double sleeping bag/quilt

[Toby Salz]

looking to pick up an ultralight double sleeping bag or quilt — i'm having a hard time figuring out what is out there. i currently have a wide 6 ft katabatic chisos with 2 oz overfill that i love. so i'd be willing to go the quilt route if i found the right set-up.

i'm curious if others have found a double sleeping bag or quilt that they're happy with. what's out there? what have people liked/disliked?

[Seth Brewer]

No experience with it – but Zpacks has a double quilt in a variety of sizes and temps. I like the gear I have from them, and they are great with helping out with any questions.

[Michael Cheifetz]

no experience here as well…but FWIW:
Nunatak have their dual arc alpinist. I have 2 of their bags and its top notch.

FF also have double sleeping bag.

M

[Brad Rogers]

Both Z Packs and Nunatak both make nice looking two person quilts. Jacks r Better makes a couple as well, but they seem too narrow to me. Feathered Friends makes some nice looking twin bags but I am not sure how well a twin bag with hoods would work unless you both sleep on your back. Worth a look though.

[Richard Lyon]

I've used two systems with varying degrees of success. For years I used a Western Mountaineering Summer Coupler with a WM semi-rec bag. OK to about freezing. Lately I have mated two Nunatak Back Country Blankets, one extra long and one medium, and that has worked well down to about 20 F, and I think it would be fine 10-15 degrees colder. All use in a tent.

Nemo now offers a dual bag at considerably less than FF or Nunatak, see http://www.nemosleepingbags.com/tango/

Based on decades of experience, anything from FF is likely to be very good.

[Tjaard Breeuwer]

Enlightened Equipment makes their REvelation X quilts in an extra wide size.

[Robert H]

>Feathered Friends makes some nice looking twin bags but I am not sure how well
>a twin bag with hoods would work unless you both sleep on your back. Worth a look though.

I have a Spoonbill and my partner can sleep on her side in the hood while I sleep on my back in mine. They are totally independent. We are very happy with how the bag performs.

Feathered Friends also make the Penguin bag if you are after something more traditional.

[Toby Salz]

great! thanks for the help. looks like there are some decent options out there. below are links and some stats for the above recommendations for those who are looking into this in the future. thanks again for the input!

1. Zpacks Twin Quilt — http://www.zpacks.com/quilts/twinquilt.shtml
40 Degrees – Medium Length – 18.4 oz (fill weight – 9.3 oz) – $460
30 Degrees – Medium Length – 22.4 oz (fill weight – 13.1 oz) – $490
20 Degrees – Medium Length – 26.5 oz (fill weight – 17.0 oz) – $520
10 Degrees – Medium Length – 30.6 oz (fill weight – 20.9 oz) – $550
Girth: Shoulders/Hips/Feet — 84"/84"/58"
Length: 72"
900 Fill Power Goose Down (available in 850 Fill Power Water Resistant Down – +1.5 oz)
2. Nunatak Dual Arc Alpinist — http://www.nunatakusa.com/site07/arc_products/arc_alpinist_dual.htm
20 Degrees – Medium Length – Quantum 0.8 – 32 oz (fill weight – 18oz) – $639
20 Degrees – Medium Length – Quantum 1.0 – 36 oz (fill weight – 18oz) – $639
20 Degrees – Medium Length – Epic – 40 oz (fill weight – 18oz) – $639
Girth: Shoulders/Hips/Feet — 80"/60"/50"
Length: 74"
800+ Fill White Goose Down
3. Nunatak Dual Alpinist — http://www.nunatakusa.com/site07/other_bags/dual_alpinist.htm
20 Degrees – Medium Length – Quantum 0.8 – 40 oz (fill weight – 22 oz) – $769
20 Degrees – Medium Length – Quantum 1.0 – 32 oz (fill weight – 22 oz) – $769
20 Degrees – Medium Length – Epic – 46 oz (fill weight – 22 oz) – $769
Girth: Shoulders/Hips/Feet — 111"/80"/55"
Length: 74"
800+ Fill White Goose Down
4. Nunatak Back Country Blanket x 2 (large and medium mated) — http://www.nunatakusa.com/site07/other_bags/bcb.htm
20 Degrees – Medium Length – Quantum 0.8 – 23 oz (fill weight – 11 oz) – $439
20 Degrees – Medium Length – Quantum 1.0 – 24 oz (fill weight – 11 oz) – $439
20 Degrees – Medium Length – Epic – 26 oz (fill weight – 11 oz) – $439
Girth: Shoulders/Hips/Feet — 61"/53"/46"
Length: 74"
800+ Fill White Goose Down
20 Degrees – Large Length – Quantum 0.8 – 25 oz (fill weight – 12 oz) – $479
20 Degrees – Large Length – Quantum 1.0 – 26 oz (fill weight – 12 oz) – $479
20 Degrees – Large Length – Epic – 28 oz (fill weight – 12 oz) – $479
Girth: Shoulders/Hips/Knees — 61"/53"/46"
Length: 83"
COMBO: 45oz to 54oz – $918
5. Nemo Tango Duo — http://www.nemosleepingbags.com/tango/
30 Degrees – One Size – 15d nylon – 44 oz – $449.95
Girth: Shoulders/Hips/Feet — 127"/127"/125"
Length: 72"
700 Fill Power down treated with DownTek
6. Western Mountaineering Summer Coupler (+semi-rectangular bag) — http://www.westernmountaineering.com/index.cfm?section=products&page=Accessories&ContentId=18
20 oz — use with one of the many single semi-rectangular bags that WM sells
http://www.westernmountaineering.com/index.cfm?section=products&page=Sleeping%20Bags
7. Enlightened Equipment RevelationX (extra wide) — http://www.enlightenedequipment.com/revelationx.html
i don't actually see this one list on the website
8. Feathered Friends Spoonbill UL — http://featheredfriends.com/index.php/outside/sleeping-bags/double-bags/spoonbill-ul-sleeping-bag.html
No temp rating – Regular Length – Pertex Endurance UL – 41 oz (fill weight – 23 oz) – $800
Girth: Shoulders/Hips/Feet — 104"/90"/68"
Length: fits up to 6'0"
900+ Goose Down
9. Feathered Friends Spoonbill Nano — http://featheredfriends.com/index.php/outside/sleeping-bags/double-bags/spoonbill-sleeping-bag.html
No temp rating – Regular Length – Schoeller Nanosphere – 43 oz (fill weight – 23 oz) – $700
Girth: Shoulders/Hips/Feet — 104"/90"/68"
Length: fits up to 6'0"
850+ Goose Down
10. Feathered Friends Penguin Nano (single bag – requires separate groundsheet to convert to double) -http://featheredfriends.com/index.php/outside/sleeping-bags/double-bags/penguin-30-sleeping-bag.html
11. Feathered Friends Condor Nano (single bag – requires separate groundsheet) -http://featheredfriends.com/index.php/outside/sleeping-bags/double-bags/condor-20-nano-condor-20-nano-c.html

any other suggestions/comments about the above options or other options not included would be appreciated.

[Michael Cheifetz]

FWIW

Nunatak use 875+ FP (USA) as far as i know..they used to also have 950FP but they are out as of late

MC

[Ross Bleakney]

My wife and I use the Penguin with hoods and a fleece groundsheet. If we were shopping now, we would probably get the Spoonbill. The Penguin is a bit roomier around the feet, but a bit heavier (nothing comes for free). The Spoonbill has better draft protection (the Penguin has essentially nothing). The only advantage (other than roominess) of the Penguin is that you can easily convert it to a one person car camping bag. It was actually designed for that first, which is why it lacks great draft protection (unlike the Spoonbill, which was designed from the beginning to be a couples bag). I've never used the bag by self for car camping, nor do I think I ever will. Even with those weaknesses, we are reasonably happy with the Penguin, and didn't think of switching to the Spoonbill.

[Amy Lauterbach]

Toby

Thanks for documenting the inventory of options.

For about 10 years Jim and I used a Nunatak Back Country Blanket. Custom built to our width and length. Then I added a nylon bottom from the hips to the feet to hold it in place. It worked very well. Beware though, that Nunatak does not fill their bags with adequate down, so you'll need to order overfill if you buy from them.

Nunatak Dual Arc Alpinist is a weird design, in my experience. The footbox is 10-15" too narrow for our comfort, and the torso is 10" wider than necessary. My brother bought one a few years ago and used it only one night on his deck. He and his wife agreed they would not get along if they tried to sleep in it. Jim and I tried it on the living room floor for 10 minutes and agreed. The foot box is just too narrow for us. If you are considering buying one, you and your sleeping partner would do well to find one to try first. (My brother will be selling his, probably at the January GGG at Coe).

A few months ago I sewed a brand spanking new double quilt, which we LOVE LOVE LOVE. Info about the dimensions are in my write-up (link below). The dimensions might be useful if you decide to have Nunatak or somebody else build a custom blanket for you. Also in that write-up is a bit of info about down density of Nunatak and some of the others.

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=67875

And, if you buy a BackCountryBlanket (or other flat quilt) and tweak it to work for a double, this way of attaching to the pads might help:
http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=69689

Good luck, Amy

[Anthony Weston]

check out feather friends spoonbill nano
it seems to give both plenty of space yet still be a double bag.
104" / 90" / 68"

http://featheredfriends.com/index.php/outside/sleeping-bags/specialty/spoonbill-sleeping-bag.html

[Toby Salz]

amy — sweet project! that thing looks great.

as for the spoonbill, anyone have any guess how warm this thing is? no temperature rating is listed?

[Michael Cheifetz]

I think the prob is that you can barely rate a bag for one person, let alone 2 with all the variables

I think somewhere in the OLD website they mentioned that it was a 20F loft equivalent and that most athletes (I assume males) used it to 0F…I would ask in email or their FB page

M

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