Snaps Instead of Velcro on a Quilt?

[headchange4u]

I've been working on my down quilt over the last few days and I started thinking about using a snap on my quilt to secure the head area around my neck just like Nunatak Arc uses on their quilts. I was also looking at HF's own andersj's terrific instructions on how he made his quilt. He not only uses snaps for securing the quilt around the neck, but he also uses snaps to form the foot box as well as helping to secure the quilt around the body in really cold weather.

I was gonna add the neck snap but I am know thinking that I might wanna use snaps to form the foot box also. I am thinking that 3-4 snaps would form and hold together an 18-20" foot box pretty well. Anderj uses larger snaps on his quilt, similar to what you would find on a pair of pants, but I am thinking about smaller snaps like you see on shirts. It looks like the Nunatak uses smaller snaps.

The thought of using a few snaps down the side of the quilt that would mate with snaps that I would add to my Gossamer Gear Thinlight pad, basically making a JRB style pad converter but using snaps instead of Omni Tape.

I'm gonna look at a fabric store in the next few days and check out their selection of snaps as well as getting some pricing on the tool to install the snaps. Anybody see any problems with using snaps instead of Velcro/Omni tape ?

[Cannibal]

Metal in my hammocks scares me, I'm always worried it's gonna snag on the hammock material and rip it. Probably overly paranoid, but you asked.

[txulrich]

2 questions come to mind.

1) How does the weight compare?

2) Retention strength? Is it going to pull apart because the snaps are too small? Maybe use a bigger one at the very end and smaller ones in between.

[Miguel]

Metal in my hammocks scares me, I'm always worried it's gonna snag on the hammock material and rip it. Probably overly paranoid, but you asked.

I ripped the bottom in my Claytor from a metal zipper on a pair of fleece pants. We patched it up pretty well. I'm glad it has a double bottom. I'm also now a member of the paranoid club.

Miguel

[te-wa]

Im going to add hook/loop to the quilt Im sewing, with the fuzzy side towards the inside of the quilt and the hard side facing outward (as viewed when layed flat) Then, the footbox will form like a burrito and allows for a stronger seam, since you are not simply prying the seal apart with your legs. In case of mucho tossing, this method will stay put better, I think. A snap at the neck is a good idea tho, think I'll go with it (like nunatak). Another option is a small bit of flat cord sewn in a loop, with a dime sized button on the other side. This method would prolly take 2 hands so im not sold on it yet.

[Cannibal]

I ripped the bottom in my Claytor from a metal zipper on a pair of fleece pants. We patched it up pretty well. I'm glad it has a double bottom. I'm also now a member of the paranoid club.

Miguel

It's good to not be alone.

I ended-up sending my Warbonnet back to WBG a few months ago for a patch because I found a little-bity (it was tiny) tear in the nylon under my shoulders. Great customer service BTW, thanks WBG! The more I think about it, I suspect it was the metal clasp on the back of a ball cap that did it. I don't wear that hat in hammocks anymore. Dumb, dumb, dumb.

[Peter_pan]

FWIW.... On this neck snap business....On draw cord style top quilts, If you draw the cords about 12-16 inches on each top corner you will form two shoulder pockets and draw the material between them to your neck/collar area.... nice seal....Then, if you want closure security, simply tie the cord ends in a bow behind your neck....easy....

No need to add snaps, add weight, buy a tool, add grosgrain reinforcement, and/or risk the quilt or hammock to wear and tear.

Quilts without top draw cords may be better off adding such a cord vs a snap...Plus such a cordm ay have other multi uses to a resourceful Hanger in emergencies.

Pan

[slowhike]

I ripped the bottom in my Claytor from a metal zipper on a pair of fleece pants. We patched it up pretty well. I'm glad it has a double bottom. I'm also now a member of the paranoid club.

Miguel

yeah, that's why it didn't take me long to decide to remove the zipper from two of my sleeping bags, converting them into quilts.
never a moments regret.
and i try to be careful to remember to take stuff out of my pockets before getting in the hammock too.

[Cannibal]

I was also looking at HF's own andersj's terrific instructions on how he made his quilt.

Is there an English version of this site, are you multi-lingual, or did you just use the pics for a rough guide? It does look like a nice quilt!

[headchange4u]

Is there an English version of this site, are you multi-lingual, or did you just use the pics for a rough guide? It does look like a nice quilt!

I've translated the page before, but I can't remember what I used to do it. I mainly was just looking at the pictures. I have been using Hammock Engineers guide as my main go to in constructing my quilt.

2 questions come to mind.

1) How does the weight compare?

2) Retention strength? Is it going to pull apart because the snaps are too small? Maybe use a bigger one at the very end and smaller ones in between.

1) I would think that using 5-6 snaps (1 on the neck and 4-5 on the foot box) on a quilt would weigh less or about as much as 40" or so of Omni Tape. I can't say for sure because I've never used them. I am hoping to find plastic snaps (see below)

2) One of the main reason I started thinking about snaps is because I have a shirt that uses small plastic snaps. These small snaps have a surprisingly firm hold. It seems to take a lot more force to snap and unsnap the buttons on this shirt than it would to pull a piece of Velcro/Omni Tape apart. I have had to re-secure the Omni tape on my JRB quilts before because it came undone during the night, opening up the foot box.