North Carolina Quilt System – Input Appreciated

When doubling up, put the Prodigy on the OUTSIDE so your down doesn't retain moisture – at least it will retain LESS moisture.

Thanks.

Is that to help the evaporation process? I'm relatively unfamiliar with moisture management apart from understanding VBL's.

I might just get a 20° Enigma or Revelation and a 40° Prodigy or Revelation and just have dedicated bags instead of a system. Reason being I don't want my summer quilt to be wider than my winter quilt.

Tyler,

Yes, the moisture will move to the outermost layer, and down doesn't like being that layer. Others can provide more scientific data to support this – I just know it happens.

Give some thought to allowing your syn quilt to be larger than your down quilt – the extra wiggle room is nice when in stand-alone mode.

Todd

Thanks again. Right as you posted, I was just about to copy and paste some great info I got after doing a search on this topic. Well, I can still paste it…it just further edifies what you just said, and makes sense to me.

"Heat tends to move upwards and pass through the inner layer just fine, by the time it passes though the second layer it tends to cool and turn into a vapor which starts to accumulate in the outer layer of the sleeping system. With down being the outer layer that would start to compromise/collapse the loft, synthetic insulation tends to handle this moisture build up lessening the chance of loft degradation."

Simon says….

Inner quilt
enigma 30* XLONG/reg (belly sleepers should always go longer)

Outer quilt
Prodigy 50* long/wide

All 10d fabrics let moisture pass through the best and easiest to dry the prodigy. This combo should be good to 15* when use together.

-Tim

Thanks Simon!….uhhh…Tim!

I live in VA, so its very similar weather to NC. Hot and humid as hell in the summer months and shoulder seasons.

That said I have two quilts

1. 40* Revelation for temps down to 30*
2. 20* Revelataion for temps from 30* and below.

If I recall, both have regular down.

I can supplement to go colder with layering of my clothes if its colder and ditch clothing or remove the quilt if I get hot in the warmer temps.

That said, if you are looking for only one quilt, I say go with a Revelation 30* with DownTech.

If going with 2 quilts I'd say you won't need it for the 20* quilt since its drier in the colder temps. However with the 40* or 50* bag I'd go with DownTech or with synthetic insulation since it'll likely be more humid and warmer when you're using it.

Yeah, if I did one quilt it would be with 850DT for sure. I'm excited about the system that I'm getting – 50 Prodigy and 30 750 Enigma. I wanted to upgrade to the 850DT, but I can't quite justify the expense. I'm only out 1-3 nights at a time at this season of life, so I figure a little moisture won't hurt me (humidity, not talking about getting drenched).

Thanks for the help!

I have gotten over a decade's worth of use out of a Western Mountaineering Caribou MF bag in Western NC summers. Obviously this corresponds with the most humid time of year there, and I've never had an issue with regular down performing poorly.

I would emphatically not use a down jacket for clothing insulation in the NC backcountry, but down still works very well for sleeping situations in my experience.

Mind you, you will need to have your down sleeping bag/quilt in a waterproof stuff sack of some sort while it is carried in your pack. That's pretty much essential in the Southeast, if not everywhere, but you probably already knew that…

Good to hear your experience. Thanks for sharing that. I'm looking forward to getting some use out of these quilts.

The only other piece of down insulation I have is a JC Penny down jacket that I user for around camp when it's near or below freezing. However, what you said makes sense for me because my rain jacket compresses my down jacket a little when I layer it under. No sense in relying on down if you can't successfully layer it. Glad you made me think of that.

Ive slept comfortable in my EE 40 in summer, 65 degrees at night ONLY because the footbox opens up, then the quilt is so lightweight, its quite airy and ventillated underneath. The combination of extremely lightweight, and open foot works wonders.

I have sweltered under a 30 degree bag at 55F because the footbox didnt open. So cold you had to cover up, but when you did you sweated . Not a good way to sleep

I am a big fan of the open footbox if you need flexibility in your quilts.

Im not sure summer is any worse than winter for down in humid environments. It rains in both as well.