Questions on quilts and a sanity check

[Gunza]

So 20* seems to be the temperature to go with, thanks everyone! Any Advice on the Taper conundrum? I'm leaning towards the 5" full taper to knock a little weight off and still give my feet room to move about.

[Five Tango]

As someone Firmly committed to buying the wrong stuff first,let's just say I have added a 20 degree TQ and a 3/4 length
20 degree UQ to the inventory because all that extra insulation is bulky/heavy and a pain to pack and carry when you don't need it.
However,when it really is COLD I like being able to fall into the lower rated feathers.And I support the idea of UQ being rated lower than TQ because its easy to add more clothes,a liner,or,in my case,the SOL Escape Bivvy.

[Gunza]

I use a 0 and a 20 UQ year round and vary my Topquilt depending on conditions. I've used a 0 UQ and a 40 TQ many times without issue. I HAD a Carolina Reaper on order, but after talking with George changed it to a Habanero. The Habanero is lighter. He thought it would fit the hiking part better. Good luck and let us know what you get!

Would you mind giving any insights he gave you during your conversation? I had not noticed the difference in the two to be honest and now you've got me thinking. 7oz seems like a decent amount of weight to cut.

[Peppy]

His Carolina Reapers are exceptional, and very warm! They are a premium quilt for sure. He just simply stated if weight was an issue, the Habanero was the way to go. He was up front and very helpful.

Here’s what he said, exactly...

Hi Dennis,

If your concerned about weight you want a Habanero, not a Reaper. The Reaper sucks a lot of people in because of the cool factor. You can cut weight by changing to a 10 or 20 Reaper, but if it's all about weight, well, I've already given my opinion......

[scrope]

I have a different idea for you to consider. For me, it comes down to two things: price and volume. The ideal would be to get a quilt for every 10 degree possibility but nobody really does that because that's an insane amount of money and where would you store all those quilts anyway Volume is something to consider because a 0 degree quilt is huge compared to a 50 degree one.

If you're mostly car camping or doing a quick in/out, weight shouldn't be a problem for you. Depending on your pack size, volume may be more of a problem.

Also, if you camp 10 times a year when it's 40-90 degrees out and only 1-2 times when it's below 32, my suggestion is to get a good set of quilts that will cover 90% of your usage. For those other times, use a more specialized 0 degree or -20. Or bundle up more with what you are wearing. Or stack quilts. Even a Costco Down Throw will give you another 10-20 degrees for $20.

Depending on the design of your TQ, you may find it difficult to dump a lot of heat. I have a 0 degree TQ with a sewn footbox and it's not easy to dump heat if it's too warm but it's awesome when you really want to keep warm. I couldn't imagine using it in the summer. That's why I have 3 TQs and 2 UQ (need to make a companion 0 degree but haven't gotten around to it). Dumping heat in an UQ is easier but can be finicky to setup.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that if you are looking for a one-size solution that will fit all temperatures, you're looking for the Holy Grail which we all wish we could get. My suggestion would be to get the best quilt for 80-90% of your usage and then either supplement it or replace it with more specialized gear. Yeah, it's more money but in the long run I think you will be happier and you can do it over time. This is a fun hobby to get into if you enjoy collecting gear (and don't get me started on the rabbit hole of DIY).

One last thing about temperature ratings. Most of the cottage vendors are pretty good about the comfort rating of their quilts but you've also got to consider a) do you sleep cold (I do) or do you sleep practically naked or completely bundled up. A 30 degree quilt will definately keep you alive at 30 degrees but you may not be happy. Also, the weather has a funny way of dropping 10 degrees when you go up, dropping 10 degrees more than the weatherman predicted, and a simple breeze can remove any extra heat you've accumulated. If you can try a TQ/UQ do so. It's a shame that vendors don't have a lending program to let you sample a quilt before you buy but I doubt it would be cost effective for them.

These are my thoughts and you can take them for what you will. Hike Your Own Hike.

[Gunza]

Thanks for all the input guys. I ordered a 75" Wide 20* Ghost Pepper in Coyote Brown outer and Burn orange Inner and a 78" standard 20* Carolina Reaper in Woodland Cammo outer and Burnt Orange Inner both in the 900 FP goose down. Now the waiting begins. Will post pictures once they get here!

[HandyRandy]

His Carolina Reapers are exceptional, and very warm! They are a premium quilt for sure. He just simply stated if weight was an issue, the Habanero was the way to go. He was up front and very helpful.

Here’s what he said, exactly...

Hi Dennis,

If your concerned about weight you want a Habanero, not a Reaper. The Reaper sucks a lot of people in because of the cool factor. You can cut weight by changing to a 10 or 20 Reaper, but if it's all about weight, well, I've already given my opinion......

What is it about the Reapers that makes them heavier? Is it really the baffle construction alone?

[sloanie]

What is it about the Reapers that makes them heavier? Is it really the baffle construction alone?

At a glance, comparing a Habenero and a Carolina Reaper of the same temp rating, it looks like the Reaper uses more down to hit the same temperature rating / loft. Rest must come from additional material involved in the design, no?