MYOG: Down quilt for winter hiking

Have you ever wondered how long it takes to make a down quilt? (Of course you have!)  Well, I don't know how long other people have taken, but it took me 15 months from go to whoa! That's long.  So long that I started the project before the winter of 2013 and just finished it in time for the winter of 2014!

In actual fact though, there were few technical or logistical issues that delayed the project.  All the significant delays came about from "life" getting in the way, including work commitments, a hip replacement procedure (and extended recovery), then the hunt for the motivation to continue!

One consequence of having projects in a holding pattern is the tendency to leave the project stuff lying around in a not-really-packed-away-properly state.  So I can't really blame my daughter and her friends for frightening the cat ... that jumped onto the big bag of down feathers ... and ripped a mighty hole in the bag ... after which mishap feathery mayhem ensued in the lounge room.  Cleaning up after the feather storm was a project in itself.  You would not believe the places feathers can reach when allowed to run amok.


Anyway, earlier this year I picked up the threads of the project (did you see what I did there?) and "knocked the bastard off" (as I'm sure Sir Edmund Hillary would have said should he have taken on a interminable MYOG sewing project).

Planning 

The reason for this project was that the synthetic quilt I made in an earlier project was not proving to be adequately warm in Winter, particularly in snow conditions.  I considered buying a down quilt, such as the excellent products available from Enlightened Equipment, but I figured I could make one more cheaply and it seemed like an interesting project.

Quilt dimensions (click for larger view)

I spent quite a bit of time planning the design of the quilt. I wanted to ensure the quilt would be have good length (able to stretch my toes out when clipped around my neck) and sufficient width to tuck in under me, when the mercury drops well below zero. Then there was the time spent figuring out the total amount of down I'd need as well as how it would be allocated across the baffles.  To assist with the planning I drew a diagram of the quilt, with dimensions and used Excel for various calculations.


I ordered most of the materials from the ever-reliable team at Thru-Hiker.    I wanted to use Momentum fabric, due to it being extremely light. as well as having a good blend of breathability, water resistance and wind resistance (I remember well a trip where I found my  sleeping bag of the time was not very wind resistant.)

The down I was able source locally in Melbourne, from Danish Eiderdowns.    When I later found that I needed more down I simply recycled down from an old quilt ("doona" for the Aussies, "duvet" for the Kiwis) we had lying around the house.

Marking up

Ready to cut out the baffle wall strips

Cutting up the noseeum for the baffle walls

Pinning in the baffle separators (noseeum mesh)

Sewing in the baffle walls

Baffle walls sewn into one side

How to get the feathers in the bag?

Based upon blogs I'd read my original plan for stuffing the down into the baffles was to utilise a vacuum cleaner. This method involves taping some mesh across the the lower, permanently-connected section of the vacuum, then attaching the pipe/tube sections.   When the vacuum is turned on and the tubes inserted into the down, the down is sucked into the pipe, stopping at the gauze. Then, by holding the end of the pipe over the intended destination for the down and turning off the vacuum, the down will fall into place.

In practice, I found this quite tricky and instead resorted to simply moving the down with my hands. I used a 2 step process:

1.  First, I moved sufficient down for a single baffle into a box, which I weighed (allowing for the box's weight, of course!) to ensure it matched the amount I'd calculated for that baffle.
2.  Second, I moved the down into the baffle, pushing fistfuls of the stuff deep into the baffle.

This approach worked fine, with only a minute quantity of down going AWOL.

Down for a single baffle, weighed on my antique scales and ready to be inserted into a baffle.

Taking a handful of down from the box to the baffle.

The quilt bag, hung in my bathroom (easiest room for me to clean!), mid stuffing.

Mid the baffles stuffing process.

Stuff in almost complete (inner)

Stuffing almost complete (outer)

Snaps and velcro

In my previous quilt project I sewed in a permanent footbox. While this is good for maximising warmth, it removes the option of having the quilt fully flat, draping over the body and legs, much as you do with a regular (non-hiking) quilt.  With this quilt I therefore elected to attach velcro ("hook and loop") and snaps, to wrap and seal the lower leg area, as required.

Snaps were also added at the top corners, so that I could clip the top of the quilt around my neck.  I inserted cord to the top and bottom of the quilt, to enable it to be pulled tight around my neck and feet, as required.

Attaching a velcro strip

Velcro along the bottom edges allows the quilt to form a foot box.

Attaching ribbon for the top snaps

Attaching a snap

Testing the new top snaps

Close up of the foot loop

Foot section, loop partially tightened

Foot section, with loop fully tightened.  Snap is also visible

Finishing touches

Finally, I attached a length of ribbon and a snap clip near the waist point, so that I can secure the quilt closely around me on the colder nights.

The finished quilt

I used the quilt on several nights during the past southern Winter and I am pleased to say that it performed well and, as part of a sleeping system that includes base top and bottom thermals, beanie, socks and synthetic gloves,  kept me toasty in temperatures down to -5C.

The finished quilt

Material:

I got the fabrics from Thru hiker:

• 3 yds of Momentum 50 Steel Gray
• 3 yds of Momentum 50 Jet Black
• 1 yd of Nanoseeum Netting - 60" width 

Most of the down I got from a Melbourne supplier: www.danisheiderdowns.com.au

• 400g (14oz) of 800 fill power

For the overstuffing, I used the down from an old bed quilt.

The other bits and bobs I either already had or sourced them from local outdoor stores or sewing/craft stores, ie.

• Vecro strips
• Grosgrain ribbon
• Shock cord
• Snap clips

[Update: Aussies can also get their materials locally from Simon at www.tiergear.com.au]

Planning documents:

• Link to the down calculations spreadsheet.
• Link to the Quilt dimensions diagram

How much does it weigh?

I KNEW you were going to ask that!  It weighs 732gms (26oz).  That doesn't include a stuff sack, which I don't use - I just stuff the quilt into the bottom my pack, then push the other items into it.


Questions or comments

I love to hear from you! If you have a question about this project, or a useful insight, make sure you take a moment to leave your feedback.