squidlyman
08-28-2009, 17:11
I was just penning a reply to a PM from somebody with questions about the Ray Jardine quilts that I've made (I've a 1P, a 2P light, and a 2P warm)... and figured that the reply might be useful to others. So... that said, here's the message I got:
Hi,
Thinking of making a 2 person Ray Way Alpine Quilt as well. Can you tell me how much your's weights. What features you have (gorget, draft stopper, split zip). And also what size can I expect it to pack to.
Thanks
And here is my reply
A good project to make... especially for those that aren't "sewing pros".
I have two 2P quilts, actually... one where I used the "alpine" upgrade and one that's the normal one. In each, I've got the gorget (or whatever he calls it), the split zip, and the draft stopper. I believe that those come "standard" for the most part, in his kits. In reality, each is simply a slight change in sewing design, and not really a significant difference in fabric or end-product.
Personally, I think he over-rates the gorget, since I don't think that the cost (time/effort) to include it brings an equivalent return on investment. The split zip is nice, as it allows me to split the quilt with my girlfriend. As for the draft-stopper, that's a no-brainer and you certainly want that (I know somebody on the PCT who tried it without, and they paid the price).
Size will of course vary, depending on your personal measurements. One note on this... the first 1P and 2P quilts I made, there was enough spare fabric included in the kit for me to use (ie: after measuring, I had some spare nylon and some spare insulation). For my 2P with Alpine, and I emailed him on this to confirm, they changed the amount of nylon included in the kit. So... when I made the quilt a bit extra wide (since my girlfriend has trouble with the whole "sharing" concept, and likes to pull extra over to her half (and I tried to accommodate by making a wider quilt)), I ran short on fabric. "Short" means that I was unable to cut the fabric per his cutting guides, and so I had to splice together a couple smaller/leftover pieces to accommodate. Of course, in Ray's way (somewhat obnoxious, IMHO), when I asked him about this, he made some sly comment wondering why anyone would really want to make a quilt that wide, and while admitting to changing the fabric amounts in the kit, he didn't explain why (I assume a cost-cutting measure on their part).
The weight also is depending on how big/heavy you make the quilt.
My 2P "alpine" is somewhere around 3lbs, 11oz. In making it, I added not only the alpine amount of insulation, but also sewed in any scrap insulation left over in an attempt to warm it even more. We've used it to 15 degree F weather w/o problems, and in fact, we were surprised to find that we were actually quite warm. The packability is such that when split, each half fits into a standard sized sleeping bag stuff sack w/o much effort or "packing".
My 2P "regular" (or "light") is somewhere around 2lbs, 9oz. In making it, I used only the "standard" insulation that he provides. We've not used this much, as when it's warmer we often use our hammocks. BUT, we did one night get stuck in the Smokies and a cold front came in... where we woke with a tarptent covered with ice, and snow on the ground. We survived the night, and if memory serves, we were comfy (the 2 people sleeping together really makes this possible). The packability is such that it'll fit as a single piece into a standard sized sleeping bag stuff sack, or if you want to split it, it'll fit into smaller sacks quite easily w/o much effort or "packing".
I would say that if you plan to make a "light" one, you might almost want to consider avoiding the split-zip (and the associated sewing madness that can come with a zipper), as one person can stuff it down to a regular sized sleeping bag w/o too much of an issue, and the weight is not prohibitive. BUT, if you have "size of gear" concerns, then the split zip would help you each carry a smaller bag.
Hi,
Thinking of making a 2 person Ray Way Alpine Quilt as well. Can you tell me how much your's weights. What features you have (gorget, draft stopper, split zip). And also what size can I expect it to pack to.
Thanks
And here is my reply
A good project to make... especially for those that aren't "sewing pros".
I have two 2P quilts, actually... one where I used the "alpine" upgrade and one that's the normal one. In each, I've got the gorget (or whatever he calls it), the split zip, and the draft stopper. I believe that those come "standard" for the most part, in his kits. In reality, each is simply a slight change in sewing design, and not really a significant difference in fabric or end-product.
Personally, I think he over-rates the gorget, since I don't think that the cost (time/effort) to include it brings an equivalent return on investment. The split zip is nice, as it allows me to split the quilt with my girlfriend. As for the draft-stopper, that's a no-brainer and you certainly want that (I know somebody on the PCT who tried it without, and they paid the price).
Size will of course vary, depending on your personal measurements. One note on this... the first 1P and 2P quilts I made, there was enough spare fabric included in the kit for me to use (ie: after measuring, I had some spare nylon and some spare insulation). For my 2P with Alpine, and I emailed him on this to confirm, they changed the amount of nylon included in the kit. So... when I made the quilt a bit extra wide (since my girlfriend has trouble with the whole "sharing" concept, and likes to pull extra over to her half (and I tried to accommodate by making a wider quilt)), I ran short on fabric. "Short" means that I was unable to cut the fabric per his cutting guides, and so I had to splice together a couple smaller/leftover pieces to accommodate. Of course, in Ray's way (somewhat obnoxious, IMHO), when I asked him about this, he made some sly comment wondering why anyone would really want to make a quilt that wide, and while admitting to changing the fabric amounts in the kit, he didn't explain why (I assume a cost-cutting measure on their part).
The weight also is depending on how big/heavy you make the quilt.
My 2P "alpine" is somewhere around 3lbs, 11oz. In making it, I added not only the alpine amount of insulation, but also sewed in any scrap insulation left over in an attempt to warm it even more. We've used it to 15 degree F weather w/o problems, and in fact, we were surprised to find that we were actually quite warm. The packability is such that when split, each half fits into a standard sized sleeping bag stuff sack w/o much effort or "packing".
My 2P "regular" (or "light") is somewhere around 2lbs, 9oz. In making it, I used only the "standard" insulation that he provides. We've not used this much, as when it's warmer we often use our hammocks. BUT, we did one night get stuck in the Smokies and a cold front came in... where we woke with a tarptent covered with ice, and snow on the ground. We survived the night, and if memory serves, we were comfy (the 2 people sleeping together really makes this possible). The packability is such that it'll fit as a single piece into a standard sized sleeping bag stuff sack, or if you want to split it, it'll fit into smaller sacks quite easily w/o much effort or "packing".
I would say that if you plan to make a "light" one, you might almost want to consider avoiding the split-zip (and the associated sewing madness that can come with a zipper), as one person can stuff it down to a regular sized sleeping bag w/o too much of an issue, and the weight is not prohibitive. BUT, if you have "size of gear" concerns, then the split zip would help you each carry a smaller bag.