I can make my own pattern.

This is what I want.
Very light weight.
Maybe about 14 oz

Synthetic fill, good to maybe 40-50 degrees.

I want a zippered foot box, and I want to be able to open it up into a blanket.
A tapered blanket is fine.

I want to use it as a summer bag, and as an overbag for a 15d bag to add another 10-15 degrees of warmth.

I think I want a taffetta lining so its somewhat more comfortable but that will add a tiny bit of weight.

The exterior a lightweight ripstop.

I want a filler, that is a blanket that I can just sew the edges and maybe stabilize it every so often with
a through thread or what ever you call it.

Looking on quest outfitters to me it looks like a combo of 1.1 oz uncoated ripstop for the outside, 1.9 oz TAFFETA for the inside and primaloft or Climashield for the stuffing.

Any advice welcome.

You can get lighter wt fabric ... Momentum ripstop and taffeta at www.thru-hiker.com but it's more costly. Worth it for my taste and I tend to be a tight wad. Finished weight is approx 1.05oz/sq.yd. Note that pretty much all list fabric weights are the weight of the raw fabric before any other treatment like DWR. "1.1oz DWR" commonly weighs 1.2-1.3oz. I don't know about the 1.9oz fabrics.

But you are on the right track. Primaloft and Climashield are as good as it gets for the MYOG crowd.

Can you reach 40*F with a 14oz quilt (assuming no help from clothing)?? Maybe. Depends on how warm you sleep and how large a quilt you require.

your best shot for making the weight is to use the momentum that Jim mentioned and climashield XP 2.5oz for the insulation. (you can just sew this insulation to the edges)

Keep the top to about 48" wide and the foot to 38" or less (i can't go much under 38" comfortably in a draw corded foot quilt-size 11-)

Length should be your height + 4-6". I make my quilts 80" (some times 78") and i am 6'2" (round footbox can use a shorter quilt)

14oz will be doable but for me a 48" quilt is tight at top, all depends on your size and sleep patterns. Flat back sleepers can use quilts smaller than side sleepers and so on.

Also the zipper doesn't have to be the full 26" of the OWFINC #3 coil, use 12-18" and that'll be fine.

-Tim

Thanks guys, that pretty much explains it.

I have been getting really frustrated looking at quilts. I ordered a Backpacking Light UL 60 Quilt, but now after doing some more reading it seems the footbox is not big enough to use as an overbag and I am not sure how much warmth it would add anyway as an overbag so its going back.

The nice ones out there are really expensive for what they are. Jeez, you can buy a really nice sleeping bag for what some of them cost.

Thanks

you're right the cost is high compared to mass produced bags.

The small gear maker doesn't use slave/child labor so it costs more. North Face can crank um out because their employees are whipped as a performance incentive.

Obviously i jest. It does cost more for a small company which can't get either materials or labor as low as the big names because their volume is so much smaller.

i make climashield quilts to order and can't sell them lower than $145 shipped us for 2.5oz 150 for 3.7combat and 160 for the 5oz xp. (it was cheaper last summer but OWFINC is all out of climashield so i must buy from thru-hiker and can't get the bulk deal)

It really is most practical to make your own.

-tim

I am also in the process of planning to sew a quilt.

I have read about some added quilt features such as the gorget and draft stopper.

Is the draft stopper just a piece of fabric sewn to the perimeter of the quilt? Would the same type of fabric be used for the draft stopper as was used for the rest of the quilt?

As for the gorget, what's the purpose of it? And how exactly is it made?

Do you guys find these features useful/necessary?

Thanks,

Nick

you would use the same types of fabric for the entire project.

The draft stopper helps cut drafts in a quilt that is cut too small to do so on its own. Add a couple inches of quilt and some under straps and leave the flaps off. (my 2cents)

Gorget is Ray's version of a hooded quilt. He doesn't use a top drawcord and needs a way to keep the drafts out of the top so he adds length and gives it a cool name. I say, buy (or make)a hat.

Ray's quilt would be better served with under straps and a top draw cord than these two ideas. Sorry Ray, wasted materials = wasted weight.

-Tim

Tim be the man :)

Thanks for the fresh ideas.

Nick

Some comments on draft stoppers.

My wife and I use a two-person quilt and are very happy with draft stoppers. They hardly add any weight and are effective in keeping drafts out. I move around a lot (which is why I don't like bags) and sometimes have to rearrange the draft stopper, but this is no big deal.

When I get a too warm I like to poke a leg or arm or more outside the quilt, or fold it off of me (my wife sleeps colder than me). With straps this would be more difficult.

Regarding insulation, OWFinc.com sells Climashield Polyester Continuous Filament (from the makers of Polarguard) and Thinsulate 3M.

Which is the preferred insulation for a quilt and why?

Thanks,

Nick