I am working hard to get the website updated with all the updates I have made to our products. The biggest overhaul was given to the Epiphany and it will now feature...

1) no-sew baffles which keep the body of the quilt 100% waterproof
(perimeter still sewn so don't submerge it for too long)

2) KARO Step baffle configuration: Baffles are now boxes instead of tubes which prevent
down shift side to side as well as head to foot. Corners of baffles are open to
allow down to be moved about the quilt to fine tune the warmth.

3) Variable loft: the quilt is now lofted by using a built in stuff sack style pump.
This means you can loft the quilt more or less depending on the temps that day. This
pump takes the place of a nylon stripe or needle holes to let in air making the
entire shell and liner free of any holes which offer even greater protection to the
down (perimeter is sewn but this will only let water in if submerged)

4) 10% over stuff. I am no over stuffing all down quilts by 10% to increase down
management

5) 900Fill down. I am upgrading to 900 fill down from 800 i used before, but still
calculating down needed based on 800 to give the fullest plump lofting quilt as
possible.

For those who purchase the new Epiphany-K in March you will get it for $100 less than i will be selling it for the rest of the year. I am hoping to trade this $100 for pics and reviews of the quilt. I want you to buy it, use it, and tell people about it. Send me the pics and links to reviews with the implied consent of my use of those items to help me promote the quilt. Many of you here would have done that any way so not much to ask for $100 savings i don't think.

Other products have been updated too. Now using Climashield APEX in all synthetic quilts. Using KARO baffles in the revelation and the Epiphany-XP will also get the built in stuff sack pump to replace its nylon stripe.

The site should be up and ready for orders by Monday 3/14. That will give 2 weeks to buy at reduced prices.

-Tim

Product descriptions and prices are up now. Still can't order and no pics. The home page is a mess and i need to rip apart the side bar, but the prices and descriptions are up.

-TIm

Awesome TIm.
Ill be waiting when you open up for orders. :-)

i'll be working on it all weekend and will post once you can order

-Tim

Nice quilts - would it be possible to post the weights?

Edited by tbradnc on 03/11/2011 18:48:59 MST.

will work on adding them this weekend. Many of them will be estimated as i haven't built every size of everything. i will get the math as close as i can. I have changed the sizing making things larger than before so i haven't made a lot of these sizes but will compare the estimations to the actual weight of the things i've done to make sure i'm close.

-Tim

Edited by MarshLaw303 on 03/11/2011 19:14:33 MST.

tim,

will you build the cuben quilt in your big and tall size?

Wow. So much innovation.

How does this variable loft magic work? I'd love to hear more about this.

I can make a cuben quilt in the big size but it is a different process since the material is only 54" wide, vs 60" wide for the nylon. If you want one let me know and i can figure out what it would cost. The labor goes up as i have to use 2 pieces for the shell and liner instead of 1 like normal. The big size is a new thing for me so i wanted to see if it was popular before figuring out how to do it best in cuben. Like i said if you want one e-mail me and we'll figure it out.


As to the variable loft thing. No magic, and it won't make a 20*quilt a 0*quilt or a 0* not too hot at 40* but it will help some. Since the air is let in/out by the user (and not through the shell like on a nylon quilt) you can add more or less air to the quilt. Adding more air will make it a little warmer (and a little stiffer as the entire shape starts to get full of air, think pool float if too much air is added) Adding less air will make the quilt a little less warm. With more air in the quilt the down will occupy more space meaning the air gaps between the down will be a little larger but will still insulate. Since the quilt is water/windproof a cold gust won't rob the heated air from the quilt. I made a 2" lofting prototype and could easily fill it with 5" of air. There isn't enough down in a 2" quilt to fill a 5" space and the quilt was really tight but i think that gives an idea of how it works. basically if you add more air you give the down the space to achieve its maximum possible loft as it isn't compressed by the fabric. if you add less air the fabric keeps the down from fully lofting which will help if you are getting hot.

-Tim

Tim sent you a pm with questions about sizing.

Very interested in your quilt.

I didn't get it

enlightenedequipment(at)charter(dot)net

my PM was messed up, glad you caught it. If i have ignored anyone's PM i am sorry i, didn't get it.

-Tim

Edited by MarshLaw303 on 03/12/2011 11:02:28 MST.

Tim,

Forgive me, but I still can't envision how this works. Any chance you could make a video or show some pictures?

What I'm trying to picture is a WP/non-breathable fabric (in this case, cuben) filled with down. You can deflate any air in the material via an air pump, in order to pack it up. Likewise, in order to achieve loft, you inflate air into the quilt via an air pump.

Most bags, made of breathable nylon (or other similar material), naturally loft and pack down through passive air permeability.

Your use of cuben allows for a bona fide waterproof quilt that also acts as a vapor barrier while achieving the lowest possible weight. While we cannot add clothing to supplement a bag's rating because of the VB effect, the use of incredibly lightweight shell material (i.e. 0.33 cuben) lets us choose a bag with a lower temperature rating for the same weight.

What did I miss?

"While we cannot add clothing to supplement a bag's rating because of the VB effect"

Of course you can, you just do it outside of the quilt. In other words, drape your down jacket over your quilt instead of wearing it, that kind of thing.

you pretty much got it. You can wear insulated clothes inside the quilt if you either cover them with wpb rain wear or wear vb under them. also, all the weights are calculated assuming .48 cuben material, .33 would save around 1oz depending on the size of the quilt. Aiming all my estimates high until i have enough real weights to post.

to loft the quilt you unpack it an lay it out. you kneel at the foot end and open an attached cuben tube. you capture air in the tube then roll it toward the quilt. this forces the air into the quilt via a nylon gusset(that is enclosed in the cuben tube). Takes about a minute working at a relaxed pace. The prototype i tested had a tube that was wide and short, it worked great but i plan to make it narrow and long in the production models. think instalflator. making it narrower it will make it less cumbersome to roll.

to pack it lay it out and roll it head to toe forcing air out the nylon. i roll once, then unroll and fold then roll, then unroll and fold twice then roll for the smallest package. you could just fold then roll and be alright. stuffing is possible if you stuff the head end first the air should all come out as you stuff but rolling should produce the smallest package.

-Tim

Tim,

I'm very excited about your new quilts! Can't wait to order on, I need just one more to complete my needs...... ;-)

For anyone else, I have a few of Tim's quilts. It's pretty much all I've used for the last two years (except that one trip when I used a Raku and the 3 degree night when I used a GoLite Adrenaline 0 degree that Tim converted for me to a quilt). Great craftsmanship, and they've worked wonderfully for me in my hammock and when ground dwelling with the rest of the swill ... er .... swell backpacking companions. (In fact, in the hammock, I've got both an under and top quilt from Tim, both cuben).

I used one of my cuben quilts during our weeklong trek in Wyoming along the Teton Crest. It was the lightest quilt out there, kept me nice and warm all week, lofted as well the last day as it did the first. Had a couple of people eyeing it...... ;-)

Highly recommended!

Edited by idester on 03/12/2011 17:42:11 MST.

He says he has a few of my quilts. Thats like Donald Trump saying he has "a little money" Sometimes i think i could build my enter business just on Doug's purchases.

-Tim

@Douglas: This is why I post these questions on here. It's one thing to hear answers directly from Tim, but, as someone who has never used a VB before, your responses have been invaluable to me. Thank you!

@Tim: Just to be clear, do you use .33 or .48 cuben?

"@Tim: Just to be clear, do you use .33 or .48 cuben?"

Yes! I will be taking orders with the option to choose either one. Cubic tech has told me that .33 may or may not be available so if it isn't i will have to do all .48. it will all be posted before you order. All weights are calculated based on .48 material, but .33 will save an ounce or so depending on quilt size.

-Tim

have to say Tim has been very patient with all my 2000 questions today offline.

I am going with two of his nylon quilts.

I am looking forward to getting them.

Well i think i have done all i can at this point. The site is now operational and the ordering can begin. Next week i will finish up with the last bit of materials i have so i won't be ordering more until April1 so i can get enough to cover all the sale orders. Than means those who order today will probably wait about 7 weeks with the wait increasing as orders add up.

I'll add some pics next week when i get a chance. Sorry to not have them but i sent the prototypes off without thinking.

-Tim