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Off the shelf gear is never perfect, unless you're that mythical "average" size. Even then, there may be features you don't want and ones missing that you would like. Ideally, all gear would be custom made to exact requirements. Of course, you can make it yourself, and many people do this. For most of us, though, this isn't an option, especially with complex items like down sleeping bags. Many companies offer options in length and sometimes width, with a variety of features available. But finding a bag the right size with just the features you want, no more or less, can still be difficult. Enter British company PHD and its Design Your Own Sleeping Bag online program. This offers a huge array of options (at least seventeen, depending on the basic style) and is well-designed and easy to use. The bags use the latest, lightest materials and top quality down.

Using this feature, I designed a bag which PHD then made for me. Below, I describe how the process went, what the resulting bag is like, and how it performs. PHD uses metric measurements throughout, and I have followed this. You will need to be familiar with metric weights and measures to use the facility or else have a calculator handy.

ARTICLE OUTLINE

# WORDS: 3500
# PHOTOS: 14

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