I think you nail it with this statement. A bit of overfill can potentially add years to the life of an item with down insulation. I wouldn't expect any benefit other than that.Originally Posted by OneClick
I think you nail it with this statement. A bit of overfill can potentially add years to the life of an item with down insulation. I wouldn't expect any benefit other than that.
I added 2 oz to my Burrow 20 sewn foot box area. My favorite quilt by far.
none of my quilts have overstuff, and work great. guess i'd have to try one with it sometime to see if it's magical.
I use to have everything overfilled because I thought it helped. Now I think if you want extra down, get bigger baffles so it can be used. Cottage Gear is very conservatively rated, and should perform flawlessly at stated temperatures (and most slightly lower). Most overfill a little already, so the extra down is there. Get what you need and enjoy!
Hammock Tourist / Hammock Fiend / Hammock Therapist
I'd say, if you sleep normal or warm, you probably don't feel a difference in warmth between a quilt with and without overstuff. However, as a cold sleeper, it can make a marked difference. I know it does to me. Currently I'm not using HG quilts, but I have several 0° Wookis; one without overstuff, one with 2oz overstuff and one with 3oz overstuff, and I am warmer with the overstuffed quilts. But I really sleep extremely cold. Nighttime temps are currently between 79° and 84° and I'm using a 20° Wooki without breaking a sweat. Up to 80° I was still using a 0° Wooki +2oz.
Ha!
Totally magical on those damp/foggy nights where the down just doesn't get along with the environment. An extra oz goes a long way to combat some loss of loft.
So do we really know? Is there any science available on this question? I have often wondered about it. Last time I ordered a JRB, I think I had 1 oz added just because what the heck. But I remain unconvinced it provides any benefit compared to just getting a warmer quilt with more loft.
What is overstuff/overfill? Theoretically, if there is zero OS, isn't there just enough down added to fill the baffles and touch the outer shell? Then don't most manufacturers routinely add some OS, which should theoretically get the maximum possible loft by pushing up the outer shell as far as it will go? Once you are to that point, adding more down will increase weight, but will not increase loft, right? JRB:"All JRB quilts are OVERSTUFFED BY 25-36 PERCENT. This is included in the quilts stated weight and pack size. It represents quality warmth above the stated height of the baffle. This is what accounts for the dome like rise to each baffle section................Our three season quilts have a two inch baffle, are overstuffed to achieve 2.5 inches of loft, and are comfortable down to about 20° to 25°. Our winter quilts have a three inch baffle, are overstuffed to achieve 3.5 inches of loft, and are comfortable down to about 5° to 10°. "
Doesn't the majority of the warmth come from the air that is trapped between the down fibers, the so called dead air? Isn't that what is the big Kahuna insulator, more so than the down itself? So if the baffle and chambers already have just enough down(with standard over fill) to fill the baffle and push the outer nylon shell out to it's maximum possible amount- no more loft is possible- if you stuff more down into that chamber, with loft remaining the same and not increasing, are you pushing out some of the dead air and replacing it with down? Does this increase warmth? Does this actually decrease warmth, at least for the warmth to weight ratio?
What is this fill power that we pay extra $ for? Hardly any one wants 650 FP if they can afford 800-900, because te 800+ is lighter for the same loft, lighter for the same warmth. JRB used to say that there was no difference in warmth for adding a higher FP down option, just a bit less weight. So we pay more money to get the max loft/warmth for a given weight. Unless the chamber and shell are not already expanded to the max by the amount of down and OS that is standard, if we add more down into that already filed chamber, have we not effectively reduced fill power? We are now filling the same amount of space, same loft, with a heavier total weight of down, and less air. Even though we are paying max $ for max fill power.
Perhaps the overfill added past the standard over fill helps maintain loft if moisture or humidity is trying to decrease loft? And maybe this would be of a special benefit in our UQs, where down must loft up from the UQ's outer shell to contact it's inner shell and our backs so there will be no cold gap? You sure would not want to fail to loft to the max and fill the chamber if the chamber is hanging under you! If on top, you would end up with a bit less loft. If under you, you would end up with a bit less loft plus a possible gap between the top of the loft and your back. But, if adding more down cures this potential problem, would you get the same effect by just using a lower(and cheaper) fill power of down?
These are all just questions I have always had but for which I don't really know the answers. Which is why I ask if we really know, if this has been put to the test with scientific testing. We do know from testing that 2.5" of loft per side keeps the average Joe OK to 20F. I'm not sure if we know that the same 2.5" of loft will keep Joe warm to 15 if we add some more down into that 2.5" space, that can not get a bit higher. On the other hand, we do know that adding a bit more down, say enough to fill a 2.75" baffle or more AND a higher baffle and taller chamber, will definitely be warmer. All else being equal , according to testing, more loft = more warmth. Does the same exact loft with more down added = more warmth? I'm not at all sure. Does anyone know for sure?
Last edited by BillyBob58; 08-09-2018 at 13:25.
It's like cooking recipes. Add 1tbsp sugar...so you add 1tbsp, plus an extra pinch just because.
JustBill needs to tackle that one, BillyBob!
Does anyone know how much volume an ounce of down typically packs “down” to, no pun intended. It might be helpful to keep in mind how much more pack space each ounce of overstuff adds. I realize the fill power is going to change that, so let’s get the answer for one ounce of 850fp and 950fp.
I think this is the most influential factor because pack space is the most premium of all. An extra ounce or so of weight in down is not an unwise investment. An extra $10-$20 is not all that painful. But that extra pack space is arguably a big deal to most people.
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks