I wanted a down underquilt... but, I had no down:( So I built an uq out of my old down coat.:D
I took four lengths of webbing, stitched two inside the waist band near the edge of the jacket. Stitched the other two up under the collar. Clipped on a biner to the new webbing loop and strung 8 feet of paracord from biner, around the whipped bundle at foot end, and back down to the other side. On this side I used one of my plastic figure 9's for adjustments.
Did a 4 foot length of elastic cord with biner and fig. 9 at the head end.
I have the coat sleeves pulled inside the jacket so they don't drag on the ground and add insulation under my tush. I put the collar end of the jacket towards the middle of the hammock and waistband towards the head end.
I also added a elastic drawstring to the waistband so I can cinch it up tight under the hammock, sealing out drafts.
The coat is still functional as a coat, no visible diy blemishes show.
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My coat, still looking like a coat.:)
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New webbing and elastic cord at waist.
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Figure 9 for adjustment .
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Elastic cord going around the whipped mass of fabric.
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The coat hanging under the hammock.
I've given it a good test fitting and everything looks promising. The waist band rides up high on the sides to the edge of the hammock, giving my shoulders good coverage. Down at the hood end, the big collar flattens out slightly, giving a good seal, and is just below my rump.
The elastic waistband cinches down snug and I can adjust it for venting by loosening the cordlocks I put on. I can also reach inside the coat and rearrange the sleeves higher or lower, and actually pull them up to around my shoulders, giving added warmth if needed.
The elastic cord suspension gives the set up enough flexibility when I climb in, and can snug it all up tight with the figure 9's.
The coat is made of ripstop nylon, so it should hold up well. This is a warm jacket, has about 2 inches of loft, plus the loft of the sleeves inside, which gives me a lot of r-value.
So, I have a nice jacket that I can still wear every day, and a half length underquilt while on the trail. Throw on my sleeping bag for a top quilt and I'm totally wrapped. My legs might need a pad, but my bag still has the zipper, so I'll see how it works when it gets cold. I can also use the pockets in the jacket for storing stuff while in the hammock. Versatile, lightweight and multi- purpose.:shades:
