Differential Cut on 30* TQ Worth the Effort?

[MattK]

I am looking for a little bit of advice on a TQ build I have planned.

It is going to be a ~30* TQ of Argon 67, 950FP down, with 2" baffles (using pre-cut 2.5" no-seeum baffle material). Since I am using top end materials and taking the time to do it, I would like to do it right.

I like the idea of doing a differential cut. I initially thought I would do boxed out corners on the shell material to prevent compression when I have it nice and tightly tucked around me. This adds some complication to the build, due to different cuts for shell and liner material, baffle terminations, etc. It also presents some complexity due to the 58" usable width of the material: it is slightly more narrow than what would be ideal to achieve a finished width of 54" with the differential cut. I do spend some time on the ground (alpine and desert outings mostly) so the extra width is a must have for me.

All of this has me wondering: is it worth the extra effort to create a differential cut on the top quilt? Or, should I just simplify things and add additional width to both the liner and the shell to account for the 2" finished baffle height?

Thanks ahead of time for the input.

[Double]

I would say that it is worth it. I have all the materials gathered up except the down for my next set of quilts and will be doing pretty much exactly what you are doing. Minus using ultra light fabric (1.1 ripstop) and 950 fill down (800 fill power). My first set was with membrane 10 and 950 fill power and didnt take my time like I should of. They work, but wont be winning any beauty pageants anytime soon. I think differential cut on top and bottom quilt are worth the extra time. Plus they make it look so much nicer once you're finished. Take your time with the thin material, if you get frustrated walk away for a bit regroup and sew some more.

[dscotthep]

On an underquilt, the differential cut allows the inner (or upper) layer of fabric to be snugged up against your hammock while the outer (or lower) layer remains loose, maintaining the loft of your quilt. This isn't an issue with a top quilt. There's nothing pulling on the fabric that a differential cut will compensate for.

You might justify it if you're a die-hard gram weenie, but it seems like a lot of unnecessary work to me.

[MattK]

Yeah, I think this is basically my dilema: on one hand I really would like to take time and do it right, and not feel like I cut corners so that I have a high quality piece of gear I want to happy with for years to come. On the other hand, I am not sure if a differential cut will actually make a functional difference. Particularly, for a 30* quilt with 2" of loft and a decent amount of width probably won't loose much loft even if I have it nice and tucked around on colder night.

I think I will simplify things for myself. I plan on adding a draft collar at the head end, and adding an extra baffle at the foot end so it seals well when cinched up (like Katabatic Flex quilts). These features add extra effort but will probably noticeably impact the performance of the quilt. I don't think the same can be said for a full differential cut.

Thanks for the input