Walmart 0.9oz ripstop downproof?

**jdempsey** · 04-22-2010, 22:40

I've got a bunch of olive?ish/dark grey-green colored 0.9oz/1.0oz yard ripstop from walmart.

I read someone else say that it's definitely not downproof. I sewed up a test pillow tonight, stuffed it with some inferior quality (probably 600-650fp) down that I had laying around from a cannibalized project.

Seems down proof to me. Even quills seem to be having a hard time getting through. I've been beating it, compressing it, tearing at it, jumbling it, scratching it, etc.. Nothing other than the occasional microscopic hair or quill gets out.

Is there some superior test I should do to test this JIC? Cause it seems to work as well as the pertex quantum or momentum (albeit not as opaque and pretty) down gear I have on hand.

Am I missing something?

**Just Jeff** · 04-22-2010, 22:43

I've used non-calendared and non-DWR fabric from Walmart before and it has worked ok in some applications. What are you gonna make?

**jdempsey** · 04-22-2010, 22:48

quilts.

I mean, I've already made 2 double layer hammocks with the stuff, works great.

As I understand it, walmart carries a myriad of second quality fabrics in their 1.50 bin, so it could be anything no?

Works great for the hammock, seems functionally down proof, any reason I shouldn't use this over massively expensive RS Momentum at pretty much the same Wt?

**jdempsey** · 04-22-2010, 22:51

BTW, I've water tested this fabric also, its coating isn't as good as top quality dwr fabrics, but it'll hold a couple cups of water without leaking unless I apply pressure.

I'm not new to the performance fabric scene, I just posted the OP out of concern I may somehow be clueless about overall "downproofness".

**Just Jeff** · 04-23-2010, 07:23

I make most of my stuff out of Walmart fabric...but yeah, it could be anything. If your downproof test works, I'd go ahead with the project. Worst case, you put a few hours into prototyping a quilt, so if it does leak you can harvest the down for a new one with better fabric. And now that you've made one, you're less likely to mess up the expensive fabric on the next one.

You could always put a coat of DWR spray on the quilt if you need more resistance.

We'll need pics!!

**Ramblinrev** · 04-23-2010, 08:07

Much of the cheapo $1.50 Wally world fabric is from mill ends and over stocks. It is not always seconds (but it could be as well.) You pays your money and you takes your chances. Since you say it is coated (which at the weight you cite would surprise me.. but...) the coating will help downproof the fabric. Usually coatings will add a fair amount of weight (relatively speaking) to the base fabric. But... hey.. I'm with Jeff here. If it works... it works. Go for and watch it carefully. You'll notice down escaping bit by bit. It's not going to fall out and blow away all at once.

**ewok** · 04-23-2010, 08:23

I got some of the same fabric, I believe, last week. I want to begin to learn to sew to make my own gear. There is no specific weight on the fabric but it is almost see through. It does, however, seem to be fairly strong. I paid $1.12 a yard. Hard to beat.

**jdempsey** · 04-23-2010, 12:38

Yeah, this stuff is definitely seconds. It's got two horizontal off-color dark lines running down one side about 2" from the selvedge.

Thx guys.

**Just Jeff** · 04-23-2010, 13:08

The sil I just made my hammock from has those same lines...and it has a couple of very hard to see lines across the fabric where it looks like the color didn't quite set. I didn't even notice them until I was looking thru the fabric at the light on the other side.

Hasn't dropped me on my butt yet, so I'm happy with the seconds.

**jdempsey** · 04-24-2010, 23:47

Actually, I recalibrated my scale today, and the total wt per sq yard is 1.17oz. as opposed to the just over 1oz I got before.

I guess that makes more sense now as to the coating and such

So I guess this is more like lightly coated 1.1oz

Either way, it's getting turned into quilts.