Ray Way quilt questions

One solution to your conundrum is to purchase the alpine upgrade, then buy additional fabric and insulation and make a second thinner quilt using the same or similar design.

If you keep a look out you can get 1.1 oz ripstop on closeout (or pay extra for lighter weight material), and often you can find insulation on sale.

I did this and was able to save a bundle on a second and third quilt. The first was a two-person quilt with alpine upgrade and split-zip option from RayWay products (we love this quilt!). Next was a thinner one-person quilt, then a thinner two-person quilt without the split-zip. We use the latter by itself in summer, and as an over-quilt on top of the first quilt when it gets real cold.

I would just go for the normal one. I’ve had a standard Ray-Way quilt for a couple years and it’s been plenty, even at altitude. YMMV, but I was fine at 12K in Colorado August for a week-long trip, sleeping in a wool baselayer. This site says lows will be 40-50 which wouldn’t strain the comfort rating IME. Plus, 2 person quilts are warmer due to warmth sharing.

Good luck on the project and have a great trip!

I made a RayWay one person quilt without the alpine upgrade. As long as I have ground insulation of R5 or better (such as an Exped Downmat 7) and wear a light polypro balaclava with fleece hat and fleece jacket with at least light wool socks, the quilt will keep me warm down to 30F. I might be able to slide by on a Ridgerest, but an army surplus 1/4" CCF was definitely too cold to sleep well at 30F. I'm also a moderately warm sleeper.

With the Downmat, the quilt seems too warm until temps hit 45F or so, even without a jacket.

What is the lowest temp you think the standard quilt will go without wearing a base layer? We will be using IAC pads.

Thanks.

I'm not sure I'd be happy with a quilt at all if I wasn't wearing at least a base layer. There always seems to be at least a very slight but barely perceptible draft somewhere.

I'd guess 40F to be the lower limit without a base layer on a BA IAC, assuming some type of light hat/balaclava. Maybe try zipping or pinning two unzipped sleeping bags together to make a temporary two person quilt to test out the idea first.

BTW, we will be in a double walled tent if that makes any difference (that should avoid most drafts).

Worst draft problem we ever had with a 2-person quilt was in an ADK lean-to. We just put our pads down on the wood floor and were cold all night. Next morning I realized that cold air was leaking up through a zillion cracks in the wood floor.

Next night we put down a ground cloth in the lean-to and had no problems.

Do you wear base layers under the quilt?

I would always want to wear a baselayer not because of drafts, the draftstopper does a good job, but because I don't find 1.1 ripstop nylon to be a very comfortable next-to-skin layer.

If you really didn't want to wear clothes while sleeping, I would recommend a different fabric, like Thru-Hiker.com's Momentum taffeta. I'm using in their Kinsman Pullover kit and it's got an amazing feel.

Didn't want to hear that. Hopefully I won't agree…

Anyone have any idea what the 2 person version will weight? I'm probably going to make it as big as possible with the materials provided in the kit. Well, almost. I plan to make the foot box with a draw string and sized to fit over two pads (@ 20" each).