Thicker insulation. For someone wanting more warmth without the bulky third layer, the Alpine upgrade adds considerably to the quilt's warmth and thickness. Not not as much as the Xtra-Layer, but with no extra sewing required.

Our Alpine insulation is about 0.9-inch thick. Some call it one-inch, but we like to be conservative.

The Alpine Upgrade to the Quilt Kit gives you two layers of this thicker insulation (0.9"), rather than two layers of basic 0.75". The Upgrade is inexpensive, and for someone wanting more warmth, it might be well worth the small increase in weight and bulk. Switching from the 0.75" to the 0.9" increases the weight by 6.2% and the bulk by 15%. This gives you a luxurious 1.8 inches of lofty warmth, lowering the quilt's temperature rating from 40°F down to 28°F with no additional sewing or basting required.

We use quilts with the Alpine Upgrade on most of our trips. And the thicker insulation is very popular with our customers.

Note: Sometimes a newly made quilt may be a little stiff, such that gravity may not drape the quilt around you as effectively, particularly with the Xtra Layer because the extra insulation tends to stiffen the quilt somewhat. Once you have used the quilt a few times it will loosen up. Meanwhile, you can simply tuck the draft stopper under you along both sides.