top quilt material?

[ierinys]

I know this is probably hidden somewhere in the forums, but what is the overall best fabric to use for a down top quilt?

~Erinys

[Intimidator]

It's an opinion question. It needs to be down proof and ideally would be durable yet light and soft. Many cottage vendors use Dutch's argon 67/90 or RSBTR membrane fabrics

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[Bic]

several people I know that have purchased quilts made with argon have found them to be too delicate. I still like good old fashioned 1.1 oz down proof ripstop nylon. its affordable, it's durable, and it's easy to work with.

[kitsapcowboy]

Argon 90 FTW!

(Bic is right, though; I like Argon inside, but I usually consider it prudent to use something a little more robust on the outside, like 1.1 ripstop nylon or 1.55 Multicam Epsilon.)

[Beezu]

Same question, but with a specific request, regarding the outer shells:

Water-proof/resistance? I have a sleeping bag that has some sort of water resistance/proof coating, which I find almost necessary. When there is no chance of rain I sleep open to the sky and the dew or frost accumulates on the outside shell but my down never gets wet. (I have no clue what material it is, it is >20 years old ripstop.) From reading a number of posts/opinions it is apparently important that the topquilt and underquilt can breathe.

So I have 2 questions:

1) What would be a good fabric (or fabric & coating) to use for a topquilt outer shell? The topquilt will be exposed to dew, frost and perhaps light rain. It will have down fill that can't get wet. It needs to breathe reasonably well.

2) If I use a waterproof (sil...) layer for an underquilt protector will this smother the breathability of the underquilt?

Thanks!

[kitsapcowboy]

1) Try a calendared nylon or polyester fabric (ripstop or taffeta) with DWR if you're worried about dew, condensation, and/or precipitation on your TQ. It will be less breathable than plain uncalendared fabric, but it will help with wind. I like uncalendared shells on summer quilts and at least one calendared shell on quilts for colder weather.However, if your shells need to be downproof, they will usually need to be cslendared.

2) Fully waterproof coated fabrics are not ideal for a UQP because they create a vapor barrier; they don't breathe at all. Try a cslendared fabric with DWR instead.

[Beezu]

1) Try a calendared nylon or polyester fabric (ripstop or taffeta) with DWR if you're worried about dew, condensation, and/or precipitation on your TQ. It will be less breathable than plain uncalendared fabric, but it will help with wind. I like uncalendared shells on summer quilts and at least one calendared shell on quilts for colder weather.However, if your shells need to be downproof, they will usually need to be cslendared.

2) Fully waterproof coated fabrics are not ideal for a UQP because they create a vapor barrier; they don't breathe at all. Try a cslendared fabric with DWR instead.

Appreciated! (sifting/searching through this forum takes a lot of time. knowledgable responses from generous people like yourself saves me a lot of time and gives me the direct answer I am looking for. Thanks!)

Now, my understanding is that DWR/UP & calendered both contribute to water resistance, and to always use calendered fabric when working with down(?)

I assume you recommend calendered fabric for the UQP because it helps with water resistance(?)

[kitsapcowboy]

I assume you recommend calendered fabric for the UQP because it helps with water resistance(?)

Yes, but principally a calendared UQP blocks wind better; the water resistance of the DWR is really kind of an "airbag" aspect to the UQP, to catch spatter and drips that one failed to block with a proper tarp pitch.

[SutterButtes]

Argon 90 FTW!

(Bic is right, though; I like Argon inside, but I usually consider it prudent to use something a little more robust on the outside, like 1.1 ripstop nylon or 1.55 Multicam Epsilon.)

Hopefully it's ok to resurrect this old post. I came across this while looking for information for a DIY underquilt. I was planning to use Argon 90 inside and out but now I am wondering if this recommendation from 2016 is still valid.

Can anyone tell me if the 1.1 ripstop nylon from RSTBTR is more durable than Argon 90?

TIA

[cmoulder]

And the answer is still as subjective as ever!

Some people are very hard on gear and some people are very easy with their gear and it seems to last forever.

I'm on the 'easy' end of the spectrum, but I use my gear and don't baby it a bunch. I have quilts made with 10D ripstop (Enlightened Equipment) that have seen a lot of use with zero problems, including one quilt that I previously used for my dog on quite a few occasions. Newer quilt acquisitions include a TQ and a UQ made with 7D (very light!!) and I don't see any reason they won't perform well and last a long time, although they haven't seen years of use like the other quilts in my collection. I have one quilt HG Incubator made with Argon 67 and it seems to be quite durable.

So I'd go with 67 if I were doing Argon... but that's me.