Topic

Sleeping Pad As Gear Sling On Pack


Forum Posting

A Membership is required to post in the forums. Login or become a member to post in the member forums!

Home Forums Gear Forums Make Your Own Gear Sleeping Pad As Gear Sling On Pack

  • This topic is empty.
Viewing 4 posts - 1 through 4 (of 4 total)
  • Author
    Posts
  • #1291110
    Thomas Vree
    Member

    @exploriment

    Locale: Niagara Escarpment

    (Sorry if this has been covered before. Did a search and couldn't find anything.)

    I have a Kifaru pack frame, which I think is a fantastic piece of gear. (Please spare me any, "gee that's kinda heavy. My whole pack only weighs 3 ounces" responses. I’m not an ultra light fanatic. I have reasons for needing that particular item.) I do however want to make the bag that goes on the frame much lighter. I have some plans drawn up, but I am thinking about making a cover for a ThermaRest to use it as a U shaped sling, attached to the back of the frame, with the bag in there. While I am a hammocker, there are times when I need to be more discreet and reverting to ground sleeping is a more feasible option. And while an underquilt works better in hammock, I want to make a hammock with a sleeve on the bottom to stick a pad in. Either as a stand alone source of bottom warmth or as an adjunct to an underquilt.

    Anyway, just curious as to whether others have tried it, maybe some of you long timers here can recall a thread along those lines my search didn’t turn up, any flaws with the idea that aren’t immediately apparent?

    Thanks in advance for any help.

    #1887727
    Dustin Short
    BPL Member

    @upalachango

    Hmmm, on first thought my concern would be that the thermarest would be too wide without folding making the pack body either too wide or too deep to carry well.

    Also why do you want to use the thermarest as a sling? I'm not seeing any apparent benefit to the standard methods of rolling or folding a sleeping pad and putting it in your pack. If you're using an inflatable TaR it also exposes the pad to more puncture risk (obviously a CCF is durable enough to ignore this issue).

    I think implementation and field use may be simpler just making a bag out of lighter fabrics and packing the pad in your preferred method.

    If there is a specific reason that you want to use it as a gear sling that I'm missing let us know. I just think any cover you make to keep the pad in a U shape will be pretty much the same weight as a standard bag anyway but with a lot more hassle to construct and pack.

    #1887902
    Joel Hulett
    Member

    @jhalan

    Locale: Midwest

    I too am working on such a project, however one extra item. I wanted to be able to ditch the frame and use the U shape as a soft frame. I'm still working on how to make the shoulder straps sturdy yet detachable so they can be put on the external frame. I've made two packs similar to what you speak of, but without the ability to be attached to an external frame. Some inspiration can be found on the moonbow website, as well as the luxury lite site. Ula epic comes to mind as well. Also check out the granite gear flat bed and molle mac pack.
    Hope this helps.
    Joel

    #1888096
    Thomas Vree
    Member

    @exploriment

    Locale: Niagara Escarpment

    I think my thoughts behind it were that if I am going to carry it, why not see if I can make it accomplish something. Copying Kifaru’s idea of a cargo panel,
    http://www.kifaru.net/cargopanel.html
    I can stuff a jacket in there, carry awkwardly shaped things, etc. As a rolled up tube, that's all it is. And I could also unclip it, and sit on it at rest stops. I may look into CCF instead of a TaR. A TaR is what I currently have, but CCF I could make narrower.

Viewing 4 posts - 1 through 4 (of 4 total)
  • You must be logged in to reply to this topic.
Forum Posting

A Membership is required to post in the forums. Login or become a member to post in the member forums!

Get the Newsletter

Get our free Handbook and Receive our weekly newsletter to see what's new at Backpacking Light!

Gear Research & Discovery Tools


Loading...