Cabin Comfort - Quilt / Duvet / Blanket ?

[anglooff]

In the Southern Caribbean normally sheets are enough...I splash out on best quality Egytian cotton... although there are occassion when it can get chilly in the wee small hours of the night or when alongside and can kick up the airconditioner.

I bought during a visit to France last year a duvet pack which consisted of one twin and two single "summer duvets"(They were on offer very cheap I believe I paid $60USD for the duvets and cotton covers). When needed they work very well on the boat.

These specifically squash down to a small pack...about the size of two bathtowels so easy to stow.

For those with less room and colder climates I have found the best to be "hospital gurney blankets" They are those blankets with holes you see wrapped around patients waiting for a doctor. Similar to croquetted blanket. Mine sits on the locker at the foot of my bed. Whenever chilly its are a godsend. Easy to wash and extremely cheap if I remember correctly.

Regards

Alan

[SurferShane]

Originally Posted by Curmudgeon

Down is lighter than wool, even cashmere. But wool retains 80% of its insulating value when wet. I do not think that down or any synthetic can match that.

I totally agree and this is why I prefer wool at home and would be happy to transfer my dooner to the ship. Still, the real problem with wool is that if it ever becomes wet it is slow to dry. I did recently buy a top brand polar fleece type blanket to go under my dooner on cold nights. I cant remember the exact brand name, but it was over twice as thick as the usual ones getting around.


Nevertheless, this is dilema is also why I try to isolate my v-berth from any sort of water incursion. When I go to “bed” there I do my best to be clean with fairly fresh body layers usually again of wool. I really do like the wool especially due its natural tendency to regulate temperatures even in summer and its tendancy to evade odours. I suppose you could call my v-berth the “inner sanctuary”.

In the salon I rely almost totally on synthetics, mainly polar fleece and other polyesters that will dry a lot faster if they get damp and still retain heat when wet. That is why I feel syntheitics are perfect for the "sea berth".

On the other hand, I find down in either compartment a bit problematic. Maybe this comes from the fact that unlike the typical dooner my down trekking bags are covered in Gortex fabrics that are breathable and prevent them becoming wet. In the past I have been stuck sleeping in a wet basic down bag on a winter’s night and I can assure you it was not a pleasant experience.

I have transferred a lot of the knowledge I have learnt about fabrics and garments from my bushwalking days too sailing resulting in comfort and many a good nights’ sleep.

[SurferShane]

Somewhere related my post above I am wondering if I should trial silk bed sheets on my ship? Although I can foresee this fabric working a lot better in the tropics to date this is the material I have used for my sleeping bag liners

Cotton on the other hand is one of the least moisture friendly fabrics which will typically wick heat away from the body. In a really cool climate I would defiantly be considering a wool or similar synthetic under blanket.

[Nibiruwayne]

We purchased six very light mummy sleeping bags with the zipper vents on the sides. The vents are opened when the night is not so chilly and closed to retain the heat. When opened the vents which have netting allow for expansion of the bag width and you can stick a leg into the vent to cool off. We stow them in attractive bags with drawstrings my wife made and use them around the boat as comfortable pillows. They can make an easy bunk in the pilothouse when you're doing an all night watch with a crew member or they can be used in the cockpit. In a pinch, they can be used when your regular bedding got soaked from an open hatch.

[serah]

Though we're not living aboard yet, we find that standard bedding has been the best for us. Perhaps it was from the days on the tiny boat, we always had proper sheets, and a polyester filled duvet. Anything to make it feel less like camping. Up here in the cold PNW, we love our flannel duvet cover. There's nothing quite so awful as crawling into the icy sheets, even if the rest of the boat is warm. Even leaving the bedding on (taking it home to be washed of course) mildew was never a problem

[Drumroll30]

I was kind of spoiled with this one, a sailing couple I often sail with gave me this custom quilt for my boat complete with boat name, sail number, etc

[Tom and Maje]

Ikea has great duvets in different warmths. They are polyester and wash and dry quickly.

[Tom and Maje]

Originally Posted by SurferShane

Somewhere related my post above I am wondering if I should trial silk bed sheets on my ship? Although I can foresee this fabric working a lot better in the tropics to date this is the material I have used for my sleeping bag liners

Cotton on the other hand is one of the least moisture friendly fabrics which will typically wick heat away from the body. In a really cool climate I would defiantly be considering a wool or similar synthetic under blanket.

Try bamboo sheets. I live in St Thomas part of the year and have found that they really wick away the moisture and dry quickly.

Maje

[zeehag]

bamboo sheets?/ wow
i have reynauds disease,complete with lowered core temp, and is difficult to make my body become warm in bed without some kind of warming thing--i use kat for my bedwarmer. i use a light down throw for my bed-- have used down on board since 1990. no problems. but i have found my self becoming very very chilled when trying to warm myselofin bed--i use jersey sheets, which worked for a while-but i have cooled sufficiently as to not be able to warm myself well enough to snuggle into my warmies.

is there another source for the bamboo sheeting?? silk sheets-- where do ye find them???

[wildshore]

I find a nice warm cat helps immensely

[IrishLass]

Many good suggestions here. Adding this "casualty blanket" to the mix can help as well. You can place it on your sleeping berth or inside the duvet (layer closest to your body) and it will help to retain body heat.

There are many places to purcase these, here is one link:

Rothco Olive Drab Aluminized Casualty Blanket 9069 Silberman's @ Working Gear.com

[NatKat]

Originally Posted by Sailaway Kid

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

Latex is supposed to be naturally mold & mildew resistant, so we got latex foam pillows for boat.

[IrishLass]

Originally Posted by NatKat

Latex is supposed to be naturally mold & mildew resistant, so we got latex foam pillows for boat.

Great Idea. However .... A word of caution: Latex allergies have become increasingly prevalent and we have become more aware of it since universal precautions in healtcare.

Make sure that you, or your guests, do not have latex allergies before using latex pillows. Also, watch for the symptoms, expecially in children who might not be readily cognizant.

AAAAI - Patients & Consumers Center: Tips to Remember: Latex allergy

[Amapola]

We keep sleeping bags aboard and use them when needed. We found that we never use the fancy quilts, duvets, shams, etc.

[terra57]

We have had a regular polyester fiber fill duvet on our bed for 5 years and really enjoy it because it seems to regulate temperature well. We are now in the Med and it is perfect here. Before we were in Texas in the marina with cold AC in the summer. We don't use AC now but when it's hot we just kick it off and sleep under the sheet. I do feel quite civilized with the matching sham set and all. I don't think you will want anything with feathers in it. Whether you get it wet or not, it will draw in moisture.
I would recommend the best sheets you can afford. They feel better and last longer and don't wrinkle up in the bed. We use polyester cheap pillows and 'let them go' every couple of years when the water stains build up.
We leave our boat for one to three months at a time. A great tip for the bedding is to roll it all up at one end of the bed. Keeps it from smelling musty when you return.
Also we use a 3" memory foam on top of the 30 year old foam upholstery in our bed. Makes you feel like you are sleeping on a cloud. We roll it up with the sheets when we leave.