i.d.i. poncho + liner: Insultex Material

[guySmiley]

And 2# to boot!

IF it insulates as well as they claim it does, it would be worth it to get 2 of them (one as a UQ and one as a top quilt) as an alternative to down, which loses it's insulating properties as it gets damp.

I'll find out this weekend if it's delivered by the time I get home from work on Friday. Does anyone have any requests in terms of how I test this? Right now, I plan on trying to attach it as an UQ one night, and as a quilt the next night. The forecast says that the low temps at night will be in the low to mid 20's.

[NorseAmerican]

Let us know. I am gearing up for next winter and want to have gear that can be used for many scenerios. So I guess a little extra in one item that does 3+ jobs may be worth the weight.

[TeeDee]

And 2# to boot!

I assume that measns 2 lbs.

If so then lets put that into perspective.

I'll assume for now that the experiences of those who have tried their clothing extrapolates to the All-In-One. Seems like a reasonable extrapolation to me since they are the same material and we are comparing single layer clothing to single layer All-In-One.

The JRB quilts range in weight from 15 oz to 36 oz.

The Mt Washington is spec'd at 28 oz and is 77" x 42".

The No Sniveller with a head hole is spec'd at 23 oz and is 78" x 48".

The All-In-One is longer and wider at 87" x 54". I replaced the draw cord and cord locks and the weight is 32.40 oz.

The All-In-One is 45% larger than the Mt Washington and only 14% heavier.

The All-In-One is 25% larger than the No Sniveller and 41% heavier.

The question remains as to whether the All-In-One is closer to the Mt Washington or the No Sniveller in performance.

Quoting the reviewer I linked to:

Back in Pennsylvania we hit the 20's on several occasions during the archery season. Again, it was nowhere near cold enough to be active in the material but sitting motionless was better. I should note here that it takes quite a bit to keep me warm and a single layer with only a cotton shirt underneath was not enough to keep me totally comfortable at 24 degrees F.

Which would place the All-In-One in the Mt Washington category.

So that would mean I have an under quilt comparable to the Mt Washington in insulating performance for 25% of the price ($89.99 vs $359.99), that is 45% larger and only 14% heavier (does the Mt Washington weight at 28 oz include the stuff sack? - if not then since the All-In-One includes it's built-in stuff sack - the weight penalty is even less). Plus it is wind proof, water proof and breathable. So no extra under cover needed which puts the weight advantage in favor of the All-In-One. Also, no performance penalty if it gets wet - it just sheds the water.

Then lets say that it isn't quite as good at insulating as the Mt Washington. But only good down to freezing. To get that extra 10 F to 15 F I can easily use pads on top of the All-In-One. I prefer the GG 3/8" pads which adds 9 oz. That switches the weight advantage back to the Mt Washington, except for the under cover - 7 oz for the JRB type 2 and 9 oz for the Dri Ducks version. So the Mt Washington weight advantage is then:

Mt Washington + Type 2: 28 + 7 == 35 oz
Mt Washington + Dri Ducks: 28 + 9 oz == 37 oz

All-In-One + pads: 32.4 + 9 == 41.4 oz

So the Mt Washington has a weight advantage of 6.4 oz or 4.4 oz. Correct those figures if the Mt Washington weights do not include stuff sack.

The Mt Washington is a great piece of gear and the Jacks have great quality in their products to which I can personally attest. But it is single purpose and you are in a whole lot of trouble if it gets wet. And you are paying mucho bucks. And it takes up space in the pack.

The All-In-One is multi-purpose and a lot cheaper and the quality of the one I got is top notch. And I can store it outside the pack.

That seems like quite a bargain to me.

Now we await cold weather testing. Hopefully soon by guySmiley

[guySmiley]

I wonder if I'd have better luck with it inside the hammock rather than outside. I don't need to worry about it compressing, right?

[Rushthezeppelin]

I wonder if I'd have better luck with it inside the hammock rather than outside. I don't need to worry about it compressing, right?

If it's not something with completely closed pockets of air (ie ccf) then you do loose at least some insulating properties when compressed. It's just a matter of less trapped air period unless this stuff is a fiber insulation that can somehow mimic ccf for trapping air permanently.

[guySmiley]

This is getting way ahead of myself since I haven't even seen the poncho yet, but i've been thinking about how this stuff could be used outside of top/under quilts.

It seems like the one thing that plagues under quilt users more than anything is getting a good fit. I wonder if the material is strong enough to actually make a hammock out of?

If this ends up being all it's cracked up to be, that seems like it could be a possiblity. How cool would that be?

[TeeDee]

This is getting way ahead of myself since I haven't even seen the poncho yet, but i've been thinking about how this stuff could be used outside of top/under quilts.

It seems like the one thing that plagues under quilt users more than anything is getting a good fit. I wonder if the material is strong enough to actually make a hammock out of?

If this ends up being all it's cracked up to be, that seems like it could be a possiblity. How cool would that be?

I've been thinking along the same lines.

One of the things that prompted me to investigate getting fabric was the thought of making a true Bridge under quilt - I make a true Bridge under quilt by using the same pattern used for the Bridge. I use guy line cord on the arc since it won't be supporting the full weight. Schrochem originated the idea. What I get in that is an exact duplicate of the Bridge that hangs under the Bridge like a second skin. In my investigations to date, it has to be an exact duplicate to work really well.

Well I went from that to thinking about the fabric. I have sent an email to ask the exact nature of the "raw fabric". I suspect that the Insultex has to be "sandwiched" between some other fabric like ripstop. My suspicion only so far, I'll learn more when they respond. If true, then I would use a sandwich of: 1. my microfiber polyester on the top, 2. Insultex, and 3. last 1.1 nylon ripstop. Doing that I have a Bridge made from Insultex and the insulation is built into the hammock. The top layer prevents compression. No worries about differential cuts or radial baffles. No under cover necessary since the Insultex provides the insulation, water proofness and wind barrier and is breathable. A true 4 season Bridge Hammock.

This is all getting way ahead of the curve of course. Still have to have guySmiley's cold weather test and be able to get the Insultex "fabric".

But what the heck, it's fun.

[guySmiley]

How long did it take them to fulfill your order?

I can already see that this is going to be the gateway to becoming a DIYer.

I've been thinking along the same lines.

One of the things that prompted me to investigate getting fabric was the thought of making a true Bridge under quilt - I make a true Bridge under quilt by using the same pattern used for the Bridge. I use guy line cord on the arc since it won't be supporting the full weight. Schrochem originated the idea. What I get in that is an exact duplicate of the Bridge that hangs under the Bridge like a second skin. In my investigations to date, it has to be an exact duplicate to work really well.

Well I went from that to thinking about the fabric. I have sent an email to ask the exact nature of the "raw fabric". I suspect that the Insultex has to be "sandwiched" between some other fabric like ripstop. My suspicion only so far, I'll learn more when they respond. If true, then I would use a sandwich of: 1. my microfiber polyester on the top, 2. Insultex, and 3. last 1.1 nylon ripstop. Doing that I have a Bridge made from Insultex and the insulation is built into the hammock. The top layer prevents compression. No worries about differential cuts or radial baffles. No under cover necessary since the Insultex provides the insulation, water proofness and wind barrier and is breathable. A true 4 season Bridge Hammock.

This is all getting way ahead of the curve of course. Still have to have guySmiley's cold weather test and be able to get the Insultex "fabric".

But what the heck, it's fun.

[TeeDee]

How long did it take them to fulfill your order?

I can already see that this is going to be the gateway to becoming a DIYer.

I ordered on a Friday - the UPS delivered Monday morning. They are in PA and I'm in Central MD so not that far to begin with.

[GrizzlyAdams]

I too thought about the possibility of using it for the hammock itself, but had (have) some concerns about compression. If I were to just take a big sheet of it, cover it in rip-stop, and do a gathered end kind of hammock, then I'd expect to be compressing the fabric and losing insulation at the hips, minimally.

That said, I agree with TeeDee that with a bridge design you could engineer it so that the interior fabric took the weight (by wrapping the webbing around it alone), and then have the fancy stuff sewn on from there. That way the insulating layer shouldn't be bearing the weight.

Based on TeeDee's initial report I put in an order for the poncho. I'm just back from being out of the country for a week and a half, and hope to see it in the pile 'o mail that awaits me tomorrow. It's still cool at night around here so I hope I can work in some cold testing as an UQ.

Grizz