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UL premarital counseling (sleep system for two)


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  • #1288482
    Timothy Huguenin
    BPL Member

    @timhuguenin

    So, getting married soon! To an amazing girl–loves backpacking! We want to buy something sleep system-wise that would be good for two for, eh, obvious reasons.

    For a while we've been talking about the sleeping bags that zip together, which I think may be a great idea. But I was wondering about quilts and if they would be better for two people…a little more freedom, etc. I noticed the BPL UL 240 Quilt…looks like a good one, but is it made to be comfortable enough to keep two warm and well-covered? Would I have to order the largest size, or would that just increase the length more than the width? I did see that the chart gave circumference sizes, but I'm not the greatest with estimating that kind of thing, especially since i'd have someone else to think about…She's not big, but, you know. we're obviously bigger than just myself. Any suggestions? should we stick with the zipping-together bags, or are there better quilts for this sort of thing? She is worried about being too cold, and I've never used a quilt myself to know how well they keep you covered. We'll be doing most of our camping in the mid-appalachians, although I've always wanted to go out to the pacific northwest eventually. I'm thinking about moving out there within the next 5 years, but nothing's for certain besides we'll be here in the appalachians for at least a little while.

    Also got an MLD TrailStar on the way—can't wait for it to come! Too bad he's so backed up with stuff…website said it'll take at least 8 weeks to arrive. I already ordered it, so if someont thinks i shouldn't have, not much i can do. Has anyone used it, and are there significant strengths and weaknesses? I did a little research on it, and i read the review they did on BPL when it came out a while back…but I'd love other's perspectives on it.

    Thanks guys. Peace.

    Tim

    #1865165
    Ken Thompson
    BPL Member

    @here

    Locale: Right there

    The BPL quilts are no longer being made. Not big enough anyway. There are a bunch of custom quilt makers out there as well as sleeping bags that can be coupled together. Pretty humid were you are. Might be best off with a synthetic quilt for each of you. That way they can be sized accordingly.

    #1865174
    Roger Caffin
    BPL Member

    @rcaffin

    Locale: Wollemi & Kosciusko NPs, Europe

    A double SB is a bit of a nightmare in practive. Go for two quilts, and two rectangular mats with tie-loops to hold them together. Warm mats are half the story!

    If it gets cold (if your wife gets cold) then snuggle together with the quilts layered over the two of you. We have done that to -7 C with UL summer bags and thermals.

    Cheers

    #1865220
    Chad Lorenz
    BPL Member

    @chadl

    Locale: Teton Valley, Wydaho

    Another option:

    http://www.featheredfriends.com/Picasso/Bags/Spoonbill.html

    You may or may not be comfortable using down in the Appalachians/PNW, YMMV.

    #1865227
    Link .
    BPL Member

    @annapurna

    #1865233
    Cody Lebow
    Member

    @clebow

    Locale: Orange County

    That inner fabric for the SH bag is too much.

    #1865257
    Richard Lyon
    BPL Member

    @richardglyon

    Locale: Bridger Mountains

    Tim,

    Your best bet, if your budget allows, is a pair of Back Country Blankets from Nunatak. Since writing my review of the BCB for BackpackGearTest.org (see http://tinyurl.com/3teobbm ) I did buy a second BCB to make a couple's quilt when appropriate. Works very well for that and can always be separated into two quilts for solo trips or to accommodate the occasional quarrel or blanket-grabbing.

    A less pricy and very comfortable summer alternative is a semi-rec bag that zips to a ground sheet. Down underneath you doesn't insulate very well, so you can open out the bag as a quilt. I know that Feathered Friends and Western Mountaineering used to sell a "coupler" that was designed to work with its bags.

    Congratulations, by the way.

    Richard

    #1865259
    Logan Spader
    Member

    @___o2

    Locale: .

    When I purchased a bag for my fiance I made sure that it could zip up to mine. The first time we used the bags zipped together she was awake shivering all night. Maybe we weren't snuggling close enough or maybe we should have got naked for better heat exchange ;) but we found that it is very difficult to seal out the cold air with two heads popping out of one hole. I'm sure it works great in warmer weather but we no longer zip our bags together for sleeping.

    #1865391
    Elliott Wolin
    BPL Member

    @ewolin

    Locale: Hampton Roads, Virginia

    My wife and I have been using two-person quilts exclusively for about six years now, in temperatures down to 15F (so far), and we are very happy with them.

    In 2006 I purchased a RayWay deluxe quilt kit with split-zip, draft-stopper and alpine upgrade. We have been using this on most trips. We particularly like the draft-stopper, a flap of thin fabric running around the quilt perimenter that cuts drafts down when someone moves, and I move a lot!.

    In warmer weather we use a thin quilt. In cold weather we put the thin quilt on top of the RayWay quilt. Sometimes we stuff some unused clothing in the top opening to cut down on drafts there.

    The split-zip allows the quilt to unzip into two pieces, one for each of us. For the thin quilt I skipped the zipper and just keep it in my pack.

    Years ago I purchased a lightweight Marmot rectangular sleeping bag (Grouse) that opened up and zipped to a thin bottom sheet, thus converting a one-person bag into a two-person top bag. This worked great for many years, but was heavy by today's standards (although we still use it, more often as a single bag). I suppose the same strategy is possible today if you can find a lightweight rectangular bag.

    #1865402
    Ryan Elsey
    Member

    @paintballswimguy

    Locale: Kansas City

    Jacks R better makes some nice 2 person quilts at a very fair price. you should check them out

    #1865409
    Ross Bleakney
    BPL Member

    @rossbleakney

    Locale: Cascades

    I would definitely look into the Spoonbill. It is a more advanced version of a Penguin matched with a Penguin groundsheet (http://www.featheredfriends.com/Picasso/Bed.Acc/Groundsheets.html). My wife and I use the Penguin and fleece groundsheet and it is great. It is much easier to work with than a quilt and much more efficient than zipping two bags together. There is a bit of a trade-off between the Spoonbill and the Penguin with groundsheet. The Penguin/groundsheet is a bit roomier. However, I think you would save more weight with the Spoonbill. Plus, I think it has better draft control (an issue with any two person design). Personally, that would be my choice.

    I should mention that the Pacific Northwest is generally dry in the summer. It is generally sunny by the time things finally melt out and you can go backpacking up high in the Cascades or Olympics. That doesn't mean it won't, of course, but it is pretty common to get lots of sunny summer days here (not quite as many as California, but close). The opposite is true in the winter, in that we often get day after day of rain then. Long story short: I use down sleeping bags in the Northwest, as do a lot of other people. After all, Feathered Friends is a Seattle company. Just use common sense (you might consider using a synthetic bag if you plan on hiking the coast in November).

    #1865414
    Luke Khuu
    Member

    @ninhsavestheday

    I recommend Jacks R Better all the way.

    #1865487
    Larry De La Briandais
    BPL Member

    @hitech

    Locale: SF Bay Area

    I also made a ray way double quilt. I left out the draft stopper as we sleep in a tent. I got the alpine upgrade and it is too warm. Although we were comfortable at 40 sans clothes. ;)

    #1865642
    Logan K
    BPL Member

    @logan

    Locale: Florida

    I think Ray Way will by far be the least expensive option for you – while offering many perks.

    That being said, you may have other priorities in your new marriage other than building gear together.

    Enjoy!

    Logan

    #1865687
    Kyle Meyer
    BPL Member

    @kylemeyer

    Locale: Portland, OR

    Nobody yet has mentioned that a two person quilt or two zip together sleeping bags won't work in the Trailstar, what with the center pole and all. Sure, you could potentially get two pole jacks, lash the poles together at the top and create an inverted V, but that seems more hassle than it's worth. Two velcro-together quilts could work as you could connect them around the pole though.

    Why not do the, eh, obvious things, during the day in nature, and use your sleep systems for getting a good night's sleep?

    #1865724
    Elliott Wolin
    BPL Member

    @ewolin

    Locale: Hampton Roads, Virginia

    Looks like Feathered Friends makes something just like my old Marmot Grouse plus groundsheet. Kind of pricy, though, much cheaper and almost as light to make a synthetic quilt.

    Our RayWay quilt with alpine upgrade was in principle too warm on many trips, but one of the reasons I like quilts is that all I have to do is poke an arm or a leg out from under the quilt to achieve perfect temperature regulation. At home at night the heat is set low and we use a thick quilt on our bed, and I do exactly the same thing to keep comfortable. Using a rectangular bag with groundsheet stops all the drafts but makes it more difficult to do this.

    #1865746
    Timothy Huguenin
    BPL Member

    @timhuguenin

    good point with the trailstar problem..hadn't thought of that for some reason. although she also has a tent, and we may just use that when we go together. if we both want to use the trailstar on a trip we may just have to bring the separate bags we already have.

    #1865747
    Timothy Huguenin
    BPL Member

    @timhuguenin

    i'm leaning towards jacks r better for now rather than the ray way…not really sure how much time and ability i'll have to put together a kit, especially with wedding preparations, and if we get anything we'd want to have it for the honeymoon, obviously…

    #1865773
    Timothy Huguenin
    BPL Member

    @timhuguenin

    i'm going to check back to my fiance with all this and see what her take on it all is. if anyone has any more insight, i'd still like to hear it. i'll send her the link to this thread

    #1865827
    Mobile Calculator
    Spectator

    @mobile-calculator

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