Have you seen these down blankets?

**Uphill** · 02-15-2014, 08:00

I was browsing around the REI site, and stumbled up on this. The Therm-a-rest Alpine Down Blanket.

I've been using my mummy bag as my top quilt (thanks to Shug's videos). And I've thought that a good down blanket is really all I should need. I hadn't found this until this morning. It's quite the option to consider.

I realize that there are many great cottage vendors involved with our obsession that make exceptional products, and I am not trying to steer you away from supporting them. I just wanted to share my findings with the community.

Happy Hangin!

**ferrulewax** · 02-15-2014, 08:29

Seirra trading post has them too, if you wait for a good sale you could probably get it for ~120

**donig** · 02-15-2014, 08:51

Here it is at Sierra Trading Post: http://www.sierratradingpost.com/the...-large~p~7010g

Wait for a 45% off sale with free shipping, and it isn't a bad price.

**cbbr** · 02-15-2014, 09:01

You guys think that it's any better than one of the Wal-Mart down bags with the zipper cut out?

**fallkniven** · 02-15-2014, 10:29

at those prices I'll stick with the hand made one's from the vendors around here.

**DavyRay** · 02-15-2014, 13:04

I looked at the Walmart $80 down SBs for 32 degrees F.

Decided that the money was better spent buying a well-crafted product from one of our hammock suppliers. I'd rather put that $80 toward a TQ from Wilderness Logics near me, or any of the other crafts producer people I have met personally at group hangs.

**Uphill** · 02-15-2014, 13:38

I agree fully with supporting our cottage vendors. All of my hammock gear is from cottage industry. I'm just browsing at what's available, with warmer weather in mind. I know I will not want to be sleeping with all of my cold weather quilts when the temps start climbing back up.

**Rolloff** · 02-15-2014, 16:16

The one thing that keeps hitting me, and hitting hard, is the fact that when we talk about bargain basement or big box offering's temp ranges, we always footnote with a, "Ratings are not always accurate, and most often determined by a sales department." YMMV

Cottage vendor insulation ratings on the other hand, are and have been for quite some time, "Extremely Conservative". Their reps depend on the fact that you don't get cold using their equipment. Most are 5-10% overstuff by design.

The extra bucks for, "Extremely Conservative" find their value, on the first night you end up having to push that low temperature envelope, without the easy bail out of a car or backyard.

**Uphill** · 02-15-2014, 18:51

I don't disagree with you there, but I've been on a few winter camping trips this season where the temps have dropped well below the twenties. One night it was at 0* at midnight, and around -3 when we woke up. Other nights were in the singles to teens range. My setup that has kept me cozy through all of those nights included my REI mummy bag, which is rated at 40*. I'm not just sleeping with that bag over me, but also 1 or 2 underquilts rated around the 20*-30* range.

What I'm trying to say is that when I'm looking at temp ratings, I'm factoring in the whole setup. The rating of the top insulation isn't as important to me as that underneath me.

**cbbr** · 02-15-2014, 20:16

Originally Posted by DavyRay

I looked at the Walmart $80 down SBs for 32 degrees F.

Decided that the money was better spent buying a well-crafted product from one of our hammock suppliers. I'd rather put that $80 toward a TQ from Wilderness Logics near me, or any of the other crafts producer people I have met personally at group hangs.

True. I got a couple when they were $33.