How Much Down for a Quilt?

[Monique Schaefers]

Sorry folks. I have spent hours looking (and learning) and read this here but can not now find it. How much loft/down do I need for the temps I may be looking for? I realize your warm may be my cold and will have to make a value judgement no matter what but … would you kindly let me know and/or point me in the right thread direction?

Thank you in advance for your time and consideration.
-monique

[Franco Darioli]

You could take a look at the Enlightened Equipment quilts, pick the design you like and then check the fill weight for each particular temperature rating and fill type.
For example :

http://www.enlightenedequipment.com/enigma-pro/
click on the specs tab

[Lance M]

A project article at Thru-hiker has a table of loft values. It seems to be a pretty well accepted 'rule of thumb' table.

Hope this helps,
-Lance

[J R]

Reading your question, the answer that popped into my head is exactly the one Franco provided. Not just fill weights but loft height for constructing the baffles. Take fill power into account too.

[Monique Schaefers]

Thank you gentlemen!

I was looking for the chart Thru-Hiker provides. I was also thinking/remembering a discussion about this here but the chart is sufficient to my needs.

I have sewn together an Enlightened Equipment-esque (thank you Tim Marshall for the kind and helpful sharing of information). I am not including a zipper nor am I sewing the footbox shut at this time. I may choose to add the zipper at a later time.

I sewed in 2.5 inch baffles using a .25 inch seam allowance. My tubes are 5.6 inches wide. Finished length is 76 inches and width is 56-42 inches. **Does this mean I will have 2.5 inch loft?** I am thinking to overfill by 15%.

Sorry for the messy photo but this has been sitting on my counter/sewing station/homeschool spot for several weeks while I got up the courage to actually sew this. (Want a wedding dress? Fine! Outdoor gear? Yikes!)

Thank you again for your time and consideration. :-)

[Jerry Adams]

If you have 2.5 inch baffles, you can figure 2.5 inch loft, although they bulge out a little

If you figure 72 inch long, and 56 inches wide, that would be 4032 in^2

2.5 inch loft would be 10080 in^3

15% overfill would require 11592 in^3

850 fill down would require 13.6 ounces of down

I'd do 30% overfill – less problem with empty spots in baffles

[Aaron Sorensen]

Since you never mentioned what temps you are looking for, we aren't able to give you a good answer.

As far as what Jerry just posted with the 13.6 ounces of down, it would make a nice warm 30* quilt for a cold sleeper.

If you are a warm sleeper or have adequate clothing, it could get you down to 25*

I have the same dimension quilt but 2" longer with 13.2 ounces of 850 down.
I sleep on the cold side and consider it a perfect quilt down to freezing.
This is however about the same fill as a 20* quilt in EE standards.
I find adding 10* to almost all (light weight) independent manufactures is pretty spot on.

[Jerry Adams]

I thought we had settled on 2.5 inches and that wasn't the question : )

I have a 2 inch loft quilt. I'm warm down to 30 F or so. Maybe 25 F. But I require a little less insulation than many people. That's wearing a 2.5 oz synthetic vest.

[Aaron Sorensen]

She mentioned 2.5" of loft but no temps?

I've done 2" of loft in a 15 ounce quilt in 35* and shivered all night.
Worst night of sleep I've ever had in the back country.

[Kevin Duvernay]

This just totally depends on the person and I have never seen a good 'rule of thumb'. This is also why manufactures ratings are usually still not accurate, seems the missing factor is how warm the person sleeps, what pad/shelter you're using, how much you ate, and what clothes you're wearing.

For instance, I have a quilt I made that has 2 inch baffles and only 13oz of 950 fill down. Sounds similar to the one you shivered at in 35* temp. I took mine to the high twenties a few weeks ago and had to vent it all night.

[Jerry Adams]

yeah, each person different

the loft and temperatures given in this post, or on websites for EE or whatever get you in the ball park

then you just have to try something. Find out what temperature it's good down to for you on several trips. Then, maybe get a second quilt that has more (or less) loft.

you can also wear more inside the quilt to be comfortable at lower temperature

[Daryl and Daryl]

Jerry,

"yeah, each person different"

Plus 1 on that (except I would have thrown an "is" into that sentence).

And, each night can be different.

I monitored the night time temps in my tent while backpacking last week and they did not get lower than 50 degrees F. I was using a 20 degree rated Montbell bag in a quilt like way (unzipped, on top of me, tucked in on the sides, thick polypro balaclava on my head).

There was no way I could stay warm enough to have a restful sleep. Finally resorted to "fully zipped up, hooded, mode".

Go figure.

[Monique Schaefers]

It has been over a year of using and enjoying my quilt.  So many of you have been so helpful (whether you knew it or not).  This (purple) is the one I made last year.  I made a second one (red) in April for a dear friend headed to Korea with the army.  Thank you once again for your kindnesses and support!

    

[Jerry Adams]

what temperature have you gone down to comfortably?

you have 2.5 inch baffles?  What’s the loft?

did you overfill 15%?

[Monique Schaefers]

Jerry this is SUPER late but I have used this in deep frost under a tarp in Montana in late September and in a snow bench/tarp down to 15* at Crater Lake in January and it is my hammocking top quilt (even in snow) and LOVE it! So warm and toasty! I just put the whole pound (or as much as I could) into the quilt.  Definitely over stuffed and worth it to me.

[Jerry Adams]

That’s great the project turned out well.  Over stuffing is a good thing.

I am working on 15 F.  I do 20 F but I start getting cold at that temp.

What’s your next project? : )

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