QUESTION: 10d or 20d outside fabric on a quilt?

Conscientious users will fare well with 10d. Kids and people that are less careful with their gear may require a less fragile fabric.

Desired water resistance and permeability should be a separate consideration after determining the durability of the fabric.

My two cents. Your mileage may vary.

10d is surprisingly tough. Normal use is not going to be a problem for it. Either will sufficiently move air, vapor, etc. You would have to ask EE about which one is more water resistant. That depends more on the coating and weave with fabrics so close in denier IMO.

Yes, the 20d would be more resistant to rain, splashes, and most importantly condensation, that’s why EE sells the option of strips of this fabric at the head and foot ends (foot more likely to brush against the inside of a shelter, head more likely to accumulate moisture from your breath).

I’m with Robert. 10D is plenty durable if you treat it reasonably well. I’ve put hundreds of nights on a quilt with 7D without any observable damage. There’s no need to baby 10D for a quilt, just don’t do anything silly and it’ll be fine.

20D is more durable, but not inherently any more resistant to rain, splashes etc than 10D. This resistance comes from how the fabric is woven (tight or not), calendared and treated. The same things done to 20D can be done to 10D.

The weather resistance strips that EE offers do happen to be 20D, but that is not what makes them weather resistant. This comes from the PU coating that is added, which could also be applied to 10D. Considering EE uses treated down, I think there is very little benefit to the weather strips.

If you think you think you can treat it reasonably well, go 10D. If you think you’ll put a lot of wear on it, go 20D. If you think you’re going to constantly be in really wet conditions then maybe add the weather resistance strips, but even here I think the dry down has you covered.

had an EE Enigma in 10D with the 20D patches. For me the 10D was breathing to much. 20D was much more wind resistant. But that was some years ago, not sure if they changed the fabric till now …