Hi Guys! It’s been fun to see the progress being made on DIY versions of the winter insulation package.
Hats off to “the_philxx” for diving right in head first on sourcing of materials and learning to sew. I love your initiative!
Here’s an update on our progress. We have built several prototypes using a variety of materials and different styles (some with zippered entrances/windows and some using a simple overlapping of the curtain walls). Materials used have ranged from simple polly-fill to the more “technical” products available. We already use Thinsulate 600L for our van insulation products so that was a no-brainer. Primaloft was a consideration but we opted not to use it due to the quilting required using a short filament product. It is a product that needs to be stabilized. We recently sourced a continuous filament, hi-tech product that is being used in shelter applications (primarily military). This one has me the most excited!
I contacted a couple of the members of this forum by phone today to see if anybody that is in close proximity to Eagle, Colorado would like to join us later this month to help us field test the prototypes that we have made. If anyone reading this message would like to participate please contact me by email at scott@overlandsoftgoods.com We can accommodate up to six participants.
Sorry this has taken so long on our end to get this rolling. Getting the materials right from the start is critical in a commercial product. Production SOP is also important as we will be warranting our product against material defect and workmanship.
For those people that are doing a DIY version, feel free to contact me. I’m happy to assist you!
Also interested if there has been thought on these being a standalone solution for insulation versus something that could be paired with a supplemental heater. Not sure if it really matters, but would be quite interested in how these offerings insulate down to a specific temperature with and without a heater. Thanks! I did text you back as well, quite interested in the meet up, but just depends on logistics.
Hey Micah! I think, that in my hast, I totally misread your post. The WIK (winter insulation kit) needs to perform a couple of tasks. “moisture management” inside a closed up single wall tent being at the top of the list. Also, cutting down on cold air draft. Thermal insulation is beneficial but therein lies the rub. Obviously, there must be a heat source and our bodies are not great at heating the inside of a tent. Especially, when we are trying to trap that heat inside a cold weather sleeping bag to begin with. Candles, propane heaters, electric mattress heating pads (if you have the power source) and the cheap (or not so cheap) diesel heater, which is my preference are all much better heat sources. I have found, in the little bit of testing that we have done, that anything from cheap army surplus blankets to the really techie insulation materials used primarily in winter clothing will provide SOME thermal insulation provided there is an adequate source of heat. Our challenge has been to find the “sweet spot” between performance and cost. I encourage anybody to try different materials when out in the cold to see what works best for you. When my company, Overland Softgoods does a final release of our WIK it first and foremost must perform. Also, it must be made of quality materials, assembled properly and be a product that we can warranty. I hope this is a better answer.
G’morning blackhearse! We are still playing around with materials. Ripstop for sure on the outside. The inside material is still a little bit of a moving target though. What we know for sure is that 30-40 scfm is where we want to be on both inside and outside materials. I’m not a lover of acronyms… scfm stands for standard cubic feet per minute air permeability. For anyone that wants to do a DIY kit, don’t waste your money on expensive insulation material if you don’t pair it with the right materials.
I get a little bit frustrated by this taking so long. But, we will get it figured out and then never have to look back, wondering if we got it right. Thanks, Scott
I spoke to @WrinkledPants for quite a bit yesterday and I have to say… For those looking for a well thought out commercially available insulation system, he sounds like he has a very exciting product in the works.
curious as to why air movement is that important. the tent fabric stops the wind and water very well. I personally don’t have experience in designing something like this and that wasn’t a thought. how would 30-40 scfm be a goal compared to something in the spectrum of muslin to nylon . please enlighten me
I know we’re nowhere near this point but is there a ballpark estimate of what this would cost? I can see a few hundred dollars for sure but people are going to start to balk when it gets past that price point
We are thinking of offering two products. A three season version and a full-on all winter kit.
Materials used in each of these offerings will dictate a different price.
Once we figure out materials we can then do a time and materials evaluation and nail down a retail price.
I have a quilt from my great great grandma that she sewed 100% by hand. it kind of makes what you are doing like a walk in the park but still very respectable to undertake a project like this WHILE learning how to do it. I tip my hat to you. I can’t wait to see the end product.
for sure! I rode crystal mountain on Monday and it was 2 feet of fresh powder. My legs are still cooked. But I have to figure something out. Between my diesel heater and my tent I was warm-ish but the condensation was so bad because I was fighting the cold weather keeping the doors closed up.
