Adding pad strap attachments to quilt

[Steve B]

I have a quilt from Enlightened equipment that has no strap attachment; it is a ‘hammock version’ (reduced width and no clips).  It has worked very well in the hammock, but I’d like to use it on the ground with two or three attachment points to straps around the pad.  I’m not a big person, and the reduced width of the quilt doesn’t seem to be an issue getting around me on the ground.

I’m thinking of cam snaps; from the quilt to DCF bands on the pad.  While this would not be adjustable in width, I’m thinking this would be easy to snap in the dark.

Has anyone used cam snaps for this use?  Any other ideas?  I’m a competent sewer, so sewing reinforcement for the snaps around the edge of the quilt would be easy.

[Dan]

I added Kam snaps to a zpacks sleeping bag (with zipper underneath) for this purpose using loops of grosgrain. Not sure if I understood your question totally, but I made a thread about it. The minimum order on Amazon was 100 pairs of snaps, so I have plenty extra if you need them.

https://backpackinglight.com/forums/topic/add-pad-strap-to-zpacks-classic-sleeping-bag/

[JG H]

I use Dritz snaps and I actually affix one side directly to my pad and the other to my quilt. Works like a champ. If you’re going to set a snap to your quilt via the shell, be sure to reinforce the material or it’ll likely tear when you unsnap it. I’ve used Tenacious Tape to do that in the past when I affixed some to a HangTight quilt I bought on Etsy. My Katabatic quilts have bits of grosgrain ribbon and the snaps affix easily to those.

[Steve B]

Good to hear that snaps work for this purpose.  I didn’t know zpacks was using these already.  I’ll post a pic of where I’m putting the snap on the quilt, it should be such that there is plenty of contact of the side of the quilt with the pad.

Cheers!

[Martin Van Laarhoven]

Cam snaps should suffice your need of attaching your quilt to the pad especially since you want something that can be easily done in the dark. I never employed them for this kind of work but it looks quite practical. That’s why I really have to stress on the importance of reinforcing the snaps enough so that they do not fail in a relatively short period of time.

[Steve B]

Seems to work great!  Won’t get to test this in the field for a while though.

[Dan]

That looks very professional. Is the blue part just stuck to the pad? Some sort of sticky tape!

[Steve B]

Thank you!  The blue is some heavy weight DCF, with additional DCF where the snap goes through, that is about 22″ long.  It has loops on either end that are connected together with some cordage and a prusik for adjustment around the pad.  I wanted the snaps to be flush against the pad, not pulled up off the pad.

I spaced the snaps on the pad 15″ apart; probably narrow for most, but it is a narrow quilt and I’m 155lbs.  The snaps on the quilt are about 38cm apart, and the first one is about 38cm from the neck (these mimick a Katabatic quilt).   A third snap on the quilt only connects to a grossgrain length across (not to the pad), as the Enlightened Equip. quilt has a short zipper at the foot.

[Author]

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