Need help with a zipper extension problem

[Jeremy Platt]

Hi Guys,

I have had a WM highlite (long) for about a year now and absolutely love it however I find without a full zip it is too warm for summer conditions. Rather than buying a new bag with a full zip, I was thinking about extending the one currently on the bag.

how hard is it to increase the length of a zip on a down bag?

Alternatively can the local tailor/ outdoors shop usually do this kind of thing?

Cheers,

Jeremy.

[Ken Thompson]

I think your best bet will be to add a second zip. I don't see how you will ever match up an extension that will operate smoothly if at all. At least you would get good money on a WM bag.

[j lan]

How about using omintape/velcro for the bottom portion?

[Jeremy Platt]

Hi Guys,

Thanks for the advice. In terms of actually making space for this second zip/ velcro, is the best way to:

Cut the bag down the same line as the old zip while keeping the material together using something like bulldog clips/ pins

Sew the material together to avoid down leakage

Sew/ Stick velcro or a zip to the new sides.

Has anyone had a try doing something like this before?

Cheers,

Jeremy.

[Derek Goffin]

HI Jeremy,
we amended a rab 400 into a double top bag. The rab had a full length zip which came apart at the bottom like a jacket zip. We wanted to open up the footbox too. As the zip could be opened at the bottom we left that in. We tried to push the down away from the line we wanted to extend along, tacked the cloth together 2" either side of the line to hold most of the down out of the way then cut down the line, carefully, and added extra material to keep full loft. We put the down we found in a paper bag and added a second zip, stuffing the down back in through a small hole before we finished, then unpicked the tacking. We then made a minimal bottom sheet with matching zips and we can use the bag as a single or zip in the bottom sheet to make a double. If your zip does not open at the bottom you need to do similar holding operations with the down and unpick the existing zip and sew in a longer one. It is quite lot of work.

[Jeremy Platt]

Hi Derrick,

Thanks for your advice. I have decided to hand the bag over to a guy who is more experienced in this kind of thing as I couldn't bare to wreck the bag.

Luckily though as the bag is sewn through rather than baffled, after he tears down the seam the square baffles should remain intact, which will make it alot easier (and now cheaper).

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