enLIGHTened equipment is back with INSANE pricing

I will start of by saying that I know very little about Enlightened Equipenet quilts, so Tim's advice about his own product is of course the most experienced.

I would just offer an option based on a different system:

You say:
Cold sleeper, slim build, calm sleeper.
10F Possible, 20-30F common, 50F possible, you want a lighweight option to do it all.

My option:
10F Regular fill, regular width quilt + breathable bivy. This saves 4oz in the quilt over the overfilled WIDE Tim suggested, and adds about 6 oz back for the bivy, but might save you weight in a groundsheet.

Since you are slim and calm sleeper, I am guessing the regular width to be plenty wide, I have the wide and it is huge! The only time you might need that extra width would be for draft control in the coldest nights, but the bivy takes care of that.

The lack of overfill would make it less warm, but even as a cold sleeper, a 10F rated bag should be good in the mid 20's for a cold sleeper, which you mention are the most common conditions in fall. On the rare 10F nights, the bivy and some good warm down clothing will take care of your 'colder than average' metabolism.

On the other hand, the slightly thinner bag will be lighter and less sweaty on the 30's and 40's nights, and if it turns out to be 50's you can always sleep in just the bivy, instead of being completely uncovered. The lower fill will also allow you to shake the down to one end for us one warmer nights.

I have one of Tim's quilts a 20 degree with overfill down quilt. I've slept 10 degrees to 60 in it. If it's above 40 ish, I open the foot box and the warmer the more I uncover. When it's below 30 I seal it tight. When it's really cold I switch from a torso pro-lite / evo setup to a downmat UL and add a bivy and possibly a jacket. I've only been to hot , using the bivy and Downmat when them temps were closer to 40 ( I expected cooler temps).

Kevin

Thanks Kevin, that's good info. I suggested 10* overstuff because it will be warmer than needed and nobody is ever mad at me when the quilt is too warm, not so if it's too cold;)

-Tim

Tjaard – I can tell you have a very analytical personality like myself. I went through the same thought process as you, but ultimately, I went with Tim's suggestion because I did face 7* temps winter camping in Colorado last season. I don't want to risk being cold. And I did get a regular width which is what Tim suggested to me. I think it's great that I will be able to use this quilt for winter camping and shoulder season, and I can get another next summer if this one ends up being to hot for me. Also, this quilt opens up some options for me…Glacier and Alaska, here I come!

Would you be able to recommend a lightweight breathable bivy that I should look into? Sounds like that may be good for winter camping…

Kevin- thanks for your info- great to hear from someone who is using this quilt in the rockies…give me confidence.

Raquel,

I do not have any specific recommendations for bivies. There are quite a few breathable bivies out there. I think a bug netting of some sort is very useful and a large enough size to put a long and wide winter pad inside, to keep the snow out.
Zpacks, Mountainlaurel designs, Ruta Locura, Equinox, are some brands that come to mind.

Just want to send out a word of thanks to Tim for my new Enlightened Equipment quilt. I got the Rev X at 40* but overstuffed, and it's a treat. Pics to follow, but just want to say the loft is amazing. The karo baffling seems to work really well, and I can tell it's going to be extremely warm. Open windows got my apartment down to probably near 50 last night and I was plently toasty. The transaction went well to. Emailed Tim, sent a PayPal, was quoted four weeks, and four weeks later it arrived. I'll being heading up to the Sierras this weekend and am looking forward to giving it a go. I got olive exterior with orange interior. That orange is hot . Just looking at it makes you warm. Its llke coals. Love it. Thanks.

Hi Tim,
Contemplating size and fill for a revelation x quilt.

I am-
5'10" tall
190 pounds (40" chest, 34-38" waist)
Average Build
Warm sleeper
Back sleeper on a CCF pad.
I rarely lay on my side but if I do I stay there maybe toss two or three times.

I mainly backpack the San Gabriels of Southern, CA. Occasional trips to the Joshua Tree desert and plan on trips to Higher elevations once my weight gets down. (Pun intended).

Lowest average would be around 25-35 degrees F during winter. 35-55 during spring and autumn. Anything higher than that I usually take a silk liner and poncho liner.

I'm thinking 6', Regular width, either 40 degree w/30 percent overstuff or 30 degree w/ no overstuff.
As I said I'm a warm sleeper, so I think even around 20-25 degrees the 40 overstuffed with still be okay. Using a silk liner, full length ridge rest SOlite, 1/8" Eva full length under that, merino base layers, gloves, wool buff, wool watch cap, mid-layer and wind shirt. Sheltered within a Shangri-la 3 with inner nest.

Or is the 30 degree no overstuff a safer choice? (considering o have all those layering options.

For now I can only afford one quilt, as I've been unemployed due to progressive degeneration of my vision, retinal detachments, cataracts and eye surgeries almost this entire year. Being outdoors is the only thing that cheers me up but I need to lighten my load. One of these quilts will help.

SoCal is pretty tame so I think the one quilt option is reasonable- for now. Maybe even the 35 degree prodigy is an option? I just don't know how the durability of Apex compares to down.

What would be your suggestion? Anyone else can chime in. =]

Thank you all. Sorry for the sloppiness- stayed up all night drooling over these quilts. =P

I'd say 6' REG 40* overstuff will handle your 35-55 or 30* overstuff for your 25-35 and still plenty usable in the 35-55 range. RevX is best bang for the buck.

-Tim

Way back in Jan 2012 when we brought back the RevX and Revelation in higher quality fabric I posted (first post in this thread) that I wasn't sure how long we could keep our prices this low. Well it's been 10 months and the accountant has finally put the brakes on. I'm working on a new website and when it goes live (goal is 1/1) our prices will be going up.

The price Increase affects all of our products and lines. The increase is due to changing my flawed pricing model which didn't take all our costs Into account. Most prices will be similar but the products with the most insulaton will be more affected. The 10 and 0* down quilts will feel the change the most.

Instead of just raising the prices I will be making changes and updates to all products so they will be new products at a new price point. Some updates will be done to the sizing, baffles and the strap system. Quilts will also start shipping with storage and stuff sacks.

I wanted to give you guys a heads up so if you have been planning to get one of our quilts you won't just open our site in Jan and be surprised. I have been accused of the hard sell in the past but that isn't my goal here. I just want to let people know so they can choose weather to buy before the prices go up or wait for the updated products at the new prices.

I will not release the new pricing or exact features early so please don't ask;). Nothing is final until it is live so until then its just a plan. Check us out Jan1

-Tim

Looks like my quilt is due in at the post office tomorrow!
Ben Lomond has a pretty small PO and Saturday window hours are short.. (like 1 hour!) so i might not get it till tuesday when im in town to vote.

Very excited to try out my enLIGHTened Equipment Revelation quilt.

I have a rule: To bring something into my house, something else must leave so..
Some lucky homeless person is going to get the well used, but still serviceable down bag this quilt is replacing via Valley Missions charity as well.

Everybody wins.

.
.
Begged the lady at the PO and she kindly dug my package out of the bin at 11:59 AM.
Just unboxed my enLIGHTened equipment Revelation 20 quilt.
My first impression is that the construction quality is superb.
I can't find a loose thread or missed stitch on the quilt.
Such puffy loft it makes my WM ultra look sad.
The box baffling really does make it easy to migrate the down and the transluscent quality of the shell makes seeing where the down is going possible.
So light and puffy and GREEN!

I am packing my pack and sleeping out some where tonight… gotta break this baby in!
Thanks Tim and everyone at EE for such a quick build and shipping.
Also kudos for the email updates along the way.
Very straight forward company and it looks like i got exactly what i ordered and then some.

Now i have a synthetic quilt for warmer wet climates and a down quilt for cooler, drier climates.

Time to make good on my promise, my veteran WM ultra is getting a second life with a new owner today.

Edit and Post Script:
I have been playing around with the quilt here at my pad..
Glad i got the half taper.
My main complaint about the otherwise premier WM ultra(which i used for the PCT and CDT) was the narrow footbox.
My knees would ache after 8 hrs of sleep because i could not let them lay naturally in the ultra.
Tim's revelation quilt with the half taper allows me to turn on my side or back and have room to bend my knees or curl up without compressing the loft.
I also have very broad shoulders for a short guy, and the WM ultra was always a bit tight in the shoulder area for me so that i was just compressing the fill a bit in that area from the inside out.
Tim's quilt is generous in the shoulders.
Really, in playing around with this quilt, i am very optimistic that i have found what i was looking for which is:
The ability to cinch the straps like a mummy bag OR loosen up for more comfortable side sleeping.
This is exactly what i like about my Mountain Laurel Designs Spirit Quilt but with down and more loft.
Am anxious to get this out in the field and reap the benefits.

Okay, i am off to Valley United Misson Charity. Some fellow is gonna be rocking a WM ultra under the bridge tonight!

Edit: UPDATE
Spent the night under my quilt.
In regards to sizing.
I am 5'7" (and 3/16") tall and the 5'6" Revelation fits just perfect.
Fully stretched out on my back my feet are right at the end of the quilt and shoulders tucked under the top without compressing the fill.
I would say if you are any taller than me you would want to size up in length.

Cheers

Been sleeping with the windows and skylight open since i got this quilt.

While i initially had a bit of remorse letting my WM ultra go..
I am pleased to say my enLIGHTened Equipment Revelation is performing equally well and in some ways absolutley better.
I am a huge Western Mountaineering fan. In fact WM makes their bags in San Jose which is 10 miles from where i was born and grew up.
The WM goretex Antelope 0 degree i bought 17 years ago is still truckin' even after being near immolated by fire in the sierra.

I have to say, after this initial period adjusting to my EE Revelation I have to say i am impressed.
Each day when i rise i stuff my quilt into my pack and head off to work.
Each night when i get home i unpack my quilt and sleep under it as if i am on trail.
Every night is a bag.. or rather, a "quilt" night for me.
That is how i roll.

Tonight will be in the upper twenties (don't laugh at me! this is cold for Cali!) down here on the San Lorenzo river bed.
My EE Revelation combined with my old "orphaned down jacket hood" and i are looking forward to it.

Anyone else like me sleep better breathing cold air while sleeping warm under a solid layer of down?

Thinking of buying another enLIGHTened Equipment quilt to replace my aging WM zero now, with it's fire wrinkled goretex shell.
HMM.. perhaps i should bite the bullet and go cuben and VBL for the zero.
I blame everyone here at BPL for my current state of gluttony!
Dang you! Just when i was savin' up money! ;)

EDIT!!!- Blast it, the whole reason i made this post was to extol the virtue of the Karo step baffles.
Moving the down in continuous baffles of a conventional sleeping bag is difficult and uncertain at times.
What i like about the Karo step baffles is how i can actually measurably move the down from "box to box".
My feet genrally run hella hot compared to my legs. Yea, i am a freak.
The step baffles allow me to shift the down without out-n-out opening the footsection to let cold air in.

If there is one small complaint i have with my EE Revelation it is that there is no "stopper" for the small hole that remains when the foot section is cinched closed.
I compensated for this by stuffing a sock in it (YEA, i am sure you can have a lot of fun with that comment at my expense!).
Either way, this could be a solution on the trail as well.