Options for adding down to EE quilt

I think that adding more down to a quilt/sleeping bag is a service that is offered by Rainy Pass.

https://rainypass.com/

try washing it first

sometimes, the down will start clumping as it gets dirty and washing will restore loft

I just did that on a down vest, worked to some extent

In addition to Rainy Pass, Nunatak used to do down refilling (they say this is on pause during the pandemic): https://nunatakusa.com/content/32-down-refill

Goose Feet Gear could be another option too.

https://www.downworks.com/downworks/Welcome.html

These folks do it also and were easy to work with.

Hi Lisa – I had the same issue and paid EE to add more down – and it still migrates to the periphery and the center baffles are empty. It is a real pain. I have to manually move it around if I want any warmth on my hips, etc.. I know next to nothing about quilt manufacturing or why open baffles are use but I have been thinking about moving the down to the locations I need it and then sewing the baffles closed so it stays in place. HTH.

A brief update, I got a quote from Rainy Pass to do this and was shocked at the price. They estimate it’ll be $250 – $300, which includes $50 for return shipping (!?!). So in that case I might as well just buy a new one. And seeing M.C.’s note above, I’m thinking it might not be worth it anyway. Seems a shame to give up on this quilt given it’s otherwise perfect condition…

What a pain – that is so expensive. I just saw a quilt in EE’s Overstock for less than $300. Maybe someone else can restuff for cheaper? Here is a list of cottage industry providers: https://sectionhiker.com/cottage-gear-manufacturer-directory/

I should read before I post !  ;0)

Last I spoke with EE at Trail Days iirc, .. they said they did overstuff in their old quilts. May have been 2-3 years ago though.

How much down did you ask Rainy Pass to add? Ben at Goose Feet Gear made a small modification and added 2oz of down to my quilt for $80 (and that included return shipping). That was 8 years ago though and on a Goose Feet Gear quilt.

Thought I’d post an update, really a non-update. I have reached out to ~6 companies to see if they’ll add down to my EE quilt. Rainy Pass had a ridiculous quote (pasted below, for the curious), and Down Works, Hammock Gear, and Mountain Soles all said no. Waiting to hear back from a couple others, but I’m not optimistic.

From Rainy Pass:

Every item serviced for down refill is processed for laundry and evaluation of existing down. Cost for laundry and evaluation services: $61 plus the cost of return shipping.

Once we complete the laundering and evaluation, we will reach out again with the details on the current condition of the down, and the cost for refill services. The cost for these services can range from $165-250, but does including laundry and evaluation cost.

Please note: Laundered down items are returned in oversized boxes to allow the item to retain its loft in transit. Average cost for return shipping is $40-50.

Hi Lisa – that is totally discouraging. A crazy thought – maybe post a request and see if you can find someone to restuff your quilt as a side job? Lots of folks make their own gear and you/they can find some used down clothing and use that for the filling. Or perhaps Patagonia? They have such a great process to reuse/recycle down that maybe they can point to you to someone who can help for a reasonable price.

Maybe Rainy misunderstood – $250 would be the value of emptying and refilling a bag with new down. You just want 3 oz or something. I would clarify with them what you’re asking.

If they are truly quoting $300 for $3 0z, they should stop offering the service as thats the cost of a brand new quilt.

For reference I recently paid Hammock Gear $12/oz for +3 oz 850DWR down and $18/oz for +2oz 950 down in 2 of my quilts. Shipping was like $18. Total cost was around $100 for 3oz 850, 2oz 950, and shipping both ways.

I’d find an MYOG-er.

If you’re overstuffing, I find I prefer no less than 150% overstuff. When I buy another quilt I will specify 160%. At 160 down cannot shift IME.

This guy shows it on a different quilt.  I agree with the above that if you post a “want to buy” for someone to do it, you’ll find someone willing to do it at a price agreeable to both of you.

Would I be brash to suggest taking a seam ripper to the section, open a hole, stuff in some new down, then use DCF tape to close the hole?

I had a Hammock Gear quilt that was 2oz overstuffed and it shifted badly on me when I washed the first time. I had no luck trying to re-shift back into place. Contacted Hammock Gear, who agreed to re-stuff for a fee. Once there and inspected, they contacted me and asked how I felt about them just making me a new quilt? This was right at the time they switched from horizontal to vertical baffles (mine was horizontal). Of course I agreed. Since then, the down has again migrated but without any washing and is nearly bare in all the right spots. I’ve not used that quilt but in the warmest of summer conditions due to this and even then it gets chilly in the early mornings. Seam ripping and stuffing it has been on my mind for a couple years now. I think I’ll just go ahead and do it

The Rainy Pass email is not a quote a per se. They just laid out the min and max possible cost.  I have had them launder down bags and they do excellent work. The quoted me a reasonable cost for adding 2 oz of down but I declined.  I think the main issue is if EE wont work on the quilt, and others report down migrating, perhaps it is time to sell it.  Having someone add down will not stop the migration issue, which perhaps EE positions as a feature not a bug.

Plug for Tersus – Supercritical CO2 cleaning, a non-solvent, zero water cleaning process that is better than all others at removing oils and not damaging, wetting, or clumping down in any way. They charge $60 for a leading-edge cleaning method, so $50 to clean my bag with water seems like a ripoff, regardless of who’s offering a standard washing. Patagonia recommends it as the only wash method for their 950 and 1000fp down.

https://www.cleanwithtersus.com/products/sleeping-bag-1?

Hey Lisa,

I have the exact same issue with my EE Revelation as you described. I contacted EE in June 2023 year to ask about a refill, and I received this response:

“Unfortunately we can’t take on this request for a couple reasons one being that our production line is very precise and doesn’t have the time or space for this sort of a task and the other reason being that our production line is a sterile environment that can’t have old quilts in. My recommendation would be to give your quilt a good wash and then carefully redistribute the down. Here is a couple articles that also may help you:

https://support.enlightenedequipment.com/hc/en-us/articles/218674467-How-to-wash-and-store-your-quilt

https://support.enlightenedequipment.com/hc/en-us/articles/115000806887-How-to-redistribute-down-and-restore-loft

“If you have tried everything in these article and you still are sleeping cold this may just be due to the fact that your quilt is 8 years old which is a long time for a quilt to last, it may just be time to retire this quilt or only use it for very warm weather. If you have any further questions or concerns please feel free to reach out as I would be happy to help you out!”

So, I washed my quilt and, although it did loft up a bit, the down still migrates along the baffle tubes such that there is no fill at all in some areas.

Given that, I was planning to contact Rainy Pass today but thought I’d check here first to see if anyone at BPL had heard of Rainy Pass.

Anyway, what I read in this thread this morning is very discouraging. As it stands, I have a 50F EE quilt that I can’t even use below 70F in my own house since the down migrates so badly, making the baffles empty.

In any case, have you or has anyone else on this thread found a reasonable solution to salvage an otherwise good product like this?

As an aside, back in the fall, I sent my 20-year old Ultralite back to WM for overfill and have yet to see a charge for that service appear on my credit card. I wonder if they would work on non-WM products (I doubt it)?

how did you wash your quilt?  Did you use soap designed for down?

after it was “dry” did you let it sit out for maybe a couple weeks, beat at it to break up any clumps?

you could try washing it again?

I was also going to ask if your washing process is the problem.  I have a diy quilt I made my daughter 8-10 years ago and she uses it everyday.  Even after several washes it is fully fluffy.  We wash it with normal detergent and dry on medium or high heat.  Use tennis balls if you can.   Down shouldn’t really migrate to the point of being unusable, unless there just isn’t enough down.  It must be clumping together and getting compressed.

after you dry it using tennis balls

hold it up to light and beat on any clumps, like, with your open hand

did you rinse it completely after washing, to get any soap out?

In my experience, Rainy Pass quotes for repairs are so high that I would be better off purchasing a new piece of gear rather than having them do a repair. The cost of shipping to and from alone is prohibitive. I needed a backpack shoulder strap reinforced because the seam was coming apart. Their suggestion was to provide them with two new straps and have them remove and replace the straps.

I took it to the local shoe repair shop and they sewed it back together for $10.

There have been comments here about the old EE baffle system that allows the migration. I think Nunatak had commented about one that was sent back to him for refilling. Those baffles probably need to be closed off to stop the migration problem.

Thanks for the wash tips, and yes to all of the suggestions: I only use/have used Nikwax down-specific products, hand-wash, rinse until water is clear enough to drink, dry on low or no heat with wool dryer balls, letting it run forever, massaging out clumps until there are none, etc.

The down that is in the quilt is very fluffy: the issue, as you suggest, Todd, is that, I think, there just isn’t enough of it. This was the same issue with my Ultralite, so I asked WM to put in enough down overfill so that it won’t move around at all. Now, I can no longer shift the down from top to bottom through the continuous baffles, which is a selling feature of the warmer WM bags, but I don’t care, because not being able to shift it means that it won’t shift on its own and leave me with cold spots if the bag moves with me during the night.

If it is just a matter of not enough down, it would be pretty easy to open it up and add more.  Especially if the baffles are linked together, you’d need just one vacuum tube size hole.  Then stitch it back up.  RipStopbytheroll has 3oz of 850 goose down for $38.  You could even buy a used sewing machine and still come in under the cost of freight to send to a company for repair.