Quilt or Sleeping bag?

[HaYWiRe]

Right, I'm after a new bag (ill use that term loosely here) and weighing up my options (literally)

I currently use a cheap synthetic, weighs 1kg and rated to about +10/+15, not exactly great but it was cheap and I survived 30 odd nights in it.

I'm after something ideally lighter, or at least a decent pack size but my main concern is warmth. The weight of mine is perfectly manageable but useless on most nights, so looking for something for around freezing to 5c. I'm a fair weather camper but the extra warmth is always welcome, I'm a warm sleeper but my girlfriend is not.

Main candidates so far is either an Alpkit PD400 or importing a Cumulus 350 quilt, enlightened equipment look good too, but open to ideas. What are the pros/cons of quilts over bags? Only ever used a DIY one in a hammock.

Oh and cost will be another mayor consideration as I may have to buy a second for the other half too. Also....double quilts anyone?

[ianfitz]

Double stuff doesn't seem great due to the potential for drafts in between you.

There will be a big weight differance between that alpkit bag and a 350 quilt! Probably not too much in it temperature wise though...

Quilts are an acquired taste, best to try before you buy. Where abouts are you? I have a cumulus quilt I'd be happy to let you borrow to see if it works for you...

[Bearbonesnorm]

I like quilts but they're certainly not for everyone. They do tend to weigh less and pack smaller than a bag of equal warmth but they're not without their downfalls ... whether you see any of them as a problem is a different matter.

1/ No hood, never really bothers me, I just wear a hat.
2/ They can be a little draughty. I'm usually in a bivvy bag so don't really notice but a restless sleeper in a tent may.

Both Cumulus and Enlightened are very good, Cumulus probably wins on cost when you factor in vat and duty from the US. However, Enlightened will make you whatever you want ... which is nice.

My suggestion would be either buy a 350 and if you don't get along, sell it and loose £20 or try and borrow one from somewhere.

EDIT: Me - too slow ^.

[dlovett]

Don't buy either a Cumulus or Enlightened without first checking out the UK hammocks quilts.

[TheBrownDog]

I have a Big Agnes Yampa bag that I really like using. Its sort of halfway between a traditional sleeping bag and a quilt. There's no insulation on the bottom, a sleeve to keep your mat in place and no hood. It's really a 2 season bag but I've been fine in it in a thin down jacket at just above freezing, and Ive ordered one of those little Alpkit Cloud Clover quilts to supplement it for winter use. Best thing about it is the size. Im 6'2" and 90kg (all of it pure love) and I can happily thrash around in it all night and not feel trapped. I dont think they make the Yampa any more but a quick look on their website shows several bags that are very similar.

https://www.bigagnes.com/Products/ProductFinder/Bag

[frogatthefarriers]

I have a summer quilt from UKhammocks that I have used exclusively in a hammock since I got it last October and have bivvied every month since then. I haven't been cold, (sometimes been too hot) but I do wear lots of layers to sleep in. It's a universe away from the DD hammocks synthetic bag I used before. It a fraction of the weight, packs down to a couple of litres and is warmer. I was very worried that I'd find it draughty or miss having a hood. I have to say these fears are unfounded. I love my quilt.

I have no experience with other quilts so can't give comparisons.

[Artie Fufkin]

I have had both the bags you are considering. The quilt is warmer than the PD400 and is a lot less bulk and weight. I pack mine into a 4 litre Airloc and there's loads of space left.
Like people have said you either love or hate quilts, personally I would never go back to a bag now.

[HaYWiRe]

Surprised to hear you find the quilt warmer than a PD400, while obviously lighter I suspected the hood or full bag would still be warmer, good to hear as I've always leaned towards quilts

And totally forgot about Ukhammocks, considering I own one of his hammocks The summer quilt looks to have a good rating, seems to be a realistic UK summer rating then

I do wonder why backless sleeping bags/quilts with hoods aren't more popular, seems a good middle ground.
Having two quilts might work well side by side opposed to 2 bags, easier to reach between I imagine. We currently zip together 2 bags and even with our mats inside there's way too much room....either our bags are massive or we're just tiny!

[johnnystorm]

I have a Thermarest Haven which is a backless hooded sleeping bag. I find it's really warm when paired with my xterm mattress, so much so I have to take a heavier bulkier cooler down bag some times....

The downside of the hooded quilt is that if you are warm enough to not need the hood it's difficult to fold the front over and keep your shoulders covered or you have to poke your head through the face opening and lay on the hood and then it's a faff getting out or using a pillow, probably why they don't do them anymore and just do quilts.

[whitestone]

I was effing freezing last night in the house so got the quilt out and sat in that for a while until I warmed up

I've done precisely three nights with the quilt so certainly not got its usage, or rather my intended usage, sorted, I got the quilt (Cumulus 150) as a supplementary over "bag" for my 2 season sleeping bag to extend the usable time of that bag to three seasons and have only used it in that manner. All three of the nights have actually been in "winter" conditions so the combination of a bag with 200g of down and a quilt outer with 150g certainly seems to deal quite well down to the -2C level, possibly -5C (for me), a lot better than I'd expect a 350g down bag to perform.

It's also worth reading through Stuart's posts on the review section of this site, there's lots of pearls of wisdom peppered around.

One thing to consider is that the bag/quilt is simply one part of a "system": a quality sleeping mat will have as much effect as a heavier bag/quilt; as Stu mentions a quilt will behave slightly differently in a bivy bag to being in a tent or under a tarp. I've a Klymit X-frame mat which is fine for summer use with a bag but I wouldn't use it with a quilt as the pockets are meant to be filled with down from the bag. For the above nights I was using an Exped Winterlite pad, this last Saturday night my wife was using a cheap "lilo" type sleeping pad and said she was beginning to feel the cold.

For me, the jury's still out on quilts, I've simply not used them enough to get a complete feel for their benefits/drawbacks.

[Cheeky Monkey]

Quilts are cool. Get a quilt.

[HaYWiRe]

Seems pretty unanimous on quilts then, I like the idea alot, multiuse and warmth to weight are all a plus

Draughts are a small worry but prefer the idea of quilts that strap to a mat to avoid this, I guess its kinda like being tucked into bed. I also find myself tangled up alot in a sleeping bag anyway, hence the mat inside to hold its shape.

So between a UKH summer quilt, a cumulus 350, or something custom from the states, what's the best bang for buck?

Also, many people use an alpkit cloud quilt? I can see its limitations but how's it hold up for summer or as a liner?

[Artie Fufkin]

Just got my Alpkit Cloud Cover today.
Looks useful! Definitely s summer standalone quilt, say like the Cumulus Quilt 150. Could be a tad more versatile as a wrap around before bed, or another layer whether it be a liner or a top layer throw over jobby. Looks pretty well made and a steal for £65.00.
To answer your question on which quilt, Haywire, I would go for the Cumulus!
vaguely exciting quality and very fast delivery and service from www.outdoorline.sk
Enjoy!

[whitestone]

Just been reading some posts on the Enlightened blog about quilts, here's the starter post - http://www.enlightenedequipment.com/blog/quilts-101/

I also noted that the site now recognises that you are visiting from the UK so shows the prices in Sterling.

[Nikk]

I have a Golite ultralight 3 season 800+ quilt that I got for a great price 5 or so years ago. It is enough for general winter use for me, for example was fine at the last Strathpuffer, although that was a reasonably warm night, but I was in it for 8+ hours so fairly comfy Comes in at about 790 grams.

I also got a http://nunatakusa.com Arc Specialist quilt a couple of years back, weighs 510 grams, 280 gram fill. Good for 3 season use, obviously very light, and very expensive ($551.50!). The Cumulus quilts look much better VFM!

I love quilts. I am a warm sleeper and I like to regulate my temp by sticking arms / legs out the side. Sleeping bags are like claustrophobic overheated prisons to me Quilts can have the odd wee draft, which is easy to sort out (I don't strap them down or anything), doesn't bother me, and much preferable to a hot straitjacket. A good mat is important with a quilt.