0 degree Primaloft Silver UQ Challenge

**griffinstone** · 10-27-2015, 17:03

Hey guys, so I am trying to make a good UQ for myself for the Winters in West Virginia. I decided on Primaloft Sport from http://therainshed.com/ because it's cheap, does well in moisture, and compresses a lot better than climashield. I am trying to figure out how much of it I would need and unquilted or quilted? I figured that 10 ounces might be a good amount but I am still not sure. I am trying to make a full underquilt so I am still considering the dimensions. Has anybody done an UQ like this before?

WV · 10-27-2015, 17:35

I think that's a pretty good guess on thickness. For really cold conditions a sock to block the wind is a good supplement, but site selection is a big part of keeping warm, too. I use both Primaloft Silver and Climashield for the bottom layers of my insulated hammocks. That's a lot like making an underquilt, except that it's attached. Sewing pleats into the edges of a flat quilt or making up a curved quilt out of separate pre-quilted panels helps prevent bunching or migration of the insulation. My panels average about 12" to 15" wide. See what you can find in a quilt pattern, and maybe make a mockup using the cheapest fabric you can find without insulation to see how it fits the hammock. (Later you might be able to use the mockup as an underquilt protector.) I'd be happy to consult. We're only about 75 miles apart.

**griffinstone** · 10-28-2015, 16:33

That would be great. I am still figuring out whether or not I should go with quilted or unquilted Primaloft. What did you use and do you have any photos of your insulated hammock?

**gunner76** · 10-28-2015, 17:16

If you can, get quilted.

WV · 10-28-2015, 17:46

Originally Posted by griffinstone

That would be great. I am still figuring out whether or not I should go with quilted or unquilted Primaloft. What did you use and do you have any photos of your insulated hammock?

I recently posted a video of 3 new bridge hammocks and before that did another video. Getting the insulation layer the right size and shape to attach to the hammock without gaps or thin spots is pretty complicated, and I'm not suggesting that you do something labor-intensive like that, but they all use the technique of taking flat panels of fabric and sewing insulation to them, then sewing the panels together to make a fitted insulation layer. You could apply that to any underquilt design and then use an adjustable suspension to hold it in place.

I used regular Primaloft Silver. The stitching around the smaller panels effectively quilted it. Gunner76's suggestion is probably a good one for a simple UQ design, but I've never seen the pre-quilted insulation, so I can't be sure.

**Dutch** · 10-28-2015, 18:02

Keep us posted, I can't wait to see it. Pics or it didn't happen.

Dutch

**griffinstone** · 10-28-2015, 18:43

Right now it's just a matter of getting the materials and learning how to quilt it. There will definitely be pictures to come though. Would I or rather could I baffle it somehow for the quilted primaloft or is it likely that there won't be a migration problem for the most part?

**griffinstone** · 11-01-2015, 02:10

I am considering going to Primaloft Gold (formally known as One) because of the higher warmth value and there isn't too much of a cost difference but am still looking at about the same amount somehow. How much Primaloft Gold vs Sport do you think should be used for a 0 degree bag?

**Scotty Von Porkchop** · 11-01-2015, 06:08

I've a bit of knowledge building quilts with primaloft silver but more in gold. Gold will absolutely need quilting, how often seems to depend on thickness: 66g needing every 6" but as it get to the thicker 133g I drop down to every 12". To get the thickness you'd need for 0f (-17c in new money) you'd also need to quilt one layer of 133g gold to the top fabric and then quilt another 133g to the bottom fabric AND make sure these quilting lines don't match up as at the temperature as cold spots could be downright dangerous. Would this be a awesome quilt? Absolutely. Worth the effort? Ask someone less lazy. Primaloft silver, though not as nice as gold I'd still much softer and yielding than climashield though.

**sunsetkayaker** · 11-01-2015, 08:29

I uesd primaloft gold and quilted each of the two layers to the nylon shell. Then I put them together at the edges and tied the middle. I could not get it to stop gathering so I had to pin newspaper strips on the sew line on the primaloft side and sewed on the nylon side. Then the newspaper pulls off where it is perforated. Try it on a scrap before you mess up your underquilt.

PS They told me that 2 layers would probably be about 30 degree quilt.