Loco Libre Gear Ghost Pepper 40°

Loco Libre Gear is a cottage manufacturer of down quilts. They have a few styles of top and under quilts that can be optioned for both style (color) and function when ordering. Buyers should check the lead time before ordering as this is a small company and times can be up to 14 weeks.

The Ghost Pepper Topquilt features chevrons instead of straight baffles on the hypothesis that this will limit migration of the down insulation into clumps. In the six months I have had two quilts both seem to have the down evenly distributed with no sign of migration. The Ghost Pepper had a cinch at the neck and the foot so that you can adjust ventilation for warm or cool nights. For those with cold feet there is a $25 option for a hot box that closes the foot area.

The idea behind quilts in general is that the insulation under you is compressed too much to provide much insulation. This took a little getting used to coming from a mummy bag. The weight also was a bit odd at first. Weighing only 17 oz including the stuff bag it felt like there was nothing on top of you.

Part of the idea of being warm is having a substantial weight of insulation. Once I got used to the difference I became a quilt convert. I've cinched it down and been warm on 35° nights (even though this is a 40° quilt I had it over stuffed to make it closer to the 30° quilt specs.) I have used this on hot summer nights opening the foot box and using it more like a blanket.

After six months of camping with the scouts, and more importantly after my son using it for six months I don't see any wear or feathers escaping. The bag lofts up to about three inches when laid out.