I am planning to make a down quilt for around 25 degrees F (-5C). I will most probably buy the thru-hiker kit (with momentum) but am considering whether to add a more water repellent strip to the base of the outer shell (around 10" wide) to limit problems with picking up condensation and rain spatter. I have some 1.8oz ripstop Epic Malibou polyester from owfinc so I would appreciate any comments on the suitability of the Epic to do the job. Having read through many of the posts on the performance of Epic I remain confused.

The Epic fabric appears to have one side somewhat shinier than the other. Which side should face out?

Shiny side inside.

Thanks David.

Does anybody know why there is a shiny side? Normally it reflects either colandering of the fabric or a coating but Epic has the treatment encapsulated in the fibres rather than a surface treatment.

The shiny side is called "calendering" it's a finishing process where they roll the material between several pairs of heated rollers, to give a shiny surface. This helps make some fabrics downproof.