I'd like to introduce my new company- Katabatic Gear. We are specializing in lightweight gear, and do all manufacturing in Colorado. Our quilts feature a newly designed attachment system that is much more user friendly and effective than previous designs.

Our bivys and down balaclavas are currently in stock. We expect our down quilts to be available early June. Our products are available through our website http://katabaticgear.com

Aaron Martray
owner Katabatic Gear

Edited by amartray on 04/20/2010 09:00:02 MDT.

Well Aaron, that stuff looks very nice...actually, it looks great. I've got my eye on that balaclava for sure.

Congrats.

Those look great! I have my eye on those quits.

Aaron, that is awesome! On the couple of quilts I've made I used thin strap and cut holes in my ridgerest so that the quilt would wrap well, stay under me, and not shift. The problem is that wrap was not very adjustable, it was a pain to adjust while laying down, and getting it undone involves threading the straps back out the holes. (not to mention it rules out many pads...anything inflatable). You've solved all those problems as far as I can tell while still eliminating the "under the pad" style straps. I love the simple design! They also look very well made, and nice website too. Good luck!

Thanks for letting us know Aaron. These quilts seem like they are made really well!

The attachment system you came up with is a really interesting idea. I don't own a quilt so I can't weigh in on if it is actually necessary, but it seems like a good idea in theory.

From the pictures on your site it is hard to tell how tall the footbox is. I am shopping (saving) for a quilt now and I would want it to have the ability to be as open as possible if I chose. It seems from the pictures that your quilts have a rather tall footbox that would prevent them from being used more like a blanket. How many inches is it from the bottom of the quilt to the opening?

Either way, I like your fabric choice, your innovation, and the your general attention to detail. I will definitely look at your getting one of your quilts when they come around!

Edited by arichardson6 on 04/20/2010 10:27:20 MDT.

Dang, I wish you had announced a couple of weeks ago. I just got a bivy with the features somewhere between your 2 models. i just took it out and discovered it is a bit narrow at the foot, but it definitely compresses the down on my Mont-bell #2 with a BA pad in there. Now I may have to gear swap it out and try one of yours. I may even be convinced to try a quilt.

Anyway to make a custom quilt? same as the ones you have, just 12.5 oz of down (half way between your 30 and 15 bags) I am a cold sleeper, but rarely have to sleep in 30 degree weather.

And what about length? For the ladies (and us short suckers) will there be a 5'6" option? a 5'6" bag with 12.50 oz Down sounds toasty warm.

Edited by knarfster on 04/20/2010 10:55:03 MDT.

Andrew, the foot box opens up 24" from the bottom of the bag. We have tried to strike a balance between versatility and efficiency (we don't want people to have cold feet using our bags). The bag can be used laid out flat in warmer weather. This works best in a bivy, the bivy will keep the lower portion of the bag located on top of you while you sleep.

Frank, we are not doing any custom work right now. One thing about down bags is the ability to move the down around in the baffles, you could buy the warmer bag, and shift some down to the bottom for warmer weather (of course this would be heaver though). We will be introducing the bags in the 6' length first, followed by 6'6", then 5'6".

I couldn't blame anyone for choosing not to do custom work.

Will your items be carried in stock, or will there be a multi-month wait? I choose not to buy things I have to wait for months to get.

Tom, our items will be carried in stock. However I expect there will be times when items are out of stock, until we get a good feel for the volume of business we will be doing.

I guess I can wait for the 5'6" bags. But 9.7 oz to 15 oz seems like a large jump. I am mostly concerned with the weight. looking for something reasonably priced (i.e. not Nunatak) that will be lighter than my Mont-Bell #2 (14 oz of Down, but sewn through and bottom Down pretty useless)and still keep me warm. Plus I like your strap concept.

I know custom can be a pain, I too own a small business that makes stereo cables (www.puresilversound.com) but was hoping that over-stuff would be a simple option (ala Western mounatineering and Nunatak)

Thanks

Tom, our items will be carried in stock. However I expect there will be times when items are out of stock, until we get a good feel for the volume of business we will be doing.

As others have said, quilts and balaclavas look pretty nice based on the specs and price points. I love my Nunatak quilt, and by all accounts Tim Marshall makes excellent custom quilts as well, but I think there's definitely an opening in the quilt marketplace for someone to sell high-end, 'in stock' quilts for those of us who lack the foresight to plan our gear decisions 6-8 weeks ahead of time. (No knock on Nunatak or Tim)

If I don't get my MYOG act together, that 15 degree model looks like a really nice option for my winter quilt. Love the 61" girth.

Good luck.

Frank, I misunderstood what you were asking. We can do overfills, however it may take extra time. If you are interested send me a PM or use the contact info on the website and we can discuss pricing and time required.

Aaron,

Thanks for sharing your hard work and putting yourself out there. I must say, your website is top notch! Your gear is displayed beautifully. Just browsing over the pages made me want to buy something I don't need...well I could use a down balaclava. Soon... Best of luck!

Eugene

Compliments on the gear and website. Very professional, well thought out and executed. I might just sell a couple of bags and go quilt. Keep BPL posted. Do you guys have a blog or mailing list? I could use a heads up.

How about a pic of the bags in a stuff sack?

Edited by akajut on 04/20/2010 14:00:52 MDT.

Aaron,

That is a fine, clean looking site (the gear is not looking to shabby, either) and congratulations on the launch - I wish you the best of successes with this endeavor! Thanks for sharing.

All I get is:

This Page Cannot Be Displayed

It's too bad you can't see the site because it really is a well done.

Aaron, your business has professional written all over it. It gives an immediate sense of the company being able to craft something while paying attention to details. I hope you keep us updated on when you get your quilts in and maybe throw in a special promotion with early access and discount?!?! ;-)

I'm a sucker for lofty down and those quilts look fantastic!

You have an impressive product line and a very well done website. Good job!

-Sid

Awesome looking stuff! Make sure that the shipped product is fatly stuffed with down like the photos and you'll have a successful company on your hands. Good luck!