After hearing from another member on BushcraftUK that there was another UK cottage industry knocking out hammocks and accessories I just had to go and take a look. I’d been eyeing up a move to a top quilt for a while, having always used a sleeping bag in the hammock previously.
So how happy was I to learn there was a guy making some really nice quality goods and it also happens to be that he lives right on my doorstep. A few PM’s to Mat of UKHammocks.co.uk and we arranged to meet up and we could discuss my top quilt thoughts. I called over one evening for a brew and we chatted about dimensions, fabrics, footboxes and a target weight, it was also a good excuse to have a first hand look at Mat’s work and how he put his gear together.
A week or so later I got an email from Mat to say the quilt was ready, the next day I was on my way over again, talk about being chuffed, the quilt was a thing of beauty. The first thing that struck me about the quilt was the amount of loft there was with only 250g of 950 fill goose down, the pictures show differently but I think I had an idea in my head that 250g wouldn’t go very far in a full length quilt and I was expecting maybe an inch or two of loft.
The next thing that took me by surprise given the size of it was the weight. I mentioned on another post that the weight was 375g, that was an error on my part and just tonight I got round to weighing it properly. My target weight for a summer quilt was between 500g and 600g, the actual weight is 535g which is on the nail. The mix up in the earlier quoted weight was a result of sending a couple of texts to Mat whilst not really paying attention to what he was saying at the time, only tonight have I got round to weighing it for myself.

If a quilt is something you’ve thought about then have a look at the options in the US and then have a chat with Mat about what he can do, comparing delivered prices is a no brainer really

I’ve not had a night out since picking it up so I’m not going to rattle on season ratings and performance as that can only be tested in the field, what I’ll do for now though is share some piccies for those thinking about trying one.

(Excuse the mess in the bedroom, that's the wife's corner )

First up then, views of the “bottom”



Top view


So I mentioned the loft, a rubbish picture but this shows over 6” of downy goodness


I asked Mat for a sewn in footbox as I intend to use the quilt for lightweight backpacking on the deck as well as in the hammock, having somewhere to keep a small foot pad is really handy.


I also requested shockcord at the head end so it can be pulled in and around my shoulders



Total measured length around 175cm but it's probably longer


Width at the shoulder when laid flat, 110cm I could have got this much flatter just by releasing the toggle so I expect it’s nearer 150cm in reality, I will check though. Having it nice and wide means I can sleep on my side without having any drafts up my back.


An idea of packed size then, first stuffed into a normal stuff sack, 1L Gsi Dukjug for comparison


Stuff it into a Sea-to-Summit eVent dry bag though and it’s smaller still


Time to weigh it then, I used the cheapo scales we have for checking the suitcases at home before flying, the stuff sack weighs 45g empty


A very respectable 580g including the stuff sack



I should be heading out next weekend so it's getting packed then, I'll add to this once it's had it's first outing but I have a feeling it's going to be a real gem. If the test goes well then I think I'll be shopping with Mat again come winter time.