What about sewing my own Fleece sleeping bag?

yesenia · Oct 17, 2014

Hi everyone!

Me and my sister are walking the Camino the 3rd week of May from O'Cebreiro to Santiago. We are on a budget and can't afford the super expensive lightweight sleeping bags, so I had this idea to have my mom (she's the one that knows) sew us sleeping bags made of thick fleece But Lined inside with something like a bedsheets material.
Much cheaper and still warm... I figure if we need to be more warm, we can always layer up.

What do you think?

Anniesantiago · Oct 17, 2014

I think it's a great idea as long as you pay attention to the weight.
I wouldn't use thick fleece and frankly, wouldn't line it.
Joe has taken a fleece liner for years and it's been fine.
If you're cold you can put on more clothes and MOST albergues have blankets (though not all)

yesenia · Oct 17, 2014

Anniesantiago said:
I think it's a great idea as long as you pay attention to the weight.
I wouldn't use thick fleece and frankly, wouldn't line it.
Joe has taken a fleece liner for years and it's been fine.
If you're cold you can put on more clothes and MOST albergues have blankets (though not all)

Thanks Annie for the tips!! Ive been reading that it might be cold in May but I don't want to carry too much weight. If i don't line it... is the fleece ok against the body?... as opposed to it being lined?
I also don't want the bag Too warm, as I have to sleep covered regardless of the weather, plus safer in regards to bed bugs, etc.

Mark Lee · Oct 17, 2014

Sounds like a good idea, and no liner would be needed. Fleece is fine against the body. It's made of polyester. I wear a fleece pullover all the time without a t-shirt under it.

ranthr · Oct 17, 2014

Do not sew the inside linen to the fleecebag. If it is loose you can wash the outer and inner linen seperately. Dries quicker and the outer bag need less washing than the inner. If it is hot you might not need both.

yesenia · Oct 17, 2014

Thanks Mark! Glad to hear no liner is needed... I'm wondering if just fleece is enough warmth, also the liner would potentially make it less clingy and give it more structure to the bag, thus my idea of the liner.
Ranthr, great thinking, good idea! still debating this in my head... if no liner then no point in making one, as there are plenty of cheap ones out there... just didn't know if a thin fleece would be enough for the 3rd week of May, thus the Making my own thicker lined one.
Hmm, decisions... decisions

Happy Friday to you all!

Yesi

Anniesantiago · Oct 17, 2014

I'd suggest you make the bag without lining it and try it at home!
That's what I did with my first sleeping bag.
I bought a Marmot pounder, and slept in front of the open door in Oregon.
I froze!
So I exchanged it for the Pounder PLUS and it worked fine.

Mark Lee · Oct 17, 2014

yesenia said:
Thanks Mark! Glad to hear no liner is needed... I'm wondering if just fleece is enough warmth, also the liner would potentially make it less clingy and give it more structure to the bag, thus my idea of the liner.
Ranthr, great thinking, good idea! still debating this in my head... if no liner then no point in making one, as there are plenty of cheap ones out there... just didn't know if a thin fleece would be enough for the 3rd week of May, thus the Making my own thicker lined one.
Hmm, decisions... decisions

Happy Friday to you all!

Yesi

Like it was said before, a lot of the albergues have blankets available. A blanket plus your fleece bag should be warm enough I would think and I never stayed in any albergues that were all that cold anyway. Yeah, a couple were kinda chilly at night, but not what I would call cold.
A sleeping bag really has dual purpose on the Camino. Warmth and keeps you from making contact with a mattress shared by many. I never slept on a dirty mattress on the Camino or in a dirty albergue (and zero bedbug issues), but it's nice to have your own bag to sleep in.

SkuratO · Oct 18, 2014

Hi, Yesenia!
Weight does matter! Size does too! Go to the fabric store and see how small ( or big) tightly folded yardage of the fleece that you need for your sleeping bag will look like. It will be pretty big .
My sister and I just finished our Camino without sleeping bags. I bought on eBay 2 silk liners($4.95 each) and 2 huge lightweight wool shawls ($19.95 ea. @ TJMaxx)to use in plase of a blankets . We were pretty comfortable in all our albergues ! And we looked pretty stylish going out wrapped in fancy scarves- nights were chilly.
You have plenty of time before your trip. Be creative, be resourceful, be frugal!( NOT ON SOCKS!)
Good luck !

Franpio · Oct 18, 2014

yesenia said:
Thanks Mark! Glad to hear no liner is needed... I'm wondering if just fleece is enough warmth, also the liner would potentially make it less clingy and give it more structure to the bag, thus my idea of the liner.
Ranthr, great thinking, good idea! still debating this in my head... if no liner then no point in making one, as there are plenty of cheap ones out there... just didn't know if a thin fleece would be enough for the 3rd week of May, thus the Making my own thicker lined one.
Hmm, decisions... decisions

Happy Friday to you all!

Yesi

I was there the 3rd week of May this year and I know for sure that the fleece would be enough. You can also bring the liner for backup if find you care cold. My plan was to use my fleece jacket if I was cold and I never used it but I did use the liner on its own a few times. I think nearly all the places we stayed at had blankets and I was very impressed how clean everything was.
You will have an amazing time, just make sure your pack is light as that ended up being the most important issue with me.
Buen Camino

Frances

whariwharangi · Oct 18, 2014

Fleece works as a jacket. It doesn't trap air well enough to provide warmth as a sleeping bag. Which is why you don't see fleece blankets.

You don't need a sleeping bag; you just need bedding. Most of us bring sleeping bags because its more convenient.

You would be better off to purchase a down filled blanket or comforter combined with an ordinary bed sheet and then have it for your own bed after the camino.

Anniesantiago · Oct 18, 2014

Franpio said:
I was there the 3rd week of May this year and I know for sure that the fleece would be enough. You can also bring the liner for backup if find you care cold. My plan was to use my fleece jacket if I was cold and I never used it but I did use the liner on its own a few times. I think nearly all the places we stayed at had blankets and I was very impressed how clean everything was.
You will have an amazing time, just make sure your pack is light as that ended up being the most important issue with me.
Buen Camino

Frances

It just depends on where you were.
I was on the Camino in late May last year and it was snowing.
Roncesvalles had no blankets.
The year before I almost froze in JUNE in Sto. Domingo, and the nuns DID give us blankets.

It also depends on if you are a "cold" or "warm" sleeping person.
I get cold if I don't have enough covers, although I don't like weight.
So I took a down sleeping bag, cut the hood and zipper out and that's what I take.

Mark Lee · Oct 18, 2014

Franpio said:
I was there the 3rd week of May this year and I know for sure that the fleece would be enough. You can also bring the liner for backup if find you care cold. My plan was to use my fleece jacket if I was cold and I never used it but I did use the liner on its own a few times. I think nearly all the places we stayed at had blankets and I was very impressed how clean everything was.
You will have an amazing time, just make sure your pack is light as that ended up being the most important issue with me.
Buen Camino

Frances

So, so true. There is a direct correlation between how light one's pack is and how much more enjoyable walking the Camino is.
@yesenia......carry the home sewn fleece sleeping bag and a fleece pullover/jacket. That should be enough. Pack what you need for the Camino and ignore the tendency to pack extra stuff in the "what if" and "just in case" syndrome, which is based out of fear in a way. There really is nothing to fear on the Camino.
Also, I like the idea of carrying a fleece bag sewn together by mom. Something created out of love.

yesenia · Oct 19, 2014

Thank you so much to all for such great information! Glad to know there are blankets if needed in the albergues. Weight and size will matter since we don't want to go over 10lbs in our backpacks (more or less) ... I too think having our mom sew them will be so special
Will update u guys with pictures one done to share!

fernandezr · Oct 21, 2014

yesenia said:
Hi everyone!

Me and my sister are walking the Camino the 3rd week of May from O'Cebreiro to Santiago. We are on a budget and can't afford the super expensive lightweight sleeping bags, so I had this idea to have my mom (she's the one that knows) sew us sleeping bags made of thick fleece But Lined inside with something like a bedsheets material.
Much cheaper and still warm... I figure if we need to be more warm, we can always layer up.

What do you think?

Yesenia: I was able to purchase a very light nylon sleeping bag at Sports Authority here in central California for around $25.00 and I have used it on two segments of the Camino that I have walked. It compresses into its stuff sack (about twice the size of a soft ball) and not very heavy. It was usually warmer than I needed in any albergue so I usually slept with it unzipped (the tag on the bag says it is good for down to 30 degrees F but I don't believe it). Though I never had to, I felt it would keep me warm enough if I had to sleep outside (in September). The price of this bag is likely less than you would pay for the fleece to make your bag and it is already made.

Anniesantiago · Oct 21, 2014

yesenia said:
Glad to know there are blankets if needed in the albergues.

There are NO blankets at the coldest albergue, Roncesvalles, just in case you missed that.
And there are a few more albergues that do not provide blankets.
It will be fun to see what you come up with!

Bajaracer · Oct 21, 2014

yesenia said:
Hi everyone!

Me and my sister are walking the Camino the 3rd week of May from O'Cebreiro to Santiago. We are on a budget and can't afford the super expensive lightweight sleeping bags, so I had this idea to have my mom (she's the one that knows) sew us sleeping bags made of thick fleece But Lined inside with something like a bedsheets material.
Much cheaper and still warm... I figure if we need to be more warm, we can always layer up.

What do you think?

$13.99 for the red one.
http://www.gandermountain.com/modpe...&kpid=440072&gclid=CL-F88HjvMECFcKHaQodO18A-Q

Artemis · Oct 21, 2014

Just bought this for my next Camino. http://www.campmor.com/Product___41895

yesenia · Oct 22, 2014

You guys are awesome!
Thank you so much! I'll talk to my sister... with these prices, there's really no point in making the bag (only for purposes of having something my mom made) but Im sure she'll be fine if we buy instead.
I didn't think they'd be so heavy though... the red one is 2.5lb but the Coleman is only 1.5lb.

You know, if I had the $ to replace my lovely (but old) down comforter... I would get 2 lovely super lightweight covers out of it, and we could just buy silk liners... but one like mine are so expensive (although I remember paying very little for it on clearance @ Macys) and the cheap ones have lots of feather tips that poke and hurt

camino07 · Oct 22, 2014

yesenia said:
You guys are awesome!
Thank you so much! I'll talk to my sister... with these prices, there's really no point in making the bag (only for purposes of having something my mom made) but Im sure she'll be fine if we buy instead.
I didn't think they'd be so heavy though... the red one is 2.5lb but the Coleman is only 1.5lb.

You know, if I had the $ to replace my lovely (but old) down comforter... I would get 2 lovely super lightweight covers out of it, and we could just buy silk liners... but one like mine are so expensive (although I remember paying very little for it on clearance @ Macys) and the cheap ones have lots of feather tips that poke and hurt

Hi,
Those fleece liners would be ideal for my grandsons. Does anyone know where in Australia or NZ I could buy them.
Looks like the firms above only send to US and Canada. I haven't seen anything similar in our local outdoors shops (Perth WA)

Bajaracer · Oct 22, 2014

camino07 said:
Hi,
Those fleece liners would be ideal for my grandsons. Does anyone know where in Australia or NZ I could buy them.
Looks like the firms above only send to US and Canada. I haven't seen anything similar in our local outdoors shops (Perth WA)

Kind of pricey, but after shipping and customs duties from ordering from the US, it may even out.
http://www.kellyscamping.com.au/p/K...oors/kellys-fleece-sleeping-bag-liner/4679396

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Warm-Out...83453?pt=AU_Sleeping_Gear&hash=item2ed4b8e81d

camino07 · Oct 25, 2014

Thanks for those links Bajaracer, I will look into them.

Bajaracer · Oct 27, 2014

camino07 said:
Thanks for those links Bajaracer, I will look into them.

This one is cheaper with free shipping.
https://www.snowys.com.au/Sleeping-Gear/Sleeping-Bags/Fleece-Sleeping-Bag.aspx?c=3&sc=21&id=1146

camino07 · Oct 27, 2014

Too heavy! .9 kg its the same as my down sleeping bag.
We are just going to take silk liners and use blankets for the children. We will probably stay mainly in Hostals anyway.
Thanks Bajaracer

Deleted member 3000 · Oct 27, 2014

Anniesantiago said:
And there are a few more albergues that do not provide blankets.

Members have come up with these:

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/albergues-without-blankets.15256/

J Willhaus · Nov 3, 2014

We have fleece bags which we will field test in upcoming weeks here at home. I think the fleece bags which were a bargain at $19 will be fine. They dry fast and I won't feel bad if something happens to them along the way.

Alan Donnelly · Jan 7, 2015

yesenia said:
Hi everyone!

Me and my sister are walking the Camino the 3rd week of May from O'Cebreiro to Santiago. We are on a budget and can't afford the super expensive lightweight sleeping bags, so I had this idea to have my mom (she's the one that knows) sew us sleeping bags made of thick fleece But Lined inside with something like a bedsheets material.
Much cheaper and still warm... I figure if we need to be more warm, we can always layer up.

What do you think?

Interesting idea, Think about sewing xlarge micro fleece travel towels together. lightweight and fast drying

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What about sewing my own Fleece sleeping bag?

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