Cabin Comfort - Quilt / Duvet / Blanket ?

[jacquief]

Temps in the Spring up here on Lake Ontario can get down to near freezing at night. Right now we're using a sleeping bag as a comforter in our "stateroom", which is okay but the zippers are getting to me. I'm thinking about buying a mildew resistant, machine washable, cotton with manmade filling duvet. Does anyone have a recommendation for or against? Any better ideas?

[flysci]

Personally I love down - I just wash it in the washing machine.

But to save money, how about getting a duvet cover to put over the sleeping bag to tame the zippers?

[jacquief]

thanks for the idea, I did consider it and may still do it but a bit worried about the sleeping bag slipping around in the duvet cover, since the bag is a nylon one or something with very slippery fabric, and I don't want to pin through it either since it seems very delicate like it might rip.
Didn't know you could wash down??? And no worries about smelling or mildew?

[rebel heart]

We use navy wool blankets; they work great and seem rather impervious to a bit of moisture every now and again. One of our blankets is a WWII issue US Navy blanket, the other is a 90% wool 10% something else blanket we got from REI.

In the winter we have a little 12v electric blanket that we put underneath us to keep the chill off. It doesn't keep you "warm", but will make a big difference from an otherwise freezing berth. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...SIN=B0009Y2CFS

[flysci]

Originally Posted by jacquief

And no worries about smelling or mildew?

You just have to be sure it gets all the way dry in the dryer. I usually stop the dryer and shake it and re-distribute the down every once in a while while it's drying.

I like down because it's light weight (unlike a stack of wool blankets), and seems to adjust well to your body temperature over a wide range of temp.s I have a summer weight one that keeps me toasty right down to a bit below freezing, yet I can still use on any but the hottest nights.

Margo

[tager]

Yea wool and down are special like that. I find that synthetic blankets make me sweaty and cold, with poor heat distribution.

[CarlF]

I buy these fleece sleeping bags from Cabellas as blankets

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/te...144&hasJS=true

They are quite warm, very light, roll up small and wash in a standard clothes washer. They wash so well that we often don't use sheets. Just wash the bag. They also don't mildew easily and can get wet without damage.

You can unzip them to a queen size blanket or zip them to a sleeping bag. Easy to layer. On a cold night use two. One a really cold night it's a "3 bag night"

Carl

[barnakiel]

I use Polar fleece from Malden Mills and it is great. My first mate uses a synthetic down and it is great. Thinsulate works great too.

I love natural down, esp the eider and I like wool too but I found both susceptible to mold unless treated.

Do not know much about washing wool, but down can be washed in the machine and then tubmled dry in a drier (just avoid too hot ones). Some people add tennis balls to tumble better but I would not.

Surprisingly, one gets hotter under down when wearing LESS ... so in real cold I just jump into my breathable full-length underwear and I sleep like a baby.

b.

[SailPenelope]

I love my down comforter in a duvet cover.....easy to make the bed, light, comfortable at night. I'm in SoCal, so far, no mildew or other problems......

[RedBellies]

As a hiker I love down for it's weight, or lack thereof. But when wet, down is useless. I know, boats aren't supposed to get wet inside, right?

Wool and most synthetic fiberfill used in modern sleeping bags maintains it's loft and insulting power even when wet. Plan for the worst but hope for the best.

[Dockhead]

We use down and synthetic duvets in duvet covers in all of our bunks. They work great for us down to below freezing temps. We also keep some sleeping bags on board just in case but have never used them so far.

We do have central hydronic heating but we like to switch it off while we're sleeping.

[capt_douglas]

I'm with tager; synthetic seems the way to go for me. It doesn't seem to absorb odors, is fairly sturdy when it comes to washing, can handle moisture well (for those times when you left the hatch open and the rain got in) and seem reasonably priced. The only downside is that it doesn't store as small as down or blankets.

[Fast Forward]

we also use down in colder climes... and then we "vacuum" it in one of those space saver bags to, well, save space!

[Pete7]

We have just gone back to sleeping bags for coastal cruising. Duvets never fitted our odd shaped berths and sheets just a disaster. Decided I didn't want to pay for tailored sheets. Tried "mummy" shaped sleeping bags but no room to turn over so back to posh square sleeping bags but in a large size so extra room inside. We also have fleecy throws to put over the top if its cold.

Have tried a feather sleeping bag which was really warm but hit a problem when I treid to wash it. It held so much water I couldn't lift it out of the bath Eventually managed to drape it over the boiler at home to dry it out.

Man made fibres for us, then staight into the washing machine when needed.

Pete

[Sailaway Kid]

What do you use for pillows? I would think the same situation exists for down filled pillows.