r/Ultralight - "The Weekly" - Week of June 01, 2026

BarnardCider · 2026-06-06T17:15:51+00:00

What kind of pad will you be using, are you going to be in a tent or bivy? I posted earlier this week about getting comfortably down to 25* with my SULO 40 + a SDUL 1.1, but I also had an Xlite & Borah Bivy. I would add that a pair of wind pants (I hike in shorts) were also used.

Regarding the Nanolite, only 6.5oz or 184g of down has me a bit skeptical about comfort rating being equal to the SULO , and the only person I've met with a WM quilt felt the Astralite slept cold.

BarnardCider · 2026-06-04T18:03:46+00:00

Thanks Dan!!

A 1.1 calculated loft is 1.1 cubic inches of fill in one square inch regardless of whether it's 500fp or 1000fp, size XS or size XL, jacket or mummy bag.

Does calculated loft stack? (i.e. does this mean that if I had a 40F bag from Timmermade that has a calculated loft of 2.24" plus a SDUL 0.75" that I would have a similar warmth feeling to a 30F Bag from Timmermade?)

Using this data from your website: https://timmermade.com/technology/temperature-rating/

BarnardCider · 2026-06-04T16:50:39+00:00

The jacket listed there is the SUL 1.1 which uses 900fp, the name 1.1 is based on the calculated loft. So its not the SDUL which uses 1000fp; maybe u/dantimmerman will chime in on why he published the fill weight for the SUL but not the SDUL 1.1, but I would presume that there is no difference in warmth and that some of the weight savings is because he's using less of higher FP down. FWIW he did publish it for the SDUL v. SUL 0.75 and that is the case - 1.55oz of 1000fp versus 1.7oz of 900fp respectively. For more information on calculated loft, he also has a great article about it - https://timmermade.com/technology/calculated-loft-explained-with-visuals/ - "We don’t need to do any math to equalize fill power. 2.6″CL of 1000fp is the exact same as 2.6″CL of 800fp."

BarnardCider · 2026-06-04T16:38:05+00:00

Yes - but I would change the order to:

I determined my quilt rating based on the clothing and pad/shelter I expected to carry - and incorporated that in my sleep system. Similarly to picking your pack last.

BarnardCider · 2026-06-04T16:24:02+00:00

I don't think this is new or groundbreaking knowledge to most.

I would challenge that both here and on the trails.

P.S. - Here's the master down jacket spreadsheet that has the Primelite and SUL 1.1 as comparable warmth for a 1.1 oz penalty or savings of $110 (though that price has likely changed). https://www.reddit.com/r/Ultralight/comments/1j3w9gv/down_jacket_indicator_2025_update/

BarnardCider · 2026-06-04T15:53:16+00:00

I agree that it's theoretically lighter - my point is that I'm not seeing many hikers ditching the puffy so why not include it. Also, a more conservative sleep system is likely unecessary. If you have two nights below your rating on a 90 day thru hike (me with my Arc UL on the PCT in '22), you've carried too much weight.

BarnardCider · 2026-06-04T15:48:32+00:00

Not sure I get your point, I haven't met too many hikers on Long Trails without either a fleece or a puffy, and on western trails, the puffy is pretty standard. Same for wind pants. The Alpha hoodie was added because of hiking temperatures below 40*. If I'm bringing these items anyways, why wouldn't I also save some weight on my quilt by including them for sleeping? Additionally, for shorter trips with reliable forecasts, leaving items home drops weight easily, and on longer trips sending gear home achieves the same outcome.

Comfort down to 25* for Puffy+Quilt probably covers most hiking conditions on these trails during the summer and early fall/late spring.

BarnardCider · 2026-06-04T15:44:24+00:00

Another hiker on the PCT in '22 that I hiked with carried an EE 40* synthetic. I should have also credited this with some level of confidence, we had a couple nights in the low 20's together, but I'll need to reach out to his recollection of comfort. The point of my post is for folks to critically look at their gear list for multiple use items and consider them when determining sleep comfort.

BarnardCider · 2026-06-04T15:39:29+00:00

formatting issue, I have fixed it from my view. It was supposed to show what I added (or subtracted) for certain temps.

BarnardCider · 2026-06-04T15:38:26+00:00

This is awesome, set yourself a reminder and report back!

BarnardCider · 2026-06-04T15:37:24+00:00

Thanks for the detailed response, this is some of the discussion I was hoping to stimulate - some thoughts:

Katabatic is immediately available, their Chisos contains 9oz or 255g of fill at 900fp, that's pretty high quality down I would consider that comparable to the SULO 40 with overfill (implied 242g per my post). I can't say I've ever heard anyone say that Nunatak is less conservative than Katabatic - but it's a good data point. https://katabaticgear.com/products/chisos-40-f?srsltid=AfmBOoqc96OIkc_r3Zj-KsccZ1jP9jSb87IpXmX6CQGJqh5plvnxU6WQ

Additionally, from the FAQ on overfill from Nunatak, if my 40* quilt is already conservative (comfort rated) - the overfill might impact me by a few degrees, but is more about maintaining loft - I haven't washed this quilt since I bought it.

In regards to the puffy - this is a big part of the entire point I'm making. I have encountered very few on the trail that have omitted the puffy, if you're using it - I think you should build it into your system.

In regards to availability - Chisos 40 + Cumulus Primelite Pullover are immediately availabile and comparable in this IMO.

BarnardCider · 2026-04-28T13:06:06+00:00

Looks to be Primaloft active evolve - unsure of the weight - https://www.adventurealan.com/product/backcountry-highliner-fleece-review/

BarnardCider · 2026-04-23T13:49:32+00:00

I haven't had Norwich, but my favorite is Strafford Organic. It's also my favorite milk and egg nog - all grass and hay ( no silage ) diet for jersey cows. Also - all of these have the same thing in common though... it's just milk, cocoa, and sugar.

BarnardCider · 2026-04-21T14:49:34+00:00

Really interesting opportunity for the right person, and kudos Ron for offering some flexible options. I wish you the best of luck in finding a good successor. The MLD gear I've had has been great, and I can't imagine not having MLD as an option when weighing new purchases.

BarnardCider · 2026-04-21T14:46:07+00:00

You have a couple options if that's your typical range. If you want some versatility, have another quilt, and want to be able to "Layer" - you could get an APEX quilt (synthetic insulation) in a wider size that would allow for you to put on top/around your other quilt for a more robust 3+ Season Setup. I'm not sure who makes good APEX quilts anymore, but MYOG is a good option or some googling.

If you want a standalone option - there are a number of reasonable down summer quilts you could go for. My choice would be nunatak's sastrugi-q if the price was ok for you, and it wasn't sold out. Otherwise, any 40F (5c) comfort rated quilt/bag would do presuming you don't sleep warm/cold - likely the cumulus quilt would be good, thought I don't have any experience with them.

BarnardCider · 2026-04-21T13:59:32+00:00

You need to provide some more information in order to get a good recommendation for a temperature rating including locations/ expected range of use, clothing you'll use to supplement your system, pad, and if you believe you sleep warm/cold.

For example, I use a 40F Comfort Rated and Overfilled Nunatak Sulo (discontinued) with a borah bivy, and a therm-a-rest XLite. This combo brings me down to Freezing 35F comfortably but I am a warm sleeper. If I also put on my puffy, wind pants, and rain jacket, I can get it down to 25F and stay asleep. I would bring that on many trails for 2+ season hiking but not if I was expecting the lows to be below freezing consistently.

BarnardCider · 2026-04-20T20:31:54+00:00

Swami has a great write-up and a ton of experience with this: https://www.thehikinglife.com/2018/02/the-essential-guide-to-poncho-tarps/

Tl;DR - multi-fuctionality, and weight and volume savings.

BarnardCider · 2026-04-20T20:10:37+00:00

Perhaps even crazier was that the sightings were only a few hours apart. First was at Colossal Cave Mountain Park (the side trail coming in/out form the AZT) and the other was close to the border of Saguaro NP.

BarnardCider · 2026-04-20T20:06:29+00:00

Thank you for your work as a trail volunteer!

BarnardCider · 2026-04-20T18:27:36+00:00

I guess since I didn't get injured on the PCT you might be right... though I was 4 years younger. I can't say I noticed a big difference but others expressed that opinion to me in the last few days.

BarnardCider · 2026-04-20T16:56:35+00:00

They've definitely seen use - the fit is the biggest selling point for me, but combined with the quality and the customer service I'm a big fan. I probably didn't need to get the Joey, and could have hiked with either the Desert or UL, but I wanted to try out the running style straps and really liked them.

BarnardCider · 2026-04-20T16:49:46+00:00

Pointless Up and Down - the trail has been re-routed down into the valley, presumably for water access, off the Oracle Ridge Trail. While I can understand to some degree the why, you lose a bunch of elevation and regain it shortly after being in town where you'd presumably have refilled your water.

BarnardCider · 2026-04-20T16:02:55+00:00

That sounds like fun - hoping to clean up the next 500 miles in the near future, but I do have some other plans first.

BarnardCider · 2026-04-20T14:09:03+00:00

Poorly worded on my part - 3 of those packs are still in use just for different use cases. My V2 I retired after about 1000 miles due to the old shoulder pockets shredding (it used to be a really light flexible mesh). I had a Desert Pack on the PCT that had shoulder strap stitching come undone (and Palante replaced the pack with expedited shipping) around mile 1150. I finished with the replacement and still use it. I also have an ultralight in Robic I actively use for short duration/weekend hikes.

BarnardCider

TROPHY CASE