Need 48 top quilts & 48 underquilts for Youth Program

**USMC_2674** · 07-19-2012, 15:27

Good Day,

I have a Speer Snugfit for my personal use, and enjoy it a lot. I run a youth wilderness therapy program and we are switching to hammocks vs tents for a variety of reasons.

I have until the end of the year to locate, test, and purchase the quilts.

They need to be as non-technical as possible (i.e. they should be full underquilts vs 3/4), able to get the kids (and leaders) down to 30-40 F occasionally with it generally being used in the 50-90 F weather range, and then be as lightweight and cheap as possible.

We run these programs here in Utah year round, but the kids sleep in heated wall tents/cabins during the bad parts of the winter.

What are your suggestions? Any manufacturers out there willing to cut us a break on cost for a large number?

Ideally we'd get four of them and have one of our leader teams take them out ASAP to test them, ordering the other 44 when we are sure that that brand will work well with our hennessy hammocks (zip style).

Thank you in advance for your suggestions and help.

Semper Fidelis

**MedicineMan** · 07-19-2012, 15:35

Poncho liners sewn into UQ and TQ, augmented with ccf pads and sleep clothes.

**USMC_2674** · 07-19-2012, 15:59

Poncholiner UQ or top quilt isn't a deal breaker, so long as it allows them to get to those temperatures without using a pad or extra clothing.

The kids sleep in shorts and a t-shirt only for security reasons (i.e. if they run away, they will be too cold to run far).

Thanks for the option so far.

Is there a manufacturer that makes poncholiner UQ's and TQ's? For liability reasons we aren't allowed to make our own gear. It doesn't matter if we buy the gear from a big business, small business, or an individual, we just can't make it ourselves.

**HappyCamper** · 07-19-2012, 15:59

Are the Hennessy tarps big enough to protect the underquilts?

**USMC_2674** · 07-19-2012, 16:05

I've thought of that and will be buying upgraded tarps for them. If you have suggestions there, great... if not, these are on the list:

http://hennessyhammock.com/catalog/p...70d_polyester/

**ninjahamockman** · 07-19-2012, 16:30

Wait I am from utah well if your organization is able to afford it speer has peapod that could cover for both top and under or you can try the DD underquilts their pretty cheap. Also Kick donkey quilts has some cheap over quilt like blankets. But you are going to have to pay alot of money.

**USMC_2674** · 07-19-2012, 16:45

Originally Posted by ninjahamockman

Wait I am from utah well if your organization is able to afford it speer has peapod that could cover for both top and under or you can try the DD underquilts their pretty cheap. Also Kick donkey quilts has some cheap over quilt like blankets. But you are going to have to pay alot of money.

We do realize that we will be spending money.

I won't say that money isn't an object, but lets say that it is an expense that we have anticipated. Tents, sleeping bags, ground covers, pads, etc are all expensive too.

Our plan is to have four adults test the hammocks/quilts, then have one rotation (40 kids, eight leaders) try it as well for a month.

Providing all of that is good to go, we'll convert completely. We have over 300 kids out most of the time, and will need to be buying 300+ hammocks/quilt sets.

So, yes, we will be spending a lot of money.

P.S. I'm not adverse to trying out four different systems and having the leaders change hammocks each night. So, if we end up with four good options/manufacturers, I'm fine with that. Or we can just buy four of the same one to try it out. There are just four decision makers who need to try them out for a week or so before I'll be allowed to "make a decision". Ahhh, bureaucratic fun.

**nothermark** · 07-19-2012, 16:47

Avoid down. If you are dealing with troubled folks you have more accidental damage and more need to wash them. Flying feathers is not good. I would go with any of the synthetic fills. Cost will be lower and fabrication simpler.

If you can come up with a pattern you may be able to get 40 made locally at a sheltered workshop.

**USMC_2674** · 07-19-2012, 17:09

Originally Posted by nothermark

Avoid down. If you are dealing with troubled folks you have more accidental damage and more need to wash them. Flying feathers is not good. I would go with any of the synthetic fills. Cost will be lower and fabrication simpler.

If you can come up with a pattern you may be able to get 40 made locally at a sheltered workshop.

We could go either way. We have been using down sleeping bags without any problem. The parents (or the State that sends them to us) pay for any damage they cause. In actuality, we don't have a lot of damage caused by them as they know it is their stuff, and they don't want to ruin THEIR comfort levels while they are there.

So, down or synthetic. It will come down to a choice between weight, cost, and temperature... also, packability, as the kids have to pack all of their own gear in and out.

Thanks for the input!

Keep em coming, as well as some recommendations of a specific variety.

**gargoyle** · 07-19-2012, 17:32

The clothing limitation makes for a tough quilt match. Most quilts are rated for "use w/ optional clothes" as far as I know. So with that in mind, the quilts will need to have more down/syntetic than normal.
Your desire for packability has down the obvious answer.

Sounds like a interesting program you got going on. I commend you for your work w/ the kiddos.