TQ - Down distribution, migration and loss of loft questions

[Alan Gage]

About 4 years ago I bought a TQ from a well known manufacturer. Rated at 20*, standard width, long, 1oz. overstuffed. Overall it's been a good quilt but over the years it seemed to lose warmth and at 40 degrees I'm chilly (with UQ from same manufacturer). The quilt didn't seem to have the same loft but I blamed myself because at one point I left it in the stuff sack for about 8 months. I tried washing it (by hand) and tumbled dry but that didn't seem to really be an improvement. The foot box feels fairly well stuffed and the top three tubes feel very well stuffed but everything in the middle not so much at all.

This summer/fall I needed to sleep on the ground for a long trip and needed a wide quilt so ordered another from the same manufacturer. Same weight rating, also a long and also 1oz. overstuffed. It does seem to have better loft than the old one but, similar to my other one, the top tube is very well stuffed and so is the foot box. The rest of it feels considerably less so. Down migration seems to be a fairly big issue with this one as well (maybe exacerbated by sleeping on the ground?) and almost every night I'd need to shake the down back to the center of the bag and on some chilly nights even had to do so again in the middle of the night after tossing and turning a bit.

I guess I'm just curious how normal this is. To me it seems like the tubes should be stuffed a little more to keep the down from shifting as much. Is there a good way to deal with it? Why did the first bag lose so much loft? Is it from being compressed in the bag for 8 months? Is it normal to have the foot box and top tube(s) stuffed more than the rest of the quilt?

I don't want to name the manufacturer as I suspect this is normal; but it has me curious if others are experiencing the same thing.

Alan

[Shug]

All I could recommend is wash it with Down wash...https://www.rei.com/product/890310/n...wn-wash-direct and tumble dry with tennis ball or two in dryer. Mine always fluff up well after that.
You did not say but what you sleep in is important. If too much clothing you can sweat and chill. I like to wear less and add clothes when I rise to pee at night. Wear a hat and have eaten well so the body is churning and working to metabolize is also a great help.
Good luck and carry forth.
Shug

[Alan Gage]

All I could recommend is wash it with Down wash...https://www.rei.com/product/890310/n...wn-wash-direct and tumble dry with tennis ball or two in dryer. Mine always fluff up well after that.

Thanks for the response. That's what I used to wash the old quilt. I did tumble it with some tennis balls in the drier, pulling it out every now and again to help break up the clumps by hand. It just didn't seem to get back as much loft as I was hoping for; it's noticeably flatter than the new quilt. I guess that's ok though since having two bags with similar performance would be a bit redundant so the old one should make a nice quilt for warmer weather. Would just hate the see the same thing happen to the new quilt in a few years. It's probably due to be washed as it has 50+ nights on it already.

You did not say but what you sleep in is important. If too much clothing you can sweat and chill. I like to wear less and add clothes when I rise to pee at night. Wear a hat and have eaten well so the body is churning and working to metabolize is also a great help.

That could be part of the problem. There have been nights I've went to bed bundled up and found myself a little chilly and damp from sweat and I have been guilty of covering my face with the quilt (introducing more condensation) when it starts to get into the low 30's/20's and my face gets cold. Guess I need to start bringing a balaclava in addition to the hat.

Is down migration during the night something everyone just deals with or do most people not experience it? Like I said, on my last trip I had to readjust the down distribution nearly every night and on the colder nights (upper 20's) sometimes had to readjust and fluff in the middle of the night as well. I think it was probably exacerbated by sleeping on the ground as I don't ever remember having much of an issue with it in the hammock.

Alan