"cluster stuff"... Ever use it?

**lostinthewuds** · 10-02-2011, 22:21

Greetings all.

I just ordered a GT UL earlier today. I'm really excited and can't wait until it gets here. Now I'm thinking about insulation.

My wife and kids made some stuffed pumpkins for fall decorations today. MY wife brought out this bag of stuff called "cluster stuff". It is a polyester fill fiber, but is it not like what I normally think of as fill. It is a bag of millions of individual fibers (all coil shaped). They loft up alot, just like down. A 16oz bag of the stuff is about the size of an average bed pillow. I mashed it and squished it and it always came right back to life. My wife says she recalled the bag was something like $5.00.

I was thinking about trying some of this stuff out in an under quilt in place of down becasue it is so econimical. I know it most likely will not perform like down but for the price I'm sure I could make due.

Also, as we do alot of water based activities (canoeing, etc.) this stuff would be great because water will not ruin it. It is machine washable and looks like pretty nice stuff (but I am biased).

Any thoughts?

Thanks,
lost

**jasonb986** · 10-02-2011, 22:50

The first thing that I might try to make out of it is a pillow.

**slowhike** · 10-03-2011, 00:56

Who knows. It might be decent insulation, especially for the cost.
I made an insulated hammock out of the synthetic sheet insulation from wal-mart (called quilt batting). It's probably a little heavier for it's insulation value & may not retain its lofting abilities for as many times being packed & unpacked, but it has kept me warm on a few chilly trips (around or below freezing).