February 20, 2001


What do you think of my sleeping-bag design?

Gearness, I'd like your thoughts on my (cheap, warm, lightweight) homemade sleeping bag idea. I'll buy one pound of goose down and some rip-stop nylon. Then I'll make a rectangular (sleeping-pad sized) comforter with a Therm-A-Rest sleeve and half-zipper built in. So, I'll be laying down with all the feathers over me and just my pad under me. I'm thinking I'll be comfy for most three-season temps, and it should maybe weigh 1 1/2 pounds at about $60 USD. Is it worth it, or am I wasting time? Thanks,

— Karl Roberts Stoney Creek, Ontario

Well, it's not as screwy an idea as the one from the guy who wanted to make his own crampons. And HE had success, so why shouldn't you?

The short answer: Sure, that'll work. It'll also be a complete pain to figure out how to baffle or quilt the shell properly so the down will stay in place and not shift all over, leaving cold spots that will leave you chilly even on mild nights. Actually, forget the baffling, probably the best you can do is a box-stitch, in which the fabric is sewn all the way through, confining the down to pockets about six inches square, but of course causing cold spots at the seams.

In any event, the fact is that your idea makes a fair amount of sense from an insulation standpoint. When you're sleeping, all the insulation beneath you is pretty well useless because you're crushing it. So why not just do without it and use a pad for insulation? As a matter of fact, a new outdoor-gear company called Big Agnes is betting that people will see the logic of this. It has come out with a system much as you describe — a sleeping bag with insulation on the top only, and a pocket for a Therm-A-Rest or Big Agnes pad beneath. An example is the Big Agnes Lost Ranger, a down-filled bag which is rated to 15 degrees, weighs 2 pounds, 12 ounces, and costs $199. It will be hitting stores later this spring. Big Agnes also will be offering synthetic bags, such as the 40-degree Cross Mountain: $119, 2 pounds, 3 ounces. You might find it worth your while to wait for that to happen, before investing money and a LOT of someone else's work on a DIY project.