.....anybody make a RayWay Quilt lately? I read through Jardine's 20 pages of quilt talk and was stumped by Ray's distaste for down. In fact, some his reasoning doesn't seem quite right with respect to down vs. synthetic losing its loft over time, and crush-ability. I like his kits and ideas but the insulation is a head scratcher? All my current bags/quilts are down but I though I'd give newer synthetics a try. Thoughts?
Any other quilt kits/plans out there I should consider?
Sorry, not to get off track, but I can't help it..
Maybe on one of Rays many ventures into the wilderness, he chose to make camp one evening a on a small flat spot 100 feet uphill from a river. Now it wasn't raining this particular evening and without threat of rain, he just layed out his handmade down filled quilt on a tarp on this small spot. As he was relaxing to the sounds of the river next to a small fire a little ways from his small spot, a random gust of wind blew his handmade down filled quilt up into the air and into the river right before his eyes in the fire light. Now it was a little chilly out that moonless night and even though Ray was able to retrieve his handmade down filled quilt in pitch darkness a few hundred yards down the river on the steep rocky banks, it was as soaked as a handmade down filled quilt could be. He rung it out the best he could and let it sit by the fire but the down clumped up and his handmade down filled quilt would never be the same. Fortunatly for Ray he had a nice fire to help keep him warm throughout the night but he learned a valuable lesson that night. Never Ever leave your quilt out in the open without putting a rock on it, cause you never know what natures gonna throw at you.. The End..
Sorry for that, maybe it's just that time of year. After browsing though his site, I came across his real story and I guess I wasn't to far off. Page 17 explains it.. http://www.rayjardine.com/ray-way/Quilt-Kit/index.htm
intrek38, are you sure you aren't Ray's ghost writer? Like I said....I read through his 20 pages of why synthetics are better than down, including the part where you hang your new quilt and in a few MONTHS it will spring back into it's original fluffiness. My favorite down bag/quilt is 28 years old and is as lofty as new in minutes, not months. And, my crummy old Coleman loaner synthetic bags...probably over 30 years old, are still just fine. After reading a few reviews of Ray's quilt, I'll probably stick with down. I've NEVER had a wet bag in 40+ years...but who knows, maybe I'll get dumped from my kayak and 'learn'. The weight of Ray's quilts are impressive but the compressibility isn't.
Registered: 02/23/07
Posts: 1735
Loc: California (southern)
Interesting that he mentions Holubar bags. I have a Holubar double bag, vintage 1962, extensively used, that is still a very fine bag.
I have fond memories of my first mountaineering trip to Colorado, when we stopped at the Holubars and stayed overnight in their basement. I bought one of their shell parkas which was about the first quality gear items I ever purchased.
I have seen the one that Thru-hiker sells. I haven't tried it though. It is the same pattern as the one that this site has in the DIY instructions page.
Yeah, I looked at that one and trust them but the "adventure" of building the thing looks daunting, when you get to the stuffing process. Jacks R' Better quilts look like a similar design.
Personally, I am thinking hard about getting a kit from Ray. I think it looks easier to make for a first timer and not sure I trust myself yet with down. And the price is hard to beat.
Interesting....I hadn't seen Enlightened products before.
The ONLY problem I have with Rays quilt is it's bulk size. They don't crunch down small enough, which is the #1 complaint in the reviews. And, after 30+ years of owning down equipment, I can't say I've shared Ray's experiences with down. Exactly the opposite, actually. So, I'm leaning towards down at this point.
Yeah...I want to try down at some point but right I can't afford to buy a bag/quilt and making one while probably not super hard, does look a bit more involved than the Ray's quilt. I want to take baby steps...lol...besides, even Ray's quilt will be quite a bit lighter and pack smaller than my Big Agnes bag.
The Enlightened stuff gets good marks over at the BackpackingLight forums.
Dreyer not only that but his link to feather industries in Canada! Just got there down price list and fill ratings! Wow is all I can say! Makes it afordable! You have to bye a min of two pounds, but can bye it so reasonable. Drop them a email at info@featherind.com They will send you pdf price sheet and also down fill loft ,IE 750 or 800 etc. If I could attach my copy here I would!
Our long-time Sponsor, BackcountryGear.com - The leading source for ultralite/lightweight outdoor gear:
Affiliate Disclaimer: This forum is an affiliate of BackcountryGear.com, Amazon.com, R.E.I. and others. The product links herein are linked to their sites. If you follow these links to make a purchase, we may get a small commission. This is our only source of support for these forums. Thanks.!