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When I first saw the details of the drop, I wasn’t sure what to expect of this quilt. I really like the idea of a quilt that I can use at home most of the time and out camping or summer-backpacking when I need to. That said, most quilts that attempt to capture this happy medium fail miserably and end up being unused in either scenario due to too many compromises.
Let me start by getting the obvious comparisons out of the way. When you think of down quilt/blanket combos, you probably think of Rumpl blankets and Costco down throws.
In my opinion, Rumpl is overpriced garbage. The materials are cheap, the blanket is undersized, and it’s not even that warm. I guess they have some cool prints.
I’m actually a fan of the Costco Down throws. At $20 they are a decent down blanket and can be modded into many fun things like footboxed summer quilts, pants, and jackets. The materials aren’t the greatest, but they aren’t bad either. The downsides are the small size and limited amount of loft ( i.e. there’s not quite enough down used in the quilt.)
When I first saw this Massdrop quilt my immediate thought was, “Is this worth it when there are $20 Costco down throws available?” I have to say, I think it definitely is. In my opinion the jump up in quality, warmth, and most importantly usability justify the added cost. Here are some things I noticed:
1.) Loft & down quality: The loft on this quilt is pretty impressive. As soon as I pulled it out of the storage sack, it lofted up really nicely. Often times with cheaper and under-stuffed quilts, it will take a long time for them to loft up after being compressed. This is due to the cheaper down quality and an insufficient amount of down in the baffles. This Massdrop quilt appears to not only have quality down, but a lot of it.
2.) Temperature rating: Despite having sewn-through baffles, this quilt is surprisingly warm. As mentioned above, it’s super lofty and well stuffed with down. I honestly think it could go down to the mid-30’s (F) easily. Unlike the Costco quilt, which has a grid of sewn-through baffles, this quilt minimizes the numbers of baffles (and therefor cold spot opportunities) by doing long vertical baffles, with one mid-length horizontal baffle to keep down from shifting too much. When I laying underneath the blanket, I don’t see any light leaking through at the baffles nor do I see any gaps in down distribution (Not so with the Costco quilt.)
3.) Size: this is where this quilt succeeds the most. The size is perfect for taller people and for actually using the quilt on a bed. I hate pulling up a comforter only for it to uncover my feet. I can say with confidence that that will not happen with this quilt. It’s looooonnng. The quilt isn’t wide enough for two people, but it will easily and comfortably cover one person, with room to spare. Being able to actually use this quilt at home on a bed or on the couch is what really sells this quilt IMO. If you wanted to cover two people, I think you could actually secure two of these quilts together using the buttons on the side of the quilt.
4.) Material: Not too much to say here other than the material feels nice on the skin and seems to be durable and down-proof. It’s not the lightest available, but for a more durable multi-use quilt, I think that’s ideal.
Other thoughts…
Using the quilt for backpacking/camping: I think that this is a perfectly viable summer quilt, right out of the box. Not only is it long and wide enough to fit most all body types, it’s warm enough to give you a little wiggle room (temperature-wise) for the cooler summer nights. The footbox button and shock-cord cinch system works surprisingly well and leaves little room for drafts to get in, while keeping your legs comfy and covered. It’s not the lightest summer quilt, but at ~19 oz it’s pretty dang light and absolutely acceptable for lightweight backpackers. The stuff sack is bigger than it needs to be, but why not just free-stuff the quilt into your pack anyways?
Buttons/corner pockets: The buttons on the quilt seem to work pretty well and stay snapped tightly. It’s a little strange that they’re hidden underneath little corner pockets, and finding the right way to flip them in order to actually button them (and cinch the shock cord to form a footbox or collar) takes a bit of finagling. But that said, when used in house-mode, having the buttons and cinches hidden under the corner pockets is kind of nice. I guess that’s a draw back of having a multi-use quilt.
Summary & Final Thoughts
I think that this quilt has actually hit a really nice balance. It’s something that I’ll definitely use at home and that I can see myself taking backpacking in the summers as well. I’ll definitely be using it when camping/sleeping in the back of my truck. The overall weight and portability make it an easy choice to bring along for many situations. Value-wise, I think this quilt is a pretty sweet deal.
This will be a perfect fit for vanlifers and truck campers. It’s cozy, warm, compact, light, and long enough to actually sleep with!
I can see this being used in a plethora of DIY projects too. $100 underquilt… $100 3-season top quilt (with baffles added in)… down booties and pants… hammock top/underquilt pea-pod combo… The value is hard to beat, especially if buying the materials separately.
If you have any questions, leave them below and I'll do my best to answer them, Thanks!
Joe Brewer http://backcountrybanter.com
But, MAN. I gotta say; I was seriously worrying about that chica getting blown over the edge. Especially if that quilt also has all the LOFT characteristics you say it has.
snicker.
I get it now. Base jumping suit.
coolio.