I recently modified my Waratah Quilt and Zpacks Quilt so that they fit better, were easier to get in and out of, and in the case of the Waratah, were also slightly lighter.
I found Kam Snaps to be just the trick for these mods. As I said in this article, I will find many other uses for these wonderful gadgets.
These mods are some of the simplest “sewing” projects you can undertake, so they might be a good starting point before you start making your own tents, backpacks, sleeping bags, clothing (from hiking), etc., as I did.
Such DIY is a wonderfully rewarding recreation (while saving money and building confidence and independence), so much so that I wholeheartedly recommend it.
You could even build your own house (with your own hands) like we did – and maybe be debt free and almost self-sufficient like we are too.
Both of these quilts have existing Kam snaps at the top opening where your head comes out. You can (if you’re as short as me anyway) leave them closed and just slide your head under the assembled edges so your head emerges from the hole where it’s supposed to be, then tighten the cord if you want. .
So no changes have been made there – although I notice the Zpacks only have one snap (non-reinforced) compared to the two Waratahs (reinforced), so I might make a change there at the future if that of Zpacks begins to suffer as it may. .
The Zpacks quilt is sewn together at the bottom while the Waratah has a small zipper and drawstring, which I think is a better idea (although arguably slightly heavier) as it allows you to open completely the quilt whenever you want – so you can use it as a bed quilt if you want, saving you money and having to find somewhere else to store it.
Neve Gear also has a Feathertail quilt that is sewn to the bottom in the same way, no doubt to save that small amount of weight. I’d probably go for the Waratah at 950fps if I had my advice again, but for the above reason.
I thought of an idea to compare the insulating capabilities of these different quilts (assuming they are roughly the same size otherwise) since it is after all the cubic inches or total amount of trapped air that determines the insulating capacity of a quilt/sleeping bag.
So the simple method is to simply multiply the “fp” number by the weight of the down and decide that the larger number (of cubic inches) would imply greater insulating capacity.
So, for example, the Waratah -2C (I have – A$419 as of August 2024) contains 470 grams of down (divided by 28.5) = 16.49 oz times 850 fp = 14,017 cubic inches of insulating capacity.
I should have purchased the Waratah -2C duvet with 420 grams (14.73 oz – A$499) of 950 fp = 13,999 cubic inches of insulating capacity and a saving of almost two ounces or 50 grams.
This compares to the Feathertail Quilt (A$490 Aug 2024) which has a total weight of 570 grams (compared to my Zpacks at 529 grams) and has 390 grams (13.68 oz) of 950 fp down = 12999 cu in insulating capacity. . The Feathertail is 60% cheaper and yet warmer, even though it weighs a little more.
The Zpacks Quilt ($439 USD Aug 2024) I have 387 grams (divided by 28.5) = 13.7 oz times 900 fp = 12330 cu in-so the -2C Waratah is warmer than the -7C Zpacks – what I feel like I am too and much better value for moneye too.
THE Aegismax Twilight Quilt a 350 grams (divided by 28.5+ = 12.28 oz of 800 fp down = 9824 cu in of insulating capacity.
The Paria Thermodown Duvet (US$159.99 as of August 2024) contains 16 oz of 700 fp down = 11,200 cubic inches of insulating capacity. Very good value for money.
The center closure of the Zpacks duvet only had two snaps, which would be fine if they were thinner, younger, and softer. One try and I could see the material starting to stretch there so I probably would have torn it.
I added two more pieces of grosgrain plus Kam snaps about 8-10″ further down the quilt, plus a short length of elastic to make sure it had a little “give”. This may mean the quilt doesn’t wrap around my upper body enough. fine, but this will ensure I don’t tear it in the future and it will allow me to get in/out easier.
Here you can see the original Kam shots and the two I added.
The zipper on the Waratah quilt wanted to be undone, so I added a Kam snap closure just above it, as you can see here.
My first mod was to replace the fairly heavy elastic strapping (meant to go under the sleeping mat (thus making entry and exit more difficult) with two 3/4″ raw grain tapes, as shown.
These both sat on top of the mat (instead of under it) and were fairly easy to put on and take off (and were much, much lighter and more foolproof than the elastic) – but I understood that they could simply be replaced with a single elastic strap. halfway through as shown, so now I’m going to remove them.
I can add a second one over where the bottom ribbon is now, if necessary.
I will also replace the heavy drawstrings at each end with much lighter cords and cord locks. This will save a few extra grams. I think my mods will save almost 100 grams in total.
