MYOG Bothy

[Elliott Wolin]

Just completed a silnylon 2-p bothy, 50″ long x 24″ wide x 40″ high with two 6″ diameter x 8″ long vents close to either end.  Weight with stuff sack 7.8 oz.  For practice I made one out of PU coated nylon, same size, 14 oz. or thereabouts.  Very simple design, just a rectangular box with vents, maybe I’ll add seat flaps or something one day.

We head to Rocky Mountain National Park in two weeks, I’ll get some pictures then.

It was really easy to make, took less than 4 yards of fabric (which I get at “wholesale” from OWFInc.com, seconds for under $5/yard).

[Philip Tschersich]

It’s hard to find the right material, but a little clear window makes any bothy so much nicer. You are in there because the weather is crap. It’s fun to look out at said crap while you are warm and protected.

I’m surprised the bothy is not more popular. Some of us carry them here for backcountry skiing. I have a 2-person, but others carry 4- or even 6-person. It’s great digging a foot well in the snow so you can sit normally. Most people sit on their packs, but a butt flap is nice so you can access your pack.

[BlackHatGuy]

Looking forward to the pics Elliot!

[Elliott Wolin]

Just checked, commercial 2-P silnylon bothy with about the same dimensions costs $80-$100. The  silnylon cost me about $4-$5 per yard at OWF, so it cost $15-$20 to make.  You save even more on a 4-P silnylon version…it’s only takes a yard or two more but the commercial price takes a big jump to around $130.

[Diane Pinkers]

Is there any weight or bulk savings over the commercial version?

[Elliott Wolin]

I think mine and the commercial (Terra Nova Superlite) bothy have the same dimensions to within inches, and they claim to use Silnylon (I’ve only heard of 1.3 oz).  Mine is fairly plain, maybe they added some fancy features.  The difference for the 2-P is 0.2 oz (5.7 gm), might be they included a plastic drawstring toggle and I didn’t.  Or maybe they just rounded up to whole ounces for their advertisements and theirs is also around 7.8 oz.

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