Quilt recommendation...

[lkal32]

I have a Loco Libre 20 deg ghost pepper and love it to death. It has the snaps/drawcord footbox and I've never felt claustrophobic in it, especially in comparison to a mummy sleeping bag. The Argon 67 fabric has a wonderful feel to it as well. Highly recommended!

[cmoulder]

I'll attest to feeling the same. My 40° uses a drawstring and my 20° is sewn. I feel very constricted with the 20°, but I've never owned a mummy sleeping bag and aren't used to this feeling. The drawstring is always used on the 40°, but my zipper usage is adjusted based on how cold I feel.

This seems strange, but on my sofa at an ambient 63°, the 40° topquilt feels much warmer than the 20° topquilt. I suspect that its drape allows the quilt to be tighter against my body. Both are Hammockgear Econ topquilts.. My next 20° will have a drawstring and better fill power so that it drapes better.

This might very well have to do with the shell material and overstuff. In my experience 7D exhibits far better drape than 20D, and overstuff, while warmer, can restrict the drape. I'd be interested to hear about the shell materials and fill amounts on those two you mentioned... good data points, and IMHO experience trumps theory every time!

[unconfirmed]

I'm having the same "Analysis Paralysis" on TQ's myself.

Here's my setup/situation: Blackbird XLC with Three-season (20 deg.) Wooki. Superfly tarp. ULA Catalyst pack.

I live in NE Texas, and do most of my outdoors stuff in western Ark. When it's hot, it's HOT. Nightime lows in the summer might hit 70, on a cool night. When it's cold, it's a damp, bone-chilling cold that feels worse than some serious cold I've experienced in other places.

Our family has a place in SW Colorado, so I'm up there a fair bit too, and plan to do some hiking/backpacking up in the wilderness.

I had grand plans to make myself a DIY three-season quilt from the Costco down throws, but I've scrubbed that, and want something reliable and ready to use.

I get cold easily, and don't care for it. I'm also festively plump, though slimming down. I'm 5'9" and 210 lbs, down from 231 and on the way to 185.

I plan for most of my outdoorsing to be hammock based, but can't say I won't go to ground at times. I tend to be a side sleeper, and had some minor claustrophobia issues the last time I used a mummy bag.

While I'm certainly looking at brands and welcome suggestions on that front, I really need some help picking the physical characteristics that would be best for me: Temp rating, width, footbox config, etc.

Help, please!

[W8lkinUSA]

This might very well have to do with the shell material and overstuff. In my experience 7D exhibits far better drape than 20D, and overstuff, while warmer, can restrict the drape. I'd be interested to hear about the shell materials and fill amounts on those two you mentioned... good data points, and IMHO experience trumps theory every time!

They're both Econ 20D shells. Both also have +1oz overfill.

My theory on the drape is that higher fill would allow for sharper angles, thus providing a better drape against the body. In turn, reduced air pockets are attained.

[dkurfiss]

My suggestion is you attend a hang. Check the regional folders for hangs in your area. There are as many answers to your questions as there are members of this forum. Each of us like different things in our quilts, or gear in general. Only you can decide how wide is wide enough, do you want a zipper or ties on the foot box, or even the material choices.

At a hang there will be a lot of gear you can actually put your hands on. Really see what you like and what you don't.

[HoosierT]

This might very well have to do with the shell material and overstuff. In my experience 7D exhibits far better drape than 20D, and overstuff, while warmer, can restrict the drape. I'd be interested to hear about the shell materials and fill amounts on those two you mentioned... good data points, and IMHO experience trumps theory every time!

This, I believe, is your answer. A lighter material such as 7D or 10D WILL drape much better than the 20D you're using on your econ quilts. It's unfortunate, but IMO you need to spring for the premium quilts when getting down into the <= 20 degree zone so you can take advantage of these lighter shell fabrics. Since I make all my own gear, I can tell you that if you handled the raw materials you would instantly agree with the above points. I only use the lightest for my gear but I've made many of quilts for friends who only had the budget for Dutch Ion (same as your Econ quilts) so I've handled it a bunch. It's stiff stuff comparatively speaking.

[jcksparow]

IMHO, Hammock Gear makes the best all-around UQ's, and Enlightened Equipment makes the best all-around TQ's. I've found the width on my Enigma to be very generous. Really depends on what your priorities are. If weight-savings, EE offers (to the best of my knowledge) some of the highest fill-power down and lightest overall quilts. If cost, HQ's econ line is pretty much impossible to beat. All that said, you really can't go wrong with any of the more prominent cottage vendors. Keep an eye on EE's 'Warehouse' page or HG's 'In Stock' selection and you could score a great deal on a quilt you won't have to wait over a month for.

[unconfirmed]

I have be shopping the top quilts for months and am suffering from paralysis of analysis. Maybe you guys can help. The quilt is primarily for my next backpacking trip to the Tetons and Glacier National park in late spring.. It looks like it may get down to the 40s while we are there. Also, I camp a lot in the shoulder seasons with the scouts. Mostly in my bridge hammock. However, I'll be on the ground for the Teton and Glacier trip.

So some requirements:
- Needs to be wide enough for ground sleeping.
- Hopefully not a sil impregnated taffeta...cant stand it sticking to me.
- Zippered and draw foot box that I can open up. Closterphobic.

Thanks your help is much appreciated.

I just found this sticky-post over in the UGQ forum. It's got some decent info you might find useful.

https://www.hammockforums.net/forum/...T-BUYING-GUIDE