DIY Bottom/Top Cuilt with a fabric ilke Polartec Neoshell??

[kraythe]

Greetings,

Excuse me if I am repeating questions as I searched diligently for the answer prior to posting.

I have ordered my first Henessey Expedition and intend to give it a try to solve my sleeping in the woods issue.

Assuming that all goes well, I was thinking of making my own bottom and top quilt for camping during hunting season (which can get cold and snowy). Looking around the forums I have seen a lot of people make it out of ripstop nylon for the shells but I was wondering if anyone has made one using something like the micro fleece shells that I wear over my fleece hunting gear. My hunting rain jacket is as waterproof, windproof and breathable as you get and I thought that it might be perfect for the quilt.

Anyone tried this and what was your experience? What about another windproof fabric like goretex?

Thanks for your time.

[zugcat]

Shedding weight and bulk is the thing that is driving people to nylon shells.

[kraythe]

Shedding weight and bulk is the thing that is driving people to nylon shells.

True, it would be a bit heavier but for a few ounces per yard you get the windproof and waterproof characteristics that would seem to be desirable. Shedding weight is all well and good but I already shed the tent if the hammock works out and Id hate to have wind drafts or a quilt soaked by driven rain to uselessness.

Am I just crazy here ?

[Fish<><]

no you are not crazy, i thought about the same thing when i first got into the whole hanging thing. the only thing that kept me from using a polartec type of material was compressability. fleece will not pack down very well especially for its rating. i wanted insulation that would not take up a lot of room in my pack. what i ended up doing was using gi poncho liners. lightweight, not affected by wetness near as much as down, compress pretty well, and they are cheap. when i move somewhere that requires more insulation for lower temps, i will probably do a diy out of primaloft or something else synthetic. i do not want to run the risk of dying from hypothermia, just for the few ounces that down provides. good luck with your plans, have fun, and hang safe.

Fish<><

[MAD777]

Those materials you listed are not downproof so you would have to use synthetic insulation. That's not a problem, just an observation.

What most of us backpackers do is use extremely lightweight shells on down top & under quilts, then add a hammock sock. The sock deals with the problem of the wind stealing your warmth.

But then again, innovation only comes when someone is willing to try something new.

[kraythe]

Well I wouldn't be opposed to synthetic insulation if needed. However I am not as concerned about compressibility as I am about wind and weight. I actually even thought of making a multilayer bedroll out of fleece for the ability to sleep under varying levels of insulation depending upon weather. I have a frame pack and I can put things on the outside assuming they aren't too heavy and bulky.

At any rate what do you mean by down proof? Will the feathers poke through or something?

Also where do you guys get your insulation?

[Just Jeff]

Lots of us do four season hammocking, even in Colorado. (Like the yearly Colorado Winter Hang!) And I'm not aware of anyone who uses an underquilt made of any kind of fleece. Ripstop nylon treated with DWR, or some form of similar fabric, can be very wind and water resistant...and you don't sacrifice bulk, weight for the warmth, or downproofness for it.

Downproof fabric means the quills in the down won't poke through the fabric. IMO, it's a nice to have, not a necessity, as I've made several down pieces with ripstop that wasn't technically downproof and I've never had an issue with it. Just pull the down cluster back inside the quilt before it works completely out.

None of this is to discourage you from experimenting! If you have a new idea, then prototype it and post the results back here. Often, a newbie sees things from a different perspective, and that brings some new solution that the experienced folks wouldn't have considered. And even if it doesn't work, you've learned something for the next time...that's a valuable lesson to share here as well.

[Just Jeff]

Forgot - re: the wind, having a completely separate boundary layer of air between your quilt and the environment really helps conserve heat. So something like a hammock sock slows the convective heat loss (wind stealing your heat) better than changing the UQ's material, IMO. If you're gonna spend the weight penalty to reduce the impact of wind, a sock is a better investment than making an UQ from microfleece.