Topic

Alternative materials


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 Alternative materials

  • This topic is empty.
Viewing 25 posts - 1 through 25 (of 29 total)
  • Author
    Posts
  • #1312477
    Bob Gross
    BPL Member

    @b-g-2-2

    Locale: Silicon Valley

    The ultralightweight backpacker community has already done a good job of repurposing aluminum beverage cans and a few things like that.

    I had a weird idea about an alternative to down insulation. Has anybody ever tried using dryer lint? It doesn't cost anything. It is very lightweight. Currently people are using more and more synthetic clothing, so there is not so much cotton lint showing up there.

    The other material is #2 plastic, commonly found in one-gallon jugs for auto windshield washer solution. The main surface of that one-gallon jug is useful. I need a piece that is about 50% taller. Is there any normal product sold in a plastic jug that size? There are other plastics used for 5-gallon jugs, but they tend to be thicker and heavier.

    –B.G.–

    #2066453
    Marko Botsaris
    BPL Member

    @millonas

    Locale: Santa Cruz Mountains, CA

    To make things even more interesting, some of my dryer lint has down components from my parrots! I can see it now:

    FS: genuine 50/50 Grey Parrot Down/Capilene hybrid insulation $500/oz.

    #2066463
    Billy Ray
    Spectator

    @rosyfinch

    Locale: the mountains

    I thought of using the undercoat from my husky when he would shed every spring.

    But if it got wet it would smell like wet dog.
    On the other hand, when I was out with my husk in wet conditions I always came back smelling like wet dog anyway. :)

    Billy

    #2066471
    Bob Gross
    BPL Member

    @b-g-2-2

    Locale: Silicon Valley

    "FS: genuine 50/50 Grey Parrot Down/Capilene hybrid insulation $500/oz."

    Mark, can you certify that it is genuine African Gray Parrot Down?

    Nevermind.

    –B.G.–

    #2066573
    Mike Young
    BPL Member

    @klackamas

    Locale: [email protected]

    "some of my dryer lint has down components from my parrots"

    I can't imagine the parrots like a trip through the dryer. keep a side eye out for p.e.t.a. they are everywhere!

    #2066659
    William F
    Member

    @wkf

    Locale: PNW

    I too have looked at my long hair cat while thinking that her fur would make excellent down material. Has anyone tried? Does a wet cat smell like a wet dog? The hair is incredibly down like and not greasy at all.

    #2066664
    Bob Gross
    BPL Member

    @b-g-2-2

    Locale: Silicon Valley

    William, I think the cat fur would be a problem unless you want to lick your insulated garments daily.

    –B.G.–

    #2066671
    Diane “Piper” Soini
    BPL Member

    @sbhikes

    Locale: Santa Barbara

    We have a jar of cockatoo down that we've been collecting. I imagine that tropical bird down probably isn't very warm as far as down goes.

    This weekend I wore some fairly minimalist running shoes on a trail brushing project. I stepped on a branch and a thorn went straight through the shoe and into my foot. I thought after that experience that some insoles made of milk jug plastic or perhaps cardboard milk carton cardboard might have prevented it. It was pretty painful even a couple days later.

    #2066672
    William F
    Member

    @wkf

    Locale: PNW

    Bob, that's why you bring the cat along with you too, just like people bringing their dogs right? It can't be too different…

    #2066675
    Bob Gross
    BPL Member

    @b-g-2-2

    Locale: Silicon Valley

    Piper, think titanium foil.

    I hope you got a tetanus shot.

    –B.G.–

    #2066701
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    "I too have looked at my long hair cat while thinking that her fur would make excellent down material. Has anyone tried? Does a wet cat smell like a wet dog? The hair is incredibly down like and not greasy at all."

    Haven't done anything with cat hair, but did with Angora rabbit fur. I sprayed it with a fluorocarbon DWR treatment, mixed it with some 550 duck down, and then put it on top of a layer of 2.5 oz Apex. No baffles, i wanted to see how it would tend to stay or shift without baffles. Haven't test it out yet because it was heavier than i wanted it to be. The lady who sold me a "1 lb" of it, gave me more than that and i hadn't bothered to check the weight before hand.

    Anyways, quality Angora rabbit fur is very warm stuff. It's both rather fine/thin fibers on average, many of which also are rather hollow.

    That's a great combination for trapping air. But, i don't think it would hold up to compression as well as down would, and it might matt or felt some (which is why i sprayed it with the DWR, hoping it might make it more slippery and less prone to same).

    Unfortunately, i could not find any CLO type tests on Angora Rabbit fur, since a lot of people saying general things like, "it's 7" or "8" times warmer than wool, which doesn't really mean a whole lot.

    It would be more ideal for smaller insulated garments, like mitts, maybe vests, etc. things that don't have to be compressed too much to put in ones pack.

    #2066734
    William S
    BPL Member

    @wsafley

    Locale: Eastern NC

    I was thinking the same thing recently after finishing my down quilt. The 900 fp down I had reminded me of dryer lint as it came out of the bag (though lint obviously wouldn't have the nearly the same loft!). I have some of a tyvek roll left over, and I was thinking of hacking up a quilt from it with lint as the insulation. If it worked, I was considering the possibilities of making quilts like this for groups of scouts, the homeless, etc.

    #2066902
    William F
    Member

    @wkf

    Locale: PNW

    Could fiberglass insulation be used in clothing? I know working with the stuff is a PITA but if it were safely contained so you don't come into contact with it. I'm thinking the fibers might be able to pierce through most fabrics and leak though. I didn't bother searching the forums if this has already been brought up.

    #2066912
    Bob Gross
    BPL Member

    @b-g-2-2

    Locale: Silicon Valley

    I'm still open for suggestions on the plastic.

    –B.G.–

    #2066937
    Dave @ Oware
    BPL Member

    @bivysack-com

    Locale: East Washington

    I used the plastic from oil bottles to line a crampon pouch. You can sew on the plastic easily to make larger sheets or to attach it to fabric.

    #2066946
    Carl Umland
    BPL Member

    @chumland

    Locale: Pacific Crest Trail, mostly

    For lightweight #3 plastic what about "Flexible Chopping Mats". I have one that's about twice the thickness of a HDPE milk bottle.

    #2067353
    Delmar O’Donnell
    Member

    @bolster

    Locale: Between Jacinto & Gorgonio

    On a recent trip through Home Depot I noticed a half dozen interesting looking insulation products. A few I hefted, and they seemed pretty light. But I didn't take it any further than that, as the wife wanted to get moving. Look at the flooring materials; lots of interesting products. One was tiny foam balls adhered to a very thin plastic.

    #2067447
    Derek M.
    BPL Member

    @dmusashe

    Locale: Southern California

    Bob,
    Have you ever tried actually weighing dryer lint? I haven't done it myself, but I suspect you might be very disappointed to find out just how much volume 1 ounce of dryer lint occupies.

    My guess is that it wouldn't even hold a candle to 550 fill power duck down, let alone high quality goose down. It would also be a mess if it ever got wet.

    On the other hand, it makes a great firestarter!

    #2067477
    Daryl and Daryl
    BPL Member

    @lyrad1

    Locale: Pacific Northwest, USA, Earth

    A woman I used to hike with used mountain goat fur to make stocking caps. She would collect it from bushes along the trail in the Olympic Mountains of Washington state.

    Styrofoam appeals to me but I've never done anything with it. I'm amazed how a thin layer of it can protect my hands from hot coffee.

    #2067480
    Jerry Adams
    BPL Member

    @retiredjerry

    Locale: Oregon and Washington

    I've played with styrofoam a little, but it's very heavy compared to down or synthetic.

    1.3 oz for 15.5" x 15.5" x 0.5" piece. Assume 4 clo/inch – a little better than synthetic or down because it has closed cells so no internal convection. = 0.3 clo/oz/yd2

    Synthetic is 0.9 clo/oz/yd2 – 3 times better

    Down is better than synthetic, maybe 1.6 clo/oz/yd2

    #2067522
    Mark Ries
    Spectator

    @mtmnmark

    Locale: IOWAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!

    I read somewhere once I think in the mother earth news of someone using the fibers out of a milkweed pod to make insulation for sleeping bags and comforters

    #2067605
    Daryl and Daryl
    BPL Member

    @lyrad1

    Locale: Pacific Northwest, USA, Earth

    Jerry,

    Good info.

    Thanks.

    #2067609
    Dave @ Oware
    BPL Member

    @bivysack-com

    Locale: East Washington

    Indians in NE Washington state used cattails to make sleeping bags. They were filled with the down.

    My friend at airforce survival school there made a pillow stuffed with cattail down. Hundreds of baby spiders hatched inside.

    #2067661
    And E
    Spectator

    @lunchandynner

    Locale: Pacific Northwest

    What do you suppose the Clo of baby spider insulation would be? :: vomit ::

    #2067698
    Christopher *
    Spectator

    @cfrey-0

    Locale: US East Coast

    "Hundreds of baby spiders hatched inside"

    Belongs in the "horror story" thread. I know I'm going to have nightmares anyway.

Viewing 25 posts - 1 through 25 (of 29 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...