u/Bookhuggger

Looking to experiment with a flat tarp for the first time. Most ideal is a 7x9 Borah Sylpoly. Open to anything in that ballpark.

Will also consider 9x9 and catenary cuts as well. Really anything that lets me experiment with a versatile pitch and lighter shelter. Aesthetic flaws or well repaired damage is welcome. Looking for a reduced cost entry to see what I need in a tarp or if I like it at all.

Thanks

Hello All,

I’m ready to pony up and buy my first nice quilt but am overwhelmed both in understanding what my necessary criteria even are aswell as what brands can fulfill that.

I live in eastern PA and most trips will likely be a few nights a 5 hour drive max from Philly. Looking to unlock as much shoulder season time as possible before I need to swap to my much heavier winter system.

My current gear is as follows:

Winter:
I was gifted an extremely warm expedition style sleep system in the form of a Western Mountaineering -20 gore-loft bag and a Exped Downmat 9. This has kept me warm around 0F so far and will take over from my 3 season setup when expected temps drop below 25F.

Summer/Fastpack:
I’m looking into a very warm summer setup down the road in the form of a minimal quilt paired with a Big Agnes Zoom UL pad I own but which I found slept extremely cold. This setup would only be for the hottest and lightest trips when night temps are above 55F.

3 Season
For my 3 season I’ll be upgrading from a Kelty Cosmic 20 I bought used which I’ve enjoyed but have not felt comfortable pushing much below 40F. I’ll be pairing the quilt with an Exped 6.5R- I currently have the MW mummy version but will likely swap to standard MW after seeing Justin Outdoor’s test that it slept cold around freezing. Given this pad pairing I believe I’m looking for a quilt with a true comfort rating of 25F or so. I’m not a cold sleeper per se but I do get a lot of anxiety about potentially being cold- at limit temps I’m more likely to swap to my winter bag than I am to plan on sleeping in all my layers.

With these given parameters does my assessment to look for a true comfort of 25F seem sound? Or is there a gear combo strategy I’m missing?

For the quilt specifics I’m 5’10” 180lbs and am a fairly active side sleeper. From my research I’m leaning toward a 950fp wide quilt with draft collar and sewn foot box. However I’m willing to be swayed away from the details.

My current front runner is a UGQ Bandit but every research session I seem to learn about a new brand everyone loves. Given I have 0 quilt experience I’m feeling very overwhelmed with choice. Most recently the Iceflame quilt has caught my eye. I’m willing to invest heavily for a quality quilt but for nearly half the price it’s very tempting. I’d really rather not buy from EE.

Also feel very lost in terms of denier choices. Currently leaning toward 10D inner and outer but have seen some advocating for 20D outer. I figure if I’m exclusively tent camping with full bathtub floors I don’t see much chance for abrasion.

What other brands should I be cross shopping? Are my choices of quilt features sound?

Would greatly appreciate any feedback or advice. Thanks in advance.