quilts vs sleeping bags

[Floorguy]

Maybe I have had my head in the sand but can someone explain the quilt concept to me? I was looking at the sleeping bag comparison that outdoor gear labs did and saw that a quilt got the highest mark and sleeping bags almost always had "not as versatile as quilt." Then other quilts had "not as comfortable as a dedicated quilt with an enclosed footbox". I originally thought a quilt was more like a blanket but didn't understand how it was utilized now with a enclosed foot box quilt I am thinking that they are essentially a 3/4 zip bag with no zipper and slightly less material.

 

[HellsCanyon]

You are correct in thinking they are like at 3/4 zip bag, except they are more like a 1/4 zip bag. They have an sewn closed footbox that runs for a designated length up from the bottom. The idea behind a quilt is that with a high R-value sleeping pad you'll be just as warm as with a full mummy bag. Sleeping bags get their insulation from loft, and so when in a mummy bag, your body weight collapses that loft between you and the pad thus rendering the underside of your sleeping bag dang near worthless from an insulation standpoint. By going with a quilt and a high R-value pad, you get to drop a lot of weight by reducing the size of the bag, getting rid of zippers, and you let the pad keep you warm on the underside.

Not sure if that was exactly what you were looking for answer wise...?

Mike

 

[Lawnboi]

Id consider the doobie and woobie I have to be quilts. there just big blankets.

They wont keep you as warm as a mummy bag by design, but I can sleep in them just like I do at home.

 

[bigeasygator]

Maybe I have had my head in the sand but can someone explain the quilt concept to me? I was looking at the sleeping bag comparison that outdoor gear labs did and saw that a quilt got the highest mark and sleeping bags almost always had "not as versatile as quilt." Then other quilts had "not as comfortable as a dedicated quilt with an enclosed footbox". I originally thought a quilt was more like a blanket but didn't understand how it was utilized now with a enclosed foot box quilt I am thinking that they are essentially a 3/4 zip bag with no zipper and slightly less material.

I bought an Enlightened Equipment quilt for use this next season. I like to sleep on my side and stomach and I'm hoping the quilt gives me more freedom to do that. The descriptions above are pretty accurate as far as what a quilt looks like. The EE quilt has a closed footbox, but the rest is just like a blanket (there's some chording that allows you to secure it around a pad, but other than that it's more open and not as confining as a mummy bag. We'll see how it goes!

 

[luke moffat]

Id consider the doobie and woobie I have to be quilts. there just big blankets.

They wont keep you as warm as a mummy bag by design, but I can sleep in them just like I do at home.

There is a difference between a woobie and a quilt. One fits around you and cut similar to a sleeping bag but with no bottom to seal in the heat and one is just a big blanket.

Also given the same weight a quilt weighing 1.5 pounds will be warmer than a mummy bag weighing 1.5 pounds if the quality of the fill is the same (650 or 850 fill for example). This is because there is less material to make the shell thus meaning the quilt has more down(insulation).

 

[Floorguy]

I bought an Enlightened Equipment quilt for use this next season. I like to sleep on my side and stomach and I'm hoping the quilt gives me more freedom to do that. The descriptions above are pretty accurate as far as what a quilt looks like. The EE quilt has a closed footbox, but the rest is just like a blanket (there's some chording that allows you to secure it around a pad, but other than that it's more open and not as confining as a mummy bag. We'll see how it goes!

Which model did you get and have you received it yet? I am trying to decide what my next sleep system will be. I am thinking either the zpacks 20degree bag with 900 fill down at 17.1 oz or the EE revelation 20degree with 850 fill down at 23.5 oz. Never having used a quilt before I am not sure if its the direction I want to go or not. I am also not sure if 6.4oz is worth $130 to me right now as even with the "heavier" bag I am still dropping over 2 pounds.

 

[trk3263]

I am about to try my first Quilt as well. I have decided to go with the Mountain Laurel Designs Spirit Quilt. It is synthetic which goes against what have thought in the past but I have done some homework. Not that I like reading other forums but in this category it seems the backpackers have been using quilts for some time and a lot of people make their own. Also I want a quilt that I could throw in my pack during a hunt just in case I need to sleep away from camp if you know what I mean. I also want something I can use while glassing if it gets cold and I don't want to have to worry about it getting a little damp or even wet.
I also recently read that often in colder weather you can use a quilt over the top of a sleeping bag or another quilt for warms. It is said that if you put your synthetic quilt over your down bag it will actually help draw natural moisture and condensation away from the down to the outer most layer being your synthetic. I currently have a 30 degree Big Agnes mummy bag so this setup will work for me.
So speaking of the Big Agnes.... As you probably all know the newer BA bags do not put insulation on the bottom but provide a sleeve for your air pad. I believe they came up with this idea from the Quilt industry. As I was reading about quilts I also read about a similar problem I was having with my BA. Because the pad is in the sleeve you can now pull the bag in close and "snuggle" it when you get cold. This also leaves air pockets between you and the bag sides making it harder for your body to keep warm. The solution I found while reading is to not put your air pad in the sleeve but actually under your bag completely so you can pull the bag in close when you need it and eliminate your air pockets. (I can't wait to try this and may in the next month on a equipment test trip we plan to take.) The trip will be prior to my Quilt arrival.
It is also suggested if you are not sure about a quilt and you have a mummy bag with a full zip to open it up all the way and use it similar to a Quilt (Don't forget most Quilts have foot boxes).

Hopefully I didn't get to off track on this.

 

[Nordic]

I am about to try my first Quilt as well. I have decided to go with the Mountain Laurel Designs Spirit Quilt. It is synthetic which goes against what have thought in the past but I have done some homework. Not that I like reading other forums but in this category it seems the backpackers have been using quilts for some time and a lot of people make their own. Also I want a quilt that I could throw in my pack during a hunt just in case I need to sleep away from camp if you know what I mean. I also want something I can use while glassing if it gets cold and I don't want to have to worry about it getting a little damp or even wet.
I also recently read that often in colder weather you can use a quilt over the top of a sleeping bag or another quilt for warms. It is said that if you put your synthetic quilt over your down bag it will actually help draw natural moisture and condensation away from the down to the outer most layer being your synthetic. I currently have a 30 degree Big Agnes mummy bag so this setup will work for me.
So speaking of the Big Agnes.... As you probably all know the newer BA bags do not put insulation on the bottom but provide a sleeve for your air pad. I believe they came up with this idea from the Quilt industry. As I was reading about quilts I also read about a similar problem I was having with my BA. Because the pad is in the sleeve you can now pull the bag in close and "snuggle" it when you get cold. This also leaves air pockets between you and the bag sides making it harder for your body to keep warm. The solution I found while reading is to not put your air pad in the sleeve but actually under your bag completely so you can pull the bag in close when you need it and eliminate your air pockets. (I can't wait to try this and may in the next month on a equipment test trip we plan to take.) The trip will be prior to my Quilt arrival.
It is also suggested if you are not sure about a quilt and you have a mummy bag with a full zip to open it up all the way and use it similar to a Quilt (Don't forget most Quilts have foot boxes).

Hopefully I didn't get to off track on this.

I'm also thinking about a quilt...
I haven't decided for a synthetic or down yet.
You write about not attaching the quilt to far from you around the pad so you will loose warmth. I really like the way these Katabaticgear quilts work. You can have them snug around you or you can choose to have them more loosely around you if it's not to cold. You can also let the cord clip run loose on the cord so you can move around more freely than in a mummy. http://katabaticgear.com/shop/category/sleeping-bags/
You can reed more about the construction on the design page.

One other thing you mention is putting one bag over the other. You have to have a larger sized bag on the outside if you do that. Warmth come from loft and if you compresses the loft of the down bag with a synthetic bag it won't be as warm as it could be. Just a reminder.

I would like to buy a katabaticgear quilt (if I'm going with down) and a therm-a-rest neoair xtherm, but I can't afford it at the moment.

 

[Steve O]

Well, I think I will stick with my Big Agnes. I toss and turn. I get the same benefit as a quilt with the bonus of my pad being contained.

 

[trk3263]

Yes I like that Katabatic setup but don't like the price right now. Most quilts come with a similar attachment to pull it in or let it loose so we show see how the MLD quilt is.
You have a good point with the quilt over down but I would really pull it tight around the bag I would just keep of over top if I would ever need that system. Inside my bivy it would probably work more as insulation for the bivy helping to trap warm air in.
I am thinking about moving up from the Xlite to the Xtherm too. 3oz more for almost double the R value is worth it.

Steve O I do like my Big Agnes. I think I will like it even more knowing I can stay warmer by taking the pad out of the sleeve and pulling it in closer. I have the FishHawk so it is extra wide and leaves air pockets.

Still can't wait for my Quilt to get here. A lot of backpackers say once you try them you won't go back. We shall see.