Need advice for choosing insulation.

[Miguel]

I'm planning on making an underquilt with synthetic insulation. Polarguard makes three different versions, 3D, Delta and X200. The other I'm considering is Primaloft. Does anyone have experience with any of these products or any others, and if so, where can I buy just the insulation alone?

Thanks, Miguel

[hangnout]

Climashield XP will be your best choice. I think some of the choices you mentioned have been discontinued. Thru-hiker and OWF have the Climashield.

[Take-a-knee]

Ray Jardine is now selling Climashield I believe. Thru hiker has a 1.2 in. thickness that should make a great 35-40 quilt single layer. Double layer it oughta be pretty warm. I'm thinking a head to butt bottom synthetic bottom quilt with a butt to feet CCF pad is the ticket. Thanks to Just Jeff for figuring that out.

[T-Dubs]

Climashield XP will be your best choice. I think some of the choices you mentioned have been discontinued. Thru-hiker and OWF have the Climashield.

I have the XP from Thru-hiker and found it to be a great product. I used it for a top quilt (.6 thickness) and found it to be warm enough at about 50 degrees.

I actually made 2 quilts but never had the need for the second one. Again, it only got down into the lower 50s on my most recent trip.

TWS

[Miguel]

Does Climashield come in sheets or is a loose fill? I'd like to be warm down to about 32 degrees.

Miguel

[Perkolady]

Climashield comes in a sheet form. Thruhiker has a good explanation of the different thicknesses and their temp ratings for each.
I'm going to be making quilts for my daughters and myself soon using the 5oz.
(we get cold easily)

Perkolady

[hangnout]

I like the temp ratings from Mountain Laurel Designs in the link below

http://www.mountainlaureldesigns.com...0b815fabc5d558

Temp Range
We hesitate to offer temp comfort ranges because there are so many variables, but here we go...Listed are the low end ratings. Warmer temps are no problem with the multi-venting options. We assume users understands standard UL clothing, shelter, site selection and quilt sleeping strategies.

ClimaShield XP 2.5oz/sq/yd
50 Degrees : T Shirt, merino wool thong
46 Degrees : Long sleeve shirt, long pants, socks, light balaclava
42 Degrees : Lightly insulated clothes, thicker balaclava, bivy or enclosed shelter
33.9 Degrees : More insulated clothes, mo-better balaclava, real nice socks, lots O' down around, bivy or enclosed shelter

ClimaShield XP 5oz/sq/yd
44 Degrees : Sequined UL wind pant shorts
40 Degrees: Long sleeve shirt, long pants, socks, light balaclava
35 Degrees : Lightly insulated clothes, thicker balaclava
30 Degrees : More insulated clothes, mo-better balaclava, real nice socks,bivy or enclosed shelter
25.314 Degrees : More insulated clothes, mo-better balaclava, real nice socks, raw animal willpower, bivy or enclosed shelter

[warbonnetguy]

assuming a snug fitting design.

for 32* you'll need at least 7.5 oz/yd. 10 oz/yd would probably get you into the upper 20's.

thats with just a thin shirt on my back and laying right on the ripstop. i consider myself somewhat of a cold sleeper too.

[Miguel]

The Thruhiker site recommends quilting the Climashield using the "yarn loop" method mentioned in Ray Jardine's book, Beyond Backpacking. Can anyone explain this method or any other alternative method. In other words....how to I attach the insulation to the ripstop and create baffles? I am a complete newbie to sewing but my lovely wife will be helping me and she on the other hand, is quite accomplished.

Thanks, Miguel

[Just Jeff]

Miguel - baffles are used only for down. Baffles are the vertical walls inside the quilt that form the chambers used to hold the down so it doesn't all shift to one place.

On sheet insulation, quilting loops are used instead of baffles. You're basically sewing the outer and inner layer together, thru the insulation, at various spots on the quilt. Since the insulation is in a sheet, these loops stabilize the sheet to the shell so there's no damage when you stuff it, and it keeps the shell from ballooning up on you.

Only when you sew the loop, you don't sew it tight b/c that would compress the insulation - that's why it's called a "loop." Let's say you have a 2" quilt - you want the loops to be 2" high, too. (Actually, I make my loops a tiny bit smaller than the thickness of the quilt.) You do that by using a piece of cardboard cut to the thickness of the quilt.

So to make your loops, put the needle and yarn through the quilt, then back up, so you can tie a knot (i.e. both ends of the yarn should be on top of the quilt, with the middle of the yarn running through all layers of the quilt). Then put the cardboard between the pieces of yarn so that, when you tie the yarn into a knot, it will tightly hold the cardboard inside the loop. You're basically setting the size of the loop so it can't compress the insulation. It's that easy.

Where do you put the loops? Make an imaginary grid on your quilt. Size of the grid depends on type of insulation and what you're using it for...quilts generally have grids with about 18-24" blocks. You put the loops at the grid intersections. So in all your quilt will have ~25 loops, including around the perimeter.

You can use anything to set the height of the loops - a ruler, a dowel, etc - as long as it makes the yarn come out to the thickness of your quilt. You also want to use yarn or similar and not thread, b/c thread will rip the insulation as it tries to shift.

Clear as mud?