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Weight (advertised): 15 ounces
Weight (as tested): 14.7 ounces
Price: $168, but at this time there is an introduction sale of $149
Manufacturer web address: http://www.jacksrbetter.com/index_files/SUB.htm
Phone Number: (757) 209-7240
E-mail address: jacksrbetterquilts@cox.net
Design: Sewn through quilt made from 1.1oz DWR nylon containing 800 fill down.
Usage: Summer ultralight down top quilt or hammock under quilt.
Rating: 45F-50F
URL: www.jacksrbetter.com
The Design
Initial Tests
Trail Experience
Conclusions/Recommendations
Other
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The Design
Construction, Design, or Initial Impression:
The quilt has quality construction and each is hand made, the stitch finishing
is what you would expect from a good piece of gear. The quilt is basically
designed in the same way as the No Sniveler/Nest with draw cords on each end,
pull tabs for hammock attachment on the corners, and side tabs where the side
pull outs for the hammock are. The big difference is the lack of a head hole
like the other two blankets that JRB offers.
The 1.1 ounce DWR material feels more silky than my JRB No-Sniveler which I
really liked and it breathes well, especially in warmer weather since it feels
more like a nylon or silk sheet than a nylon tarp wrapped around you. I
experienced some wet weather (it poured on me) and I went to bed wet. I was dry
by the morning in my quilt.
This quilt was a good choice for me as a part of the BPL super ultralight
challenge, where the idea was to get your base weight below 5 pounds. With the
JRB quilt I was able to save about 3 ounces over my next lightest option. 3
ounces may not seem like a lot, but when you are trying to get your total pack
weight below 5 pounds, you are already cutting corners to make it, and often you
end up with "survival light" instead of ultra light. But with this quilt I was
still able to have warmth, comfort, and not end up "Sucking it up" to make
weight.
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Initial Tests
I initially just weighed it and played with packing it. There wasn't a lot of
testing here because I have come to trust the Jacks to
know how to put together an aftermarket piece for the Hennessy Hammock. Tabs
lign up where they should, forms fit in the right way, and the gear is obviously
designed by someone that not only knows how to backpack, but does so with the
gear they make themselves.
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Trail Experience
The quilt packs small, I mean small. When some people say their bag or quilt
will pack to the size of a softball, it generally requires a trash compactor and
a compression sack to get it. The JRB quilt packs down small like nobody's
business. BUT, I do not travel that way myself since I feel that will degrade
the down. I carried it in over-sized stuff sack and let it take up extra space
in my pack.
I used it on a recent trail maintenance trip into the Joyce Kilmer/Sickrock
forest. I was carrying about 15 pounds of tools, but thanks to this quilt, and
other ultralight stuff, I was only carrying about 4.95 pounds of hiking gear!
So there I was...
We worked all day and made it to camp just as the sun was sinking down behind
the high walls of the Slickrock Creek, and the rain came down hard just as I was
finishing dinner. I got soaked!
I climbed into my Hennessy Hammock with a very small pad (just for butt and
shoulders) and covered up. It was ~63F and there was a chill from the cold rain,
but within minutes I was hot - hotter than I really wanted to be. but since the
quilt is just a quilt, opening it up for some venting was no problem at all. I
didn't have to fight a zipper or mated pad like some bags have, it was as simple
as adjusting your temperature at home by pulling back the covers some.
So light, warm, and breathes well. Sounds like a perfect summer quilt.
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Conclusions/Recommendations
I want to test the quilt as the temperatures cool down. The sew through quilting
will undoubtedly keep this from ever replacing bags for fall or spring, but it
sure is nice not to sweat to death under 2" of loft in the summer time, yet have
a blanket that weighs half what a fleece blanket would of the same size while
giving you the warmth potential to not freeze to misery when the temps do dip
like we all know they can do in the southern Appalachians even in summer.
What would I change? I honestly can't think of anything now. But I will get back
to this if I see something. For now I would say that this product delivers
exactly what it promises.
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Other
I just want to also plug Peter Pan and Smee, the Jacks in Jacks 'R
Better. They are hikers that have walked the walk and use their gear. Plus they
come here and are willing to take questions and help out hikers with
suggestions, complaints, and praise about their product. They are a couple of
down to earth guys that have broke the code on how to make hammock camping in a
Hennessy better. They specialize in aftermarket products for that hammock that
other, bigger companies are starting to take notice of.
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Smee |
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