Warbonnet 3 season Black Mamba Top Quilt

Overview

Why a quilt? Side-sleeping comfort. Freedom of movement. Works fine for 99% of my camping.

I've been using a Campmor Long Down Mummy as a quilt for a number of years. Cheap, warm enough, but heavier than necessary, and that blasted hood gets in the way. I decided to stop quilting with a mummy bag and upgrade to a dedicated quilt. I spent a great deal of time researching quilts and discovered that only hammock users are really using quilts - most ground dwellers use sleeping bags. I soon discovered that quilts are produced by a cottage industry of one-person shops scattered across the US. And note: probably the single biggest mistake a new buyer can make is to listen to hammock folks when you intend to sleep on the ground.

Summary of Pro's and Con's:

• Pro - My quilt is obviously over-stuffed. Based on its minimal dimensions, and it's measured weight, I'd say they were pretty generous with the down.

• Pro - Construction - I haven't inspected every stitch, or taken a straight-edge to every seam, but I can tell the builder (a) was experienced and (b) takes pride in their workmanship. I did hold it up to the sun to inspect down distribution - very good.

• Pro - Materials - I own entry-level down bags, so I know what "cheap" is. This is not cheap.

• Con - Dimensions - You'd have to be malformed and anorexic to be 6'4" and have this quilt work for you. And the measured width of my quilt was 2" less than the advertised 55".

• Con - Flexibility - Nothing in the Warbonnetoutdoors.com site states that this quilt is specifically targeted for hammock-only use. One more ribbon set, or tiny platic d-ring, at the 5'th baffle from the top, would give the ability to attach to a pad to reduce drafts due to shifting.

• Con - Information - The Warbonnet website lacks information: What is the intended usage model? What are the full dimensions and tolerance? Can you customize? Are the quantities, prices, etc. up to date?

I've used this for 3 nights in the 40's F in my WBBB hammock. Not a very good test of the lower temp range, but hopefully I will get out this fall. I can say that the quilt is plenty spacious in a hammock. It drapes well and is easy to jockey around in the dark. It doesn't suck up stink and dirt very fast. It also seems to percolate body moisture through nicely (slept in some wet stuff to dry them out). So far so good. I don't see why it won't work down to the high 20's F.

Detailed Information

The following gives some information on the 3 season Long & Wide Black Mamba top quilt.

The Long & Wide 3 season is constructed of 15 baffles and a foot box bottom. The down is listed as 850+ and the loft is 2+ inches and obviously over-stuffed. The foot box is sewn in. There are two sets of ribbons, one for snugging up the foot box end and the other for snugging up the neck. There is also a elastic cord and cord lock at the neck.

Holding the quilt up to bright light reveals a fairly even distribution of down, with no thin spots larger than 2" square.

Supposedly the length is good for someone 6' 4" tall and the width is 55". At 6' 1" I find the length marginal, with my feet compressing the foot box and top at my clavicle. The as measured 53" is marginal for a side-sleeper on the ground. And this will be more so evident when wearing extra clothing to extend the range. My guess is that a 6'4" person would need to have size 6 feet and weigh 145lbs for this quilt to work. Clearly let the buyer beware, as the Warbonnet web site does not list full dimensions, and the as delivered product may vary.

The general construction seems good and shell material seems right for the application. Of course, only time will tell with the true construction quality, but it seems off to a good start.

My guess is that I will have to add a pad strap at the 53" dimension, as there isn't enough drape when side-sleeping. Maybe a full 55" would be better.

In the following photos, each floor square is 9" x 9".

The length is roughly 72" (external dimension).

The width is roughly 53" (the reference is a 55" box made with rulers).

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The loft is over 2". The packed weight is roughly 24.5oz.

Longterm Report

I've used this quilt for 4 years now both as a top quilt in a hammock as well as a general quilt in place of a sleeping bag. Shed a few feathers. Down hasn't shifted. It doesn't stink and I haven't washed it (around 50 nights use so far - I don't keep count). I store it hanging in my clothes closet.

I've found it completely adequate into the 20's for on the ground use. And I've never been cold enough in the hammock to stress it.

All in all I've been happy with my purchase.