The
Dirtbagger's Deluxe
Home What's New? E-Mail the Guys
|
The
Dirtbagger's Deluxe Home What's New? E-Mail the Guys
|
|
Lightweight Hiking Food Hiking Techniques Trip Journals Links NEW! Where To Go NEW! A Lesson From the Trail |
Homemade Gear "My transgression is sealed up in a bag, and thou sewest up mine iniquities." Job 14:17 I believe that any type of creativity is good for the sole. I also think that the greater portion of the gear market is not in business for the greater good of the consumer. Have you ever bought a piece of gear that was everything you ever wanted and nothing didn't need? Or was it just that the features of the gear were what the company TOLD you needed? I can personally say that I have not a single piece of gear that is perfect. It either has unnecessary features that I have gotten rid of or it has fallen short one way or another. Even my most cherished Western Mountaineers bag falls short as it could use a draft collar. This is not to say that I don't have any perfect gear. I have a few pieces that are perfect. They are the ones I have made myself to fit every need I have of the particular item. The only thing these lack might be in the quality of the stitching which is due to my own relative inexperience at sewing. "You sew? Haha! What's next? Ya gonna go out and join a quilting bee?" "Bite me Dirtbag! Like I always say, If you want something done right do it yourself. By the way, I'm not taking criticism from someone who marks his greatest skill as being able to perfectly execute a figure four leg lock on his coon dog while wrestling it." "Hey! Watch yer mouth boy! Me and Boecephus worked for three months on that move!" "Really? And did he also teach you how to lick your own..." "Alright! That's enough! Just shut yer mouth and get back to yer little quilting bee!" As I was saying, the greatest things you can have are the ones you make with your own hands. Sewing really isn't as hard as you would think. I had my beautiful wife show me how to thread the sewing thread through the machine and just show me how to get started and I was off and running. The greatest things about sewing your own gear are:
Below are the instructions for making the few items I have been able to pull off. My gear making days are put on hold due to the fact I blew my old White sewing machine up recently but as soon as I find a good used machine this summer at a garage sale I'll be back in business. Synthetic Silk Bag Liner Materials: 3 yards of synthetic silk (use real silk if you like but it's very expensive) Instructions: This is a good bag for the height of summer or for three season use to keep the interior of your down bag clean and add just a bit of warmth (about 5 degrees to be conservative). This bag took me a total of 30 minutes to turn out. This was my first sewing project and where I learned how to lay down a seam. You should have a piece of material about 6' X 9'. Simply fold it in half making it 3' X 9' and start sewing where the fold is on the end. Sew around the corner and up the long side until you have sewn about 4' up the side. This is where you need to decide whether you want the bag to be 1/4 open with ties or you just want to sew the whole side closed. I made mine 1/4 open but do as you will. Cut the top to where you want it to be (7' is a good length because it gives you a little extra room) and sew a small hem across the top. And, believe it or not, your done! there are many variations to this simple bag you can do like cut it more trim, add a draw string to the top hem, or give the end a bottom so it is round and not square (my feet end up jammed in a corner no matter what I do). This bag can be made with fleece just as easily as with silk. Fleece
Bag Liner
Materials: 3 yards of lightweight fleece 1 36” sipper (two way zippers are best for ventilation) Last a sewing machine. Making the pattern: Spread the
material out on the floor and lay your regular sleeping bag on top of it.
Take a magic marker and trace a rough outline of the bag.
Cut the pattern out except for one side from the foot to the shoulder.
After this is done fold the pattern over at the point that you did not
cut. This will allow you to trace
the pattern you just cut. Cut out the second part of the bag you just traced.
This should give you a butterfly looking piece of material shaped like a
mummy bag (Fig. 1). Now place both sides of the pattern together with the in side
out. Pin the edges together and
then sew them together making sure not to sew the side where the zipper will go.
Once you are close to where the zipper will go you want to pin the zipper
in place (Fig. 2). I’ll not lie
to you; this is hard sewing because the fleece will want to bunch up.
Turn the bag right side out. Lay
the bag down on the floor again and cut the top piece of fabric where the hood
is. Cut it above where your
shoulders will be (Fig.1). You can
use this piece of material to make a stuff pocket in the hood area. Just lay it on the hood section and pin it to the hood in a
smaller pattern than the smaller piece of fabric so it will be a bit slack so
you will be able to stuff a jacket in it (Fig.2). A little twist I used when I made my bag was to sew the two pieces of fabric all the way around except for the top opening. After you cut the piece of fabric from the top piece at the hood, make a 36” cut right down the center of the top piece of fabric (Fig.2). This will give you a Feathered Friends Rock Wren configuration with the zipper in the front. I have found that when liner bags are used in mummy bags they are very cramping and hard to zip. This front zipper has made it much easier for me to zip up. When you sew the zipper in it is a good idea to make a bit of overlap on the zipper so the material covers the zipper. This will help with zipper drafts and it will keep the zipper from snagging the nylon liner of your sleeping bag. If you want a drawstring on your bag make a small hem across the front of the top piece of fabric but sew the string into the hem as you sew it. Sew the string at the end that will be in the hem. It is important to anchor the this end very well so it won’t fail in the backcountry. As you sew the hem make sure not sew the string at any other point so it will stay free. Add a dray cord lock and tie a big knot on the end and your set. If you make the front zip model you can do the above just twice on either side of the zipper.
drawings for bag Fleece Hat/Gator
Materials: Scrap piece of fleece about 24" X 17", a length of draw string about 24" long, a small cord lock, and of course the sewing machine. Instructions: This is one of the simplest things you could ever make yet it is so versatile. Take your material and lay it flat. Fold a small amount of material (about 1/2- 3/8 of an inch) over on one of the long sides of the material and pin it about every 1" or so. Sew this hem and remove the pins. Now take the material and wrap it around your head until it is snug and comfortable. Mark the spot with your finger or a piece of chalk. Cut the material off where the mark is and sew the two ends together. Try it on again. Now you need to determine how much room you need in the top of the hat. With it on bunch the top edge together until it is closed. Is it roomy enough? Too much room? You decide and cut it about two or three inches longer than you think it is comfortable. Now fold the material over about an inch and pin it like you did the other side. Sew this hem. Now cut a small slit in the top hem. Take your draw cord and tie it somehow to a paper clip and thread it through the length of the hem. When you have both ends slip the cord lock over both ends and cut where needed with maybe just a tad bit extra. Tie the ends in a nice knot and you're done. Takes about 20 minutes. I found this to be very versatile because you can wear it as a gator or pull the cord tight and wear it as a hat. NEW! Homemade Hand Fishing Line
Then awhile ago I can across a piece of plastic that some 1/4" rope came on. It was the piece I had been waiting to find! It had pointed corners on each corner and a bracing piece in the center of the frame. I snipped the two corners on one side and sniped one of the cross members in the center. I did some fine witling on the corners I cut to reduce the line snagging. It was perfect! My casting, however was not! After about half an hour of working on it I was able to pull off a long cast nearly every time, and almost as far as using a pole. I used some 10 lb. test mono line but a friend had suggested using a brand called Spider Wire. Spider Wire is made for bait casting reels, is flat as well as braided. This will reduce line memory and cork-screwing. I'll report back after trying it. I used an old Altoids box for a tackle box and filled it with an ice fishing bobber, spinners, a few spoons, a few hooks, split shot sinkers, and a shallow running Repala. Total cost was $0 (not only that but I used some trash up), weighs about 2 oz. (5 w/tackle box) and a total of 15 minutes. This was a winner! NEW! Bug Netting for Tarp or Hammock
Materials: Approximately 7 yards of wedding veil Approximately 20' of seam backing Approximately 2' of Velcro A strip of cloth 3" by 18'-20' A piece of elastic draw cord 18'-20' 1 - 3 draw cord locks 2 grommets
This is a project that I have been meaning to do for quite a long time. I love my hammock and have very little trouble with bugs but when I get into an area where I can't camp away from the bugs I need some extra protection. I made this to be used with the hammock but it can easily be used with the tarp alone too. I put a drawstring in the bottom hem of the net so I can get into my hammock and simply draw the cord tight and seal off the opening (don't forget to open it back up before getting out of the hammock!). The Velcro openings at each end are where the ends of your hammock pass through the netting. You want to thread the hammock through the openings as you are setting up the hammock. I have not had any bugs make it through the netting or the Velcro openings.
I used cheap wedding veil for this because I didn't want to use expensive netting if the project didn't work. The wedding veil is as you would think very fragile and takes much care to not rip it. I have found the design a good one so when this one is buggered I will use stronger stuff for it. This net is simply a net envelope and is not spacious but it works well and is simple. I have yet to use it with just a tarp because if it's warm enough for bugs, it's warm enough for the hammock to be used. Instructions: About the only thing you have to know to do this project is how to make a seam. Start by cutting the veil material into two pieces about the size you want it to be. I made mine 8' X 5' because I use it with the hammock also so it has to be a bit long because it's up off the ground. Laying the two pieces on top of each other you will want to place your backing between the two pieces all the way around the top and side edges. Fold the edges over on themselves and pin in place to create the seam. Now it's just a matter of zipping around the top and side edges with the sewing machine. To make the Velcro openings on the ends you will tear out about a foot of the stitching on the side seams near the tops. Pin the Velcro strips onto each side of the netting and sew into place separately. Now you are ready to sew the bottom hem where the draw cord will go. Take the 3" strip of material, fold it in half making the hem and pin into place all the way around the bottom edge. Sew your seam all the way around. You will then cut a hole in the hem to feed the draw cord through. It is easiest to make the hole at the side where it will be easily accessed from within the hammock. Tie the end of the draw cord to a paper clip and start threading it around inside the hem. Once you have it threaded all the way through stick both ends through a draw cord lock and tie a good knot in the line so it can't thread back through the cord lock. Now all there is left to do is add the grommets to the top two end corners. This is where the ridge line will be fed through. Obviously there are a few options here such as not even making it for a hammock in which case there will be no draw cord or Velcro to mess with. Instead of a draw cord you can just tuck the edges under the edge of your pad or put sticks on the sides to hold the edge down. If using it in a tarp you can run the ridge line through the grommets or if you do not use a ridge line you can make short lengths of line that will be strong through the grommets to the edge of the tarp and hooked there using a simple hook or clip of your own choosing. On the opposite end of this line you will attach a cord lock. This allows you to slide the cord lock tighter or looser to adjust the height of the netting. The total cost for this project was about $20 and took about five hours. It weighs about 3 oz. In the Works
Remember...when I make you'll hear about it first thing! So check back often after I get a machine. Alterations Another great thing about sewing is that you can make greatly needed alterations to the gear you already have. This can be as simple as cutting those silly ax loops off the backpack or as evolved as tearing a shirt all apart and putting it back together to fit better. I have a pair of REI convertible pants that are very nice but they were a bit long. I had them hemmed and a bit of elastic put in them (thanks Mom!) since my machine is dead and Mother doesn't let ANYONE on here $1000 machine. Altering existing gear leads me to scrutinize every detail about my gear and think about how it can be lightened or improved. Creativity AND free thinking in the same activity1 What could be healthier?
|
Dirtbag Hikin' Gear Food Hikin' Techniques Trips N' Stuff Linxs |
