Bought an Aeronaut Hoverquilt based on the feedback & discussion here. It was a big expense for me, but quality sleep is a top priority. Can’t wait to test.
To add to the positive feedback, I made a mistake when ordering and their customer service was next level. I really appreciated their kind and straightforward handling. I am not a person that likes a lot of brands and badges or reps for companies online. There are no sponsored posts in this thread. But standout service and thoughtful design like I have seen from Aeronaut and GFC is deserving of every last post and recommendation.
I really really love the quilt. It stuffs super small and is still warm. But, one thing that I found is this…
If you use the quilt on top of other bedding, it tends to wander significantly during the night. I would sometimes wake up partially uncovered. I added buttons to my other bedding to utilize the integrated button loops on the quilt. They work great and the quilt stays in place perfectly without worries all night.
I never thought a down quilt could be that much of a game changer for sleeping, but damn, it really is. Being warm and sleeping loose is so awesome, and to have that size of blanket (for my wife and I and our tiny dog) is luxurious. As close as it gets to sleeping at home.
Thank you for the tip. I’m going to see if I can manage implementing this before going out this weekend. I’m really lucky in that I have a full sewing setup in my prototyping shop so adding connection points should be straightforward.
I also splurged a bit and decided to get one cause my previous sleeping bag was just so big and bulky and was a pain moving up and down. It was very comfy though. I’ve had 3 nights in the hover quilt and it’s been amazing. Kept me perfectly warm in 30-35 degree weather and I can leave it in the tent when I close it down. The size of it also compliments the GFC really well as opposed to other similar quilts. Overall, I think well worth the money.
Also had a solar panel fail today. I think the reputation on these flexible panels may be well deserved. But also added a cutoff switch and diodes today. Fingers crossed.
Thanks for all the love everyone! Let’s hook you up with some Aerostraps — and for you too @GFC706@tbacon4758 and @weightshift. Shoot me a DM and I’ll toss some over to you to test out (free!)
These straps help keep your quilt in place - hook one clip to the loop, then run the strap under a mattress or whatever, then the other hook clips to the loop on the other side of your quilt. Then you can tighten or loosen however you’d like. I should probably do a video or something about it
Because my truck is small, the panels were basically exactly at eye-socket level.
I had a great discussion with GFC Support (thanks, Cole!) . They gave me some good insight, and followed up repeatedly. A+.
Here’s the new bracket design, which moves the pivot 3.5mm higher, and 12mm toward the hinge. If I did it again, I would move the pivot 5mm higher for just a little more clearance.
Still figuring out spots where I can “camp” in a sort of 40 mile radius around Los Angeles. Makes me wish I knew some real experienced folks bcause there are a lot of non-obvious forces at play. I’m all for quasi-legal stuff but you have to know what’s enforced and what’s not.
Anyway, went exploring last night, ended up taking a long peaceful nap on the side of Highway 1. The Hovernaut quilt made it very comfortable, and the height of the GFC really changes your view of the world. I really love the feeling that happens when you get the back door and side door(s) open.
I saw how the new Yotas have bed rails or tracks or whatever they’re called. Often I want to tarp over the whole bed for concealment or just to quickly attach a bag or object somewhere. I’ve also always wanted to use L-track in a project so I bought some.
Best deal I could find was Mytee . I bought 6x 48" sections of the black track. The real aerospace stuff is built better and often has a taper/chamfer. I’ve seen it run between the ridges in the beds of trucks. I’m no expert.
The top of the bed on these old Toyotas is just two thin layers of metal spot welded together. To reinforce the back/under side I made large, 25mm square 4.8mm thick nuts on the waterjet from some scrap aluminum. Then I clamped the L-track in place, drilled the holes 1mm oversize and in-place, and attached it with lots of flat head M5 screws. Overall the whole thing took a couple hours and was very satisfying.
