Hudson River Ultralight 20°F Multifunction 3-Season Backpacking Quilt

At 16.2 oz for the Regular, the Hudson River Ultralight is a 20°F three-season quilt that works on both sides of the hammock: over you as a top quilt, or under you as an underquilt. 1000FP down, 10 denier 0.67 oz nylon shell.

Top Quilt or Underquilt. Pick One Tonight.

Any top quilt works inside a hammock, same as on the ground. The Hudson River Ultralight also hangs underneath. Attach it with the JRB Underquilt Suspension System (sold separately) and it insulates against the cold air beneath you — the primary cause of cold-weather hammock discomfort. Ease the end drawcords off and it drops away from the hammock to let air move across your back — we call that opening the windows, and it is handy on the nights you climb in hot. It fits gathered-end and bridge hammocks including ENO, Hennessy, Warbonnet, Dutchware Chameleon, and most DIY designs.

How It Gets to 16.2 oz: 1000 Fill Power Down, 10 Denier 0.67 oz Nylon Shell

The Hudson River Ultralight 20°F is filled with 1000 Fill Power down — the highest-grade down available. At 1000FP, significantly less down by weight is needed to reach a 20°F rating compared to 850FP alternatives, which is how this quilt delivers three-season warmth without unnecessary bulk. The shell is a 0.67 oz, 10 denier nylon certified downproof with a DWR finish — the lightest shell fabric in the JRB lineup.

Box baffles are the one place this quilt spends weight on purpose. Interior fabric walls hold the 1000FP down in closed chambers so it can rise to full loft; a sew-through build stitches shell to lining instead, leaving a compressed seam every few inches with effectively nothing between you and the night air. Those seams are the cold stripes people report in cheap 20°F quilts. Dropping the baffles would save a fraction of an ounce and cost the rating — not a trade worth making at 16.2 oz.

Every Hudson River Ultralight 20°F ships with a 25% overstuff by weight. Down naturally migrates toward the ends of each baffle over time, leaving the center of each baffle thinner. The extra fill means every section retains enough loft to hold the 20°F rating even after downshifting occurs — no cold spots through the middle of the quilt. The same buffer compensates for loft loss as the down accumulates oils between cleanings.

The foot box is formed using a drawcord, cord-locks, and double-sided Kam Snaps. Snap it closed on cold nights for a sealed foot pocket; leave it open on warm nights and use it as a blanket.

Cut 48 inches across, it covers you without pooling underneath or bunching up when you roll. DGrav is our owner, lead field-tester, customer service rep, quality control and shipping department. He's 6'3", 200 lbs, and has used a Hudson River Ultralight since the 2018 prototype. He still uses both, depending on the trip. If you sprawl and want more across the shoulders, the Big Meadows Ultralight 20° is cut 55 inches wide.

Stack It With Another Quilt for Colder Nights

The double-sided Kam Snaps do more than close the foot box. Any Multifunction quilts of the same length snap together into a single layered system — a Shenandoah Ultralight 40°F over this quilt reaches 0°F capability, and nothing stops you adding a third. Any temperature combination works, multiples of the same rating included. Quilts made from 2019 on have the snaps; before that we used Omni Tape, which doesn't stack. Every JRB quilt you own makes the next one warmer.

At 16.2 oz, the Hudson River Ultralight carries a full 20°F temperature rating into the backcountry — light enough to justify on shoulder-season trips where a summer quilt won't cut it, and warm enough when temperatures drop overnight. This quilt was built for three-season backpackers who refuse to carry more weight than necessary.

Named for the Trail

The Appalachian Trail crosses the Hudson River on the Bear Mountain Bridge at essentially sea level — the lowest point on the entire 2,190-mile trail. From the bridge you immediately start climbing Anthony's Nose, the rocky ridge that rises steeply on the east bank of the Hudson Highlands. The river is tidal this far north, which means the air is damp, the temperature swings are sharp, and a 40°F quilt that felt fine in the afternoon won't feel fine at 2 a.m. Fall color peaks early in the Highlands. Spring comes late. The quilt was built for those in-between seasons — three seasons of coverage, one carry weight.

Handmade in Pennsylvania by Jacks R Better — making quilts since 2004. In-stock quilts ship the same or next business day.