this type of stuff.

Anonymous

Anonymous Mon 05 May 2014 16:29:38 No.312693 Report

Quoted By: >>312739

>>312676
If you sew both pieces together, you'll have zero insulation along the seam.

It's important that insulation remains thick on every angle on the sleeping bag. That's why stitching one is harder than just filling a plastic bag with down.

Anonymous

Anonymous Mon 05 May 2014 19:37:04 No.312739 Report

Quoted By:

>>312693

Oh wow, that seems so obvious now. Thanks.

Anonymous

Anonymous Mon 05 May 2014 19:57:00 No.312751 Report

Quoted By:

>>312676
In addition to 312693's post on the subject of insulation, I feel I should add that you use netting to provide ventilation. You do not want to use another swatch of the material you are using because you want the down material to be as free as possible to breath within the quilt...it reduces the risk of constantly damp sections and mildew from body sweat.

Also, if you do plan on making your own DIY nylon tarp for your hammock, go to youtube and search "DIY silnylon" and there are multiple fantastic videos that will teach you how to make the goop you dip the tarp in, step by step. Do be aware that unlike professionally obtained tarps, you WON'T be able to easily impregnate a flame retardant into your material. This is essential to be aware of for fire safety while camping, especially in winter.

Anonymous

Anonymous Mon 05 May 2014 20:27:48 No.312761 Report

Quoted By:

My great grandmother taught me to sew when I was a kid and get arthritis started getting bad. It's a handy skill to have. If you try making something like an ultralight tent or oddly shaped tarp, take time to lay it out correctly. Use lots of marking chalk. Backstitch on both ends. Check the strength of your thread, there are amazing variations. Use upholstery thread when you can.

Nobody can make a six foot seam perfectly straight, but everybody can make a six inch seam straight enough. Sew six inches, take a second, sew six more. Eventually that'll make a nice six foot seam. Watch your mindset and don't get in a hurry.

Anonymous

Anonymous Mon 05 May 2014 22:14:43 No.312807 Report

Quoted By:

>>312651
I haven't outright made anything from scratch in a while, but I'm redoing an old Razor scooter I pulled out of a dumpster with a new latching mechanism and wooden handlebars.

As far as clothing, I made new pockets for a jacket of mine because the old ones were shitty and too small.

Anonymous

Anonymous Mon 05 May 2014 23:59:28 No.312848 Report

Quoted By: >>313462

I have an old Woods microlite 40 degree bag I don't use much. Been thinking about using it to make a top quilt for my hammock setup. Any suggestions? I know I will remove the back and all zippers. Would it be worth opening it up and putting in some down? Would it just get lumpy as shit? Should I make a footbox?

Necromancer

Necromancer Wed 07 May 2014 09:01:38 No.313462 Report

Quoted By:

>>312848

For a hammock bag, I'd advise instead of making a top quilt just sewing along both sides of the bag to keep any insulation in the top of the bag (Assuming it's not quilted or in pockets already) and then remove any insulation from the bottom so it's just fabric. This keeps any warm air trapped actually inside the bag better and also helps you keep inside of the bag.

I camped with a blanket and found that with all my moving around I often moved it off my feet, which got very cold. If you're dead set on a top quilt and not a top bag then yes have a footbox.

Necromancer

Necromancer Wed 07 May 2014 09:03:43 No.313463 Report

Quoted By: >>313464

>>312651

Oh shit, yeah... The actual thread.

I made a down/feather underquilt for my hammock. It works alright, but there are modifications I need to make on it.

Necromancer

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO underquilt.jpg, 487KiB, 2592x1728

Necromancer Wed 07 May 2014 09:05:11 No.313464 Report

Quoted By:

>>313463

And like an idiot I forgot the picture.

I did it at night, hence the torch being shined on the bag.

This underquilt is also visible in the UK Dartmoor Trip thread.

Anonymous

Anonymous Wed 07 May 2014 12:23:34 No.313490 Report

Quoted By:

Got a plan to make a kinda groundsheet / bivy bag type thing for when I'm under my tarp.

Ideally it'll have some breathable waterproof shit on top over the feet and head so protect against the lovely sideways rain the UK is so keen on. If possible I'd quite like to make it so it can be strung between two trees for hammock fun, but that's low priority.

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