Page 1 of 3 123 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 28
  1. #1
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Jun 2020
    Location
    Ventura County CA
    Hammock
    DW Chameleon
    Tarp
    Tarpless
    Insulation
    HG
    Suspension
    Whoopie's
    Posts
    146
    Images
    5

    Zip-Cinch foot boxes - I'm Not a fan

    I've had 3 top quilts so far. All have had sewn footboxes up till now. I recently got a HG Burrow 40 Premium 950 with a zipper footbox and tried it out this weekend (got a good deal on it 2nd hand and was otherwise exactly what I was looking for. Man I love HG quilts. The quilt itself is impeccable. Stupid light, very warm. In lieu of what Im about to say, I still loooove the quilt and every interaction I've ever had with HG.)

    Anyways, it only got down to 55ish overnight and I had cold feet! Mid-night I woke up and stuffed my wool shirt down there and it was fine, but the cinch closure still leaves a silver dollar sized hole! its worthless IMO! I know stuffing something down there is standard operating procedure, but it seems like an inherent design flaw IMO. (I would suggest there should be a small 'flap' or 'pillow' sewn into the bottom of the quilt so you can plug the hole if desired, or just flip it out of the way if you want the venting. This would weigh less than .5oz and solve all my qualms with the zip footbox - Harry, you guys should offer this, or my Down Dumbell idea below. It could attach to the cinch cord so you dont lose it)

    I know people say 'stuff unused clothing down there' but I need every inch of my regular size quilt - My 150 wool shirt stuffed down there took away 3-4" of length and I was struggling to stay covered (but im fine in my HG regular length sewn footbox's). Also, I have been trying to reduce extra clothing and when I pack perfectly I have no extra clothing (that I feel like putting next to my stinky feet all night, even though I carry a dedicated pair of Darn Tough Midweight sleep socks. I have backup clothing, but most of it is pricey, 7d/10d fabric I dont want by my feet)

    I think I'll end up ordering Down Socks from Goosefeet or Zpacks, or maybe just selling the quilt down the line and purchasing the same one in a sewn footbox.
    I'll message ben and see if he will make me a Down Sausage - a tube about the size of a summer sausage for me to stuff in the hole. Or maybe a Down Dumbell would work better to keep it in place.

    I guess if its really, really warm - like 65* and muggy overnight - it might be nice to unzip. But in the dry, cool nights of southern California semi-desert, the zipper/cinch is just a liability warmth and weight wise. I am not a fan. Sticking a leg out of a sewn footbox never caused me problems, and its much warmer.
    I should say, I never use my quilt for anything but sleeping. I guess if you use your quilt around camp as supplemental down insulation the zip could be nice. You could use it as an almost-serepe. But I just have dedicated puffies for that. Also I am super OCD that my quilt touches nothing but sleep clothes and Hammock. If that's not you this rant may not apply.

    None of this is a knock on HG or their quilts at all. I know the Zip FB works for some people, just not me. I wanted to try a zip quilt because I'd never tried one, but now I know what I know. I dont like them

    Anyways, this is my opinion column for the week - I highly recommend sewn footboxes unless you're in really warm weather or wear your quilt outside the hammock.
    Last edited by mcimes; 06-07-2021 at 13:50.

  2. #2
    Senior Member rweb82's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2016
    Location
    NW Indiana
    Hammock
    DH Raven/Darien
    Tarp
    WB Mountainfly
    Insulation
    Loco Libre/HG/SLD
    Suspension
    Myerstech/Becket
    Posts
    1,578
    One little tip with cinch foot boxes, wrap the draw cord around the hole (like you're sealing a balloon), and then tuck the last little bit back under one of the wraps. This completely eliminates the hole, and you don't have to worry about stuffing anything else inside the foot box.

    Picture for reference.

  3. #3
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Jun 2020
    Location
    Ventura County CA
    Hammock
    DW Chameleon
    Tarp
    Tarpless
    Insulation
    HG
    Suspension
    Whoopie's
    Posts
    146
    Images
    5
    Genius! Why didnt I think of that?

    Do you lose an inch or 2 making the 'knot'? Part of my goal is to maximize the length of the quilt as I fit in a Regular, but dont have extra length to spare.

    I'll try that next time and see how it goes.

  4. #4
    Senior Member rweb82's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2016
    Location
    NW Indiana
    Hammock
    DH Raven/Darien
    Tarp
    WB Mountainfly
    Insulation
    Loco Libre/HG/SLD
    Suspension
    Myerstech/Becket
    Posts
    1,578
    It does shorten the length by about 1-1.5" max.

  5. #5
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Dec 2016
    Location
    Portland, OR
    Posts
    1,302
    Images
    3
    I take a small piece of polyester batting from an old pillow and plug the hole with that. weighs nothing and i can take it out if i want the ventilation.

    But i agree, if i could order it again, i would get the sewn version.

  6. #6
    FLTurtle's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2018
    Location
    Orlando FL
    Hammock
    DW Chameleon, WB Eldorado
    Tarp
    Thunder/Superfly
    Insulation
    HG 20/40
    Suspension
    DW Beetle Buckles
    Posts
    1,110
    I used to cram a pair of socks tied into a knot into the hole. But after rwebs post, I just pulled out my 20F quilt and tied it off like he did. Thanks man!

  7. #7
    Senior Member cmoulder's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2017
    Location
    Ossining, NY
    Hammock
    DH Darien, SLD Tree Runner
    Tarp
    HG hex
    Insulation
    Timmermade, Revolt
    Suspension
    Kevlar, Lapp Hitch
    Posts
    4,912
    Images
    356
    Make a plug with a ziploc baggie and some leaves etc.

    But, yeah, I'm into sewn footboxes... easy enough to stick out a leg or whatever to ventilate, and a skosh less faff and weight.
    Five Basic Principles of Going Lighter (not me... the great Cam Honan of OZ)
    “If everybody is thinking alike, then somebody isn't thinking.” ~ Gen. George S Patton

  8. #8
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Jul 2020
    Location
    Little Rock, AR
    Hammock
    1.0 HyperD DIY
    Tarp
    Dutchware DCF
    Insulation
    DIY down
    Suspension
    Straps
    Posts
    329
    Quote Originally Posted by rweb82 View Post
    One little tip with cinch foot boxes, wrap the draw cord around the hole (like you're sealing a balloon), and then tuck the last little bit back under one of the wraps. This completely eliminates the hole, and you don't have to worry about stuffing anything else inside the foot box.

    Picture for reference.
    I would do that when I had a quilt with a cinch cord. My problem with cold feet is usually the result of either not having an adequate foot pad (windshield shades do NOT keep your toes warm below freezing. FYI), or having the foot pad slip out of place. I finally realized that I never opened it up all the way, anyway, so mine have all been sewn. Reduces some of fiddle factor for me.

  9. #9
    Senior Member rweb82's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2016
    Location
    NW Indiana
    Hammock
    DH Raven/Darien
    Tarp
    WB Mountainfly
    Insulation
    Loco Libre/HG/SLD
    Suspension
    Myerstech/Becket
    Posts
    1,578
    Quote Originally Posted by AmberG View Post
    I would do that when I had a quilt with a cinch cord. My problem with cold feet is usually the result of either not having an adequate foot pad (windshield shades do NOT keep your toes warm below freezing. FYI), or having the foot pad slip out of place. I finally realized that I never opened it up all the way, anyway, so mine have all been sewn. Reduces some of fiddle factor for me.
    I agree. If I ever order another top quilt, I'll probably just get a sewn foot box too- since I've never opened mine up either. But I sleep very warm, and always use my Thermarest Lite sit pad in the foot box, so cold feet have never been an issue for me.

  10. #10
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Jul 2019
    Location
    PNW- ONP adjacent
    Hammock
    netless mostly...
    Tarp
    DW Winter, Hex 12
    Insulation
    HG Burrow/Incu E20
    Suspension
    Whoopie-Spider
    Posts
    123
    Love HG quilts and hope to own many more in the future but I won't ever get a zippered footbox again. Thought I might like the option of opening it up but have never wanted to. If somebody is on the fence and intends on using a topquilt only in a hammock, I would encourage them to stick with a sewn footbox based on my experience. YMMV, HYOH and all.

  • + New Posts
  • Page 1 of 3 123 LastLast

    Similar Threads

    1. Difference between Bandit quilt foot boxes.
      By Kilo3 in forum UGQ Outdoor Equipment
      Replies: 8
      Last Post: 12-20-2019, 08:14
    2. My confusion about foot boxes - Help!
      By HangingOut in forum Do-It-Yourself (DIY)
      Replies: 7
      Last Post: 01-27-2013, 12:46
    3. Two Foot Boxes
      By RockIsland in forum Do-It-Yourself (DIY)
      Replies: 12
      Last Post: 07-31-2012, 21:12
    4. Destinctive Rolled Hem Hemmer Foot & Binder Foot & EdgeStitcher Sewing Foot Package
      By Dweller7 in forum [SOLD/WITHDRAWN] Items no longer available
      Replies: 0
      Last Post: 10-13-2011, 20:24
    5. TQ Foot Boxes
      By jbo_c in forum Do-It-Yourself (DIY)
      Replies: 9
      Last Post: 11-02-2010, 09:19

    Bookmarks

    Posting Permissions

    • You may not post new threads
    • You may not post replies
    • You may not post attachments
    • You may not edit your posts
    •