I got a Clew... My DIY double layer Costco underquilt

[Mundele]

Yesterday I completed my under quilt project. I started with 2 Costco down throws. I had previously pulled the longitudinal stitches so both had crosswise "baffles". I shook down to one end then removed 13" leaving about 44" in width. I then sewed the two layers together, but I offset them a bit so the sewn-through stitch from one layer was aligned with the center of the "baffle" from the other, with hopes that it'd eliminate cold spots. I sewed around 3 sides, and on the 4th side (the one with the original hem) I left a 2' gap then turned it inside out. I figured I can add more insulation if I ever need it. Not sure if I will, this thing is pretty warm.

For suspension I used the Clew suspension, which, if you get it the correct length, is much less "fiddly" than shock-cord suspension. I ended up with 8 nettles and did the woven Clew (Thanks Jellyfish). My nettles ended up being 24" which works perfectly for my 10.5' Dutchware hammock, but is a bit too long for my WBBB. I need to shorten each side by about 6".

Now some thoughts:
Clew suspension is super nice, but has a few drawbacks. First, it's very length-sensitive. I've used my old Stormcrow 3/4 length UQ with both hammocks and no issues with fit. This Clew one is very sensitive to length. Second, it's not very adjustable. With the shock-cord suspension, you can open it up to breathe a bit if you're too warm. Not really possible with the Clew type.

Since I made the suspension a little too long for my WBBB, I may try using a Prusik to tension the UQ, but am concerned that it won't grip on my amsteel whoopies. Any ideas?

So all-in-all, I like the Clew suspension, and am really happy with the Costco under quilt. It'll probably be relegated to car camping (which I do a LOT of) but will keep my other one for backpacking.

https://imgur.com/a/W4UWe

[jellyfish]

Your quilt looks really nice and cozy!


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[Mundele]

Thank you Jellyfish for the comment and thanks for the video. have you had issues with tangling at all?

[leiavoia]

Looks puffy!

I sleep cold so have never needed to adjust any quilt for being "too warm". However, for adjustability I tie a cord to the clew ring and use that to tie onto the hammock. This works much better than trying to manufacture perfect nettle lengths.

I adjust tension by tightening or loosing this lead line.

I just finished a costco-clew project this weekend myself. I think i like the tension better with fewer nettles. My original quilt has 8 and is nice and stretchy, but my costclew quilt has a whopping 13 and feels stiffer. The good news is that a whipped clew takes all of 5 minutes to produce so i can always make new ones.

[Hillbilly Gal]

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I'm new to hammocking and just made an underquilt with clew suspension last weekend. I did as leiavoia suggested and added some cordage onto the clew. I wish I would have decided to make the clew before I started working on my down quilt from a BB&B down throw. I would have made the baffles run vertically. But I added extra down from a pillow. So, I'm hoping it will still work. I haven't had a chance to put it to the test yet. Thanks for the instructions and videos leiavoia and jellyfish.

[leiavoia]

Hi Hillbilly Gal. Thanks for the report.

Please let us know how it works in the field. That's what counts. My complaint about lengthwise baffles is that it is easy to feel the cold through the sewn through spots. My complaint about widthwise baffles is the tension squishes it flat. If you added down, maybe you mitigated that and ended up with a great quilt.