Pertex quantum vs pertex endurance

[john hebda]

Hi guys,

I am planning to do some camping in the Midwest (Wisconsin, Michigan, Indiana) and am looking for a 3-season down sleeping bag. I found a good deal on a two bags that are identical except for the outer material – one is Pertex Quantum and one is Pertex Endurance.

Any recommendations on the pros/cons of either material? Or recs on which would be best for 3-season Midwest camping (where it sometimes gets pretty humid in the summer?) My first use for the bag will be a bike trip around Lake Michigan in mid-June, so the bag will be packed in a pannier much of the day if that makes a difference.

Thanks in advance for the help! I've done some research online but didn't find a ton of information comparing the two materials directly.

John

[Pointless Traveler.com]

They're the same thing ;)

[Edward Jursek]

I have a sleeping bag with a Pertex Endurance shell, and some down garments made with Pertex Quantum. The fabrics look and feel different. Per Pertex:

"Pertex Endurance technology incorporates an ultra-thin air permeable coating that is both highly breathable, water and wind resistant. This layer protects the insulation material from the elements to maintain loft and retain warmth."

"Quantum is light and strong offering a significant weight reduction without sacrificing strength and abrasion resistance. The fabric’s softness allows insulation in your sleeping bag or jacket to have more loft."

Pertex Endurance is a slightly heavier fabric that has additional water resistance and wind resistance. Pertex Quantum is lighter. When I spoke with the staff at Feathered Friends before purchasing my bag, they said they use the Pertex Endurance for some of their down garments and bags for the extra water resistance and wind resistence without much of a weight penalty. As I sleep under tarps and don't like using a bivy, it has proven to be a great material for managing high humidity, overspray, sidewall condensation, and it seems to lose no warmth in high winds.

[Brad Rogers]

I think Pertex "Endurance" is simply a coating on a Pertex base fabric (at least that’s my understanding). I have some gear labeled Pertex Endurance, some labeled Pertex Quantum Endurance, and some labeled Pertex Quantum.

[Michael Febbo]

Years ago I used both the Quantum and the Endurance versions of the Marmot Helium bags and found that over a few days time the Endurance bag would lose a bit of loft during 3 season use in the Northeast. This was a concern due to the constant high humidity as the bag could not really dry out completely in the sun. I have and still use the Quantum version.

I think the other poster is correct that Endurance is a PU coating added to the fabric. Here is a conversation myself and others had with Feathered Friends about it ages ago… they seem to have since begun to use Endurance again.

http://cascadeclimbers.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/ubb/showflat/Number/765103

"Feathered Friends used Pertex Endurance for a number of years on our products, but the last time we had an Endurance garment in the store was 2004. We still have some of the fabric, and use it for bags in our rental fleet.

One of the advantages of Endurance (and especially the newer variant, Quantum Endurance) is light weight. I don't have exact specs on hand, but I estimate the weight of EQ to be a hair over 1 oz/yd. We have a couple new prototypes made up from EQ in the shop, and they are ridiculously light. Endurance does have pretty good water resistant properties, but we stopped using it for a variety of reasons. Chief among these are breathability and durability. Unlike ePTFE membranes (like eVent), Endurance is a polyurethane coating. This gives it less breathability than eVent. We haven't done any scientific testing on it, but our staff who have used both fabrics report that Endurance doesn't breathe as well as eVent. Then again, no laminated/coated WPB fabric does."

[Michael Febbo]

Did we all just respond to a 5 year old thread?

[Stephen M]

Yes

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