Hey Why not get a cheap vinyl tablecloth under your real quilt...?? That way if the tablecloth gets yucky you throw it away and keep the quilt safe...!
Hugs
Quiltinmama

I just made beach quilts for each of my 5 grandkids. I'll just tell them all to shake the quilt really well to remove any sand, etc. & make sure the quilt is dry before they store it. Shouldn't create any problems.

If you want vinyl attached to the back of the quilt, I would make a quilt with no batting -- just a piece of fabric on the back and quilt it. I would then add the vinyl to the back and add the binding. I would not sew through the vinyl.

I was at a swim meet and some of the mothers made "blankets" by sewing vinyl to the back of a piece of light weight fleece -- no quilting, just sewing around the edge. The vinyl was light weight and they said they can wash them but hang dry.

I bought some raincoat material for a steal (half off of half off with another 10% off on top of that - they nearly paid me to take the stuff) and I've been trying to figure out if it would work for a picnic quilt too - I'm watching this thread closely!

Vinyl might be just too heavy/stiff to make a good quilt; depends on what gague you get, I suppose. I like the raincoat material because it is very flexible and thin. And it's black, so it'll hide any spots it does pick up. But I was wondering if quilting holes would let in moisture too, just as somone asked. Somehow it works okay on my coat, though...maybe just use a fine needle and keep the stitches small & tight??

At Walmart they sell Vinay that can be placed on to make it a laminate. This way you use your stash quilt the quilt mostly then stick it on and finish off the quilting so it's not as dense. Just a thought.

Since you're using it outdoors anyway, why not just hang it outside in the sun -- turn it after an hour or so. Sunshine is a terrific disinfectant! If you can't do that, just give it a short spin in the dryer.

Could you use velcro to attach the vinyl to the back? The back could be removed to wash and dry the quilt and the vinyl could be wiped down with a clean cloth.

I think using a plastic sheet on the ground first is the perfect solution. Then the quilt can be washed as needed.

I like the idea of using black for the backing so stains don't show. My dd wants a "fireworks" quilt to sit on when they go to fireworks, etc. Will watch this thread to see what everyone has to say about using vinyl, etc to make it damp resistant.

Am I the only one who's thinking " why would you take a quilt camping if you KNEW it was going to get dirty?" ???