Cover image – the pogies are stable and accessible…even when just bike-pushing. :) Each pogie weighs less than 115 grams.
This post outlines creating a simple cardboard cutting template, and sewing a pair of warm lightweight pogies for cold weather riding . The main differences from commercially available pogies are the Velcro mounting and front closure/venting system, and the potential to upcycle worn out synthetic insulated outerwear. Each pogie consists of two halves. Each half consists of an outer and inner fabric layer with insulation sewn in between. The two halves are then joined and finished with edging and Velcro. The pictured pogies have seen hundreds of uses since Fall 2021, while undergoing several minor changes to accomodate cockpit tweaks such as a dropper post lever cable, and rotary shifter cabling. Apologies for the lack of sequential contruction pictures. This was a learning by doing project. :)I’ve included pictures and comments on design changes, in hopes that others can avoid them.
If you just want to buy some really warm pogies, check out the ones my friend Doug Coldbike makes!
Image of the completed “first draft” version, without a drawstring closure.
Notes on key sizing and shaping requirements. The underlying cutting sheet is graduated in inches.The space for a hand warmer is very useful when riding in high wind chill conditions. It helps keeps the brakes functional below -40.The same template is used to cut all six panels. Finding the correct bar angle sweep is important. Consider making the template larger than needed to provide some room to reduce certain dimensions, or to slightly alter angles. The sizing of this example has been altered to include the narrow VX21 strip mentioned below.
This mens size medium puffy has enough material to cut four panels. One from each sleeve, and two from the back. The front face with pockets and zippers can be used for augmentation or other projects. Materials such as this will require stiffening at the inner and outer edges to retain the pogies desired shape. The string trimmer line pictured below is ideal for stiffening in the bias tape edging.
Cutting Apex Climashield 7.5 (oz/sd yd) insulation with the single cardboard template that all panels are cut from. Apex is made from continuous filament polyester fibres. This insulation helps give these pogies more inherent structure than a typical upcycled Primaloft garment may have.
Examples of finishing materials that were used. Smaller quantities may be available to you locally.
Loop velcro additionHook velcro additionJoining the three layers of each panel
Two halves of a pogie. DP Light Skin 07 outer, HyperD300 inner, Apex Climashield insulation all cut from a single cardboard template. (left) The black strip is hook Velcro. (right) The matching loop Velcro [not visible] is sewn to the other side of the panel.
The two halves of a pogie sewn together with bias tape edging. The extra length is to cover the forearm which helps with warmer blood circulation to the hands.
First weigh-in. The arm hole was too small to accommodate a heavier cold-weather jacket. Oops! I had to immediately add a panel to the upper edge to increase the circumference.
Checking the sizing of the added VX21 panel.More checking.Adding a fabric panel to make the design more functional.
Completed pogie with a panel of DP VX21 added. The VX21 is only a single layer, however the pogies are the warmest I’ve ever used. The VX21 was a fabric remnant just waiting to be upcycled.
The Velcro front closure around the handlebar and rear brake hose, which can be opened if hands are too warm. The handlebar has a patch of Industrial Loop Velcro wrapped around it, and the pogie has a length of OneWrap that engages with the handlebar Velcro patch. This system allows for precise adjustments of the position of the pogies to suit a rider.
Adding a Kam Snap closure flap to keep snow out when not riding.Inside view of the same flap.Closure flap, and weigh-in with the modifications.
The closure flaps proved to be ineffective at keeping drifting snow out. I switched them out for a drawstring closure, also from remnants. The added length reaches almost to my elbows.
Close up of the attachment OneWrap with the patch of Industrial Velcro immediately below the brake lever clamp.January 2024 – worn out OneWrap replacement. A single bar tack is enough. Test fit the pogies before sewing on the OneWrap. The position of the bar tack needs to make it easy to install and remove each pogie.
While riding narrow singletrack my hands were getting beat up by the bushes. This string trimmer line is being inserted into the outer bias tape to provide some stiffening and protection. The cut ends were melted a bit to reduce wear points. The lighter trimmer line pictured earlier in this post also works well. Two strands can be used if desired.
January 2024 repair. The left pogie had some wear-through where the end of the Ergon grip is in contact. A short length of 2″ webbing is being added for protection. Looks like it might be time for a first wash. :)
Out for a training ride on an extremely cold and windy day.
Thanks for reading! Hope you find this post helpful in your DIY practice.
This blog post outlines an integrated approach to having reliable light, heat, and power when bikepacking. More efficient and higher quality LED light sources, larger battery capacities, and the quick charging capabilities of many newer devices have created options for lightweight and robust systems. After comparing the specifications of various different elements I settled on two headlamps from Lynx OGT in Nelson BC, some handwarmer/cache batteries from Ocoopa, and front and rear blinky lights from Leyzne. The Power Delivery cache batteries outlined in this blog post continue to perform well, and have not been replaced. All items have been purchased at retail prices and are mentioned solely on their merits.
Background: 2022 was a year where several key electrical items stopped working while I was bikepacking. The most irritating was a fairly new Fenix HM65R light that shut off while I was night riding in a heavy rain storm. I was able to reach my destination with a backup headlamp. One of the lens seals was leaking, damaging the electronics. Replacement Fenix proprietary 18650 batteries are more than 4 times the price of standard units… A couple of Eddie Bauer branded USB rechargeable hand warmers also faded away after years of use.
A pair of Lynx OGT headlamps with the headbands replaced by Velcro for direct mounting to the handlebar, and the top of a bike helmet. Combined, these lights can produce 2,000 lumens of very high quality light.
Rear Lezyne Zecto 80 lumen light. On day-flash (high visibility) the light is rated to run for 7.5 hours.Front Lezne Zecto 250 lumen light. On day-flash (high visibility) the light is rated to run for 4.5 hours.A pair of Ocoopa Union handwarmers each with 5,000 mAh quick charge batteries. Runtime about 8 hours on Low.Ocoopa 10,000 mAh handwarmer/cache battery with Power Delivery USB-C input and output. This unit weighs only a few grams more than a single-function cache battery of the same capacity. For late spring, summer, and early fall overnighters this is the only heat and power source I’ll carry. Two of these heat/power sources only weigh 50 grams more than a single 20,000 mAh PD cache battery.Night riding along a lake shore. Primary lighting is from an Aurora (medium setting ~800 lumens) on the handlebars, and the bright rectangle is a CatEye 2 on the helmet, at about 600 lumens. I can ride about 6 hours on these settings. Including mounts, this pair of lights weighs 200 grams. On the highest settings this pair of lights produces about 2,000 lumens, much more than I need under most conditions. Lynx OGT from Nelson BC is creating some world-class and cost effective lighting systems!
Lighting: The Lynx OGT headlamps have similar controls consisting of a single button that is easily operated with gloves, mitts, and cold digits. The first press turns the light on to the “remembered” setting, second press is full power, a double press switches the light to strobe mode. There is also a stepless dimmer that “remembers” the last setting. The strobe setting is excellent for daytime riding on busy roads. The push button is translucent and has segmented red and green LEDs that indicate discharge and charge status. Both lights use standard 18650 3,500 mAh batteries. The mounts for both lights can be easily adapted for direct mounting. Lynx OGT sells additional mounts at a very modest cost. The Cat Eye 2 (left image below) has an adjustable beam pattern that can project a smaller and evenly lit area. This pattern is my preference as a helmet light. Around camp I’ll use the widest setting on low (50 lumens). The handlebar mounted Aurora (centre and right images) has three white and two red LEDs that produce uniform and far reaching light patterns. I find the white High (1,200 lumens) setting to be too much for most backcountry riding. The red light is a gamechanger!!! I prefer to run it on red High (300 lumens). it is easy to see conditions ahead, while also being able to enjoy the surrounding naturally lit night views. See picture and comments below. A few additonal night lighting images can be found in this November 2023 Ride Report from a cold-weather fatbike overnighter. For backcountry riding the red lighting is amazing!
Cat Eye 2 on high beam, narrow focus. The outer ring of light is also helpful.Aurora only on medium settingAurora only on high red (300 lumens)I was not able to capture an image of the cracks in the ice visible with red lighting. The crack immediately left of the front wheel and extending out onto the lake surface could be seen while night riding from about 10 metres away. Wider cracks can be seen from greater distances.
Light Mounts: Lynx OGT lights can be readily adapted for direct mounting to helmets and bikes.
Industrial Velcro patches on light mount and top of helmet.Light mounted and then strapped into place with Velcro OneWrap.OneWrap straps visible and not interfering with the function of the MIPS harness.Alternative mounting using the headband looped through the visor.Very secure, and a little front-heavy for me.Velcro patch on stem.Aurora light strapped to stem with two 12″ lengths on Velcro OneWrap.Lots of clearance beneath the bars for luggage.This is a cockpit view of the Aurora top-mounted to the front of the Jones H-Loop bar with Velcro OneWrap. This mount is secure, will not damage luggage, and does not cast shadows of the cables. The black handlebar bag is a tester FireballBag in Ultra 200. This top-loading rolltop weighs less than 200 grams for about 25 litres of storage.
Running lights: A pair of Lezyne Zecto Drive lights are an excellent compromise between weight and brightness. The day-flash settings are very visible, with reasonable run times. The lights recharge fairly quickly despite only having micro-USB charging ports. There are side-mounted LED’s that provide lateral visibility, and another set of indicators of battery levels. Build quality and design are very good.
Adding Velcro mountsLoop patch on left front fork legHook patch on back of the white lightTop view of mounting the light on a Jones H-Loop barThe small Velcro patch on the light creates a very stable and secure addition. The light is offset on the Velcro loop bar-wrap to provide space for mounting the Aurora light. Front light fork mounted. On this bike, the Aurora is mounted to the stem.Rear light clipped into the left loop of a custom Ultra 200 20 litre CompressionPannier.
Charging: There are many variables when recharging devices in the field. I prefer to recharge my phone and GPS head prior to going to bed. This typically takes less than 90 minutes charging both USB-C devices.
This is a typical charging image in the tent when the temperatures are above freezing. The USB-C Power Delivery port on the handwarmer will recharge the Wahoo head very quickly. The Pixel phone typically takes an hour or so from 60% charge.Verifying power consumption of a 5,000 mAh handwarmer with a USB tester on a 75 watt Power Delivery charger. Using a USB-A to C cable to recharge the Wahoo. I prefer to use C to C for quicker results with greater reliability. The USB A to C cable and port does not have the ability to negotiate recharging requirements and may shut off prior to a complete recharge.Recharging and verifying consumption from a recent overnighter. The handwarmer ran on low for 90 minutes, and then recharged the Wahoo head, and the phone; in total using about 30% of total battery capacity.A pair of spare Lynx OGT 18650 batteries for the headlamps. I only carry these if night riding more than six hours per day. Both of the mentioned Lynx OGT lights can also be directly recharged from cache batteries (including while in use) or wall chargers. The batteries each weigh 50 grams. Note: For extended riding below -30 Celcius a pair of warmed batteries can be swapped back and forth.
As previously mentioned there are many variables with bikepacking light, heat, and power. If you’re looking to create a mental-model of your power requirements, a USB tester can help reduce the time spent developing and validating a power management plan.
Embracing winter while night riding with 300 lumens of red lighting.
Please note – This post is merely what’s working for me. Not a prescription for others.
March 2023. With the really cold weather camping season coming to a close here in the Rockies I’ll try and document gear and usages for mostly solo overnighters in temperatures to -35 Celsius. As part of my leave-no-trace approach, these trips seldom include wood fires. I require gear that will keep me dry and warm with minimal use of external heat sources. While winter camping during the 2021/22 season I noticed that some of my gear was not performing as well as previous seasons. With numerous pieces being up to a decade old, it was time to update a few items. This post reflects those updates after about five months of regular use. Both Cascade Designs (MSR & Therma Rest) and Rab feature prominently in my selections. All items were purchased at retail prices and have been chosen based solely on my experiences and perceptions regarding performance, utility, and value. Many of the items were purchased at off-season discounts of 50-65%.
Challenge Sailcloth’s 100% recycled ECOPAK EPX200 has been getting the call for some custom bags. Fun stuff to create new luggage with!
RollingDale fat bike, loaded for a winter overnighter. Total weight of bike, gear, food, and 3 litres of water was 32 kg, or ~72 pounds.
Back of bike – The primary reason for these larger compression panniers is to be able to get bulky items off the handlebar, and create a lower centre of gravity. (~20 litres, <375 grams each including all attachments) The visible right pannier contains outerwear, spare clothing, bear-hang (empty food bag), DIY tent footprint, and ExoSpikes in the compression lid. The ExoSpikes weigh about 220 grams/pair and are vastly superior to studded boots. The left pannier contains a 2022 Therma Rest Polar Ranger -30C sleeping bag, and a 2020 MSR Hubba NX tent without the poles. The weight of panniers and contents is 5.0 kg, ~11 pounds. The 2020 DIY composite rear rack with integrated fender weighs <900 grams. This rack angle permits the full usage of the dropper post. Total weight behind the seat tube is less than 6 kg.
Loaded bike just prior to setting up camp for the night.Compression panniers with only outerwear, spikes & emergency gear. An excellent profile for bike pushing.
Front of bike – Strapped directly to the Jones H Loop bar is a top-loading custom Bikepackers Foundry FireballBag; ~400 grams empty. Inside are the tent poles (bottom of bag and close to the head tube), 10+2 sections of 2015 Therma Rest Z-Lite Sol closed cell foam mattress, and a 2022 Therma Rest Neo Air X Therm Regular Wide with inflation bag. The weight of the FireballBag and contents is 1.3 kg, 2.9 pounds. A 2022 Lynx OGT Aurora maximum 1,500 lumen light is direct-mounted to the handlebar with OneWrap, weighs 106 grams. (Lynx OGT is a Nelson BC company producing world-class lighting systems.) Total weight on the handlebars < 1.5 kg, 3.3 pounds.
FireballBag cockpit view with Lynx OTG Aurora lightFireball Bag mounted on the Jones barContents of FireballBag, on DIY footprint
Centre of bike – As I almost always ride without a backpack or hip belt everything else needs to be carried around the centre triangle.
The 2020 custom frame bag contains canister stove & pot kit + emergency titanium wood stove, 2 litre water bladder (insulated in Outdoor Research hard shell and rain pants), 500 ml thermos of hot water covered with a pair of XL Rab Xenon mitts, emergency/first aid kit, spare Carbon Drive belt, spare Revoloop 27.5″ fatbike tube, zip ties, small shovel, and spare bike parts.
Drive side view of frame. Full-length custom top tube bag, XL StraddleBag & PumpBag all mounted to top tube.Corroplast side panels visible above transmission. The zipper is on the left side to allow access when the bike is in the tent vestibule. In poor weather I can pack the entire bike except the tent shell, poles, and footprint before leaving the tent.Front view, narrow profile
The 2020 custom top tube bag is divided in about the middle, with the back section holding a 0.5 litre drink-through-the-lid Thermos flask of warm water (this flask position the lowers centre of gravity of the bike) cushioned by a pair of Large Rab Xenon mitts & spare buff (back);, with the front section holding two 10,000mAh PD cache battery/warmers, two USB C to C cables and two USB A to micro USB cables and two female micro USB to male USB C adaptors (gotta have spares), Zoleo satellite communicator, keys and wallet, Swift RL headlamp, two spare 18650 batteries for the Aurora handlebar light, and two Petzl Bindi headlamps. I find that the Wahoo Elemnt Bolt (both V1 & V2) perform very well in cold conditions. Are run times reduced, yes. But not enough to warrant changes in how I use, carry, or charge these devices. For more information please refer to this detailed post regardinglight, heat, and power for bikepacking.Side note: at least one spare headlamp and the Zoleo are in my pockets while night riding. Bear spray carry location varies by my perception of risk levels. Belt carry is the preferred option. I have been followed by cougars several times while solo night-riding. A rear flashing red light or lights seems to be helpful.
Inflating the 2022 ThermaRest NeoAir Xtherm regular wide sleeping matUnpacking the ThermaRest Polar Ranger -30C sleeping bagThermaRest Z Sol foam mat visible under the air mattress. The combination has a R9 value. Sea to Summit bear-hang bag containing all toiletries, food, water, and stoveMain contents of the bear-hang bag. Riding food is still on the bike.Hydration system: 2 litres of hot water wrapped in rain wear, red 0.5mL drink through the lid thermos mug with custom insulated cover to keep hands warmer. 0.5 L thermos stored inside a pair of mitts. The 2 L bladder frequently is replaced by a 1 L thermos.RIding calories for 2+ daysEverything fits into a large ZipLocSame bag being loaded into the left XL StraddleBag, for feeding while riding.Closed XL StraddleBag. The double-elastic closure is a great place to store or dry gloves and buffs. There’s lots of knee and leg room with this bag position, even when standing pedaling in a forward position.Outerwear: Rab Large Xenon Mitts (see note) sitting on parka, 2022 Blue Rab down parka (700 grams, size Small), two pairs of merino wool liner gloves, 2 buffs & a 2017 OR down beanie (primarily worn for sleeping), 2017 Rab Argon down pants, 2018 First Ascent down puffy with vented back, footwear detail below. For clarity, I layer pairs of Large and Extra Large mitts when conditions dictate. Footwear: 2020 Bogs Yulex 2 sizes larger, yellow DIY 1/2″ closed-cell foam insoles, Bogs insoles, 2022 black Rab Pertex/Primaloft socks (worn as both a vapour barrier and insulating layer, 2018 blue Rab down socks (primarily worn for sleeping if needed). Each of the four Rab socks weighs 57 grams. These combinations will keep me warm and dry to at least -30 C for a few days. Everything dries fairly quickly overnight. Side note: I’ve had poor results from Rab vapour barrier socks, as the taping failed after a season of use. Not shown, ExoSpikes.Wet snow/rain/wind layer: 2022 OR Helium rain pants, 2022 OR Helium Ascent Shell, extra heavy nitryl gloves. I’ll frequently wear the nitryl gloves as a base layer to keep hand outer layers dry. The ascent shell is excellent for starting out on very cold days, and as a wind layer. The pants and shell replaced some older GoreTex items. Weight was reduced by 330 grams and gear performance improved.Reliably boiling a litre of water in very cold conditions, by placing the fuel canister in warm water.DIY breakfast hashbrowns, and “backcountry cappuccino”.Temperature at breakfast time, ~8am.FireballBag on the rear rack to make the front lighter for riding in loose and variable conditions. I’m wearing both gloves and insulated mitts to compensate for the lack of pogies. Top layers: merino tee shirt, OR half zip hoodie, First Ascent puffy, OR Helium Ascent Shell. Bottom layers: compression knee socks, 200wt. merino leggings, Rab Pertex insulated socks, Bogs Yulex boots, winter alpine ski touring pant. This is the most that I’ll wear while riding. If wind chills are below -40 I might pull on the Helium rain pants.This is a December 2022 image of using the “emergency” titanium twig stove that I carry. It can also be used with the XTS pot if the fuel canister is compromised or empty. It weighs 270 grams.
Please leave a comment if there are other details that might be helpful to you.
Cycling on ice can be hazardous or fatal! These ideas are presented entirely at your own risk and expense.
DIY Ice Probe strapped to left side of top tube. Fat bike sitting on thick older ice, with new thin ice and open water in the background.
The Nordic ice skating community has developed specific tools for assessing ice thickness. Luc Mehl’s Wild Ice course (highly recommended) was the catalyst for this little project. This blog post is a DIY adaptation of an ice probe sized for carrying on and deployment from a fat bike; without interfering with other gear typically carried for winter camping. While this probe has so-far only had a few trips I’m very impressed with the timeliness and accuracy of the information it can provide.
Ice Probe with 20mm webbing strap attached to yield an effective length of about 160 cm, 60 inches. The probe has been lightly tossed like a harpoon. With the new 6 cm ice failing on the first toss.
The primary components of the ice probe are a shortened segment of aluminum Nordic ski pole, and a length of steel rod. Combined the weight is around 500 grams. Given the anticipated harsh service I opted for creating a single pole that does not extend or retract. The potential for unwanted corrosion of dissimilar metals is minimized (perhaps eliminated) by the separation of aluminum and steel with self-fusing heat shrink tubing around the steel rod. The steel rod is then driven inside the segment of ski pole.
Wouldn’t be a Bikepackers Foundry item if there weren’t at least two uses. Ice probe, and bike stand, etc. 🙂
A brief video of how I’m using and carrying the ice probe.
