The "what's laying around" TQ

[JohnSawyer]

Inspired by this thread: http://www.hammockforums.net/forum/s...t=fleece+quilt

I decided to make a TQ out of "what's laying around." I started with a lightweight Fleece "sleeping bag", ripped out the zipper. Added a layer of half-in. batting, some InsulBrite (from about the waist down), and covered it with some ripstop sclittlefield sold me...



Big pics HERE

Size: 72" long, 48" top width, 42" at the foot prior to sewing footbox. (I like foot room, and have size 11 feet, so I figured a bigger foot box was better) The footbox is about 30" long, since I have a 2/3rds UQ.

I stacked the shell, fleece (right sides together), then insulation, stitched the insulation together, and then sewed around all but the foot end. Flipped it right-side out, sewed up the foot end and the footbox.

Total work time: 3-4 hours over two late nights.

Slept in the yard for about an hour tonight: DIY speer hammock, Kick *** Lost River 2/3rds quilt, Ripstop top cover (like a top-sock), and my DIY 8x10 Speer tarp. Outside temp: 45, wet. I wore only a t-shirt and shorts. After about 10 minutes I was beginning to sweat, so I pulled my arms out.

I'm 5'11, the quilt comes up to my lower lip when I'm in it, I may add a shock cord/channel to the head end, it doesn't pull under my shoulders easily.

Things I learned: Insulbrite, nylon, and low humidity can be shocking... Sewing 2 materials with different stretch characteristics sucks... Oh, and my hand-sewing skills are terrible...

Next steps? Probably buy some momemtum and climashield and make a lighter/more compressible TQ with similar dimensions.

All up weight: 33 oz.

[Trout]

What size does it pack down too? And would you ever use fleece again?

For a 2 pounds sack, not bad. I like the color mix.

[JohnSawyer]

I definitely like the feel of fleece (except on razor stubble). The stretch issue was a pain. Since I used cheapo poly batting, it isn't very compressible, so it gets down much smaller than a coleman sleeping bag, but not as small as my 20-degree synthetic bag.

The quality of this fleece is extremely thin. It started it's life as a cheap $10 fleece "sleeping bag"

Since my backpack is large, I figure I'll stuff it in the bottom and put everything else around it. I might remove the bottom seam, flip it inside out and add a layer of climashield if I decide I like it. That would make it a lot more compressible.