The Outdoor Vitals StormLoft Down Top Quilt embraces the technology of ExpeDRY, a gold-treated down said to be better at preventing moisture and quickly drying water that does reach the down.
Overview: Outdoor Vitals StormLoft Top Quilt
MSRP: $374.97; member price, $337.47
Weight: 1 pound, 8.3 ounces for the 15F quilt I tested
Fabric: 10D DWR (PFC free) treated fabric
Insulation: 17 ounces of ExpeDRY gold-treated 800-fill duck down
Temperature Rating: 15F
About the Outdoor Vitals StormLoft Top Quilt
Outdoor Vitals made several changes to its StormLoft quilt, including loops that keep the neck drawcord from flopping around in the face and extended neck closure tabs that are easier to grab. But the biggest change may be the moisture-fighting nano-particles of gold permanently bonded to down clusters, a technology that Outdoor Vitals says surpasses other dry down treatments.
Comfort
Draft Collar: The draft collar uses down box baffles, considered the best baffle construction for warmth.
Footbox: The footbox is closed, with enough room for my lower legs and feet to move around. I can even store small gear such as a phone or water filter inside the footbox on cold nights.
Neck Drawcord: The drawcord is in the center of the collar behind my head, with loops on the side that hold the cord and keep it from flopping around in my face. I find it best to slip the drawcord through the two loops before connecting the two neck collar snaps.
Neck Snaps: Outdoor Vitals says the corners of the quilt are extended to improve how it wraps around the neck and make the snap tabs easier to grip.
Warmth
Temperature Rating: 0F, 15F, 30F, and a new 40F quilt.
My Experience: I slept with the quilt attached by straps to my 4.5 R-value air pad and was warm at a low temperature of 39F, the lowest temperature during my testing period in an unusually warm fall. Sleeping with the quilt strapped like this uses the pad as insulation from the cold ground while the quilt surrounds me on top, insulating me from the cold air. Sleeping with a balaclava on cold nights is a must. The 15F rating is considered the temperature for sleeping comfortably, and though 39F is the lowest temperature I slept at I expect that with 17 ounces of 800-fill down the quilt will be warm at 15F.
Zipper vs. Closure Straps: A zipper on some quilts keeps them closed, and keeps cold air out. The StormLoft’s two closure straps do not fully close the quilt, which is OK on warm nights, but on cold nights I strap the quilt to my sleeping pad and pull the quilt over me. I can toss and turn on my sleeping pad while the quilt stays attaches to the air pad.
Storing Gear: I’m used to stuffing clothes, my phone, and even my water filter inside a sleeping bag on cold nights. I’m happy that when the quilt is strapped to my air pad I can store gear and clothes on my pad and they stay under the quilt.
Good to Know
Pad Straps: Two long pad straps connect to the quilt at about the chest and waist and wrap around a sleeping pad, holding the quilt against the top and sides of my body.
Closure Buckles: These short straps at the waist and chest pull the quilt mostly closed, but air still gets in through the gaps so I use these on warm nights. These are the same buckles the pad straps connect to.
Versatility: The StormLoft’s enclosed footbox provides warmth but rules out using the quilt as a blanket. And because the two closure straps don’t fully seal the StormLoft, I use the pad straps for sleeping on cold nights.
Storage, Warranty, and Cleaning
Roll-Top Dry Bag: The roll-top bag is not a true compression sack, but the quilt does pack small inside it and water rolls off the surface.
Storage Bag: Although Outdoor Vitals recommends hanging the quilt as the preferred way to store it, the StormLoft does not have a traditional hang loop at the foot of the quilt so I thread a small carabiner through the neck closure snap tabs to hang the quilt. The StormLoft does come with a large storage bag that holds the quilt without compressing it.
Warranty: Outdoor Vitals promises that its gear will meet or exceed expected performance levels, and if it doesn’t will work with consumers to ensure that it does.
StormLoft Care: Outdoor Vitals recommends using a mild detergent such as Dreft or Nikwax and setting the washing machine on low spin or delicate wash with cold water. Hang the quilt until it’s dry, then loft and redistribute the down by putting it in a dryer with three dryer balls for 10 minutes on low or no heat.
The Gold Standard
Outdoor Vitals, along with some other gear brands, have begun using Allied Feather’s ExpeDRY down, which uses nano-particles of gold permanently bonded to down clusters in a chemical-free process.
Allied Feather says the gold particles create an electrostatic shield that provides a small hydrophobic barrier and weakens the hydrogen bond that allows water to form. By attacking the hydrogen bond of the water molecule, Allied feather says, ExpeDRY helps keeps moisture from condensing into droplets and speeds up drying of any water that may still be present.
Outdoor Vitals says that in its testing and in testing done by Allied Feather, ExpeDRY performs better in almost all scenarios when compared with HyperDry DWR treated down, which has been at the top of industry standards for about the past 10 years.
About Outdoor Vitals
Tayson Whittaker started Outdoor Vitals in 2014 with the aim of making quality outdoor gear at an affordable price. The Utah-based company sells direct to consumers, and members get a 10 percent discount on gear. The $10 (standard) and $25 (peak tier) monthly membership fees are credited to members’ accounts each month and can be used toward purchases.
StormLoft Pros
Weight: 1 pound, 8.3 ounces for the 15F regular length bag that I tested. Light, but not ultralight.
Sleeping Pad Straps: These easy-to-connect straps hold the quilt to a sleeping pad, providing a warm top and side layer of insulation on cold nights.
Easy-to-Use Hood Drawcord: The drawcord has been repositioned to the back of the head, with loops that the cord can be threaded through to keep it from flopping around.
StormLoft Cons
Cold Nights: Closing the quilt with the two short straps leaves a gap for cold air to get in. Strapping the quilt to an air pad is my preferred method of sleeping on a cold night.
Weight: If you’re looking for an ultralight quilt, the StormLoft might not be the one for you. But the quilt’s weight of 1 pound, 8.3 ounces is still a respectable lightweight sleeping setup.
Overall Value
At $374.97, $337.47 for Outdoor Vitals members, the StormLoft is a good price for a quilt. It’s more lightweight than ultralight, but only by a few ounces. The closure straps rather than a zipper mean the best way to sleep in cold weather is to strap the quilt to a three-season air pad and lie underneath the quilt. Overall, the StormLoft is a solid choice at its price, especially for people interested in seeing whether a quilt is for them.
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This product was donated for purpose of review.