Andrew Pham
BlogMYOG guideSeptember 20, 20253 min read

Sewing Tent and Stake Bags

A step-by-step MYOG guide to sewing your own ultralight tent and stake bags: the materials, measurements, and stitches I used to make a custom drawstring set.

Skill
Beginner
Time
1–2 h
Weight
< 20 g
Materials0/4

If you have a Dyneema tent and want to try sewing with the material, stuff sacks are a great first project. They're simple, hard to mess up, and a lot cheaper to make yourself than to buy. I sewed a drawstring bag for my tent body and a slim one for stakes.

Dyneema Composite Fabric (DCF) is a non-woven laminate once sold as Cuben Fiber. It bonds ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene fibers between thin sheets of polyester film. It's waterproof, doesn't fray or stretch, and weighs a fraction of the coated nylons traditionally used for stuff sacks. That's what makes it worth the higher fabric cost on a weight-sensitive project.

The finished stake bag next to a bundle of red tent stakes

Note

New to sewing your own gear? See my running list of the tools and supplies I find essential for projects like this one.

Sizing the bags

A rectangle of green Dyneema fabric clipped along its edges on a cutting mat

I sized each bag around the gear it needs to hold with a little extra room so they're easier to stuff. For the tent bag I measured the rolled tent body and added 6 cm to the circumference and length for an easy fit. The stake bag is sized to my longest stake plus a couple of centimeters of headroom for the drawstring channel.

Tip

Add a seam allowance to every edge before you cut. I used a 2 cm allowance. It's easy to forget and end up with a bag that's tighter than planned.

Cutting the panels

Cut fabric panels ready to be stitched into bags

With the dimensions marked I cut one rectangle for the body of each bag and a circular base panel for the tent bag. The stake bag is narrow enough to just pinch the bottom closed with a flat seam so it doesn't need a separate base piece. A rotary cutter and a metal ruler give the cleanest, straightest edges on slippery fabric.

Sewing the drawstring channel

The top edge folded over and clipped, with the cord laid in the channel
The stitched drawstring channel with the cord coming out of the side gap

Before closing up the body I folded over the top edge about 1.5 cm to make a channel for the drawstring and secured it with a straight stitch. I left a small gap at the side seam to feed the cord through.

Tip

Fold the raw edge under twice so it's fully enclosed. It keeps the channel from fraying and gives the stitch something firm to bite into.

Stitching the body

The felled seam along the base of the tent bag

Next I folded the panel right sides together, clipped the edges in place, and ran a straight stitch down the side and across the base. I used a flat-felled seam to enclose the raw edges. DCF doesn't fray but a felled seam still adds a little strength and keeps the inside tidy. After stitching I turned the bag right side out.

Finishing: drawstring and cord lock

The finished tent and stake bags with drawstring closures cinched

To finish I threaded the black micro cord through the channel, slid on a Duraflex cord lock, and tied simple overhand knots at each end to keep them from pulling back through. For the tent bag I ran two separate cords so the opening cinches evenly from both sides. The stake bag only needs a single drawstring since it's narrow enough to close cleanly from one side.

Final thoughts

A solid first project if you're getting into MYOG. The two bags together weigh under 20 g in 0.8 oz DCF.

Making your own version? Drop me a message on Instagram: @andrewtpham or get in touch.

Thanks for reading.