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Just thought I'd share the progress in one of my /diy/out/ projects. I've been collecting wild canada goose down so I can eventually make my own sleeping bag. I'm at about 2 feet by 2 feet and 1.5 inches in depth. I figure I'm about 1/3 done in collecting it. It's quite compressible. It can be packed down to about the size of a hockey puck. I'm not sure about the fill rating. I tried to measure it and came up with about 650. But I find this stuff has more in common with eider down as it sticks together strongly like velcro. Also in reading about eider down apparently it's actual fill is around 700 but in terms of insulation it's equivalent to something like 1200. So packs smaller and insulates better. From my reading, this is because of this velco like characteristic that really traps small pockets of air which limits convection of heat. Anyway, I plan to fill the top of the bag with this stuff and use a synthetic for the bottom as the down would just crush anyway... or maybe a half size filling of down on the bottom paired with synthetic on the bottom so it insulates around the profile of the body. Cool thing with collecting it myself is that it's got to be 99.9% pure down. But man, this stuff takes a long time to harvest. I must have made 20 2 hour walks in a local park over the spring and fall collecting it. I can usually fill an average sized ziplock bag full in one session. The nice thing right now is the geese are dropping it and it gets trapped by the grass around the lakes and I just pick it off. Once the leaves have fallen you get a lot of debris stuck in there and have to pick it all out. I just clean it with warm water and dove shampoo and then rinse in cold water and dry it on low heat in a sauce pan on the stove and constantly turning it over to dry... I found however it CAN singe if you leave it on too high heat and just leave it for too long.
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What the fuck OP
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>>853772
don't get bird flu
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Down isn't really all that expensive to buy. If you count the hours you've put in already, you're way way behind in terms of investment.
You've put in 40 hours already, and you estimate you're 1/3 done. That's 120 hours before you start to wash the down or even make the sleeping bag.
Putting synthetic insulation in the bottom of the sleeping bag serves no purpose. The synthetic will compress, while not as much as down, it still will lose insulation properties when compressed. You also will lose the advantage that down alone has, and thats packability.
Using a synthetic AND down in the same area poses a problem too. If you use a synthetic like Climashield, you can't make any baffles, which are required when using down. It's just more hassle than its worth.
Just use a properly insulated pad as insulation below you.
You CAN however make a top quilt, which many backpackers prefer anyways, since it saves weight and space.
If you've never made a DIY down sleeping bag before, they aren't that easy, but with average sewing skills you can get it done. I've made several synthetic quilts before which is easy, but I've never bothered making a down quilt because of the increase in difficulty.
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FYI, the easiest way to clean harvested down is to fill a pillowcase, and sew it shut, then wash it on gentle cycle in the washing machine.
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Its kinda a cool concept but holy fuck the time and effort to save a couple hundred
Pick up a side job for a couple weekends and use that money, it will take less time and youll have a bag that u know is good and may have a warranty
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Jesus nobody does anything themselves nowadays?!
This is what's wrong with the current generation- everyone just says "well someone else can do it for me, and I can save time/effort/whatever".
Pride in one's own work has officially died.
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>>853940
>he says while typing on his homemade keyboard looking at his built from scratch monitor.
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>>853940
No its just most of the current generation isnt willing to muck through goose shit for 50+ fuck hours to make what will probably end up being a sub par bag or quilt
I diy when i can make near as good the product for considerably less or if its an interest (woodworking ect) and i consider my time based on my current wage, otherwise you end up wasting time on stupid shit like this. Work one weekend and have a few hundred to spend on a quality bag, or you can spend an entire weeks worth of time making one yourself.
And you say something is wrong with me.
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>>853971
>50+ fuck hours
dude he said he goes for walks in the park and collects. don't be so autistic.
> hurr durr im a capitolist and i'd rather toil my life away for muhh dollaridoos to barterexchange for a branded (and peer reviewed) sleeping bag than make something for the pleasure of it
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>>853772
Good for you OP. As long as you understand that it's not a true money saver.
But if you're doing it for fun/want to see if you can do it, then keep it up.
I would suggest starting smaller so you can get things right before going big. Make a nice throw pillow, or a cute stuffed animal. After you've worked with it, then is the time to make something big like a quilt or full pillow.
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>>854645
I actually have done a yoke for a sleeping bag I bought that didn't have one. I used the same stuff and it really added nothing to that bag weight or volume wise and keeps me warmer. So that turned out well and I thought I'd up the concept. Actually in theory it probably is a money saver as a king sized quilt of this stuff is apparently about $10,000
I like that the down I'm collecting is a) getting me out b) free c) quality controlled by me d)sounds like it will be better insulation than down I could purchase based on the properties I have observed e) sustainable and humane f) gives me a project to keep me busy and thinking g) lets me decide my own sleeping bag design that is 100% what I want
>>853870
I tried that and it doesn't work exceptionally well to be honest.
>>853868
>Down isn't really all that expensive to buy
yeah I might buy some high quality stuff to fill the outer baffles actually. This down actually interlocks like eiderdown though which means it will probably insulate better and isn't nearly as messy.
>>853971
>what will probably end up being a sub par bag or quilt
pic is a (set of) guitar(s) I'm building. I never built a guitar before these. I'll be fine. I sew more than I woodwork.
Anyway guys it will definitely take a long time to finish but I will show you when I'm done and let you know how well it works. I just wanted to open some eyes.
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