want to convert old down bag to quilt

[Tortoise]

Sorry if i've missed relevant posts in my searches - have gone in circles for a while. Found one on backpackinglight but not a subscriber - yet.

My first down bag started life as -5degC (26 yrs ago), but it never survived its one and only incredibly careful wash following every minute instruction. I still use it as a summer non-alpine bag, but would love to modify it to be a lightweight 3-4 season quilt.

The main problem is cold spots where i can't keep enough down staying in place. It's still very warm where the down is. I thought if i could get all the down on top / sides, it would increase the warmth a lot. It's a mummy shape with an extra zip in the foot box.

Maybe i don't need to do anything except figure out how to keep it from falling off as i toss and turn, and to keep it around me, not ‘waste’ down that’s lying beside my mat.
I toyed with trying my largest silk inner sheet as an outer ‘cocoon’. Still plenty of room for the down to loft well, but it keeps the bag where i need it. Trouble is, it’s far too hot to actually try out at home more than for a few minutes! Not so good for keeping the bag clean, but this bag doesn’t owe me anything after years of use.

Is there a simple, light weight way to ‘attach it’ under the mat? I mean something like 3 elastic ‘bands’ sewn on both sides of the bag, which slip under the mat. But i thought it might still allow cold air in between the bands of elastic, and too much elastic will defeat the lightweight purpose. I thought if I could shake most of the down away from the edges and stitch lengthwise to stop it moving back, those empty shell sections could wrap around the edges of my mat.

Any comments?

Last edited by Tortoise on Sun 23 Dec, 2012 6:39 pm, edited 3 times in total.

[wayno]

or you could shake the down to where you want it, then run a sewing machine down the length of it to keep the down there..

[Bluegum Mic]

I would also take a good look and search on the hammockforum as most tend to use quilts and there is always topics on converting sleeping bags to quilts.
It will help to know it where the zipper is located, if its full length/three quarter, if the bag has a hood etc. All these things will help on giving some advice on the conversion (and how easy/difficult it will be).
Cheers

[Tortoise]

I thought if I could shake most of the down away from the edges and stitch lengthwise to stop it moving back, those empty shell sections could wrap around the edges of my mat.

or you could shake the down to where you want it, then run a sewing machine down the length of it to keep the down there..

Sorry, Wayno. My brain is working on one cylinder. Do you mean something different, like multiple lengthwise stitching to make small rectangles?

[wayno]

yes, a basic way of adding extra compartments to hold the down where you want it

[Tortoise]

I would also take a good look and search on the hammockforum as most tend to use quilts and there is always topics on converting sleeping bags to quilts.

Thanks - i'll check it out

It will help to know it where the zipper is located, if its full length/three quarter, if the bag has a hood etc. All these things will help on giving some advice on the conversion (and how easy/difficult it will be).

Hmm Realistically, i think i need to give up on the idea of taking it on a 5 or 6 day walk from the 27th... I still want to do it, though.

Attachments

NB full length zip and 2nd zip for foot box. 'Hood' top left (pulls in)

PC233285 [].JPG (128.31 KiB) Viewed 105970 times

[Tortoise]

As you can see, the down is 'thin' in places. The baffles allow sideways movement, but not lengthways movement of the down. I was thinking if i shook it all in from the sides, leaving maybe up to 6" with no down, and sew lengthwise on each side, i'd have a much better concentration of down on top & sides of me.

Attachments

NB cold spots without down

PC233283 [].JPG (79.1 KiB) Viewed 105964 times

[wayno]

has it been washed?

[Tortoise]

yes, a basic way of adding extra compartments to hold the down where you want it

A problem i think i'd have is that the current baffles aren't sewn all the way through. When i bought it, they made a big deal of that meaning a warmer bag - all those seams reduce the loft along them, and apparently allow more heat to escape.
I also think it might prove hard for me to get them even - not good at fiddly keeping stuff in place while i sew it kind of things.

has it been washed?

Just the once - see first post above, paragraph 2...

[wayno]

looks like the down is clumping?

[Tortoise]

looks like the down is clumping?

Maybe more than i thought. Tried the tennis ball etc with it in a dryer, and done some by hand. I guess there must still be enough down somewhere in the baffles if it can't escape - unless damaged. I was soooooooooooooooooooooooooo careful washing it, though. Bought a doover specially to take the weight of it all before i let the water out of the bath, very carefully supported it while laying out to dry.

So, i may still achieve better results with the painstaking manual redistribution of down that others have had success with (now that I've had some more successful searches )

Thanks for all the thoughts

[wayno]

maybe it was just too old. or had too much use to be salvageable

[Tortoise]

It wasn't old when i washed it - so it shouldn't have been a problem with the down then. And the parts between the 'downless' spots are still very warm. That's why i thought that if i could concentrate all the down into less area (ie make into a quilt), it still has a lot of life left in it.

I didn't mention that as i'm seriously into alpine, this bag hasn't had anything like the use of my other ones that are still performing excellently after 20 years (unwashed!!) But I always use a liner with them, and usually wash myself when i get into camp.

[wayno]

decent quality down shouldnt have ended up like that, you'd really have to stuff up washing it to get that reaction and as you said you were very careful, I"m thinking the down wasnt good quality. I've seen bags washed and its made an improvement in the down...

[Tortoise]

It's a Northwall Verglas (aussie made). Was meant to be good quality, but maybe not. quick search looks like they're not still around

[Macca81]

give it another run in the dryer perhaps, but with more balls. I found that one wasnt enough so i checked 5 in, plus a clean pair of shoes

[Tortoise]

Thanks - I'll try that! I think I used 2, didn't think of 5

[wayno]

http://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/ ... g-bag.html

If you decide to wash your own down bag, go to a laundromat and do it with a front loading washing machine and dryer. The agitator in a top loading washer, like you have a home, is too rough and can tear the baffles of your sleeping bag open.

[Moondog55]

Consider having it emptied and refilled too, using good 900 down be be worthwhile, I have had that problem in the past with a Mountain Equipment "Redline" I took it to the old Aiking and had it topped up and resewn; got another 3 or 4 seasons out of it and then bought a new bag. Honestly it looks like it was underfilled

[Tortoise]

http://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/caring-sleeping-bag.html
The agitator in a top loading washer, like you have a home, is too rough and can tear the baffles of your sleeping bag open.

I did it by hand - machines sound too scary!

[Tortoise]

Consider having it emptied and refilled too, using good 900 down be be worthwhile, I have had that problem in the past with a Mountain Equipment "Redline" I took it to the old Aiking and had it topped up and resewn; got another 3 or 4 seasons out of it and then bought a new bag. Honestly it looks like it was underfilled

Thanks for those thoughts. I did consider having it refilled - but thought maybe i'd be better off putting that cost toward a new 3 season bag. Hence wondering if i could get more out of it as a quilt.
I think you might be right re being underfilled in the first place.

[Onestepmore]

If you do sew vertical holding lines as Wayno suggests, then make sure you use a walking foot on your sewing machine. This will 'feed' the lower layer of fabric that you can't see at the same rate as the upper layer, and help to avoid puckers and overlaps. Go slowly, reposition your work and sew a bit more. Also you'll need a big unobstructed work surface area, so that the weight doesn't pull on the needle. Ideally have a sewing table where the sewing machine can be lowered and positioned so that the foot is level with the work surface, but you'll need a table of the same height behind and to the left to lay the quilt on. If you have them, then quilt clips may help - these are circular metal bands that roll up the section you're not currently working on in front of you. Quilting shops sell them.

Another alternative is to enquire a commercial long arm quilter to see if he/she can do it for you - as there are only a few large vertical seams needed I'd quess it wouldn't cost too much. They usually charge per square foot (yes imperial measurements are still used in Aust for this) Not sure how the irreg shape woluld go being attached to the rollers but worth an ask.

Good luck!

[paddlpop]

If the construction of the bag is sound and you like the thing..consider buying some 900 loft down and adding where needed.
I've bought a couple of cheap 2 season down bags for the kids and opened up the baffles for re stuffing. Works a treat and let's me customize. You can zip up the foot box and still use like a quilt. If you want to save weight.... tip out 200 ml of your water on your next trip!!

[Moondog55]

Opening up a bag along an edge seam and hand filling is actually very easy, but you have to have accurate scales to weigh the down and fill by weight. I also did this for bags for my tadpoles.
Be careful not to overfill tho, law of diminishing returns kicks in early with good quality down.

[Mark F]

Down shouldn't behave in the way you describe and it suggests to me that that the cleaning agent was not correct (in those days only pure soap (Lux flakes) or perhaps wool wash should have been used) or the bag was not fully rinsed. I would suggest you wash your bag again with a little of the new washes (Nikwax, etc) or just give the bag another rinse.

[Tortoise]

Thanks for all those thoughts too.
(Mark, i was OCD about doing everything correctly, so I know i would have used whatever was recommended at the time. I think it was a special down thing.)

As it happens, i had the opportunity to buy a 3rd hand quilt in very good condition from a forum member, so i took the easy way out. I've decided to play with the old bag, maybe down booties, hat etc - which would also be part of my pillow. So i'll still use your ideas.

[walk2wineries]

Dumb question - what size/type needles will stitch fabric that holds down? I've opened pillows at home (I like half-filled down pillows) and stitching always leaks...

[simonm]

https://www.guetermann.com/shop/view/co ... s-Feathers

This might be helpful.