Quilts – Width and Overfill

[Chris S]

I'm shopping for a quilt to try out and have a couple questions.

What are the benefits of the wider versions? Good for side sleepers and those that toss and turn or just for bigger people? Or some other reason?

What are the advantages of overfill vs. a warmer rated quilt? For example, looking at the Katabatic Alsek (22*, fill weight = 13.2oz, total weight = 22.2oz for size Long) and the Sawatch (15*, 15.8oz, 25.5oz), why would one get the Alsek with overfill instead of just getting the Sawatch? Looks like the Alsek would be lighter overall even with equivalent amount of down, but I'm assuming it would be a little less warm with the down more compressed?

[josh wagner]

i can only speak for width. the overfill becomes a math problem that has something to do with how big the baffles are and how much loft can be achieved before it starts to become a negative return. someone else will chime in on that i'm sure.

i hammock, so take that into mind.

width. i chose a wide/long quilt (warbonnet's black mamba) for a few reasons. the length was important to me, as i'm 5'11" and right on the edge of most "regular" sizes.
here are the benefits of wide for me:

-no drafts, i can tuck enough of the quilt underneath each side of me that i don't experience drafts even when i rooch around. sometimes i have to retuck, but i don't get a burst of cold, which happens when it's in the teens.

-extra warmth. if i tuck just enough of the quilt under my sides the extra width ends up becoming extra loft, due to the nature of the hammock (it just piles up over top of me). what is normally 2.5" of loft is now @ 3.5" of loft right over my chest (where it's needed most)

-can go to ground. most hammock top quilts are skinny due to the underquilt taking care of most of the sides of users. the wider top quilt allows me to go to the ground comfortably if (god forbid) the need ever arises.

-weight difference is "ok". mine personally is a +4 ounce increase from the normal length and narrower tq, however 2.5 of those ounces are down. so i tolerate it for my winter shoulder and winter use. if it was a summer only quilt i'd rethink it.

hope any of this helps you out…

[Tim Marshall]

on my quilts i have 3 widths SLIM REG and WIDE (all explained on my site)

The slim is for skinny back sleepers or hammock users
The REG is for back sleepers, skinny side sleepers or hammock sleepers that sleep on their sides or toss
The WIDE is for aggressive wigglers, side sleepers and larger back or extreme large hammock sleepers

As far as over stuff on mine it is by percent. All quilts have a standard 10% overfill or you can opt for 30% for only $5 more (i think it is always $5) The extra down helps cold sleepers, is better for more humid environments (not that you should get it wet, that down is coming next fall) I also like over stuff and use it a whole temp rating down. I personally like to use a 30% OS 40* as my 30*. This is a personal thing because i don't need all the loft of my 30* to get that low i can save a little weight going this route.

Hope that gives some of the thinking behind how we size and stuff our quilts.

-Tim

[Chris S]

Thank you both. I was also reading through this other recent quilt thread and it sounds like the wide version is definitely the way to go for me.

Still pondering the overfill though….

[John Vance]

I have a Katabatic Chisos reg and wide with both overfilled 2 oz, or about 30% total. I much prefer the wider quilt at or below freezing as a side sleeper that tosses and turns throughout the night. This is also the reason I overfilled as the down stays put during the night as I move around.

The Alsek begins with a higher down density than the Palisade or Chisos, much like the Sawatch which I also own. With the higher down density the overfill offers less of a benefit with respect to cold spots, but does add warm and more reliable loft in a high humidity environment.

My Sawatch has no overfill and has been fine without it as I move less during the night when it is colder. If I was looking at the Alsek, I would be very tempted to opt for the Palisade with a 3 oz overfill in the wide.

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