Hey all,
I have a Kelty 20* mummy bag with hood Id like to make into a TQ.
I didn't see a sticky or thread for a how to on bag to TQ conversion, could someone point me in the right direction or provide a link.
Thnx much!
Hey all,
I have a Kelty 20* mummy bag with hood Id like to make into a TQ.
I didn't see a sticky or thread for a how to on bag to TQ conversion, could someone point me in the right direction or provide a link.
Thnx much!
What changes do you want to make to the mummy bag (remove zip? remove hood?) and why?
Is it a down or synthetic bag?
Do you have much sewing experience?
Have you tried using your bag in 'TQ mode' (i.e. just zip up a bit and then lay it over yourself) already?
I'm not trying to be sarcastic - I just use my bag in the hammock without changes, and I really don't 'get' the TQ popularity. Also, working on & cutting into down gear can get messy in a hurry, the first few times...
I have this same question. Except I have a square bag. Currently the weight is 5lbs and 2oz. I would like to cut the weight down. I have zero sewing experience, but the wife has a machine and I am willing to try/learn just about anything.
I actually never have had a TQ so I don't really know how much of a difference it is as opposed to just opening the bag. I guess the only thing that kind of annoys me is the hood....but if its a big project....then forget it, I can just deal with it....haha.
I modified my down mummy bag to use as a TQ. The hood was a problem, as it was tight against my face when I tried to just unzip and flip the bag over. The fact that it was a center half-zipper bag made the hood especially uncomfortable in TQ mode: too tight. The center zip did make it easier to modify though. I marked a line with a Sharpie where I wanted to trim the hood, connecting it to the top of the zipper. Sew a parallel line of stitching on either side of your markings. This will allow you to cut away the excess (cut between the lines of stitching) and the zipper without losing much insulation/down. When you mark the parallel lines around the hood and continue around the zipper, make it wide enough (about an inch) to allow you to finish it with a rolled hem.
Easiest way for a mummy bag is to remove the zipper. You can leave the hood on if you wish, sometimes its good to be able to throw the whole thing over you head to keep warm. Otherwise, just cut it off square and sew it shut. Make a pillow out of what you cut off.
That's the basic strategy I'd use as well.Originally Posted by squidbilly
If you have some sort of hot knife (tip for soldering iron, wood-burning iron, etc) you can make your cuts with that. If you don't end up with enough fabric to do a rolled hem, you can always bind the edge with home-made bias tape or ribbon.
Well, give it a try and see how it works out - I don't mind the hood as it is off-center in my bags. And if it gets cold enough, I'm confident that I can wriggle into my bag and zip it up (in the hammock), and...I still have the bag for tenting or bivvy. YMMV.
If it's a heavy down bag like a Woods Arctic, I'd advise selling it and putting the proceeds toward a new light TQ. Or harvest the down and put it into a TQ (buy an unfilled TQ shell??).
If it's a really cheap synthetic bag, then perhaps a good candidate for experiments, though it will still be heavy for a TQ. Just don't make it too small...a cold backside in the middle of the night is no fun.
And if you don't want a sewing project you could just cut the teeth off the zipper tape.
(I don't see the point though - do people get scratched by the zipper teeth? Surelyit can't be the weight of the teeth that's a problem?)
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