Quilt questions: outer material and length + other misc

[nquinn]

Hi all!

I'm pretty much sold on a quilt, and am leaning heavily towards the UGQ bandit right now for the money.

Some questions:

1. I'm 5 ft 9.5", so right on the border of their lengths. Would you go 72" or 78"? A 2.5" buffer doesn't sound like much, but it seems like some might prefer the shorter length to align the quilt exactly with your neck. Most online seem to prefer +5-6" over height, but that's not an option with the bandit. (The Saver Serrano, however, has a 75" length). I ask because I tried out a 78" blanket at home and even that didn't feel that long to me once I was bunched up. I'm a side/stomach sleeper usually.

2. Do most people opt for the tougher outer fabric? (HD with +1.35oz?) Seems to make sense to me, but i'm not sure how tough the M10 stuff would be already. I assume M10 is similar to the ion fabric of the serrano right?

3. Go with sewn box instead of snaps since this would be a 20* quilt? (I plan to almost always do 3 season camping, but figure a 20 would be more diverse in case of travel trips where it is colder).

I'm leaning towards the Bandit over the Serrano because (a) I can specify a tougher outer fabric and (b) they seem to provide a bit more filling for the same temperature range. (14oz for the serrano wide 75" vs 15.3oz for the bandit 78" or 14.7 for the 72").

My overall plan is to go with this 20* quilt for colder fall nights and travel, and use a dirt cheap costco $20 throw for summer camping.

[Otter1]

If you aren't rough with your gear and especially if you sleep in a hammock, you should be fine without tougher outer fabric. Save weight.

Venting is an option (when it's a bit too warm for your quilt) with the snaps. Otherwise sewn is fine.

When in doubt, go with a little longer. Someone your height will chime in on a more exact answer.

[Foxpoop]

I'll take a shot at most of your questions:
I'm 6'3" and use 78" quilts. I could go shorter and be fine, so I would say go 72".
M10 is tough. I would save the weight unless you are really rough on gear. M10 is more comparable to Argon 67 than ion.
I'm sure George will use whatever fabric you want for the Serrano.
I wouldn't necessarily compare down fill oz to oz between manufacturers. They all do their baffles differently. UGQ and LL know what they are doing. They provide the right amount of down for their design and temperature ratings.
I always go with sewn footbox. I hate the feel of snaps/zippers/shock cord on my feet and legs.
Good plan for 20* 3 season. You might want to go synthetic quilt or light fleece for summer. Down can get clammy. I don't use down above 60*.

[nquinn]

I'll take a shot at most of your questions:
I'm 6'3" and use 78" quilts. I could go shorter and be fine, so I would say go 72".
M10 is tough. I would save the weight unless you are really rough on gear. M10 is more comparable to Argon 67 than ion.
I'm sure George will use whatever fabric you want for the Serrano.
I wouldn't necessarily compare down fill oz to oz between manufacturers. They all do their baffles differently. UGQ and LL know what they are doing. They provide the right amount of down for their design and temperature ratings.
I always go with sewn footbox. I hate the feel of snaps/zippers/shock cord on my feet and legs.
Good plan for 20* 3 season. You might want to go synthetic quilt or light fleece for summer. Down can get clammy. I don't use down above 60*.

Thanks for the detailed reply. Between a saver serrano and bandit, both being nearly identically priced, is there any reason you'd have a preference for one over the other based on their design?

[Foxpoop]

I haven't owned either, so I am probably not the best to answer that. I was very interested in the design of the Bandit, but I have a size 13 shoe. A friend of mine with the same size feet said that the footbox on the Bandit felt cramped for him. Having said that, if I really wanted a Bandit, Is m sure that Paul and Missy would make sure the footbox was sized appropriately for me. The wait time on the Serrano could be an issue? Design looks good and LL reputation is great (but so is UGQ).
That probably didn't help you st all. Sorry.

[kitsapcowboy]

I own both a Bandit and a Saver Series Serrano.

1) 78"

2) HD1.0

3) Sewn if you'll be using the Bandit exclusively under 50F temperatures, otherwise snap/drawcord.

(That said, if you're going with a snap/drawcord footbox and the pricing is roughly equivalent, I'd definitely consider going with the LLG Saver Series Serrano instead for its shaping, down draft colors, and excellent Dutch Ion fabric.)

[nquinn]

I own both a Bandit and a Saver Series Serrano.

1) 78"

2) HD1.0

3) Sewn if you'll be using the Bandit exclusively under 50F temperatures, otherwise snap/drawcord.

(That said, if you're going with a snap/drawcord footbox and the pricing is roughly equivalent, I'd definitely consider going with the LLG Saver Series Serrano instead for its shaping, down draft colors, and excellent Dutch Ion fabric.)

Ahh! So many mixed opinions. Many other people are telling me to just go 72" and M10 fabric to save weight. (Would be around 2.8oz I think total). I guess it's not -that- different, but every ounce matters.

72" base = 20.58oz
78" base = 22.05oz (+1.47oz)
+ 1.35oz if I wanted the HD1.0 fabric

I haven't been able to find many reviews of the M10 fabric.

[kitsapcowboy]

Ahh! So many mixed opinions. Many other people are telling me to just go 72" and M10 fabric to save weight. (Would be around 2.8oz I think total). I guess it's not -that- different, but every ounce matters...I haven't been able to find many reviews of the M10 fabric.

You sound like you might be on the gram-shaver end of the hammock continuum, and that's fine. Go with the short quilt then, if it suits you. Once you have your personal priorities in order -- weight versus warmth and comfort -- your choice will be clear. There are no "right" answers... (The M10 is the lightest fabric of the three you are considering, so if grams matter most to you, get the MEMBRANE and don't worry about how it feels as long as it holds your down, which it will... (Personally, I find M10 to be clearly inferior to HD1.0 or Dutch Ion (especially) in feel when next to the skin, but that's just an opinion...)

[nquinn]

You sound like you might be on the gram-shaver end of the hammock continuum, and that's fine. Go with the short quilt then, if it suits you. Once you have your personal priorities in order -- weight versus warmth and comfort -- your choice will be clear. There are no "right" answers... (The M10 is the lightest fabric of the three you are considering, so if grams matter most to you, get the MEMBRANE and don't worry about how it feels as long as it holds your down, which it will... (Personally, I find M10 to be clearly inferior to HD1.0 or Dutch Ion (especially) in feel when next to the skin, but that's just an opinion...)

I'm just getting started with all of this so tormenting myself on getting the right gear from the start. Interesting that you don't like the feel of M10. The bandit quilts only offer HD1.0 as an exterior fabric. You're stuck with M10 on the interior, though I previously thought this was a good thing because it's so light.

How tough is the Ion fabric? Good enough for an exterior? I see it's 1oz/yd so I imagine it's ok, but saw no mention of rip-stop.

[rweb82]

I'm just getting started with all of this so tormenting myself on getting the right gear from the start. Interesting that you don't like the feel of M10. The bandit quilts only offer HD1.0 as an exterior fabric. You're stuck with M10 on the interior, though I previously thought this was a good thing because it's so light.

How tough is the Ion fabric? Good enough for an exterior? I see it's 1oz/yd so I imagine it's ok, but saw no mention of rip-stop.

I think the Ion fabric is going to be quite durable. It feels amazing too!

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