let me just say this is an amazing thread, i just spent the last couple hours reading and clicking on the links, i can't wait until late summer of 2010 when i can give it a try. i just wanted to go over this again though, to kill insects and bacteria you guys are just nuking it for 45 seconds?
i can't wait to build! keep the thread going! it's been interesting!
or you can put it in the oven for a bit- anything that gets the down/fluff/seedheads warmed up over 145-160 will be virtually (living) bug free...
Bump, just to keep people thinking about it.
I don't think it's a matter of how well they compress, but more importantly, how well do they "loft" after being compressed and will they do this on a consistant basis. I say this because anyone that understands insulation knows that it all comes down to loft. The higher\thicker the loft, the more air is trapped.
My second thought on this matter is how fast does it dry after becoming damp or wet from rain, a dunking or body persperation; and once again, how well\reliably will it "loft" after this?
There are of couse, ways to test this before hand and if it were me, I'd do so before investing so much time only to find out that even though it sounds good in theory, is it practical.
Not to say it isn't a good idea, but I would do a little research first.
Blessings!
Last edited by leepingreenlizards; 02-23-2010 at 08:07.
The last I heard on this from Kermegan was that it worked, but the re-lofting was a bit of a dissapointment.
Sounds to me like it'd make a good insulator of opportunity to add to a winter setup if you come across seed heads in the wild...
Yes, the seeds themselves are incredibly tiny- the fibers seem to want to interlock more than they want to separate; once they are in the baffles, there is not much way other than shaking to get them to move apart; like the wind would do out in the open. have no microscope, but the thought strikes me that they might be equipped with hooks or some suck\h to make them cling to passing objects, then later get washed down into the streamways...not unlike burrs of various sorts. pure speculation on my part I freely admit.
KM
have not thought about testing their water retention properties; anybody else want to jump on that?
So, I've got the materials now to make an underquilt. I am wondering if it's worth it. Are you saying that you can get them to seperate, just takes more shaking and fluffing than down? Or are you saying it just ain't happening?
Well, they do fluff up considerably from the form they take on the stalk! but they stay clumpier than down feathers do; when I hold my quilt end up the cattail fluff shows much more tendancy to slide down the channell than the down does. so it works, but not for the same weight/warmth savings as down; then again the cost/benefit ratio is definately improved on the plant source side.
YMMV, KM
I did a compression and volume test some time ago (in this thread if I'm not mistaken) where I packed as much of the stuff into a film canister as I could and left it for some time. It did return to a large percentage of its original volume after being shaken up but this wasn't a really scientific test. a-la "rinse and repeat" needed with better measurements.
I really think it will work - perhaps not as good as down but def. worth small scale experiments with actual cloth wares.
OK, I'm game for some experiments. I need a simple summer UQ and since I have a walmart nearby I'll risk some $1.50 ripstop on cattails. So what time of year do cattails pop? I want to harvest about a week before this right?
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks