I'm interested in making my own sleeping bag, but have a few questions. The sleeping bag I'm building would be for winter/ snow camping (0 degrees to 35 degrees in Southern California).

I've read that for those temperatures down fill would be best over synthetic fill. So, if I use a horizontal baffling system what's to prevent the down within each baffle to shift and pool up in one area creating cold spots?

I'm 5'8", 140 lbs. If I require a hood for my sleeping bag, how much can I reasonably expect my myog sleeping bag to weigh in at?

Edited by everest88 on 11/29/2012 22:39:47 MST.

I think overstuffing the baffles a bit will keep the down from shifting much. I've noticed on my MYOG quilt that the in the baffles that aren't quite as full the down does tend to migrate to the outside of the quilt overnight but elsewhere it stays in place fine.

Good luck, you're a braver man that I. I made a synthetic bag for my wife and there's no way I would have tried it with down.

Adam

There are a number of threads recently about how if you 30% over-stuff on horizontal tubes, the down won't all slide to the edges leaving an empty place on top

I haven't made a down sleeping bag, but I'm thinking about it, so consider this what you wish : )

0 degree F - maybe 2.5 inches of loft? If you wore some stuff inside?

Maybe 4 square yards for a sleeping bag?

If you used 0.7 oz/square yard shell and liner - 5.6 ounces total

4 square yards = 5000 square inches * 2.5 inch loft = 12500 cubic inches add 30% = 17000 cubic inches. If you use 900 fill power down that would be 19 ounces.

Plus, add fabric for baffles and zipper - 2 ounces?.

Another thing about down not shifting in baffle, is to have the baffle width small enough. I think if you had 2.5 inch loft, you would want 5 inch baffles, but that's just a guess. Maybe look in a store, find sleeping bags

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/MYOG_down_quilt_bag.html

Cheers

As a side note, can I use my REI 55* sleeping bag as a top quilt over an existing 45* sleeping bag in 15* weather? The 45* bag has insulation on both top and bottom portions, and I'd be sleeping on a 1.5" insulated thermarest prolite sleeping pad with a R-value of 3.8.

Each person is different - you would just have to try it, but that might well work. Try them in somewhat warmer weather and see how it works.