I just got done with my first MYOG project (with the help of my mom). I made a summer quilt using .9oz ripstop momentum and 2.5 climashield XP. The quilt turned out so well that I wanted to share with others. I'm recently back from Glacier were I was able to test it to its limits (and a little past). We had great weather on our 4 night trip, with nighttime temps ranging from 33f -48f. The quilt did a fantastic job of keeping me warm when temps dipped into the upper 30's, but on the 33 degree night with Caprilene 2 top and bottoms, smart wool socks, a montbell thermawrap jacket and light balaclava I was cold.

My design employed some features from other MYOGers. Small loops along the outside edge of the quilt and a long piece of webbing running through the loops lets you snug the quilt up on cold nights. I have draw cords at the head and foot. A small circular piece of insulated fabric fills the hole left by the drawcord closer keeping my feet warm. I did deviate from some other quilt designs by not running insulation all the way to the edge of the quilt.

For instance to keep drafts down I wanted a little more fabric than the 70"x48"x36" quilt "standard" but I also wanted to keep weight to a minimum. So my quilt is a little wider. The dimensions are 70"x55"X36", but the climashield dimensions are only 70"x40"x36". So my thoughts were to increase the fabric surface area, thus reducing drafts and save a couple of onces by only insulating the middle of the quilt. This design seems to have worked pretty well, I don't think I have reduced the warmth of the quilt, and with the slightly wider dimensions I have kept drafts down and increased my sleeping comfort. Another added benefit is that bulk is also reduced. This packs incredibly small!
I suppose you may be interested in the weight of the quilt and while not the lightest I think it is pretty respectable at 12.3 oz 12.8oz with stuff sack.

thats a very interesting concept of keeping the insulation in the middle of a quilt. Its kind of like a bottom closure topbag. How is the insulation stabilized since it isn't sewn on the edges? Also, are the insulation-less flaps 1 layer of momentum or 2? You could save a bit of weight and stabilize the insulation to increase durability if the answers are "its not" and "2".

Thats a very unique design though, great job!

Hi Dave,
The insulation is sewn into the head and foot seams, and on the sides to just the inside(bottom) piece of momentum. I originally wanted to have only one layer of momentum for the flaps but this became somewhat of a logistical issue and it was just easier to have a double layer.
Thanks

Joshua,

Good looking quilt! Congratulations!

I think the idea of making the fabric wider to keep out the drafts while limiting the insulation to save weight is a fantastic idea. Drafts are the #1 fear of going to a quilt.

Good design. I might want to make one of these. Why did you not use a zipper instead of the loops and long piece of webbing? How much heavier would a zipper be? A zipper would have made for a tighter fit and therefore a warmer bag. When you cinch up the bottom of the bag does it feel tight around your feet, or is there plenty of room? What size are your feet?

Edited by 777zzz on 07/23/2009 02:02:16 MDT.