IX Underquilt - DIY

[UncleClark]

I just finished up my IX underquilt today thanks to this thread.

I tested it out in my basement and I think I'm going to add the draft collars to the head and foot ends to help with the sealing. I followed the instructions and dimensions posted at the start of this thread. I"ll try to post some pics after I finished working this week.

One thing I did that simplified the sewing process was to first pin and sew just the three IX layers. After that then I pinned on the top and bottom ripstop layers and sewed those on. Trimmed things up a bit and then sewed on the grosgrain last.

My IX underquilt came in at 17 oz including shockcord and cordlocks. I folded it longways twice, then rolled it up and it looks like it packs down to about 6" dia x 12" long. In a sack it probably would pack down a little better than that.

I think it's going to be perfect for 3 seasons when my 20F down UQ is just too much.

[paddles]

This is my first post Cbamos and I just finished our under quilts. I made mine for a a ENO Double Nest. We ordered all our materials from DIY Gear. This was our first attempt at making a under quilt. We worked together to make them. I do not have a sewing machine he does. So Cbamos did all the sewing I cut the material and did all the pinning. Total time I think we spent about 12 hours working on both of them. Working as a team really got these done fast. The instruction and materials were top notch from DIY Gear. If you are thinking of making one I would recommend ordering from them. So here is a picture of me testing out my under quilt. Cbamos and I are planning soon to spend the night in a local state park while the nights are still cold to see how they work. Let me know what you all think.

image.jpg

[PappyAmos]

Great lookin quilt but scrufty looking dude!

[UncleClark]

Here's some pics of my IX underquilt. Today I finished it up by adding two draft collars. The photos show a trial fit to my Hennessy Explorer hammock. I think I need to dial in the head end a bit but the foot end seems to seal up fairly well.

I'm 5" 11" and the foot end of the UQ lays under the middle of the calf of my legs on a diagonal lay. In the fetal position (I sleep this way a lot) I can get completely inside the UQ.

IX underquilt with 3 layers of Insultex


Close up of head end showing draft collar and a grosgrain loop I added in case I need to do something at the middle of the head or foot ends.


The rest show the head or foot ends in various sleeping postions.

[PappyAmos]

As Paddles says above, we made ourselves IXUQs earlier this week. Paddles decided to have both a top and bottom layer of 1.1 ripstop. I made mine with only a bottom ripstop layer. Sorry, no pics - you've all seen IXUQs without a top cover before.

Mine fits (tight) into a JCP Puffer stuff sack after folding the long way in quarters and then rolling. Quilt, shock cord, cord locks and the stuff sack total 16 oz.

Decided to test the UQ out last night as it was predicted to be in the low 30s with a light NNW breeze. Note that I am normally a warm sleeper. Climbed into the hammock about 10:30 wearing heavy socks, fleece pants, Pategonia thermal shirt and a lite-weight snug-fitting fleece jacket plus the hood from my down jacket. Had a modified North Face 20 deg mummy (hood and zipper removed) as a top quilt. It was 41 deg. No hot water bottles or anything. My HH Hex tarp was set down to the ground on one side to block the light wind from the NNW. I was comfortable and almost too warm up top.

Slept til midnight and woke up with mild CBS. It was 37 deg. rolled on my side and got instantly colder. climbed out and adjusted the quilt to tighten the fit - still cold. I have two 3XLT JCP puffers sewn together at the waist but no other mods yet. I put the puffers on top of the IXUQ and climbed back in - toasty! Woke again at 5:30 AM - temp 33 deg - still toasty. Note: the tops of my feet were cooler than I like all night. I am changing the 12 x 20 CCF foot pad I was using to a 24 x 24 that can insulate my feet from the side of the hammock. I know that will help but am suspicious that my TQ has a cold spot in the foot.

I am mindful of an earlier post by someone that the IXUQ must be snug, but not too tight against the hammock with no air gaps at all to be warm. I suspect my suspension was not perfect and once I got cold, the puffers were needed for a warm up. I am considering adding draft collars and some Triangle Thingies to improve the fit.

Advice and comments appreciated.

cbamos

[dlm3]

I've been reading steadily about using IX for underquilt insulation. It seems to me that here in Texas it would be a good three-season UQ (including winter, rather than summer) and augmenting with a PLUQ for those rare times when it dips into the 30's.

After reading MacEntyre's posts on using PPEF, I'm wondering where you find the 1/32x60" stuff without buying a 2000' roll of it for $350+. I'm aware you can get IX from DIY gear, which might be a better answer for noob thread injector users like me. I'm thinking the PPEF might be less expensive, and very slightly lighter.

I figure I need about 5-6 yards to make a three-layer UQ, but haven't found anyone on the internet offering short lengths, other than the 12" variety used for wrapping plates for shipment, or the thicker stuff used for floor underlayment.

Any thoughts?

Another quick question: in UncleClark's post above - what material is used to fill the draft collars?

Thanks!

[petez]

Amazon sells this if you want it in narrower widths, like 24".

http://www.amazon.com/Aviditi-FWUPS1...I3P076RAAMBJ6C

What about checking with a UPS Store? They do on site packing and may have something you can use for lots less than a whole roll would cost.
Just an idea.
Also perhaps a local factory shipping department, or maybe when they unwrap furniture or appliances in retail stores.
Someone on here was offering smaller sheets that PC's came wrapped in.
You can tell that i am big into recycling.

Best

[laziboie]

Some more great info, thanks!

[PappyAmos]

After getting cold my first night with my IXUQ I decided to do some more work it.
I sewed draft tubes for each end of the UQ from 1.1 RS. Filled them with leftover poly insulation scraps from a cheap sleeping bag. Seem to be plush and nice but the poly fill is heavy and not very compressible. Before adding the draft tubes the UQ, all its suspension goodies and the JCP Puffer bag it barley fit into weighed just 1 lb. Now the quilt weighs 20 oz. and is way too big to fit into the JCP stuff bag. The bottle in the pic is 25 oz.

Also made some Triangle Thingies to help hang the UQ more effectively. They are 12" each side. Made from some left over taffeta from another project. Can't these just be made from triangles of line and work just as well?
IXUQ with Draft Tubes.jpg

IXUQ Rolled with 25 oz Bottle.jpg

Triangle Thingies.jpg

[bigguy]

Has anyone made an IXUQ with just one layer?