View Full Version : insulation
cwayman1
10-27-2009, 16:21
ok, so what are some major differences in the walmart polyfill insulation (110"x110" sheet- 1/2" loft) for ~$11 and primaloft/climashield stuff that's $11-12 /yard? just not as warm? doesn't compress as well? I tried compressing it and it seems to pretty well. advice please :)
cwayman1
Snowleopard
10-27-2009, 17:32
I haven't tried it, bu most likely the main differences will be that the high quality stuff has more insulation for the same weight and may last longer. You can try it and see. A bargain for climashield is the 102" wide stuff for $12.95/yard from http://www.owfinc.com/Fabrics/insulation.asp
The stuff they sell at walmart is crap. I mean its okay for a quilt, but overall, low quality.
If you go to joanns and get some bonded poly, then you have some better quality material but its still heavy for the loft and thats the difference between the high end poly insul and the cheap stuff, loft per weight.
From what I can tell form my test quilt I made from the better joanns insul the difference is for about the same weight it has about 1/2 the loft.
I would guess and say it is fairly close to the old polarguard insul.
The best right now is the climasheild XP insul.
.6" loft - 2.5 oz
1.2" loft - 5 oz
2.5 oz is good for about 45-50dF
3.7 oz combat is good for about 35-40df
5 oz is good for about 25-30dF
They sell those weights at thru hiker.
take-a-knee
10-27-2009, 21:07
Dude, even climashield compresses and looses it's loft fairly quickly, that walmart crap ain't worth the effort it'll take to build something.
Rocketman
10-29-2009, 08:59
I have measured the loft per ounce of "low loft" and "high loft" polyester quilting materials as about 90 cu. in. per ounce and 130 cu. in. per ounce.
Comparing these to 500 - 800 cu. in. per ounce down as found in bedtop and outdoor quilts indicates that you will have much less warmth per weight with the sewing store polyester batting for quilts.
The Climashield data posted earlier might be equivalent to over 600 cu. in. per ounce.
Sometimes, cheap is good. This doesn't seem to be one of those times.:confused:
Climasheild XP should be about 300-320 fill, so it will be about 2X + as heavy as 650 down.
IE 5 oz XP, 36x36x1.2 (inches thick) = 1555ci/5oz = 311 fill
The weight can vary a good bit, but that should get you close.
Snowleopard
10-29-2009, 10:54
The better synthetic insulations insulate better than their loft would indicate, so the 311 cu inch/oz loft of Climashield XP doesn't mean it only gives half the insulation of 650 down. The better unit of insulation for clothing/sleeping bags is clo.
BUT, the 90 or 130 cu in/oz Rocketman measures shows that the Walmart type stuff is truly lousy.
I never could figure out the whole CLO thing, but Tim marshall over at BPL told me that his general guideline for quilts was
2.5oz xp,.6" loft good for about 45dF.
3.7oz xp combat, .9" loft good for about 35dF
5oz xp, 1.2" loft good for about 25dF.
That said, 2" of down is good to about 25dF so in that case the ratio 5oz XP vs a 850 fill down would be about 5 to 3 weight wise. Close to the same for 600-650 down which is interesting.