Cost savings - Myth or not ???
For me the cost savings have been substantial.
Not counting my Bridge Hammocks, just the savings in top quilts and under quilts is very substantial. I have 2 down top quilts and 2 down under quilts. I bought the 900 fp down from Ed Speer when he had his special for members. If I remember correctly, it was $24 for 3 oz bag. I used 5 bags per quilt, top and under quilts. That's $120 per quilt for down. I forget the exact cost for the fabric, but conservatively at $6/yd and 6 yds per quilt, the fabric adds another $36 per quilt. Each quilt, both top and under, has between 5" and 5.5" of measured loft. The only quilts that compare are the JRB Mt Washington 4 with only 4" of loft at $404.94 per quilt with 900 fp down. That's a savings per quilt of $250 or $1,000 for the set of 4 quilts.
I started with a Hennessy ULBPA hammock. Learned quickly that, although I am not especially claustrophobic, I did not like the bug netting that close to my face. Using the Safari dimensions posted on Hennessy's web site, I made my own interpretation. Loved it in comparison to the ULBPA, but would not consider it a backpacking hammock, car camping okay. That hammock cost me for 3 yds of nylon ripstop from JoAnne's Fabric at about $4/yd (using a coupon) or about $12. I went hog wild and used Thru-Hiker nanoseeum. Still the total cost for the hammock came to less than $30. A savings of about $200 over Hennessy's price.
Then I read about the Bridge Hammocks on the Aussie site and knew I had found my backpacking hammock. For what the ULBPA cost me I can make 13 or 14 Bridge Hammocks and I have a backpacking hammock that is more comfortable and lighter. It took me about 4 of the 13 to experiment and discover the design principles of a Bridge Hammock and settle on the dimensions I now use for all my Bridge Hammocks, so I am still ahead by at least 9 Bridge Hammocks.
Now, the JRB Bridge is $200 each. For that $200, I can make the same 13 or 14 Bridges that the ULBPA cost me. Now the JRB Bridge is an excellent hammock and for somebody that doesn't do DIY or doesn't care to read my posts detailing the Bridge Design principles or read Grizz's excellent threads on his adventures in making Bridges, then I highly recommend the JRB Bridge Hammock. For me, the JRB Bridge violates several of the design proiciples that I have established and so I consider my Bridge Hammocks superior to the only commercial product available. But then I don't consider myself to be biased even though others do. :lol:
I have made more than the 13 or 14 Bridge Hammocks for which I have saved the money by DIY instead of buying commercial. I have still saved money since, just counting the Bridges I have kept for our own use and would have to purchase otherwise, it would have cost me a minimum of $800 for the same JRB Bridge Hammocks TiredFeet and I have for use. Those 4 DIY Bridges have cost me about $60 to $65 total. Less than $100 counting the cordage in the arcs and suspensions. So I'm still $700 ahead in the transactions.
I haven't counted the good will and friendship that I now have from those who are using the Bridge Hammocks that I have given away since it is impossible to put a price on such.
If I now add in the fabric used for the Insultex top and under quilts at approximately $50 each for a total of $200 and I'm ahead about $1,500 for the Bridges and down and Insultex top quilts and down and Insultex under quilts.
If I add in the fabric for Bug netting and over covers and my savings will probably drop $100 to $200. I still have more than $1,300 in savings.
If I now add in my time per hour at the rate I was paid before retirement 15 years back, that $1,300 disappears in considerably less than 1 days time on my part. Would it be fair to add in my time?? I certainly don't think so since I would probably waste it doing something totally unproductive otherwise or even if productive, maybe not saving as much money. But then I would have to pay a lot more than $1,300 to have somebody teach me the design principles of Bridge Hammocks that I learned in saving the $1,300. So I still think I am far ahead in the bargain.
So are DIY cost savings a Myth ??? Yes and no - a lot depends on the project and your own expertise. I installed a standby generator for our home with a completely customized electrical installation. My estimate of cost savings, not counting my time, is a minimum of $16,000 based on the minimum estimate of 6 I obtained from venders in our area. Where I lack expertise, then DIY would not be cost effective. Where I do have expertise, then DIY can be very cost effective.
Just my experience.