Reviews > Sleep Gear > Quilts and Blankets > Rumpl Original Puffy Blanket > Test Report by Brian Hartman

RUMPL PUFFY BLANKET
TEST SERIES BY BRIAN HARTMAN
LONG-TERM REPORT
September 17, 2017

CLICK HERE TO SKIP TO THE FIELD REPORT
CLICK HERE TO SKIP TO THE LONG-TERM REPORT

TESTER INFORMATION

I have been backpacking for over 20 years throughout Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky and most recently in Western USA. In addition to backpacking I enjoy family camping with my wife and kids and being outdoors in general. I would describe myself as a mid weight backpacker. I use fairly light weight equipment and gear but still like to bring more than the bare essentials with me while on the trail.

INITIAL REPORT

PRODUCT INFORMATION & SPECIFICATIONS

Manufacturer: Rumpl
Year of Manufacture: 2017
Manufacturer's Website: http://www.gorumpl.com/
MSRP: US $129.00
Listed Weight: 3.1 lbs (1.4 kg)
Measured Weight: 53.5 oz (1.5 kg)
Dimensions: 54 x 80" (137 x 203 cm)
Product Tested: 1-Person

Shell: 20D Ripstop Nylon with DWR Shield
Insulation: 3D Hollow Fiber Polyester
Available Colors: Deepwater, Maize, Charcoal, Jam, Coretez

Rumpl describes the Puffy blanket as a premium, versatile blanket, "made from the same stuff as premium sleeping bags", that can be used wherever you go or when you don't go anywhere.

INITIAL IMPRESSIONS

The Original Puffy Blanket as Rumpl refers to it (hereafter called Rumpl or Puffy blanket) arrived at my house in a striking dark blue stuff sack, measuring 8 x 17" (20 x 43 cm). Rumpl refers to the color of the stuff sack, which by the way is the same color as the blanket, as Deepwater and I think that name is very appropriate as it looks like the color of the ocean away from shore. The next thing I noticed was the manufacturer's logo printed in red and white lettering on the circumference and butt end of the stuff sack. Attached to the sack was a single hang tag which I'll discuss in more detail below. The Puffy blanket really filled up the stuff sack so it took a few seconds for me to pull it out, but once I did I could see the blanket in all of its grandeur. Kidding aside the Puffy blanket really does look royal with its Deepwater color, glossy fabric finish, and red trim that goes around its perimeter. Needless to say I am very happy with my color selection and the blanket in general.

The Puffy blanket is available in three sizes: throw, 1-person and 2-person. The 1-person blanket which I'm testing measures 54 x 80" (137 x 203 cm) and weighs 53.5 oz (1.5 kg) or approximately 3.3 lbs by my scale. Before receiving the blanket, I did some research online and found that Rumpl tested the blanket and it has a 40 F (4.4 C) temperature rating, which means that it should keep me warm for at least three seasons. Holding the blanket now, it doesn't seem overly puffy, which should help with packing but makes me a little concerned about the temperature spec. Mostly I'm anxious to get it in the field and see just how warm it is. One last note is that the blanket was treated with a DWR coating to resist water, dirt, odor and other debris. I'm all in favor of anything that helps resist water and dirt as no matter how much I try to protect my sleeping bags and quilts they always end up dirty.

As for fit and finish the Rumpl seems to be very well made with a lot of attention paid to details. The stitching throughout the blanket is flawless with no loose threads, fabric snags, or loose seems and the 20D nylon shell appears to be plenty rugged for the outdoors. The fabric is soft and smooth to the touch and doesn't crinkle when compressed or folded. For insulation, Rumpl used 100% polyester 3D hollow fiber batting and upon further inspection it is sewn into the blanket in 15 chambers measuring 6" (15 cm) wide each.

READING THE INSTRUCTIONS

The Puffy blanket came with a single hang tag which provided some useful information. Of primary importance the blanket is machine washable. Rumpl recommends a performance wash to gently clean the blanket and maintain its water resistant treatment. They also recommend air drying or using the 'no heat' cycle if putting in a dryer.

As for storing the blanket, the manufacturer recommends removing it from the stuff sack and hanging it by one (or two) of the four loops that are sewn onto the sides of the blanket. According to Rumpl keeping the blanket in the stuff sack for long periods of time tends to decrease the loft of the insulation and thus it decreases the blanket's warmth. I completely agree with them and in fact I always hang my sleeping bags when not using them.

Finally, in regards to any hole or tears that might occur, Rumpl recommends using Seam Grip or Tenacious tape or repair them, rather than sewing the fabric.

TRYING IT OUT

After receiving the Puffy blanket a few days ago, I set it on the family room sofa and it immediately got noticed. My entire family now uses it to snuggle up in at night or even during the day when reading a book or watching TV as it's so soft and warm. Size wise it's perfect for two people who are sitting together on a couch or even for someone who wants to lay on top of it and fold it over themselves. Note to self, order another one of these as a Christmas gift for the family.



For backpacking it should be long and wide enough for what I will use it for and it's not overly heavy although it does take up a fair amount of room when packed. Speaking of packing, my first attempt to get it back into the stuff sack did not fair too well; I kept trying to roll it up like it originally came to me but that didn't work. Finally I just stuffed it in with no regard for rolling or folding and was able to get it in. Interestingly enough I was on Rumpl's website earlier today and saw a note that they recommend stuffing it rather than rolling or folding it.

SUMMARY

The Puffy blanket appears to be well-made and rugged enough for backpacking and hammocking. I look forward to getting it on the trail and seeing how well it does.

This concludes my Initial Report for the Puffy blanket. Thanks to Rumpl for providing this blanket for testing and to BackpackGearTest.org for allowing me to participate in this test.

FIELD REPORT

FIELD LOCATIONS AND CONDITIONS

During the past two months I took the Rumpl blanket on three backpacking trips and a family outing for a total of five nights and 21 mi (34 km) of backpacking. Temperatures ranged from the mid 60's F (19 C) to the upper 80's F (31 C) during my trips with a range of weather conditions that included everything from sunny skies to full-on downpours. Elevations in the areas I hiked varied from 520 to 805 ft (158 to 245 m) above sea level.

My first trip of the test period was a two-night backpacking trip to Southern Indiana (IN). Since it was predicted to be quite warm this weekend I decided to leave my sleeping pad at home and sleep on top of the blanket, only wrapping up in it if necessary. Nighttime temperatures ended up being in the low 70s F (22 C) so I did exactly as planned and doubled up the blanket and laid on top of it in shorts and a t-shirt. I woke up refreshed but also a little sore from the hard ground, no fault of the blanket, as it wasn't designed to be a cushion. Despite the high humidity I didn't notice any condensation or wet spots on the blanket.

My second trip with the Rumpl was an overnighter to the Hardin Ridge area of the Hoosier National Forest. This time I slept in my hammock and met my family the next morning to go boating. Temperatures during this outing ranged from 89 F (31 C) during the day to 67 F (19 C) at night. Thankfully this trip got moved from its original date, which ended up being a deluge with fierce thunderstorms and 4 in (10 cm) of rain falling in 24 hours, to the following weekend, which was perfect for boating. The blanket worked great as a covering for me in my hammock and it also came in handy protecting those in the front of the boat from water spray as we encountered white caps while crossing the lake.

Thankfully I brought my hammock on the last trip of this test period as what started out as a nice weekend turned into a cold, wet torrent of rain as major thunderstorms crossed through Indiana (IN) dropping buckets of water on me. Apart from hiking into and out of the park I spent the entire weekend huddled under my rain tarp. While hiking back to my car I passed a five gallon bucket in the parking lot that had more than 5.5 in (14 cm) of water in it.

PERFORMANCE IN THE FIELD

So far, I have really enjoyed using the Rumpl. Below are some comments related to its performance in the field:

SIZE AND WEIGHT:
At 54 x 80" (137 x 203 cm) the Rumpl is large enough for me to use like a sleeping bag, laying on half of it while folding the other half on top of me. This is how I expect to use it most often once the weather gets colder. Since it has loops in each corner I am also toying with the idea of turning it into a quilt for use with my hammock. Its design offers lots of flexibility which is something I like. Anytime I can use an item for multiple purposes it makes that item more valuable in my mind. At 53.5 oz (1.5 kg) or approximately 3.3 lb the Rumpl is not lightweight, especially considering its temperature rating, but it's also not overly heavy. In that regards, I see it as a good option when two people are sharing a tent while backpacking. In that case, the blanket could be used as a top cover for both people, thus eliminating the weight of a second sleeping bag.



COMFORT:
The Rumpl was soft against my skin and it didn't appear to absorb much if any moisture. I never felt clammy while laying on it or covering up with it. It also didn't seem to absorb odors, although I'm not prone to sweating so I'm probably not a good test case. I found the Rumpl most comfortable when used over top of my sleeping pad, which I did one night in my backyard. The sleeping pad provided additional padding from the ground which was much appreciated.

DURABILITY:
After two months of testing, the Rumpl shows no signs of wear or damage. The fabric seems to be quite durable for its weight and I have yet to snag or tear it. In addition, it seems to be holding its loft nicely. As recommended by the manufacturer I hang it from a hook when not using it, and try not to overstuff it when on the trail. My experience with synthetics in general has taught me to limit the number of times, within reason, that I stuff them in a sack for extended periods.

WARMTH:
I can't offer any real world knowledge at this time regarding the warmth of this blanket as temperatures during Field Testing never dropped below the mid 60s F (19 C). I will say subjectively that the Rumpl feels like it can handle temperatures in the 50s F (12 C) or colder depending how much wind is present. Being as the Rumpl is open on the sides and ends, cold air infiltration will ultimately limit how warm I can stay in the blanket. While using the Rumpl during my last three outings I liked the fact that it was open as I could easily remove part or all of it if I got hot. I look forward to cooler temperatures and the opportunity to test the cold weather limit of this blanket.

WEATHER RESISTANCE:
I'm happy to report that the Rumpl dried very fast after getting wet, which happened numerous times on my last trip. The culprits were both the wind that drove rain under my rainfly and into the hammock and also the hammock straps which carrier water into my hammock. My homemade drip lines simply couldn't keep up with the volume of water that ran down the hammock straps and eventually my blanket and I got soaked. Luckily it was quite warm out so it wasn't a big deal, just annoying more than anything. Even though the blanket was wet it didn't seem to lose much of its insulating properties.

When the rain finally stopped about an hour before I left, I let the Rumpl blow in the breeze and it quickly dried out, just not completely in the limited time I gave it before needing to pack up and meet the rest of my family.

In addition to using the Rumpl for backpacking, my family and I have used it numerous times as a blanket around the house, and even as a ground cloth when watching fireworks over July 4th. Overall, it's seen a lot of use and has held up very well.

SUMMARY

The Rumpl performed very well during Field Testing. It is comfortable, durable, warm and weather resistant. I really like how versatile it is and look forward to further testing during the next several months.

This concludes my Field Report of the Rumpl blanket. Thanks to Rumpl for providing this item for testing and to BackpackGearTest.org for allowing me to participate in this test.

LONG-TERM REPORT

LONG-TERM TEST LOCATIONS AND CONDITIONS

During the past two months I took the Rumpl blanket on two backpacking trips to Southern Indiana (IN), totaling four nights and 14 mi (22.5 km) of backpacking. Temperatures ranged from the upper 40's F (9 C) to the mid 70's F (25 C) and skies were mostly sunny with no precipitation.

Trip #1
Location: Southeastern IN
Elevation: 883 ft (269 m)
Temperature: 61 F to 77 F (16 C to 25 C)
Skies: Partly sunny
Conditions: Calm to light breeze
Distance hiked: 8 mi (12.8 km)

Trip #2
Location: Southeastern IN
Elevation: 855 ft (260 ft)
Temperature: 49 F to 70 F (9 C to 20 C)
Skies: Clear
Conditions: Breezy
Distance hiked: 6 mi (9.7 km)

For my two trips during Long Term Testing I decided to go hammock camping in one of my favorite spots in Southeastern IN. Not expecting temperatures to drop below 50 F (10 C) I decided to bring my sleeping pad and the Rumpl blanket for warmth, figuring I could put on a sweatshirt if I got cold during the night. I slept in shorts, a long sleeve performance shirt, and socks the first two nights and was nice and warm until morning. On my second trip (nights three and four), I wore the same clothes to bed as I had on my first trip but woke up cold around 2:30am so I put on some thermal underwear that I had brought along as well as a sweatshirt and beanie. I quickly warmed up and slept comfortably through the rest of the night.

PERFORMANCE IN THE FIELD

The Rumpl blanket performed well during Long Term Testing. It kept me warm, provided excellent coverage, and wasn't drafty even in the breezy conditions experienced during my second trip.

After spending substantial time using this blanket I think Rumpl's 40 F (4.4 C) temperature rating is spot on. The blanket seems to breathe well also as I never got that 'clammy feeling' like it was holding in moisture. The blanket never got damp from dew during Long Term Testing because it was tucked underneath my rain fly, but even when it did get wet, which happened during Field Testing, it still retained heat just fine.

The blanket seems well suited to hammock camping but it also worked really well when I went tent camping earlier this summer. It is not super lightweight but if two people were sharing a hammock or tent and were willing to share a Puffy blanket versus bringing two sleeping bags, the weight savings would be significant. I also like the fact that it's less constricting than a mummy bag and easier to let an arm or leg stick out if it gets too hot.

Pros
warm to 45 F (7 C), the coldest I've tested it so far
good breathability
roomy, not restricting like mummy bag
durable
weight savings when using for two people

Cons:
Carrying size is bulky compared to down blanket

SUMMARY

The Rumpl performed very well during Long Term testing, further cementing its place in my gear closet. As I said during Field Testing and continue to believe, it is a versatile piece of gear that is 'comfortable, durable, warm and weather resistant.' I'm excited to try it in colder temperatures this fall and see how well it does.

This concludes my Long Term Report and this test series for the Rumpl Puffy blanket. I would like to thank Rumpl and BackpackGearTest.org for the opportunity to test this blanket.

Reviews > Sleep Gear > Quilts and Blankets > Rumpl Original Puffy Blanket > Test Report by Brian Hartman