Sleeping bag alternative

[Turtle81]

Hi All,
just wondering if anyone has had any experience with http://www.rayjardine.com/ray-way/Quilt-Kit/index.htm instead of a commercial sleeping bag as it sounds almost too good to be true (price and weight) I suppose I’m interested in was it easy to make, decent quality, warm? the good and bad of it.

As far as I can see the only bad thing people have had to say is it does not pack down really small.

[Liamy77]

sounds a lot like the thermarest backcountry blanket.... about the same price ready-made and guaranteed.... also can buy your materials at other places increasing your options and make one from wpb material / thinsulate etc... similar price.... not hard to cut and sew in a contour if required if you make your own... i think it'd be a summer quilt tho?
not used this particular brand myself....

[juju]

I like the idea of the hat - makes me want to cut the hood off my sleeping bag and give it another use.

[Macca81]

Hi All,
just wondering if anyone has had any experience with http://www.rayjardine.com/ray-way/Quilt-Kit/index.htm instead of a commercial sleeping bag as it sounds almost too good to be true (price and weight)

i have no expireience with the above, however i have recently purchased one from nunatak and have found it to be great! still have not gotten into the really cold nights with it, but cold enough that i would normally consider putting thermals on and i was still fine. the weight is HEAPS less that the raysway one, his claims to be 1.5lb (680g) where mine is only 18oz (510g). the price is the only thing that gets it really, as mine was a shade under $500 delivered. however, mine was also custom made and has some of the best workmanship i have seen on it and it was delivered to my door in a post satchel ready for me to sleep in imediately.

As far as I can see the only bad thing people have had to say is it does not pack down really small.

didnt look to see how small it packs down, but mine is in an XS size eVent compression sack from S2S and it compresses as small as the sack will allow it, and i think it could go smaller if it was in a smaller sack... about the size of softball.

[Turtle81]

I have been eyeing off the nunatak items they look very nice just a tad on the pricey side ... but you get what you pay for i guess

[sailfish]

It’s not a new concept. I have read that you can get bags with little or no fill under you or quilts that clip or zip onto the sides of your sleeping matt. Perhaps some of these are DIY projects that save weight and bulk. I have a poncho liner which is basically a quilt. I intend to put a zip head hole in the middle so it can be worn as a poncho or the edges doubled into the centre to be worn as a very a warm tabard. Basically it can replace a parker but also serve as a quilt. It can replace a sleeping bag in mild weather or be used as an over quilt in the very cold. I have used it over a zero C bag down to -8 C and been toasty warm. It is an Army thing from Kit Bag etc with Thermolite fill, light warm and compresses pretty small. So IMO, this kind of thing can be very useful and practical if it is made to pack small and is light. I like saving weight by adopting a multi function concept.

Regards,
Ken

[John Sheridan]

Has anyone made a thinsulate sledpong bag or used a thinsulate blanket, and in wnat temputures have you used them in, i was must wanting a a light sumer,autum,spring sleeping system, my WM Highlight is good but,not really a summer sleeping system.

How heavy would a single thinsulate bag weight ?

Cheers.

[Moondog55]

Well I wouldn't use my single Thinsulate 150 SB in anything other than summer. I do pack it in my winter hunting kit tho, as a "Just in case' emergency bag
PHD say that their double 150 overbag can add 10C to the rating of a winter bag

http://www.phdesigns.co.uk/product_info ... ucts_id=60

The same weight of Primaloft is ( or seems to be ) warmer because it is thicker, certainly my own overbag was warmer than my summer sleeping bag