another question.

I am on a very tight budget. Is there any way to make a good sleeping bag for little money. do I have to spend a lot to make a good one.

If you already have a sewing machine you can make a really nice bag at a reasonable price. There are instructions in the Make your own gear section on this website http://www.backpacking.net/makegear.html

You can buy a old beater down bag at a thrift store and 're down' the bag if you have the time and skill <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />

If you don't own a sewing machine, then you are better off buying one. For the cost of the machine, you can get a pretty decent bag.

Check out the topic on a solar blanket sleeping bag...
could have some problems with sweat but I posted
an answer to that on this forum.

max cost:

2 solar blankets=$10
Duct tape=$5

$15 dollars for the whole thing
<img src="/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />
Just a funny idea!

Cheap

You might consider making the quilt kit that Ray Jardine sells on his web site, if you think it will meet your needs. You could probably turn it into a bag if you wanted. Or, get the materials from thru-hiker.com or OWF. Synthetic will be cheaper. To make a decent down bag will cost over $100, and you can buy a reasonably good down bag from Campmor for (I think) $109.

What temperature of sleeping bag do you want. For three seasons, what bilk said. A summer bag would be much easier to make and has a much greater margin of error. Of cource the difference in cost between making a summer bag and winter bag are not all that much (one more layer of insulation). If money is the only concern, then you can get some very quality bags very cheap these days. However, if doing it yourself is the point, then that is a different story. Unfortunately, it still costs money to make your own. The real benifits in cost come after you have done a few prodgects and have better skills, know exactly what to buy and what not to buy, and a plastic bin full of extra fabric.
The cheapest options for sleeping bags are quilts. Two layer of shell material, one or two layers of insulation, thread, possibly some velcro, cord, and maybe a zipper.
Scott