Thermasplit - Help me decide to cut a brand new down TQ in half or not

[dirtwheels]

Thermasplit???

HHHHMMMMMMMmmm......

What'd say about buying one, using the discount, and then cutting that bad boy in 1/2? Doing a little creative channeling....what would you have then?

Could it be 2, I say dos, I say 2, count 'em, TWO underquilts!!! That sir would be 2 - 34* UQ's, each weighing in at under 1#, each being somewhere in the neighborhood of 37" x 52". Now that doesn't sound too bad....or does it?

Partial UQ comparison:
Jacksrbetter - 52x42, 16 oz, 25* - $190
Arrowhead - 54x40, 14 oz, 30* - $215
UGQ - 55x47, 19 oz, 40* - $185
HG - 52x45, 12 oz, 40* - $160
WL SSUQ - 46x33/38/33, 11 oz, 45* - $135
Thermasplit - 52x37, 16 oz, 35* - $80

NOW, does a thermasplit really sound that bad? 1/2 price for all but the smallest, summer only version (hey I really like mine), not knocking any of these "real" UQ's from great vendors. Just thinking, 2 for one? Maybe even add enough down to one 1/2 if the baffles are large enough to get it to a 20* UQ.

Anyone want to chime in and tell me why or why not the thermasplit can be born?

I just had a discussion with the resident PSH gear fabrication queen, none other than Junebugdawn. Thanks to her I put the quilt size, guessed at the baffle and chamber size until the total fill was just under 1/2 the TQ's advertized fill. That put the rating of the Thermasplit at 27*. Now that seems surprising to me...in a very good way. Provided I can abide the 37" width it would seem that the thermasplit would be a great value both in warmth and compactness.

Now I'm green as can be when it comes to throwing thread into organized lines and fabricating gear. However I do diy in other areas. So I'm thinking I'm going in. What I need is a plan, sound engineering, and help from you hammocking diy'ers.

1) Determine if the quilt is adequate in width to work as an UQ, my concern is that the 52" width includes non-insulated fabric intended t be tucked around or under the pad.

2) Then I think would be to determine where to make the split and adjust to the chamber seam closet to the midpoint. If one side has an extra chamber I plan to make that the colder rated UQ. My thought is to sew a single seam about 1/4 - 1/2 an inch from the existing seam, then cut apart.

3) There are already channels around the perimeter of the quilt. I need to know the best way to open the existing channels at the corners for the suspension. Grosgrain appears to be the best option. And adding a loop for secondary suspension.

4) Now I already have a summer UQ, the 30* UQ would be great for most of my outings.
a) So my next question is how low can I make this shell go? How much down can a stuff in the 2nd thermasplit to make it a winter UQ? I would think that that would be a question only answerable when the baffle and chamber height are measured.
b) Other than opening the quilt how can I measure to some degree of accuracy to estimate how much additional fill to add?

5) It would seem logical to only add fill of the same rating. Is that correct?

6) My thought on the new channel is to try to source similar material and make a strip of that material about 3" wide including the hem on all sides and sew this on sandwiching quilts material with this strip overlapping about 1/2" creating a 1" channel.

Outside of installing the suspension it would seem that's all folks!

Please let me know if I am missing steps or need to alter my plan.

http://www.rei.com/product/874414/th...descriptionTab

[rychipman]

I'm a little confused...how exactly do you plan on turning one quilt into two?

[dirtwheels]

1 TQ into 2 - 3/4 UQ's by cutting the TQ in 1/2. Check the dimensions in the OP.

[Boston]

Top quilts aren't typically differentially cut.

[priller]

Just my opinion after cutting up JCP down jackets, and other DIY stuff. It's not easy. I think this project is pretty straightforward but right away I see sizing issues as it looks like that Thermarest is cut with a taper. So you won't end up with two perfectly rectangular UQs without wasting material. You would have to add grosgrain to cover your edges and provide shockcord channels, not a huge problem though.

Also, consider how you can separate the down evenly into either side of your "cut".

To present the alternative, I would just pick up two AHE Jarbridge quilts....they are 3/4, and can go pretty darn cold even though they aren't down. Coldest I have slept with my AHE Jarbridge is 12 degrees F....brr! but my butt was not cold. The Climashield APEX that AHE uses is an excellent alternative to down.

Best part...100 bucks per UQ...worth it IMO than buying that down blanket and hacking it.

[dirtwheels]

THAT'S a problem I did not account for, thanks for the word of caution.

Top quilts aren't typically differentially cut.

The only channels I think would be necessary to add is where the cut is made to split. That split would hopefully work out to be on a seam as I described in the OP so the down would never be exposed unless I decided to add down to make one 1/2 higher rated. Even if the result was in one quilt longer it may be doable, would have to examine to make sure.

I've considered the jarbridge, but the packed size makes it much less appealing as I'm looking to minimize pack size and weight.

thanks for the reply

Just my opinion after cutting up JCP down jackets, and other DIY stuff. It's not easy. I think this project is pretty straightforward but right away I see sizing issues as it looks like that Thermarest is cut with a taper. So you won't end up with two perfectly rectangular UQs without wasting material. You would have to add grosgrain to cover your edges and provide shockcord channels, not a huge problem though.

Also, consider how you can separate the down evenly into either side of your "cut".

To present the alternative, I would just pick up two AHE Jarbridge quilts....they are 3/4, and can go pretty darn cold even though they aren't down. Coldest I have slept with my AHE Jarbridge is 12 degrees F....brr! but my butt was not cold. The Climashield APEX that AHE uses is an excellent alternative to down.

Best part...100 bucks per UQ...worth it IMO than buying that down blanket and hacking it.

[nuttysquirrel]

isnt the footbox sewn? and most tqs are tapered, so youd end up with 2 different sized pieces.

[dirtwheels]

Nope, the quilt (not really a top quilt) is designed to wrap around thermarest self-inflating pads. It appears to layout mostly into a rectangle.

isnt the footbox sewn? and most tqs are tapered, so youd end up with 2 different sized pieces.

[priller]

I assume you intend to cut it across the short sides, not length wise? Also, you will have already figured it out by the time you got to it, but you will want to make two rows of stitching and cut between them, not just one stitch row.

Oh wait I see, you were going to make a stitch row next to an existing one. Yeah you might still want to think about that, because unless this quilt is of a "sewn through" variety, the stitching that you see is for the baffles, so not an actual solid-sealed seam if that makes sense.

[dirtwheels]

Good point, not having built a quilt that didn't occur to me. I guess I would have to determine how the baffles are sewn in and attempt to avoid the baffles. Would cutting 1/2 between the baffle seams a single layer at a time result in a down explosion or would the baffles contain the down?

I assume you intend to cut it across the short sides, not length wise? Also, you will have already figured it out by the time you got to it, but you will want to make two rows of stitching and cut between them, not just one stitch row.

Oh wait I see, you were going to make a stitch row next to an existing one. Yeah you might still want to think about that, because unless this quilt is of a "sewn through" variety, the stitching that you see is for the baffles, so not an actual solid-sealed seam if that makes sense.