Most other vendors' top quilts will be lighter by comparison simply because of the dimensions.
Most other vendors' top quilts will be lighter by comparison simply because of the dimensions.
Good to know Hang!
Seems like a différent vendor is my choice HG economy is where I'm leaning, sewn footbox too.
Shug speaks highly of his jrb sniveler and I hear good things about WB wookies.
I think the main question is answered...new vendor... apologies to Danny.
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Whooooo Buddy)))) All Secure in Sector Seven
For what it's worth...
At this point (especially in top quilts) most of the known vendors here make a quality quilt.
Things that do too many things tend to not be great at any one thing. Point being... if you only can afford a quilt or two then the 'transforming' quilts are practical and kinder to your wallet, but if you can afford a set... a well made underquilt and a well made top quilt is always the better choice.
I tend to stick with enlightened equipment as I was more familiar with Tim from my ground/SUL backpacking days.
I greatly admire Katabatic Quilts but most likely I will never actually buy one.
Generally- most of the hammock vendors tend to over fill compared to the backpacking vendors and also generally will deliver a higher value overall... though that has changed a little bit recently with Enlightened and Z-packs having to bump their fill weights a bit as their customer base grew.
Hammock folks are pretty diverse/price sensitive where-as high end gram weenie backpackers got used to paying more money for gear and said vendors never really had any pressure to lower costs much. This is even more true since various 'econ' lines have been introduced on the hammock side making those options even more attractive.
You do you but... I think 850/900 fill is plenty unless you're out on an FKT speed hike and really need to squeeze every last dollar out of your wallet to lighten your load.
I also find that on day three of a trip you might find it tricky to get that 950 fill to fluff up quite so nicely and you might find a listlessly underfilled bag unless you love it and hug it and pet it and call it precious.
All that said- with a handful of good options when it comes time to purchase one I find the best method is to check the 'seconds', 'warehouse' or whatever a given vendor calls the overstock or errors section. Most of the time these are not returns but very simple cosmetic errors that have no impact on you the user but will let you get the best possible piece of gear at a cheaper price. As a bonus they are ready to ship.
Long story short- my favorite quilt is the one that is 20% off some custom quilt because the seamstress forgot to switch from orange to yellow thread on two baffles on the inside of the quilt.
Thank you Shug!
Honored that you would take time from the activities of Sector 7 to reply!!!
Also, Bill! Thank you too!
I agree that taking the time can be great for easing the burden on the wallet.
I'm really humbled by y'all's willingness to help.
I hope I see you all on the trail sometime soon.
As to the top quilt, HG is having a top quilt sale...
I'm going to take some time on this. I'm pretty sure it's going to be a sewn footbox...
I keep getting the drawstrings of my SG top quilt in between my toes.... surprising at 2:40 am at times...
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Drawstrings of top quilt caught between your toes.
I got one of those and want to replace it with a sewn foot box top quilt.
To get lighter weight—choose lightest fabrics available—also they will compact down smaller in your pack compared to more robust heavier gage fabrics.
Your vendor can advise
I prefer to have some overstuff of down. I believe some overstuff of down can reduce chances of problem down migration—which can lead to empty spots in quilt—which will lead to cold spots
Too much overstuffing down can be counterproductive and actually have reduced insulation compared to a quilt with correct amount of fill
It’s not exactly the down that insulates us from cold, it’s the air pockets in each down feather. If too much overstuff is added—those air spaces are squeezed out. So too much over stuffing actually makes a colder quilt.
But like I say, I like some over stuff to try to eliminate dead spots in quilt due to down migration. If there is more down, then migrating down has no where to go
Some smart hammock campers say, rather than overstuff, just get a quilt rated for lower temperatures
Still I like some overstuff. If you’ve ever held a quilt up to bright sunlight, you might see dead spots with no down— that’s a cold spot right there, unless you take time to fluff the quilt and maneuver down to desired locations to eliminate dead spots
Just my two cents, but at 0F I would want a sewn footbox. I have a LocoLibre GhostPepper with his Insulated "Hot Box" Foot Box and that thing is toasty warm! I used it on a 10F hang once and was hot!
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