Katabatic quilt: Wide vs Regular

[Ryan Wiley]

Does anyone have experience with these quilts in both the wide and regular version. How noticeable is the extra width in use. I have a regular sawatch, since when I bought that was the only option. I tend to be a bit wide in the shoulders and end up with drafts on occasion. Was thinking going wider could help with that. What do you think?

[Mark Mendell]

No experience with a regular width, but I purchased a wide Alsek this past spring and it is a fantastic piece of gear. I'm a back/side sleeper. Spent a week in the Winds with temps below freezing and never had a draft.

[John Vance]

I have both a regular Chisos and a wide Chisos, and have a regular Sawatch as well. There is a noticeable difference in the wide version and the wide Chisos is my go to bag down to freezing and a bit lower.

My Sawatch is one of the earlier versions as I am sure yours is, and is a bit wider than the current models. I have found that with a wide sleeping pad it is very effective at eliminating drafts. I have a 24" wide down mat and a 20" wide down mat, and much prefer the wide pad with the Sawatch.

The wide versions are also wider on the legs and footbox which may be a cooler. I notice it in my Chisos but it may be more noticeable in a colder weather bag like the Sawatch.

After purchasing the wide Chisos I thought long and hard about replacing the Sawatch with the wide version, but with the wide pad it has worked good for me. If you have a narrower pad you might try a wider pad before a wider quilt and see if that works for you.

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