UQ Insulation Options?

[samsteeley]

I am thinking about making my first DIY UQ and curious what options are there for underquilt insulation.

The only two that I have read about are down and IX. From what I have read IX does not compress well and of course down has problems with getting wet.

Any other better options out there?

[oldgringo]

Lot's of other choices in the realm of synthetics. Climashield is frequently used, and may be the best choice for backpackers. If you are not in that category, just about anything will work, including sleeping bags.

[Syb]

Any other better options out there?

sam, there are a lot of options, down and IX being but two more popular here. The type of insulation you use depends on many factors:
How involved do you want the project to be? (Will you use darts, karo step, sewn through...?)
Is weight a concern? (some synthetics)
Is price a concern? (down can be pricey as well as 7D fabric)
Is durability an issue? (IX needs a little tlc where as synthetics can absorb more beating)

These are just some things that came to mind. You can also mod a sleeping bag in to a UQ like oldgringo mentioned but it all comes down to what you want because let's face it, it will be your butt in that UQ .

[samsteeley]

Thanks for the feedback guys, I will try to provide some additional information.

I will be backpacking and also bicycle touring, so weight and compressability is a concern.
Price is always a concern, but I am willing to delay doing this in order to afford the right material. Getting the right material per the application is the first priority, then figure out how to afford it...
Durability, I take pretty good care of my gear so I would say this is towards the lower end of my concerns.

I will check out the climashield, if you have any additional suggestions please let me know.

Thanks

[MAD777]

If weight and compressability are high on your list (as they should be for backpacking) and you are going to be out in some chilly weather, then down is your answer.

It's not hard to do (if I can, anyone can) and you should be able to keep the cost well below $100, assuming you have a thread injector (sewing machine).

[hiker_DC]

I have Climashield gear. The new Apex stuff is much more uniform than other Climashield products like XP. Climashield Apex has a kind of a scrim-like material bonded onto it both top and bottom. I don't think this affects the weight in any way but it seems to make it slightly less packable (could just be my imagination though). I have a full length underquilt in 5 ounce Climashield XP that weighs in at around 19 ounces with the stuff sack. The key to the weight reduction was to make it coffin-shaped instead of rectangular.

[DemostiX]

sam, there are a lot of options, down and IX being but two more popular here. <snip> .

I have doubts that Insultex /IX is in fact very popular.

Practitioners of the dark arts may or may not accomplish much in making things of it, but anything which touts these questionably relevent statistics

1 square yard of Insultex is 0.021 inches thick (½ millimeter), and weighs .42 ounces
8.8 ounces of Insultex can float approximately 300 pounds of body weight
Barrier against cold, down to minus 13 degrees F.
Melting point is 194 degrees F.
Buoyancy Feature:
Insultex carries an incredible capacity to provide buoyancy making it suitable for countless applications in a range of industrial and fashion sectors. Insultex’s unrivaled buoyancy meets the highest standards of safety and reliability, making it an ideal and radical solution to all water related problems.

in its short-list of virtues, is magic to me. (If your weight approaches 300lb, it may be reassuring to know that a mere 50 square yards of the stuff will keep you afloat above Arctic waters.)

And the price of admission to the IX show is not low.

People have been trying to stay warm and dry for a long time. There are many materials, and many ways to wrap and layer them about their bodies and shelters to do so.

[sclittlefield]

I am thinking about making my first DIY UQ and curious what options are there for underquilt insulation.

The only two that I have read about are down and IX. From what I have read IX does not compress well and of course down has problems with getting wet.

Any other better options out there?

For a first quilt - I'd recommend Climashield. I think it's the best beginner quilt project for most anyone - easy to work with and it just plain works. Similar to Climashield would be Primaloft (in sheet form). Both are synthetic down alternatives, good warmth to weight without the moisture issues you'd have with down.

Insultex is another synthetic, and you're right - it doesn't compress, but it's so thin, it ends up being as large in a stuff sack as a comparable Climashield quilt - though I think down would be smaller than either for comparable temp ratings. Insultex has it's own learning curve on how to use it properly though, so unless you really want to invest your time in that, I'd toss that out for a first time quilt project.

If you're adventurous enough, Down is the best (my opinion), and it's not ridiculously difficult to build, but you really need to think through every aspect first. Certainly not as simple to use as either of the synthetics listed above, but with lots of patience and research, very do-able, even for a first timer.

[Buffalo Skipper]

Down's vulnerability to water is famous. But it is often overexagerated. 30 years ago, down bags were made with nylon which was susceptible to water seepage. Modern fabrics are much more water resistant. In fact the most common fabric used for quilt outer layers sol called DWR (Durable water resistant). Unless you are fording streams deep enough to submerge your pack, you are unlikely to have a situation where your down gets wet.

I own 2 UQs, one down and one Climashield. Neigher were diy, but both are excellent quilts! I chose the Climashield for my summer quilt because I felt that down in temps approaching 70° was overkill; that and I do spend the summer in very humid conditions.

Either material will serve you will for a quilt.

[Steve D]

Following this thread with great interest. I'm looking at the possibility of making 3 UQs (one for me and one for each of my daughters). Was previously considering IX but have seen enough mixed reports that I'm rethinking that a bit. I'm pretty intrigued with Climashield and Primaloft at the moment. The UQs will probably get most use car camping but I want something that will give us the option of doing some backpacking as well so weight and bulk are a bit of a concern.

When using either in sheet form does one quilt the material or just sew along the edges? Is there any problem with the material shifting around or coming apart inside a quilt? Am I safe assuming it wold make a good TQ as well? Its probably been covered in other posts but what are some current Climashield and Primaloft sources?