DIY sleeping bag to UQ conversion

[SpaceCadet]

I just had this idea and I wanted to share it. I'm think about taking my old $15 walmart sleepingbag that i've had since forever and adding some brass grommets onto it.



I'm thinking one on each corner and using some bungee cord to hook it to my whoopie slings. maybe one in the middle on each side and I can hook that around to my ridge line. Granted I haven't watched any videos on hanging UQs so I'll watch a few before I start the work.

I know it won't be as good as an actually UQ but it'll be a whole lot cheaper. Has anyone done something like this? Any suggestion, comments, questions or criticisms?

[rjcress]

I just had this idea and I wanted to share it. I'm think about taking my old $15 walmart sleepingbag that i've had since forever and adding some brass grommets onto it.

I'm thinking one on each corner and using some bungee cord to hook it to my whoopie slings. maybe one in the middle on each side and I can hook that around to my ridge line. Granted I haven't watched any videos on hanging UQs so I'll watch a few before I start the work.

I know it won't be as good as an actually UQ but it'll be a whole lot cheaper. Has anyone done something like this? Any suggestion, comments, questions or criticisms?

Cool idea.
I'm not sure how long grommets will last without pulling out.
Here is how I did my easy sleeping bag to UQ conversion:
http://gear-report.com/how-to-make-a...-sleeping-bag/

Post pics of whatever you do.

[SpaceCadet]

I KNEW I couldn't have been to first to come up with the idea. MY first Idea was to sew on d-rings
.
I might go with that over the grommets

[Ramblinrev]

Brass grommets have been known to slice and dice the fabric they are installed in. Not my first choice. In fact I don't use grommets on my gear at all. Fabric tabs or d-rings serve better IMO. I've made two underquilts from sleeping bags. They are not the best as they can be quite heavy. The loft is often compromised by age. But they are cheap and serviceable if you take those limitations in account.

[rjcress]

I KNEW I couldn't have been to first to come up with the idea.

Ha!
We were discussing various ideas for making hammock bug nets, with some even making little models to show their ideas. Getting some really innovative stuff... or so we thought.
Someone posted a US Patent filed in 1906 that showed a nearly identical idea to what had evolved during our discussion.

People have been around for MILLIONS of years. There can't be too many "never been thought of before" ideas left.

But who knows... your grommets idea may be a winner, or it may not work out as planned. Won't know until you try.

[Roadrunnr72]

Cool idea.
I'm not sure how long grommets will last without pulling out.

+1 on that!!

Grograin loops, I think, would last longer.

I made one myself. I cut the zipper and hood off and injected some grograin around it. But the next (for my daughters) I will use rjcress's idea, with a few changes.

[SpaceCadet]

MY question RJ is why did you open the sleeping bag up, sew in the middle and then fold it up, instead of just sewing on the corners with it zipped up?

[rjcress]

MY question RJ is why did you open the sleeping bag up, sew in the middle and then fold it up, instead of just sewing on the corners with it zipped up?

Because the width can be increased by pulling the sides out way from the middle if the occupant is a diagonal sleeper. My son does it that way, and lays a blanket in the gap that is created so he doesn't get a cold spot.
My girls sleep right down the middle and don't pull the sides of theirs out.

I'm not sure there is a right or wrong way. and it only takes a minute to add a grosgrain loop. Why don't you try it both ways and report which works best?

[Roadrunnr72]

Because the width can be increased by pulling the sides out way from the middle if the occupant is a diagonal sleeper. My son does it that way, and lays a blanket in the gap that is created so he doesn't get a cold spot.
My girls sleep right down the middle and don't pull the sides of theirs out.

I'm not sure there is a right or wrong way. and it only takes a minute to add a grosgrain loop. Why don't you try it both ways and report which works best?

As I was reading your post, this is exactly what I was thinking,

[Jazilla]

MY question RJ is why did you open the sleeping bag up, sew in the middle and then fold it up, instead of just sewing on the corners with it zipped up?

Just my thoughts but if you sewed it up with the sleeping bag zipped it would join the two zip corners. With Rjcress idea you can still used the sleeping bag as a sleeping bag. My $0.02