Synthetic TQ

[canada_doug]

I am looking for a synthetic top quilt. I currently have a Snugpack top quilt. It works great and has kept me warm of near freezing nights, but its heavy at 35oz! I just upgraded from a DYI Costco UQ to a UGQ 20 degree Zepplin underquilt. I nead a synthetic TQ because I find down affects my lungs and breathing (pillows, jackets, blankets all have this affect on me). I mostly backpack in the Northern VT or Canada in early/late summer or early fall. I’d love to cut some weight. Any suggestions?

[INhammockcamper]

Best way to cut weight is to go to down, but sounds like that may be an issue for you. I'm not familiar with many synthetic quilt makers but did come across this company https://www.arrowhead-equipment.com/...ic_Quilts.html

[Two Tents]

Two mfgrs come to mind. Enlightened Equipment and Nunatak. Both have customisable options and both have wait times. Synthetic is more bulky and weighs more no matter who makes it. Climashield Apex, mmmm! There may be other cottage vendors offering synthetic. I've done business with EE and Nunatak and would buy from them again.

[Tikker]

https://www.arrowhead-equipment.com/...ic_Quilts.html

arrowhead's synthetic underquilts get pretty good reviews. I don't know anyone with their top quilt tho, but that being said, I can't imagine making great UQ and crap topquilts, so give them a call

[Otter1]

Enlightened Equipment & Arrowhead would be my top two choices, with EE being #!.

To my knowledge, they've been selling them longer than anyone, and I love Their work and have owned their quilts for years.

[gunner76]

Enlightened Equipment & Arrowhead would be my top two choices, with EE being #!.

I agree, although I can say which is # 1. I have two down TQs from EE, excellent quality but no synthetic quilts from them. I do have several synthetic TQs and UQs from Arrowhead and they work great, only issue is on the 3S and 4S ones, they weigh a bit more and do not compress as much as down. I resolve this problem by using a compression bag and placing them in a waterproof bag and carry them on the outside of my pack.

[sabinajiles]

I have an Enlightened Equipment 40 degree, Apex top quilt that I purchased 4 years ago when I was still a ground dweller. It's 84"x 58", tapering to 42" at the bottom. It weighs right at 20 oz. I'm a warm sleeper and have used it to the low 40s and been perfectly comfortable. I recently purchased another Apex 40 degree top quilt from a company called Elemental Hammock. It's 78"x 55" with no taper at the foot and it weighs 21 oz. It's a well made quilt and was substantially cheaper than the EE quilt although it uses a drawstring and ties to close the foot box and they don't offer snaps, zipper or a sewn foot box. However, the ties do work. They just aren't as convenient. EE offers Apex quilts to a 20 degree rating and Elemental Hammocks offers them to 10 degrees.

[cmoulder]

I am looking for a synthetic top quilt. I currently have a Snugpack top quilt. It works great and has kept me warm of near freezing nights, but its heavy at 35oz! I just upgraded from a DYI Costco UQ to a UGQ 20 degree Zepplin underquilt. I nead a synthetic TQ because I find down affects my lungs and breathing (pillows, jackets, blankets all have this affect on me). I mostly backpack in the Northern VT or Canada in early/late summer or early fall. I’d love to cut some weight. Any suggestions?

The choice of shell material also has a huge impact on both weight and compressibility. EE has 10D and 7D shell options, and if you go on the website and click on the various size and material choices, the weight for selected combos are calculated instantly for comparison. I have found these weight estimates to be very, very close to actual finished product weight.

I have found 10D shells—inside and out—to be plenty durable for me, and now have a couple of 7D quilts which I think will also be fine with reasonable care. Looking back, I think all the stuff we used for the past few decades was seriously overbuilt, and thus far heavier than necessary.

[gunner76]

I think all the stuff we used for the past few decades was seriously overbuilt, and thus far heavier than necessary.

Its only been the past few years that there has been a real push to develop the lighter and stronger fabrics being used in many of the hammocks, tarps and quilts for which we can thank our cottage vendors.