Yet another Underquilt thread, sorry

[animalcontrol]

But, maybe even on NOLS, there are different kinds of trips. On some trips you might not be required to hike all day and do a Tyrolean traverse across raging white water during a blowing snow storm ( on June 27 no less!). And a bail out might be far more doable.

Congrats on completing your NOLS course..very cool!
I'm confident that there are different "focuses" on different NOLS courses. The focus on the story I linked to was lightening up your pack. With that focus (in the context of this conversation), it is interesting to me that NOLS changed their stance on synthetic insulation when the focus of the course changed to "Light and Fast Backpacking"
To each his own...

[IanBristol]

I've heard there's a Primaloft quilt, has anyone tried one?

I'm not closed to the idea of Down, I'm confident in my tarp's ability to keep the rain off, I'm mainly thinking in terms of dew etc, but I don't know how resistant the outer shells are on the better quilts.

In other words I am completely guessing here.

[BillyBob58]

All of this keeps coming back to 2 major points, major points to me.

1. You should have absolute faith in your pack keeping all of your stuff dry in the conditions you will hike in. I found a great dry bag, tested to work when canoeing, that weighs around 14 oz for a 65 liter bag. Add in a pack cover and I don't think about the rain. (haven't fully tested the drybag hiking but upgraded from a packliner with the same concept but less waterproof)

2. You should have faith that you can setup you tarp/shelter with out worring about getting wet in the weather you are sleeping in. If you can't survive the rain you need to upgrade the shelter, move, or practice setting up more.

To me it all comes down to these two. Something that shouldn't get lost in the discussion.

Great points. Sounds like a great dry bag also.

[BillyBob58]

Congrats on completing your NOLS course..very cool!
I'm confident that there are different "focuses" on different NOLS courses. The focus on the story I linked to was lightening up your pack. With that focus (in the context of this conversation), it is interesting to me that NOLS changed their stance on synthetic insulation when the focus of the course changed to "Light and Fast Backpacking"
To each his own...

Thanks, but now I'm 60 and then I was 36! I'd hate to have to do that again now! While eating a rationed 3000 calories a day or more, I still lost 22 lbs in 30 days! But good times, good memories!

Your point on the "dif focuses" are dead on.