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C_Claycomb

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Oct 6, 2003
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Bedfordshire
I think that the position has not changed that there are no UK suppliers that can compete with US and European businesses for light performance fabrics and insulation.

Regarding the insulation itself, I have made three quilts from Climashield Apex and based on my reading I would recommend this for a first project as being easier to work with for quilts. There is no need to do quilting, can just be sewn around the perimeter.

If you were looking for Climashield, in the EU there is:
and

While in the US

There was a time when I looked for UK material, but I have given up now. Pro Fabrics can have stuff that can be used for clothing, heavier stuff sacks and bags, but for the really light stuff, under 55g.m.s and insulation, they have nothing.
 

Lithril

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Jan 23, 2004
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Southampton, UK
So options are

£44
https://www.profabrics.co.uk/products/thinsulate-cs150-insulated-wadding 174gsm
https://www.profabrics.co.uk/products/skylon-lightweight-nylon?variant=31188856406105 55-70gsm

Or the Climashield Apex, probably 133gsm with either a coated ripstop or a lightweight ripstop one side and silnylon the other. This though costs between £65 and £90 depending on the fabric and website.

Not many comparisons between the two insulations, what I'm really interested in more than the weight is the packability to warmth ratio as it's to use instead of my PHD Minim 300.

Sent from my CLT-L09 using Tapatalk
 

C_Claycomb

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Oct 6, 2003
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I have only read a little on the matter, but that suggest that Thinsulate is meant for insulating clothing and performs poorly as sleeping insulation. As someone on one of the US forums said, "there is a reason that none of the cottage quilt makers use it." In clothing it is important that it not compress fully at joints, so that even when bent it still insulates. That is different from what one wants in a quilt. The CS150 thickness of just 1cm is also at the low end of loft for a quilt and the weight of 174gsm for that thickness is really high. I used two layers of 3.6oz (122 gsm) Climashield and would agree with the quoted loft of 2.3cm max per layer when I made my under quilt. Consider how much loft even a summer weight sleeping bag has.

While weight may not be the concern, I cannot think of anything that provides down-like loft and packability and is also really heavy ;)



Regarding the use of silnylon for the outer, I am not sure that is a great idea. Breathability is important for quilts and bags.
 

C_Claycomb

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Oct 6, 2003
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Matt,
You are a little taller than me, and broader, so this exact thing won't work for you, but consider the size of the insulation, it is 60" wide. When I made my underquilt, which I have used as a top quilt in some conditions, I bought 2 yards of material and cut it diagonally so as to have a tapered trapezoid. If I had used a thicker material, I could have had two small under quilts from that one 60"x72" piece.

A simple rectangular top quilt isn't hard to sew, but you are going to put quite a few hours in. I made quilts for my mum and dad, just to use in the house during the winter. The time taken is going to be similar whatever the material. I knew if I bought cheaper materials, then spent 6 hours or more sewing (and unpicking because I goofed), I would forever wish for better materials. A heavy, possibly bulky and cold quilt isn't going to make you happy, even at half the price.

Regarding bulk. It is going to be bulkier than your PHD down. Most things will be! My underquilt fits into about the same size stuff sack as my Mountain Equipment down bag, and there is a lot more of the down bag!
 

Lithril

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Jan 23, 2004
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Southampton, UK
Yeah I did think that with the Silnylon have looked at all sorts so far. the Skylon or similar is looking most favourable at the moment unless I can find someone selling Pertex but that's unlikely.

With regards to the weight it was more to do with if you had a couple of materials with similar properties, the one that can be compressed the most would win.

Did you use two layers of Climashield rather than one to try and increase the air trapped or was there a price implication at the time??
 

Lithril

Administrator
Admin
Jan 23, 2004
2,590
55
Southampton, UK
Matt,
You are a little taller than me, and broader, so this exact thing won't work for you, but consider the size of the insulation, it is 60" wide. When I made my underquilt, which I have used as a top quilt in some conditions, I bought 2 yards of material and cut it diagonally so as to have a tapered trapezoid. If I had used a thicker material, I could have had two small under quilts from that one 60"x72" piece.

A simple rectangular top quilt isn't hard to sew, but you are going to put quite a few hours in. I made quilts for my mum and dad, just to use in the house during the winter. The time taken is going to be similar whatever the material. I knew if I bought cheaper materials, then spent 6 hours or more sewing (and unpicking because I goofed), I would forever wish for better materials. A heavy, possibly bulky and cold quilt isn't going to make you happy, even at half the price.

Regarding bulk. It is going to be bulkier than your PHD down. Most things will be! My underquilt fits into about the same size stuff sack as my Mountain Equipment down bag, and there is a lot more of the down bag!

Cheers Chris
I'm definitely not expecting it to be as small as the PHD bag, I will probably end up taking it but the lack of a zip on that bag makes it a bit of a nightmare this time of year. I was thinking with a quilt that having a thinner one would work as I can always use my down gillet to boost the warmth if i need to, it would also work well in both a bivvy on the ground or in a hammock. At some point in the future I'll get a down quilt but I can't afford that just yet.
 

Billy-o

Native
Apr 19, 2018
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Canada
I wonder if it is possible to buy corefoft. Reviews say that bady used (i.e sitting on it for instance) it may only last 6 months. But, well kept, it may last years and years.

 
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C_Claycomb

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Oct 6, 2003
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Bedfordshire
Is Climashield the stuff BigMonster uses for his EasyHammocks under insulation?
Yes.
When Matt was starting his business we had a long chat at the Moot about hammocks. I wasn't really on the same page with Matt at that time since I wanted my gear as light and portable as possible and he was aiming his hammocks at events like the Moot, car and short carry. I was all for his using Climashield, while he was very happy with the polyester wadding he had sourced in the UK. The wadding required baffles and was bulkier and heavier, but Matt had spent a lot of time and effort sourcing the best UK material he could, and was happy that his intended market didn't need a lighter and more compressible insulation (that would be more expensive). Fast forward a year, back at the Moot, and Matt's business is doing well, and he is happily telling folk about the high performance Climashield insulation he uses.

It doesn't really matter why he changed, whether it was ease of sewing, supply problems with the UK sourced material, or the lighter weight and better performance of the Climashield. That was several years ago, and EasyHammock is still using Climashield Apex.
 
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C_Claycomb

Moderator staff
Mod
Oct 6, 2003
7,353
2,364
Bedfordshire
Yeah I did think that with the Silnylon have looked at all sorts so far. the Skylon or similar is looking most favourable at the moment unless I can find someone selling Pertex but that's unlikely.

With regards to the weight it was more to do with if you had a couple of materials with similar properties, the one that can be compressed the most would win.

Did you use two layers of Climashield rather than one to try and increase the air trapped or was there a price implication at the time??

There are some other places selling Pertex in the UK, if you are okay with brighter colours.

I can't remember all my thoughts when I bought the Climashield I used for my underquilt. I made it at least five years ago. I bought from Extremtextil, and I am not sure what options they had at the time. I know that when I got it, I realised that a single thickness of 133gsm wasn't going to be enough for what I wanted, and that 60" was pretty wide. I think I may have already been thinking about creating a tapered asymmetric underquilt that would put insulation only where my body was lying. There doesn't seem much use in having shoulder width insulation all the way to your feet. My original layout didn't work very well and I had to make some adjustments. The end result still has fabric flanges without insulation around the perimeter, but much less than my initial design. This loose fabric can be tucked under me a bit when I use the underquilt on top of me when on the ground.
 

Nice65

Brilliant!
Apr 16, 2009
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W.Sussex
Yes.
When Matt was starting his business we had a long chat at the Moot about hammocks. I wasn't really on the same page with Matt at that time since I wanted my gear as light and portable as possible and he was aiming his hammocks at events like the Moot, car and short carry. I was all for his using Climashield, while he was very happy with the polyester wadding he had sourced in the UK. The wadding required baffles and was bulkier and heavier, but Matt had spent a lot of time and effort sourcing the best UK material he could, and was happy that his intended market didn't need a lighter and more compressible insulation (that would be more expensive). Fast forward a year, back at the Moot, and Matt's business is doing well, and he is happily telling folk about the high performance Climashield insulation he uses.

It doesn't really matter why he changed, whether it was ease of sewing, supply problems with the UK sourced material, or the lighter weight and better performance of the Climashield. That was several years ago, and EasyHammock is still using Climashield Apex.

Cheers Chris. I have the polyester version just prior to the changeover. It’s bulky but works well, I reckon it’s still fairly portable. Any bulk and carry issues are offset by the sheer convenience of the thing. I’ve got the hammock and tarp all within one of the big DD sausage skins. Tie, slide the sleeve off, peg out tarp, done.
 

Lithril

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Jan 23, 2004
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Southampton, UK
Just ordered some Climashield Apex 133 and some 10D nylon with a DWR coating. insanely light at 22gsm. I'll let you know how I get on.
 

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