Wednesday, May 01, 2013

Cutting Down The Weight

Not having a home means my belongings have been spread between several storage options. Some are in my car, some in Joe's condo and some are at my mother's house. And still a few more items were left at the desert house. What I own would fit into a 5x5 x5 space. But I have managed to lessen the impact on friends by spreading it out.

This makes it difficult when I meed something and the one thing i appear to have lost is my Marmot Pounder Plus sleeping bag. I like this bag because it weighs only 1.5 pounds.

After tearing my mother's house apart, emptying my car trunk, and checking Joe's condo, I've realized the bag must be in the desert - too far to drive for retrieval. I cannot afford a new bag. And so, this week made a serious and difficult choice. I altered my Feathered Friends down sleeping bag.

The bag originally sells for around $500 and is a long version mummy bag with a hood. I purchased it years ago on craigslist for $100. It has been a good friend but I have never used the hood and I never zip it up. It weighs around 2.3 pounds.

Yesterday, after much thought, I took the scissors to the bag!

I cut out the heavy zipper and heat sealed the cut seam. I then sewed two side-by-side seams crosswise where I wanted the bag to end under my chin. I cut between them. The down flew, even withy cautious planning!

Using a cross grain ribbon, I then encased the cut edge. I will finish it with blanket binding at another time.

My new down blanket (with foot box) is perfect for the Camino!

I slept under it last night and was cozy and warm. The weight now is 1.4 pounds. I lost nearly an entire pound of unneccesary weight.

I'm happy!
It was a good decision.



5 comments:

  1. Sounds all good but I'm a bit puzzled as to the foot box? What is that?

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    1. On a good quality mummy bag the foot box is a built in box at the foot end. It is lined so if necessary you can wear your shoes without hurting the bag. It has more down and more space so the feet are kept warm and not compressed. It's also a good place to keep your valuables. I kept it in the blanket for these reasons plus when my feet are in the foot box the blanket won't slide off my body.

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    2. Brilliant. Sounds like a well thought out idea. Thxs.

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  2. John, you can see the foot box at the foot end of the bag in the photos.

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