Can we talk down quitls, your help appreciated

"Are 800, 850 and 900 fills going to offer the same insulating power given the proper amounts of fill to achieve EE's ratings with the only difference being the amount of fill and total finished weight?"

Essentially, yes. The quilts should all be equally warm as they are designed to provide the same loft (i.e., insulation), regardless of fill power.

Technically, though, there will be a few other differences. The most substantial difference between 800-900 fill will be price. Also, the higher fill power down will compress a bit better, though some evidence suggests the lower fill power down will retain it's loft better in wet/humid environments.

In short, if price matters, I'd go with the 800 fill.

Thanks for the reply Johnathan.

jimmyb

I have plenty of quilt experience, and came to some conclusions. I agree with the above-fill power is a function of how much down is needed to get an equivalent warmth. As in any 30* quilt will keep you reasonably warm at 30*, but the higher down fill number will be lighter and more compressible and will cost more.

I wouldn't look any further than the EE Enigma. The head to foot baffles are vastly superior to the side to side baffles on every other quilt I've seen. Seriously-that's the best quilt design ever, and I have tried them all.

Hi JimmyB,
I bought an EE Enigma w/ 800FP a few months ago, after considering a range of quilts/bags. Made spreadsheet comparing weights/costs/FP etc and posted here:

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=88500

Perhaps you will find that thread helpful.

I might have gone with a higher FP for the Enigma, if it had been available in untreated down. In a few years, if treated down is still around and makers like Western Mountaineering are using it, I'd be less hesitant. For now, I'd rather not buy something with such a short track record, given that I expect to use my down gear for the next 15-20 years.

You said lightweight down quilt

A quilt with 2.5 oz/yd2 synthetic insulation isn't much heavier than a down quilt for the same warmth. Maybe warm down to 40 F. Probably wearing something inside.

Makes a good piece of equipment for your repertoir if you do many trips in warmer weather. The fact that it's more water resistant is useful.

I work at EE, and what's mentioned above about using less down (by weight) to get the same loft and thus insulation is correct. Also, while I tend to prefer down quilts, for a warmer weather quilt a synthetic isn't a bad way to go. The price is lower, and it handles moisture/sweat, etc. with a lot less fuss, and easier to clean too. It's a bit less compressible, and doesn't have the same longevity as down, but at those temps it's a really good option.

I'm going to second what Peter said about synthetic and higher temp rated quilts. I went with a synthetic 50* summer quilt for the very reasons he pointed out. Mainly, it is easier to wash than a down quilt after I have been sweating all over it. Plus, I can use it in conjunction with my 20* quilt on cold winter nights to help keep condensation out of my down.

I buy used gear to see if it suits me. After the test drive, I can either keep that one or sell it on Gear Swap and get a new, slightly different one.

I'm a little late in thanking you all for your comments here. Had some vacation time and we were busy putting some miles on. Must have been good hiking, I didn't think a bit about gear for the last week :) Now back to making a decision.

jimmyb

I recently got the EE Prodigy 40 (synthetic) and have used it for about 7 or 8 nights thus far. The convertible foot box is super handy.

It was damp and rained the last couple of trips, and I am so glad it is not a down bag. No loss of loft, and the small amount of dampness it collected from body vapor, ambient humidity and tent condensation dried up very quickly.

I cram it into the pack with no stuff sack and it compresses very nicely; perfect summer East Coast humidity UL sleep solution.

I've not yet used the sleeping pad straps, but the arrangement looks very solid and I expect this quilt to work well into early fall and again starting late spring.

I recently made the move to a quilt, specifically a hammock gear burrow 20. The burrow has baffles that run side-to-side. My first time with the quilt was in warm weather – high 40s or low 50s. I found that I could shake the down to the sides of the quilt – effectively extending the useful temperature range for the quilt. In cooler weather the opposite could be done – concentrating the down as needed toward the middle. I chose a wide quilt because I'm generally a side sleeper, and I expect that the extra width facilitates the side-to-side redistribution of the down.

I haven't used a quilt with different baffle orientation, so I'll let others speak to that.

I've used EE Enigma (pro and regular) and just went with a long option on one since the difference in weight didn't matter much with the down. More concerned about getting one of their ready to ship quilts in the mail ASAP than saving an oz. FWIW, I sleep better than mummy cut sleeping bag despite moving around when I sleep. Think I do not get wrapped up and trapped. Yes a draft will sneak thru but they'll sneak into a regular sleeping bag that's been partially unzipped to vent, so it balances.