cliamshield quilts – your experience

I have a 2.1 oz apex quilt rated to 50f but find it chilly at 55f, I mainly have it for use as an overbag in winter.

I made a 2.5 for summer use on the AT. It worked well to 50+. I spent 2 nights Pretty cold and think that a something that was accurately rated to 40 would be nice.

My Apex 2.5 with M90 i took into the 40s on the Long Trail with icebreaker 150 LS and smartwool sweater on.

i think down to actually 40 is pushing it with 2.5. i'd guess 5 would go there and lower

I made one back around April out of 2.5 (I think) Climashield and Taffata. I made mine in the form of a long regular blanket. I just flip the extra length under my feet instead of sewing in a footbox. I have not yet added the shock cords to keep it snug around my pad and body. It is really crude.

I have used it many times over the past several months in all types of weather to include snow and the low 30's. I have used it on the beach and in my bivy bag as well. It works well considering I don't have any shock cord on it which would make a huge difference. I sleep in polypropaline so I stay pretty warm when I can keep it tucked in around the sides. My feet never get cold in it. It weighs a pound less then my sleeping bag and it stuffs a little better. As I recall it weighs about two pounds. It is a little heavier because it is so large. So far I think using a quilt is better option. I will probably make another in the next few months.

Hi Paul,

I made a 5.0 quilt recently and just finished my first backyard test with it. Temps only got to mid 50's and I was very warm. Even had thoughts of venting. I have read that the 5.0 should get you well down into the 30's. We'll see. I am a cold sleeper, so hopefully it will at least get me down to upper 30's with warm clothing. I posted the quilt with pics on Hammock forums, below is specs and link to post. Hope this helps.

https://www.hammockforums.net/forum/showthread.php?t=78215

Specs

66 x 54 tapered to 42" at footbox
Weighs 22oz with stuff sack.
Digital Camo 1.6oz outer shell
Olive green 1.1oz for inner lining
5.0 oz Apex Climashield
Sewn in loops along long every 8"

2.5 oz on bottom (foot) half, 5 oz on top (head) half, 4 oz vest, bivy – warm at 30 F, uncomfortably cold at 20 F

So Jerry, the 2.5 comes up to around the waist and then the 5 oz starts? Is that the idea?

yes, 2.5 up to waist (maybe thighs)

my theory is that your torso is warmer than your legs, so insulation there is more effective

I've found 50deg for 2.5 apex is about it; you can add a 2nd layer of 2.5 over the Torso area as a "Torso Pad" which works geat w/o increasing quilt bulk&weight too much..That is what RayJardine suggested in his quilts.

I used my 2.5oz Apex MYOG quilt last weekend. It only got down to 55* but I was very comfortable in just shorts and a synthetic t-shirt. I was using it on a Thermarest Prolite Plus and inside a double wall tent.

I'll be taking it out again this weekend. The weather is forecast to get down to around 45*. I'll report back on how it works.

Adam