Nunatak for couples

Has anyone done the Ray Way kit for couples? It's an inexpensive alternative, but they don't state the weight.

John,
My date and I sleep under a Dual Arc with tonsil, and consider it a value.

The BCB would not be large enough for us, especially in mid 20F temps. We are 6' and 5'7. The Nunatak website indicates 2.5 " baffles are used in both. Our microlight version Dual has a couple ounces of overfill, and we like its overall dimension.

We tend towards side sleeping which creates some difficulty in accessing the foot box. Because of my additional height, I usually control the position of the foot box, and if my date shifts fetal like, it's without the foot box. Unless we're on our backs, (like the picture on the Nunatak site), or spooned, equal access to the foot box is compromised. Nevertheless, we use it and find the ease of temperature management superior. We have used the quilt into the low twenties F.

If we were to order again, we would request a quantum shell with more fill in the top three channels because the down tends to migrate toward the ends of the channels, or sides of the quilt. We suspect because of our shoulder sleeping habits. We would also request a wider or larger girth dimension at the top of the foot box for a wider angle of access for feet/legs. This wouldn't completely solve the problem, but would help.

Although we often find ourselves in humid conditions, we sleep in a double wall tent and seldom experience interior condensation that threatens the quilt loft. I mention this because I recall your interest in a double bivy. Moisture transfer may be more important with your set up.

Good luck!

Hi John,

I've sewn a RayWay 2 person quilt with the split zip option. (Which is a nice touch as it allows one to divide the quilt in 2 pieces so that you can split the weight and bulk between the two of you.) I want to say that the weight was around 2.5 – 3lbs, but it's been quite a while since I checked. It was a relatively easy project and the end result was a nice quilt.(Ray's instructions are really easy to follow.) We primarily use the quilt for car camping these days as my better half has decided that backpacking is not for her. :) If you don't wish to sew your own, I would recommend checking out the Jacks R' Better line of quilts. They have several large quilts that should easily fit two. They make great gear and are more affordable than the Nunatak quilts.

Ryan

My wife and I have a pair of 25°F WM Sycamore MF semi-rectangular bags which we can unzip completely to make 2 big quilts. The upper serves as a quilt; the lower as a sheet. If it's cold enough, we just zip them together and make a double bag. Either way, we have no footbox issues with which to deal. By leaving one or both bottom zippers open, we can get optimum ventilation.

And its a nice cucoon in which to spoon, snuggle, sleep, or whatever else comes to mind.

Has anyone considered (or tried) using two BCB's? They hook together to make one big sleeping bag, and could also be used alone for trips without the misses. Thoughts???

John,
Tom made a custom BCB for us –

60" across the top, 45" across the foot, 72" long, and weighs 27.3 oz with the 18"x18" anti-draft flap at the top center.

We initially used grossgrain straps and buckles like an Arc but found it difficult to keep the feet covered. So I added a bottom sheet to containe the sleeping pads and help keep the feet draft-free. This was more of an issue as the temps approached 30°. For mild mid-summer temps the basic quilt worked great.

John, To answer your original question #2 I quote from my review of the BCB for BackpackGearTest – "As a two-person quilt the Blanket is satisfactory if the users are close friends neither of whom is a blanket hog." I have a BCB – which I love – that's six inches longer than standard and has an extra six ounces of down. It'll work for two only if both are wrapped together and neither fidgets through the night. I've considered a second one but that means a lot of down going to waste on the bottom. Best so far has been a WM semi-rec with WM's summer coupler.