Hammock Gear Economy Burrow Review

Overview

The Economy Burrow is Hammock Gear’s entry-level down top quilt, sewn to order in the USA with 850-fill duck down and a 20D DWR-treated nylon shell. It started in the hammock world but has become a default recommendation for ground sleepers who want a quilt without a cottage-brand price tag. The trade-off is plain: a few ounces and a bit of bulk in exchange for a much smaller bill.

Key Specs

Spec	Detail
Temperature rating	20°F / -6°C
Fill	850 fill power duck down (ethically sourced)
Shell fabric	20D nylon taffeta, Nikwax DWR treatment
Baffling	Vertical body baffles, horizontal baffles at the footbox and neck
Footbox	Sewn or zippered/drawcord
Width options	Slim 50 in, Standard 55 in, Wide 60 in
Weight	539–737 g depending on width, length, footbox and overfill
Made in	USA
Included	Stuff sack and cotton storage sack

Performance

Warmth. The Burrow is built with box baffles rather than sewn-through seams, with vertical tubes over most of the body and horizontal baffles at the footbox and neck. That layout keeps down from migrating to the sides overnight and leaving cold stripes across the chest, a design usually seen on pricier quilts. Outdoor Gear Lab’s testers rated the Econ Burrow 20 as a competent quilt for the warm side of three-season use, but noted it runs less warm than similarly rated competitors. They also found it didn’t seal well at the bottom. Hammock Gear sells overfill in 1-ounce steps up to 4 ounces, and owners in cold climates routinely order extra fill, and a sewn footbox, for peace of mind. Cold sleepers and anyone who regularly camps near the rating should treat 20°F as a limit rather than a comfort number and buy accordingly.

Weight and packability. Light weight is not the Econ’s selling point, and the page doesn’t pretend otherwise. The 20D shell and liner add weight and bulk compared with the 10D fabrics found in Hammock Gear’s premium Burrow, though the heavier cloth is usually more durable and cheaper to source. Outdoor Gear Lab’s tester counted 13.7 ounces of 850-fill duck down in the quilt, and called the down-to-total-weight ratio of 53 percent excellent. Real-world weights tend to come in under the claim: a Backpacking Light reviewer’s 30°F wide quilt weighed 557 g on the scale against a claimed 619 g. At 539 g for the lightest configuration and up to 737 g fully optioned, the Econ lands a few ounces above top-tier quilts. The premium line sheds that weight for nearly $100 more.

Ground use. The Burrow can be fully opened as a blanket or strapped down around a pad, which testers praised for flexibility across a range of temperatures. The optional pad attachment kit uses clips and webbing, and SectionHiker’s reviewer found the mitten hooks fiddly at first. The neck uses a snap and a shockcord with a small cordlock sited for back sleepers. Side and stomach sleepers on the ground may find it awkward to reach. Wide (60 in) is the width Hammock Gear recommends for ground sleepers who toss around. The slim cut is pitched at hammock users.

Hammock use. This is the quilt’s home turf. Hammock Gear designs it to pair with its Incubator underquilt and tarp setup, and hammock campers have kept it popular for years. Owners who run Burrows in multiple temperature ratings report that the quality is well above what the price suggests.

Build and value. Hammock Gear makes each quilt to order in Columbus, Ohio. Reviewers consistently describe the construction as clean and the value as hard to match. One outlet found that a similarly rated down bag cost at least twice as much. The made-to-order build also means lead times can run longer than for off-the-shelf quilts.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Price sits well below most cottage-brand down quilts
• 850-fill duck down with box baffles and horizontal baffles at the footbox and neck
• Custom width, length, footbox, and overfill
• Works in a hammock and on the ground
• Made in the USA, with stuff sack and cotton storage sack included

Cons

• Heavier and bulkier than 10D premium quilts
• Tested as running cooler than similarly rated quilts, and loses heat at the bottom edge
• Neck cordlock is hard to reach for side and stomach sleepers
• Ground pad attachment takes time to get used to
• Made to order, so no instant delivery

Who Should Buy This

First-time quilt buyers, hammock campers, and weekend-to-section-hike backpackers who want a warm, well-built down quilt and don’t want to spend $400 on one. Buy a wide width if sleeping on the ground, and order a little overfill if cold nights are common. Gram-counters chasing a sub-500 g sleep system, and thru-hikers who need reliable warmth right at the rating, should look at Hammock Gear’s own premium Burrow or a higher-end cottage quilt.

Verdict

The Economy Burrow is among the best-value down quilts for hammock and ground sleepers. It gives up some weight and a little warmth-per-ounce, and it asks for a bit of customizing to get the fit right. For the money, though, it’s hard to beat.