The Ray-Way Quilt Kit

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Ray-Way one-Person Quilt

The Ray-Way Quilt is used at camp or home for sleeping beneath at night. It works like a sleeping bag but is open underneath you. You lie on your foam pad and drape the quilt over you like a blanket. But unlike a blanket, the quilt is contoured, so it molds to the shape of your body. If desired, you may tuck the edges of the quilt under you, but usually this is not necessary.

Why not use a sleeping bag?

One problem with a sleeping bag is your weight compresses the insulation under you to nearly nothing. These modern insulations depend on their thickness for warmth, so the part crushed beneath you does you no good. That is why you must also use a foam pad. Without the pad, the cold would come up from the ground and pass through the sleeping bag's crushed insulation, and make you cold.

Our Ray-Way quilt eliminates the useless part of the sleeping bag flattened beneath you. Our quilt is just as warm as a sleeping bag of equal thickness, but is much more efficient in terms of its reduced weight and bulk.

History

Prior to the advent of sleeping bags, people slept beneath blankets. In fact, the use of blankets made of animal hides probably dates back to the dawn of prehistory. Later, blankets were woven of many different materials. Until the late 1800's most outdoor enthusiasts camped with wool blankets. But when sleeping bags were introduced, camping blankets became obsolete. This was because sleeping bags were lighter and less bulky for the same warmth.

Our Quilts have made sleeping bags obsolete for the same reasons:

Ray-Way Quilts are lighter than sleeping bags, and less bulky, for the same warmth.

Background

"We invented the camping quilt and coined the term "Quilt" in relation to outdoor camping. We made the first quilt in 1992 for a summer-long hike."

The use of a robe or blanket draped over a person is nothing new. Neither is the idea of unzipping a sleeping bag and draping it wide open over you like a blanket. What was new, in 1990, was our construction of a wide-open "sleeping bag" cut narrower and having no zipper - for the express purpose of saving bulk and weight. We called this modified configuration the "quilt," on behalf of the quilting yarns we used to secure the insulation. We carried this initial quilt on a summer-long hike, and it proved so successful that we have not used sleeping bags since.

To document our quilt concept we published it in:

Uses

Originally we intended the quilt for use in backpacking and camping. The weight savings alone justified that. But we have since found it works equally well for bicycle or motorcycle touring, sea-kayaking, canoe tripping and mountaineering. It would also be suitable for almost any outdoor outing or adventure involving overnight camping or bivouacking. Jenny and I have used these quilts on every journey since 1992. On balmy nights along the Appalachian Trail in mid-summer we use a quilt with one layer of insulation. On gale-tossed nights in the ice-strewn Arctic we have used a quilt with three layers. We also sleep under our quilts at home, without blankets.

The quilt is used mainly for sleeping at night. But unlike a sleeping bag, the quilt can also be worn as a robe at rest stops and around camp on chilly evenings. In warmth it surpasses an insulated jacket and pants - expensive and bulky add-ons. This is because the sleeves of a jacket and legs of the pants isolate these extremities; while inside a quilt the arms and legs share the body's warmth. In three-season conditions, which all our gear is intended for, one would not normally need an insulated jacket and pants while hiking because of the additional metabolic heat. So the quilt is more versatile than these insulated garments because it is used, not only while relaxing around camp, but also while sleeping at night.

Note, however, that one would not sit beneath a quilt out in the open after sundown when the dew begins to form. At the first sign of dew, it is time to place the quilt under the tarp, to keep it dry. (The same would apply to an insulated jacket and pants.)

For the person camping solo, the quilt has all these advantages and more. But for a couple sleeping together, the two-person quilt saves the weight and bulk of carrying that second sleeping bag. And with our SplitZip^TM option, each person carries only half of that quilt. This is the equivalent in weight and bulk of each person carrying only half of a sleeping bag!

The bottom line: The functionality of the Ray-Way quilt is unsurpassed.

Quilt Features

Foot Pocket

Our quilt design begins with the foot pocket. The foot pocket envelops the feet comfortably, yet it also allows the feet to be shifted out from under the quilt if desired on a warm night. With the feet tucked inside the foot pocket, a simple tug re-positions the quilt over you.

The photo shows the quilt upside down for purposes of illustration only. One does not use the quilt this way. But the photo does show the foot pocket, and the draft stopper (described below).

Integrated gorget

Gorget

Next on our quilt's list of features is what we call the gorget^TM (pronounced as in gorgeous jet - GOR-jet).

This is the head portion of the quilt, seen in this photo to the right of the lateral seam line. The gorget is a specially shaped panel that gives the head portion of the quilt a 3-dimensional profile, contouring the quilt nicely about the neck and shoulders.

In the above photo the gorget is covering Jenny's head, but only to better show the gorget. Note how the upper edge of the gorget is hugging the ground. Without the contouring qualities of the gorget, the quilt would remain open.

Jenny using the gorget properly - draped over the neck and covering the shoulders.

2-person quilt. Body in gray, Gorget in green, Draft Stopper in blue. The quilt in this photo is a prototype. The components in our Quilt Kit are all one color.

For best warmth all through the night, one keeps the face outside, to prevent moisture-laden breath from accumulating inside the quilt. The head is meant to be covered with our .

The Gorget is included in our 1-person and 2-person Quilt Kits.

The same Quilt pictured above, this time at the South Pole.

This particular Quilt has gone with us on several trips and expeditions:

Greenland - Two weeks on the Greenland ice cap.
South Pole - Two months skiing to the South Pole.
Vinson - Seven Days climbing Vinson Massif, the highest peak in Antarctica.
Two weeks at Patriot Hills Basecamp, in Antarctica.
Aconcagua - Three weeks on Aconcagua. Highest camp: 19,160' (5840 m)

This Quilt is the same as our 2P Quilt Kit with the Alpine Option, minus the SplitZip.

Draft-Stopper

View of the underside showing the draft stopper and foot pocket.

Shown at right, the Draft Stopper is a strip of extra material sewn around the quilt's perimeter. Its purpose is to close off any inadvertent gaps. Any kind of wind blowing on the quilt (and this should not not happen beneath a properly pitched tarp) will tend to pin the draft stopper to the ground. Alternatively you can tuck the draft stopper under you for even greater comfort.

The Draft Stopper is included in our 1-person and 2-person Quilt Kits.

SplitZip

For the two-person quilt only, unzips the quilt into two pieces so that each person carries half. The zipper is protected by a baffle that prevents cold spots. We have used the SplitZip feature for years, and find it extremely useful.

The SplitZip is included With Our two-person Quilt Kits.

Our SplitZip divides the 2P quilt into two pieces laterally, so that the zipper runs side to side. A few of our customers have split their 2P quilts lengthwise so that they can use their quilts in 2P or 1P mode. We, ourselves, do not care for the idea of spliting lengthwise because the zipper and its baffle are much longer, they interfere somewhat with the foot pocket, and they run the full length of the second person's body, directly on top of them. Also, a 2P quilt split lengthwise would need to be made 3" wider to accommodate the zipper baffle. A much better idea, we feel, is to split the 2P quilt side to side, and to make a separate 1P quilt for use when camping solo. However, any customers who wish to supply their own zipper are certainly free to make their 2P quilt however they like.

Included with our Quilt Kits

The Gorget, Draft Stopper (and for the 2p, the SplitZip) are included with our Quilt Kits. The instructions tell you how to incorporate these features in your quilt. The instructions also tell you how to omit any of them.

Since inventing the gorget and draft-stopper in early 2005, we have been using quilts with these features every night - and with exceptional results. In fact, they work so well that we can hardly imagine doing without.

The amount of extra sewing required by the gorget and draft-stopper is minimal - only two extra seams on both layers of fabric, and one hand-basted seam on each layer of insulation. The gorget adds very little weight and bulk, because it requires only 4" of extra length, and a large percentage of that is removed in the gorget tapers. Yet despite this simplicity, the additional warmth and comfort are outstanding. We recommend these features wholeheartedly.

On the PCT, a 2-Person Ray-Way Quilt with SplitZip. James and Gena Gibling.

Neck Slot

We invented a neck slot (cut-out) in the gorget in 1995, but found that it limits the quilt's versatility in two ways: One, the slot might be in the correct location while one is sleeping on the back, but not when one rolls over onto the side, and especially in the fetal position. And two, in extremely cold weather one might wish to cover the head with the gorget, while keeping the face very near an open edge for adequate ventilation - something like the first photo at the top of this page. A neck slot does not allow good head coverage.

Adjustable Warmth

In this series of photos we are showing a progression of "snuggling" from a mild night to a progressively colder night. Here Jenny is modeling a large size One-Person Ray-Way Quilt.

Warm

Note: I used this particular quilt on my two-month trek in the Himalayas, where I lived at Everest Base Camp at 17,300 feet for a few weeks.

We start with the quilt draped loosely over us. This is how Jenny and I use the quilt 95 percent of the time.

This particular quilt and its gorget are white, and the seam line is visible between them. The draft stopper is blue, same as the quilt's underside (not shown).

Warmer

Normally, the person would also sleep in an insulated hat, not shown.

For more warmth on a colder night, Jenny has tucked the draft stopper under her. As with the photo above, the gorget is covering her shoulders but not her head. The gorget and draft stopper are sealing any gaps around the neck.

At this point, if more warmth is needed, she would put on her insulated hat.

More Warm

Now let's say that the night is turning positively frigid. Jenny has pulled the gorget partially over her head, and is using the draft stopper also. Still, she has left her face exposed to permit the escape of her moisture-laden breath.

This photo shows one of the big advantages of our quilt and gorget over a sleeping bag. Remember that heat rises. In a sleeping bag, when you draw the opening closed, the head or mouth opening normally faces straight up, allowing much of your warmth to escape. The gorget covers your head, so as the heat rises, the gorget captures it and holds it next to your body.

Warmest

And finally Jenny has pulled the gorget completely over her head. Very cosy!

For even greater warmth she could pull the draft stopper over her forehead and eyes.

To achieve this configuration, you simply cover the head with the gorget, then with one hand you pull the gorget under the chin. When you want to roll over, you simply repeat the process on the other side.

Kit Contents

We developed the quilt design for our outings, and developed the kits in the early 2000s at our gear sewing classes. Several students made them, and each turned out fabulous. Since then we have changed the assembly methods several times until arriving at what we now feel is the best.

The Ray-Way Quilt Kit comes in two models

One-Person Quilt
Two-Person Quilt

Each model's Kit contains the following items:

Clear instructions

Each Quilt Kit contains a full set of illustrated instructions, written by us, Ray and Jenny. These instructions guide you through the cutting and sewing process, step by step. Literally thousands of people have completed our Quilt Kits, and most of them had no sewing experience. The key to success is to read our instructions carefully, and to proceed one step at a time.

Note: People with no sewing experience have shown the highest rate of success, approaching 100%. This is because they tend to read the instructions more carefully. Virtually the only people who have problems are the ones who try to figure things out ahead of the step they are actually working on. That is not reading and following the instructions. For the best results, we recommend reading only one step at a time, and concentrating on only that step; then once that step is completed, moving on to the next step.

There is another small (tiny) group of people who have demonstrated an inability to compete our kits: the professional seamstress; people who sew garments for a living. They can't seem to sew our kits for the same reason: they don't feel obliged to read the instructions.

People new to sewing are our best customers, because they read the instructions very carefully, and so have the highest success rate - almost 100%.

Fabrics

1.1 oz Light

Note: All nylon and polyester fabrics are flammable and must be kept away from an open flame or other extremely hot objects. We do not use fabrics containing fire-retardant chemicals because these chemicals can pose an even greater health hazard.

Fabric Colors

Our Quilt fabric colors are shown on our .

Insulation

Our quilt kits come with a type of continuous filament Polyester that we feel offers the highest performance of any synthetic insulation available today. We use this type of insulation on all our trips because we feel it is the best available anywhere, at any price.

We keep current of the latest developments, and we demand only the very best insulation for our trips. We have to, because we have been on some very demanding trips! And when you buy a Ray-Way Quilt Kit you take advantage of our research and experience, and get the same insulation that we use.

We offer this insulation in a choice of two thickness:

Woodland insulation

Our Woodland insulation is about 5/8" thick, per layer. Our basic kits come with two layers of Woodland, for a temperature rating of about 50°F. This is the amount of insulation usually required by most people camping in the summertime in fairly warm climes, well below timberline.

Note: You can boot the temperature rating of any quilt by a wide margin, by sleeping in warm clothing.

A person might use only one layer of Woodland when camping in even warmer climates such as along the Appalachian Trail in the height of summer. One layer of Woodland would have a temperature rating of 75°F, and would of course be even lighter and less bulky.

See Weight vs Warmth for more information about temperature rating.

Note also that it's very difficult for a manufacturer to make thin sheets of ultra-light insulation with any accuracy in thickness. So our figures are only estimates, and they tend to be conservative.

Alpine insulation

We recommend our thicker "Alpine insulation" for use in colder temperatures, for example in the mountains of the West.

Our Alpine insulation is about 0.85" thick, per layer. Some call it one-inch thick, but here again we like to be conservative.

"far more important than weight, in our opinion, is that you sleep warmly. In fact, we can't emphasize this enough. Regardless of your quest for backpack weight reduction, you must insure that you sleep warmly at night."

Two layers of Alpine insulation would give a temperature rating of 32°F.

A single layer of Alpine would be rated at 66°F.

Switching from Woodland to Alpine would increase the weight of a two-layer 1P quilt by 6.2% and the bulk by 15%, giving a luxurious 1.8 inches of lofty warmth and lowering the quilt's temperature rating from 50°F down to 32°F with no additional sewing or basting required.

We use quilts having two layers of Alpine insulation on most of our trips, and so do most of our customers.

Of course a Quilt with the Alpine insulation will be slightly heaver than a quilt with Woodland, but far more important than weight, in our opinion, is that you sleep warmly. In fact, we can't emphasize this enough. Regardless of your quest for backpack weight reduction, you must insure that you sleep warmly at night. And the good news is that even our thickest quilts are significantly lighter than sleeping bags of the equivalent thickness of insulation.

In extreme cases, we offer the Xtra-Layer

Our Xtra-Layer option contains 1 layer of Woodland insulation, and adds a third layer of Woodland insulation to our 2-layer quilt kit. works with either a 1P or 2P quilt kit. Boosts the temperature rating of a two-layer Alpine quilt down to 15°F. Not included with the quilt kit but can be ordered separately. The directions for adding the Extra Layer are in the Quilt Kit Instructions. Some extra sewing required.

We don't necessarily recommend Xtra-Layer because it makes a large, heavy quilt that is not likely to fit our Ray-Way Stowbag, or even a small backpack. We have used the third layer only once, during Siku Kayaking trip to the Arctic; when we had plenty of carrying space in our boat.

In Antarctica, for example, we used a Ray-Way 2P quilt with two-layers of Alpine insulation. Our method for sleeping warm during cold nights, without the third layer of insulation, is explained in our book Trail Life. Basically, we sleep in more clothing at night, to add to the two-layers of insulation in the quilt. We have found that this works extremely well. A person is carrying the warm clothing in cold conditions anyway, so why not sleep in it also? We have found that it doesn't take all that much clothing to sleep warm under a Ray-Way two-layer Alpine quilt.

More info on the Xtra-Layer

Note 1) To learn how to measure the thickness of this insulation properly, see Trail Life page 82. Or see here. To avoid false readings, do not measure the thickness of the insulation on an edge. Take your measurements away from the edges.

Note 2) Sometimes a newly made quilt may be a little stiff, such that gravity may not drape the quilt around you as effectively, particularly with the Xtra Layer because the extra insulation tends to stiffen the quilt somewhat. Once you have used the quilt a few times it will loosen up. Meanwhile, you can simply tuck the draft stopper under you along both sides.

Note 3) We do not recommend goose down because it is useless when wet, and also extremely difficult to dry. More info on goose down.

Note: Our Quilt Kits come with black quilting yarn. See the photo below for an example. Different color yarns are available at reasonable cost at various department stores. Look for acrylic worsted medium. We think the black looks best, but to each his or her own.