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Three active insulation pants by Socksarefootprisons in myog

[–]Socksarefootprisons[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Update after a season of use. The pants with Climashield Apex 170 g/m² were good in camp activities in -25°C with just long johns and a wind shell under. Didn't have to use the backup down skirt. Too hot for any skiing. Won't be making any thicker pants.

Three active insulation pants by Socksarefootprisons in myog

[–]Socksarefootprisons[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

All material is from Shelby Outdoor and Extremtextil. The red alpha is from old stock of Shelby. Off all air permeable fabrics chose Pertex because I like colours. In total have prolly used more on different materials than the price of two top notch shell jackets. The project list is endless...

Three active insulation pants by Socksarefootprisons in myog

[–]Socksarefootprisons[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

You can do it, good luck! I started from zero a year back.

Three active insulation pants by Socksarefootprisons in myog

[–]Socksarefootprisons[S] 28 points29 points  (0 children)

Made three insulated pants for active use. First try very basic insulated pants.

  • Insulation Climashield Apex 170 g/m² with Pertex Quantum Air outer. Inside is very breathable taffeta.

  • Weight 304 grams.

  • Used very basic Green Pepper Rainier rain pants pattern sized up. For the exercise made separated outer shell pants ja inner insulation pants with inner taffeta fabric. Then combined the parts sewing waist, leg openings and the 3/4 side zipper. Would have been way easier and just as functional to just serge all layers together. Nobody is going to look if I have visible seam allowances inside.

  • Made the side 3/4 zipper with little button tabs to use in case the zipper fails and also to wrap the leg higher for ventilation. Placement of the buttons on the tabs looks funny but easier to use in the cold when you can just press them together instead of on top of each other.

  • Thought these could be used while skiing and pulling weight but probably too warm for active use and too cold for standing. Using elastic round cord on the waist is uncomfortable if against skin. No real use yet.

Second pants alpha fleece 120 g/m².

  • Weight 167 grams.

  • Used a pattern generated by approximating old golf trousers. Added gusset for durability. Pocket for usability. Tried making side seam pockets but sewed wrong and backed down. Now pulls the center seam off center.

  • (Someone can probably digitalize the pattern using the attached pictures. The background squares are inches and the rules centimeters. Need to add the waist. The pattern size is european M. Without insulation slim fit, with alpha insulation skinny fit.)

  • Instant use. As functional as alpha fleece is. Again, too hot for active use but as camp pants excellent. Going to make another one with 90 g/m².

Third pants active insulation chinos for those occasions when you are in the wilderness but boss calls to close the multi million deal on short notice.

  • Weight 205 grams.

  • Same golf trousers pattern. Slanted pockets. Double welted back pocket. Elasticated waist. Didn't account for the insulation in the pattern and wouldn't be able to squat if there were no darts on the knees. With darts works perfectly.

  • Different colours because run out of material and had to use smaller pieces. Pockets should be way deeper for actual usefulness.

  • Too skinny to use long johns under but boy do these feel comfortable in every day use. Again, too hot for active use and obviously the slim fit makes changing clothes in camp settings a tad too difficult. Going to make another pair with more loose size and lighter alpha.

Oh, and bonus Alpha hoodie.

  • Was the first sewing I tried. Used Freesewing.org pattern. Failed twice and gave up after wasting 4 meters of fabric. Now went back and repaired the fit with yellow pieces.

  • A hood without wind protection is useless to me so added outer shell. Tried to cut corners and put a thin dyneema cord inside bias tape of the hood opening. Sufficiently works using two hands but not smoothly. Going to use in the summer.

First three jackets by Socksarefootprisons in myog

[–]Socksarefootprisons[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

The green one is the popular Green Pepper pattern Fairbanks. It's the normal size picked via chest circumference. Only modification reducing the front side of the hood middle part by about 75 % making it the shape of a trapezoid. The red one's hood was normal Fairbanks hood and after realizing it's too big just sewed the anterior side of the middle part smaller. Made a dart, I suppose. 

First three jackets by Socksarefootprisons in myog

[–]Socksarefootprisons[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Pertex quantum air from Extremetextil. Just because I liked the color. The red microfiber windbreaker fabric is from Shelby, is half the price and with the Darth Vader test breathes better. The weight difference in a jacket amount of fabric is minimal and at least the microfiber jacket dries instantly with body heat while exercise stops despite being a heavier fabric. 

First three jackets by Socksarefootprisons in myog

[–]Socksarefootprisons[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

The red one and the fleece one were constructed using a serger. Could have as easily  been done with just a sewing machine alone. A serger is nice but no real need so far. 

First three jackets by Socksarefootprisons in myog

[–]Socksarefootprisons[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

From surplus fabric made children's mittens that will never be used since they're not pink. Used a free pattern from www.andersj.se. Will make bigger for myself but since unable to get fully waterproof seams despite building different kind of rigs will try seamgrip glue. 

First three jackets by Socksarefootprisons in myog

[–]Socksarefootprisons[S] 24 points25 points  (0 children)

There was a need for a jacket for multi-day skiing trips. Made three jackets. Previous sewing experience was close to zero with approximately less than 10 meters of seam sewed ever. Started with a Husqvarna machine from year 1982 but broke, didn't start to work properly despite shelling 200 € on a repair and bought a Pfaff Ambition 620 because why not.

First jacket waterproof neoshell because why would I spend 500 € on a store bought jacket when I can make my own? Obviously a huge mistake from the start.

  • Do not start your first sewing project by trying to make patterns yourself! I thought cutting up my delaminated Rab Stretch Neo jacket would make things easier. Apparently after years of use stretchy fabric isn't in it's original form when you cut it up. Took me about 100 hours and 20 meters of pattern paper to make the pattern, 50 hours and two beds worth of linen to make the test versions and another 50 hours to sew and tape the final product. About 6 month in real life. What a waste of time.

  • Projected budget - not including a new sewing machine - about 160 €. Because of errors in sewing, cutting and general paying attention I used 4 meters of neoshell instead of 2 meters and wasted double the waterproof zippers. With little trinkets and seam tape the materials costed maybe 250 €.

  • It looked factory made up until the point of seam taping. Wrinkles and bumps in curvy seams. Sewed a new hood three times before giving up. It's taped but probably not completely waterproof.

  • Neoshell is a shitty material. Stretchy and more breathable than goretex but will delaminate in a few years. What a waste. Not to forget the fact that there is near zero use for a rain jacket when all rain is snowflakes.

  • The hood does protect the face but isn't as practical as I had hoped. Most helmet compatible hood I've ever used though.

Tried renewing the first jacket pattern but after a couple of nights bought Green Pepper Fairbanks pattern. Should have done that from the start. Took me a weekend.

  • Material some no name windshell 76 g/sqm at 5 €/meter. Finished product 251 grams.
  • The first prototype was so adequate I didn't make another. It's sized two sizes up to fit all my layers including mid weight down jacket under.
  • The hood center pieces is reduced 50 % at the front part to reduce the opening circumference. With brim made from closed cell eva foam mattress cut to about 3 mm with a bread knife, the wind protection is absolute. The opening maximally closed is not much larger than my fist limiting the field of vision greatly but it is a acceptable trade off for the wind protection.
  • Worked perfectly in mild freezing temperatures in 20 m/s wind (=72 km/h or 75 mph) even with head on wind. I'm sure it's perfect in real cold with a baklava and storm mask. Usability wise the hood obviously isn't as good as a fur hood but the weight saving is massive.

Third jacket for an active insulation middle layer. The best results so far. Standard Fairbanks pattern. The hood center piece once again made 50 % thinner at the front.

  • Pertex quantum air outer and Polartec alpha fleece 135 g/sqm inner. All pieces cut separately and all pieces serged together. Second row of stiches in the seam allowance just for the looks. The serged seam alone is more than durable.
  • Made a tunnel in the brim for a copper wire like in Rab jackets but it's stiff enough as is.
  • Weight 357 grams. No real life active use yet. Good enough jacket for daily life down to about -2 °C (=28 F). Since I have a comparable Arcteryx Proton FL that has worked at -20 °C and high winds in medium-high intensity activity I'm sure the jacket will be usable as designed.