Thanks for the report, Shug! You sound like me when I write about my synthetic Yeti! I may be doing something else wrong after all this time. None the less, I have found adequate tightness to be critical to success with mine. Now I sometimes suspect that the wight of all 4 layers of Climashield might cause a greater tendency to pull down and sag away from my back than down might. IOW, down might puff upwards and increase the chance of the insulation contacting my back. I don't really know, just guessing.
But with mine, going from good and tight to really, really tight seems to make a noticeable difference. When tight enough, that UQ is unbelievably warm against my back and butt. If temps are not all that cold, say 30s or 40s, it actually feels like I am laying on an electric warming blanket for sore backs. And the longer I lay there, the warmer I get.
But, I don't have to loosen it much to notice a dramatic difference. I would prefer not to have to tighten it so much, I think it is some how more comfortable when just snug, plus I worry about it being TOO tight. But when it comes to warmth, tighter seems better for me. Usually, when I am in the hammock and when things are really feeling warm, I am only able to push the quilt down, with my hands, a very few inches further. Beyond that, I am out of shock cord stretch.
I had it pretty tight one day, laid in it, and had AngrySp check it for me. There was a small gap on one end, I can't remember which end. I grabbed the shock cord and pulled about 1/2 to 1 foot tighter. AS said that snugged things right up with a nice seal on each end. Also, AS pointed out to me that the draft tubes could end up poorly positioned. For example, if I pull the quilt from the foot towards my head, the foot end draft tube can roll outside the quilt, making it harder to form a good seal, especially if not way tight. I did a little mod. I sewed some thread in a few spots, which will hopefully keep the draft tube from being pulled too far in the wrong direction. I think this might be helping. For whatever reason, I sure have had a warm back and butt lately!
Do you think that, once the quilt contacted the snow, some dampness got into the down, making it tougher to warm back up? Of course, it was only 1*F, so...........
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