Top quilt foot box: sewn closed, snap, or sewn and strung?

[Rex Clifton]

On my Enlightened Equipment TQ it zips up and has a snap closure over top of the zipper so it won't come back open. I have used this when it was in the 40's and needed to vent and was very thankful I could undo the draw strings and let some heat out.
On the flip side the last time I was out and it was 29 degrees I couldn't pull the draw strings tight enough to keep out the drafts (I went tarpless and woke up covered in frost).

Couldn't you stick a sock or piece of foam in the opening. I do that with my top quilts when I ground pound.

[dakotaross]

I have three topquilts, all with sewn footbox. Frankly, I don't understand why people would even consider anything else.

I mostly agree, except most of the time you pay extra for it. Now, HG does an actual footbox instead of the sewn flat ones that some will do at no charge. Personally, my LL is sewn flat and I like it, but I also have small feet. If you have larger feet, I think you definitely want the round footbox OR the draw cord end (snaps, zip, velcro doesn't matter) since that mimics the shape of the round footbox.

And again, I do not get venting with the draw cord. I get it technically, but the last thing I want to be doing in the wee hours if fiddling with my foot vent. I think this is why SS makes the comment he does. I'm just saying that a legit reason to get a non-sewn TQ is the extra cost, otherwise I agree with him.

[mega82]

How deep is the Burrow 20's foot box? (sewn)

[UrsaMajor1887]

My Burrow 20 and 40 have the sewn footbox and seems to be about 24 inches deep on me (I am 6' 2"). It comes up just above mid thigh with their long quilts.

I have not had much luck in practice with the whole venting concept. If I get hot, I through the top quilt off and/or slip the underquilt suspension under me effectively opening up the entire thing for max airflow. After a bit I will cool down, and wake up cold, and pull everything back on only to get hot again.

If I could figure out how to vent my Burrow 40 and sleep, I would not be looking for a 50!

Sticking a foot out helps regulate my temp, but with the depth of the footbox you can't just stick your foot out the side, you have to pull your foot up over the other knee and then out. Getting it back in is the same deal. It requires me to wake-up enough to do it, then I have to go back to sleep.

The zipper idea is interesting, but I think that would bug me.

I also have the problem of the 3/4 underquilt needing a foot pad and I usually stick it in my sewn footbox. It I were in blanket mode there would be no footbox to put it in.

The difference in cost between the two options is $15, so the cost does not come into play like it would when deciding between a Sil tarp or a Cuben tarp.

It looks like we have about 3:1 sewn to snaps ratio going.

I was leaning snap, but I am leaning back toward sewn.

Great feedback all!

[oldpappy]

I have a sewn summer TQ (fleece) and drawstring mid season TQ (DWR nylon shell).
I lost a couple inches length due to the drawstring. Also the sewn footbox stays on my feet better than the drawstring one.

[T- Minus]

sewn and wide the way to go, for any TQ IMO. to vent just pull a leg out simple. If I wanted to snap crackle and pop I would sleep in Rice Krispies.

[Morticiaskeeper]

I used snaps on my last TQ, never again! I'll sew it next time.

[UrsaMajor1887]

sewn and wide the way to go, for any TQ IMO. to vent just pull a leg out simple. If I wanted to snap crackle and pop I would sleep in Rice Krispies.

Going wide may help when on the ground/floor. In the hammock, the standard width seems adequate although I sometimes will feel a draft on my back when I roll to my side when it is cold out and so that may help as well.

It is looking closer 4 to 1 sewn to snap.

[dakotaross]

Going wide may help when on the ground/floor. In the hammock, the standard width seems adequate...

Completely agree. In fact, you'll notice that several vendors who sell quilts as an accessory item to their main line go with narrower quilts for the few that they sell. My EE50 is "slim" and its width is comparable to those others at around the 50" mark. And even winter TQs really just don't need the extra width, unless you're truly going to use it on the ground. In the hammock, the extra width with all that loft of the Burrow zero I used to have was just way too much for me.

[Rex Clifton]

The vast majority of topquilts sold are snap and cinch footboxes. The numbers don't lie. As far as the guy who said his feet kept falling out of a snapped footbox, really? If thats the case, I'm sure you hit the ground at least once a night.