Ray-Way Quilt

I've got a 10 degree ray-way I made and I've used down quilts a few times.

Synth does drape ok, but not as good as down.

The footbox seemed fine, but you can easily size it as you want when using their pattern.

Arc style straps help eliminate drafts MUCH better than the ray-way draft stopper flaps. I made my draft stopper flaps extra wide and never could maintain draft free sleeping for long as I move a little in the night. At low temps this was much more of an issue than during warmer times.

It needs a big stuff sack. It doesn't compress well, or hold up great if you overstuff it. The recommended ray-way stuff sack ends up amost the same volume as a watermelon.

Honestly, I wish I hadn't bothered with the ray way. I used it two seasons and really wish I'd just spent the extra for the down system with a good shell on it. Look at JacksRBetter (among many others) for some other down quilts that have been reviewed here with good results.

If you try it out and have draft issues a UL bivy will eliminate all the drafts and it doesn't need to be waterproof, only wind resistant to make a major impact (when paired with an overhead shelter of course.

One can always attach straps as well. I did that with one of the ray way quilts I made and was very pleased with how it worked. I agree with Joseph about the size though. These guys are big! I've since gone to a BMW 180 quilt which takes up far less space in my pack.

Thanks Joseph and Ryan for the tips on the packed size of these tarps. I'm in the same boat – I want to try a quilt but I don't want to spend $400 on an Arc quilt only to find I don't like it. I was planning to make a Ray Way quilt but now I have my reservations.

Maybe I will look into the GoLite Ultra or the JRB summer quilt and just take the plunge.

I have the Ultra 20 and 2 JRB quilts. I haven't looked back after going quilt. The Ultra 20 has alot of nice bells and whistles but I still feel like it's loft is a bit skimpy for 20* unless you sleep warm. It is very nice.

my JRB quilts (shenandoah(45*) and No sniveller(30*)) are both nice, loft very well and verstile. The No Sniveller is similar to the ultra in loft, if not alittle more. I have added a top button and straps to my no sniveller and it sleeps warmer than rated. the weight difference between the ultra and NS is almost nothing. on my scale I have the NS at 18.6 and the ultra at 19.7 both stuffed in the golite stuff sack.

Thanks for the comparison Tommy. My main concern is getting something big enough for me to roll around in – what is the girth on your GoLite Ultra 20? The GoLite page doesn't list anything and I've read conflicting reports elsewhere.

If the JRB is really 48" I think that's going to be too small for me. The Nunatak Arc Ghost has been reviewed as very small and it's 46" at the shoulder.

The Ultra is wider than the NS. I will have to measure after work today. I would say around 53" off the top of my head.

Tommy

I called and asked the nice lady at Golite customer service and was told that the Ultra 20 regular had a width of 54 inches and the long had a width of 57 inches at the shoulder.

I was close…lol

From GoLite customer service these are the widths for a Long bag. I don't understand how the "ribbon" can add 20" of girth, can someone explain that?

Hi Ken,

I hope that helps. If you have any more questions, please feel free to email back or give us a call at 888-546-5483.

I think they mean that the insulated part of the quilt will wrap around a 55" cylinder and have the ends of the quilt touch each other. With the chest strap clipped together, but fully loosened, then a 75" cylinder would fit inside at baffle 9 – but only 55" of the 75" circumferance would be insulated.

Another comment on Backcountry gear … such incredible customer service!

I called and they were happy to go out to their wearhouse, open up a Ultra regular, and measure the width for me.

With the strap fully deployed, but snapped, they came up with a width of 37 inches (just like you were measuring the width of a sleeping bag).

Double that to get the max girth and you get 74 inches MAX girth, including the strap. So this pretty much confirms what Golite has said.

I recently finished my ray-way quilt and like it a lot, though I haven't yet tested it on a hike. Though it gets very cold in my room at night, low 40s, and the quilt is super toasty, draft stopper works great, though my room has very light draft. It is bulky, but it is very light, and very cheap, compared to the down quilts out there. It is designed to be packed a certain way. You're supposed to put it in the pack first, then squeeze out the air from it's stuff sack to the point where you have enough room in your pack for the rest of your gear. That way you have a stable pack, no gear sloshing around. Near end of hike, after most food eaten, packs tend to have extra space. The quilt functions as a stabilizer of sorts. Though I haven't tested this method yet. The stuff sack is big, but the quilt can crush down to same size as any sleeping bag.

Did you use the Ray-Way Gorget option? That is my favorite feature; it's really amazing on my double and good on the single two. What color did you make it?

Yes, I made it with the gorget option. It should be the standard design. Without it, I could see how the quilt might leave some gaps to the open air where it drapes over the shoulders. Fantastic design, really. My colors where gold (pretty much a yellow) and black. Bumblebee colors!

GoLite customer service just got back to me, the weight for the Long is 2oz heavier at 21oz.

This is looking like the best option for me. I just wish they had an option to add something like the Ray Way draft stoppers.

I just bought the Ultra 20 in a size long …. a really cool design.

What is unique about this quilt is that it's not made up of continuous baffles accross the face of the quilt.

Instead, the quilt is shaped by each baffle being three separate pieces sewn together.

In this way, the quilt doesn't seem to have many of the same issues I've had with quilts that I've made, in that it doesn't gape open at spots and let cold air in. Instead it's draped in a bit of a permanent U shape and fits over you much better than my other quilts.

21 oz sounds about right for the weight. With the straps underneath your pad I don't think you'll have any issues keeping warm.

Mark