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Detail of my Costco top quilt footbox. Basically a 9 square by 9 square cube. I narrowed the stock throw by cutting off a 3 square wide length, used part of it for the footbox, and sewed the rest to...

Update - slept (on the ground) the other night with a NeoAir pad & the SOL bivvy + Costco TQ. Temps got down to somewhere around 38-40, calm wind, and I was completely warm in just a t-shirt &...

Looks great; well done!

That remains to be seen; I'd be happy if it gets me into the low-mid 50's.

I also recently made one of these, and I'm curious how well the two would work together, though I wonder how much hassle...

Thanks! I'm 6' and it comes right up to my eyes. Flash Grundelore's idea of attaching the leftover 3x8 square piece to the head end (either doubled over, or not) for additional length is excellent.
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Yes - from the narrow strip, I cut a 15" x 30" piece (3 squares by 6 squares). Then sewed the end to the middle three squares of the big piece, then sewed up the remaining sides to form the footbox...

I cut 3 squares off the long side, leaving two pieces - 45" x 70" and 15" x 70"

Before cutting the quilt in two, I sewed two runs the length of the quilt, and then cut in between the runs to...

Yup, that's pretty much my TQ plan, except I plan to use the clipped off squares to make a footbox. With plenty left over for a down hat or something.

For me - around 50, maybe mid-40's with a base layer. Looking forward to more testing as Fall moves in.

So, used mine two nights this weekend. Lows in the mid-50s both nights, light to zero wind. Plenty warm, with just a t-shirt, boxers, and ankle-high lightweight wool socks. Just very slightly clammy...

I copied brianb's mod as well (thanks, brianb!); haven't had a chance to try it out yet. On mine, I cut more of the seam open so that the footbox seam is only about 18".

Nice thing is that even...

It'd be a good idea to call about Smithville...with all the rain we've had lately the lake level was (still is?) way up (above 1993 levels); the campground might be underwater.

Weston Bend State...

That's basically the same as my setup; works well for me too. FWIW, my neoair is 25" wide, and my SPE's CCF wings are 4" x 20" (2 per side), so maybe from shoulder to mid-thigh.

+1 on (non-wound) electric guitar strings. FWIW I have a few extras from broken sets - if anyone wants one let me know & I'll mail 'em out.

Picked up a couple industrial machines today that my wife bought for me a week ago. The seller had mentioned that she had another motor she'd throw in; when I got there to pick it all up, turns out...

I'm also intrigued by treadles. My winter project is converting an old (electric) Singer model 66 into a treadle. I'd picked up an old treadle model 27 that was completely beat up, but the treadle...

My wife noticed it at an estate sale she was at. She bought it before calling me about whether or not I'd want it - for $12, can't go wrong. Even if the machine was a total basket case the table is...

Yesterday's big score - a 1957 Singer 31-15, picked up for a whole $12. Pretty dirty/grimy outside but the inside is clean. Motor runs quiet but the old belt broke immediately (no surprise; it's...

The first night out for me is usually restless / intermittent, as I get used to the sounds etc of the outdoors. Sorta bi-phasic sleep maybe? I'll wake up several times during the night and just...

Passing this along. Found while working on some grizz beaks.

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=33549

Bizarre coincidence...I'd seen those a while back and thought they were interesting. Also thought they'd be relatively easy to make.

Here's one I made tonight (before seeing this thread) out of...

Or perhaps this technique - http://www.motherearthnews.com/diy/waterproof-fabric-using-tin-cloth-zb0z1303zpit.aspx.

I've heard of a survival technique similar to this (though I've never tried it).

Dig a long, narrow trench (maybe 2' x 6') and make a fire in the entire trench. When it dies down to coals, cover...

A student at the University of Arkansas:

http://i39.tinypic.com/24wree0.jpg

Picked up this 1948 15-90 (same as 15-91, but belt-drive), with cabinet & seat today at an estate sale for $12.50. Already have a 201-2 which I love but grabbed this 'cause it had tons of attachments...

Do it all the time, as there isn't a lot of wilderness near Kansas City. This is from a bikepacking trip last weekend...pic was taken right at the edge of a powerline cut, in a county park. Very...

Oh! Forgot to add this. When I looked at it, there was this note attached:

"October 2009. The brown thread in this machine is upholstery thread (bobbin & spool). The needle is a #18 for heavy...

Thanks! I'm really excited about it. Wasn't sure what I had when I bought it but glad it turned out to be a winner. Need to get some oil & fresh needles, and spend some quality time getting to know...

Picked up this 1950 model year Singer 201 today for $15 with cabinet. Seems to run well, but I'll probably take it in for a thorough cleaning & tune-up.

http://i48.tinypic.com/30rmv6e.jpg

Interesting; thanks! Hadn't seen that.

Yeah, still trying to figure out my ideal ridgeline length. I know 550 stretches but don't know whether or not I can detect it...at some point I'll get some zing-it or similar...

Made a sew-up PLUQ today, and now I'm playing with the suspension.

Initially I made some triangle thingies out of braided mason line, and fiddled with getting the dimensions of the triangle right....

Thanks for the replies.

I'm pretty new to DIY sewing, and generally not very hard on my gear, so I don't know that I'd be able to tell the difference between good & bad stuff.

Interestingly, I...

Somewhat confused/frustrated at the ribbon selection at Joanns.

There's a lot of ribbon-by-the-roll (Offray brand) that looks just like grosgrain, but isn't labeled as such (but is 100%...

+1 on the NeoAir All Season. I used mine last week, temps in the low 30's with a 40 degree sleeping bag. No condensation. Feet got a little chilly (due to the sleeping bag more than the pad I think)...

My rule of thumb is that the amount of time spent at the destination has to at least equal (and preferably exceed) the amount of travel time to and from.

Unless the vehicle is a bicycle.

Wanted a lightweight something-or-other to sit on, stand on, etc. Tyvek would work, but I didn't have any.

I *did* have some cheap Joann's ripstop on hand, so sewed some hems in a piece about 2...

So I hung last night under fairly windy conditions, enough that my hammock was occasionally tugged as the trees swayed from gusts of wind. I didn't need a tarp, but the motion of the trees got me...

You mean EMT conduit? It's made of galvanized steel; I'd think it'd be plenty strong enough.

Ah...I think I get it.

When you said "Then I sewed it down to the net on both sides (the "pillow envelope" seam). ", do you mean you sewed the outer/bottom ends of the ridgecap to the bugnet...

Spray bottle is OK, but you must allow it to dry thoroughly before starting the hike. It's toxic to some animals when wet (birds, fish, etc IIRC), but once dry, doesn't leech out of fabrics if it...

Something like this?

http://www.alpinlitegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=9&products_id=17

Encountered while doing trailwork...the nastiest widow maker I've ever seen - hanging directly over the trail. Real PITA to take down, too.

http://i55.tinypic.com/s12hwn.jpg

I made a full-length PLUQ by just running shock cord through the short sides. I sewed a piece of Insul-Bright length-wise down the center for some extra insulation. Works good for me down to ~40...

I use a (newer? bought a few months ago) WB bug net with my ENO DN and the only issue I've had with mine is the ends of the hammock pushing through the velcro ends during use. Not a major deal, but...