Okay, I've got a stupid question--where do you get patterns for making things like your own sleeping bag/quilt, tarps, and other gear? I'm new to this stuff.

I'm new to "making" my own gear too. Right now I am interested in making a quilt, so that has been my primary focus. I have been to: http://www.rayjardine.com/index.shtml to look at the kits they offer.
I also have been investigating books listed at:
http://www.backpacking.net/makegear.html
This link has a generic pattern for a quilt:
http://www.newsushi.net/quilt.html
So there are many resources out there. Probably as many as their are opinions on how to make them.
Good luck :O)

I just finished my first "real" sewing project last night, a hat kit purchased from Ray Jardine's website. I also bought his quilt kit, which is in the mail, and I hope to finish that about mid-April. I'll let you know how it goes.

Backpacking Light IS the right place to find how-to articles for making your own gear; well almost. :)

We now have a section editor for the MYOG section and will be ramping up this section this year. Too early to give away too many details. We will eventually cover everything from top bags, tarps, stoves, etc., and hope to provide the tools necessary to produce high end gear.

I am working on an alcohol stove how-to article to compliment our recent review of alcohol stoves. Although it might take us a little while to ramp up to the more complicated projects, I am interested in what readers would like to see. Comments?

Thanks,
Jay Ham
MYOG SE

Yes, I have a comment on the new MYOG section. Making your own clothing used to be a great way to save money, but now it is nearly as expensive as buying. Hopefully you guys will make harder to find, specialized fabrics available such as pertex quantum and epic, but try to keep the price down!

Thank you--I appreciate all the ideas/help I can get! I look forward to the new BPL helps!

I found a website that sells a lot of the fabrics that are often mentioned here: www.specialtyoutdoors.com Are these good prices?

There is also a new thread called Tenara (I've got to go check on the website address) but what caught my attention is how is resists UV and all the stuff outdoor gear tends to run up against. Anyone had any experience with this thread?

Another positive recommendation for www.rayjardine.com. My wife and I made the Quilt and Bomber Hat kits without too much trouble. It takes many hours of finicky work with annoying fabrics, but it would have been much worse without their excellent detailed instructions.

Dane and all,

I agree the cost of buying high end fabrics in low quantities brings the cost of making your own gear (esp clothing) nearly to the price of store bought. And you can often beat the cost of making your own if you can find what you want on sale. It's the "what you want" part that is kind of hard to find. Most of the gear I use is homemade, not because of cost, but because I can't find the cutting edge designs I'm looking for through retail.

I would also like to see better fabric availability (how about eVent!) and better pricing. These details haven't been worked out yet, but I do appreciate your comments. We will do what we can.

Thanks,
Jay Ham
MYOG SE

Edited by jham on 03/31/2005 06:53:31 MST.

Douglas...with your bomber hat, do you have a problem with the loft on the sides on the hat? The polarguard I got was about 3/4 inches thick, but the loft on the sides of my finished hat is only a quarter inch, even when I am not wearing it. The loft on top is better, but still only like 1/2 an inch.

Thanks for your reply Jay.

Edited by Dane on 03/31/2005 10:50:16 MST.

I agree--at 5'1" and 108lbs gear selection can be a nightmare. Most sleeping bags fall either in the 4'8" or the 6' something--and I dislike carrying the extra weight of a good foot or more that I don't actually use. Same with backpacks, clothing, etc. Some things are 'close enough' to work okay, but a lot aren't. That's one of the reasons I'm looking for gear patterns--it would be nice to modify things to my size. Not only would it help drop unneeded weight but the comfort levels would increase. So cost, either more or less, isn't as much a concern for me. Enjoying my backpacking experiences better is my top priority.

The PolarGuard insulation is fairly loose between the layers of fabric, so mine didn't lose any loft. Maybe yours got stretched when you sewed it?

You could send e-mail to Ray; he would be able to help more than I.

Hey Dane and Douglas, would either of you consider selling your RJ Bomber Hat pattern? I was just getting ready to throw together a loft hat, but I couldn't find a pattern anywhere. I ordered the fabric and insulation, and was planning to just wing it until I read your post on the RJ Hat. I'd buy the full kit, but as I mentioned, I already bought the materials, I just need a pattern.

Josh

PS
Sorry to horn in on this thread. I'd PM if the functionality were available.

Sorry, I kinda destroyed my pattern in the process. If I make another high-loft hat I would make a lot of changes, I don't think the RJ design is optimal anyway. But if you're new to sewing, like I am, it's best to start simple. Good luck on your project, sorry I couldn't help.