Adding Down to Garments

[Eric Blumensaadt]

Several times I have had reason to add down to down jackets, sleeping bags and parkas. The job is a bit messy with down plumules floating around but they represent only a tiny amount of lost down.

I un-stitch the compartment to be filled and make a funnel of sorts to help get the always uncooperative down to go into the garment. A short wood dowel rod or sometimes a much smaller item like a pencil eraser end will work to push the down into the garment, depending on the compartment opening size.

I buy DWR treated loose down only B/C it is so much better at moisture resistance. My next project is adding down to two bottom compartments of my -20 F. winter mummy bag where I’ve noticed some lack of loft.

Once I had a tailor make a V shaped nylon fabric pocket to expand the waist of my otherwise very nice Nature Hike down pants. The pocket was centered at the back. He thought I was nuts but when I showed him the down filled area he understood.

Anybody else add down to their gear?

[Jerry Adams]

I weigh the down in a plastic container.  Then I grasp the down between thumb and finger(s).  Stoff that into the baffle.  Takes several times to get it all in.

Then push down with a stick or whatever like you said

Then sew it closed.

Then fluff it up to distribute down evenly.

[Roger Caffin]

I have filled two MYOG down quilt shells and one MYOG down over-quilt so far.

I start with a large plas bag – washing machine size, plus a collection of discarded cardboard toilet paper rolls.
Put down and TP rolls into plas bag and seal end except for two arm holes – tight ones. Add scale if you want.
Insert arms into bag – like a glove box.
Open down container – yeah, fluff everywhere – INSIDE the plas bag.
By hand, stuff as much down as I can into a number of toilet rolls. Once they are stuffed fairly tight the down does not escape. Very nice. Option here to weigh each full tube with little electronic scale inside the plas bag.
Remove one full toilet roll and insert into opening in quilt (tube), push contents out into quilt with stick or wooden ruler. Repeat.
Yes, a few bits of down escape, but very little. Close end of quilt tube (fold end over first) with bulldog clip
Sew.
Um … then gather all errant bits of down before SWMBO comments.
This method even lets me put the same known wt of down into each tube.

Cheers

[Ivo Vanmontfort]

I used a vacuum cleaner to fill the compartments. A video of the technique.(Same as Roger)

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