Ray Way Hammock Underquilt

**Hoppy** · 02-02-2009, 22:18

G'Day,

I happened to be browsing Ray Jardine's site and came across the following -

http://www.rayjardine.com/news/index.htm

Scroll down to - 2009/01/29

Will Ray invent the underquilt ?

Without being facetious, I wonder if he will come up with anything new ? It could be interesting.

**Coldspring** · 02-02-2009, 23:27

LOL, I've been in need of a good laugh all day.

Should we send a bridge or a blackbird for the design process?

**Rushthezeppelin** · 02-02-2009, 23:41

Hmmm they sell a fairly decent priced top quilt. Anyone have experience with using one in a hammock? I'm getting tired of getting my sleeping bag just right at night.

**lori** · 02-02-2009, 23:55

I've got an Alpine upgrade. My sewing skills aren't the best, but I made it wider and longer than necessary. It's as warm/warmer than my JRB quilts and excellent for ground sleeping. I can't use it in summer. Worked in the hammock just fine.

And, OMG, they are offering a deal for people who bought bristlecone option - people were getting too warm! I have no complaints about the stuff myself, but I might just have to get another quilt kit. A fifty dollar quilt, man. I bet if I made it the same size as the JRB and added the draw cords and corner loops... summer underquilt, wala!

**Take-a-knee** · 02-02-2009, 23:55

Originally Posted by Rushthezeppelin

Hmmm they sell a fairly decent priced top quilt. Anyone have experience with using one in a hammock? I'm getting tired of getting my sleeping bag just right at night.

His quilt kits work great, the only problem is they are synthetic and don't compress well, no tiny packs. Mine has the alpine upgrade (rated to 28) and is quite bulky. If you used a pad and had a decent sized pack like a ULA Catalyst it'll work fine. With any quilt, IMO, you need more than just a fabric balaclava, something like a JRB hood, rayway bomber hat, or a Bozeman balaclava.

**Rushthezeppelin** · 02-03-2009, 00:01

Shoot that was half the reason I was interested in getting it.....currently using a 20* synthetic bag and man its bulky. I'd probably be fine with the balaclava tbh. I can make it down to 25* with just a cheap beanie pulled all the way over my head in my mummy bag. Only reason I can do that though is because I have long very thick hair so it's an EXCELLENT insulator for my head.

**lori** · 02-03-2009, 00:10

I had enough 'stuff' left over when I made my Ray Way to make a matching bomber hat. It's too warm to wear unless it's freezing out, so I have a balaclava and a fuzzy hat to layer over it.

I could get all my gear in an Aura 50 and also my quilt. The trick is, put the sack in the pack, stuff the quilt in, close the drawstring on the sack, and stuff stuff stuff the rest in and around the quilt - clothes, ditty bags, pot down the middle of the quilt, etc. The quilt will compress a bit more and adjust as you go along.

**Doctari** · 02-04-2009, 11:18

Originally Posted by Take-a-knee

His quilt kits work great, the only problem is they are synthetic and don't compress well, no tiny packs. Mine has the alpine upgrade (rated to 28) and is quite bulky.

They do compress, to a fairly small size (fits in a #3 OR stuff sack) But it is VERY hard to do, and they very agressivly try to expand. Ray's suggestion of "Make the quilt stuff sack the size of your pack & just pack the rest of your gear in top" is a load of b--- s---. The quilt pushed my 10 Lb food bag OUT of the top of my pack.

As to him designing a underquilt: UM, just make a RayWay quilt, but make it rectangle like a JRB is, leaving the foot box off, & suspend the same way as a JRB. A no brainer IMHO.

NOTE / REMINDER: Sew the quilt with the insulation DOWN!!

**Take-a-knee** · 02-04-2009, 11:30

Originally Posted by Doctari

They do compress, to a fairly small size (fits in a #3 OR stuff sack) But it is VERY hard to do, and they very agressivly try to expand. Ray's suggestion of "Make the quilt stuff sack the size of your pack & just pack the rest of your gear in top" is a load of b--- s---. The quilt pushed my 10 Lb food bag OUT of the top of my pack.

As to him designing a underquilt: UM, just make a RayWay quilt, but make it rectangle like a JRB is, leaving the foot box off, & suspend the same way as a JRB. A no brainer IMHO.

NOTE / REMINDER: Sew the quilt with the insulation DOWN!!

I beg to differ, the Potomac/KAQ plan would be far better, even better than that is the Warbonnet design.

**Photograhiker** · 02-04-2009, 12:19

I made a RayWay quilt last year. I think the claim is that it's conservatively rated to 38 or 40 F, but I was plenty warm at around 35 F. The draft shield is somewhat helpful in tucking in to reduce drafts. The "gorget" for the head annoys me, although it might be nice for side and stomach sleepers (which I am when not in a hammock). I'm thinking of cutting a notch in it for my neck. It will fit me much better then.

Originally Posted by Rushthezeppelin

Hmmm they sell a fairly decent priced top quilt. Anyone have experience with using one in a hammock? I'm getting tired of getting my sleeping bag just right at night.

Every time you move, you'll have to get your quilt just right too, or you'll feel the slightest draft. Note that I sleep on a CCF pad inside the hammock. Underquilt users may not have as much difficulty getting the quilt tucked in just right.

My plan is to go with a down sleeping bag instead of a quilt below 40 F.

Originally Posted by Doctari

...they very agressivly try to expand. Ray's suggestion of "Make the quilt stuff sack the size of your pack & just pack the rest of your gear in top" is a load of b--- s---.

True. I made the stuff sack, but really need a real compression sack.