Compessed size of quilts??

Gregg, Here is a regular golite ultra 20 in its stuff sack. Its a pic I took for selling purposes, otherwise I never stuffed mine in the sack. I prefer to pack with my down gear much less compressed, regardless this might give an idea of what it will do.

I will say I rather liked the ultra 20 and only sold it because I purchased a Nunatak. I think its hard to beat the ultra 20 for the price.

As far as quilts go, I'd say the 20 degree quilts are all around the same volume/weight (19-22 oz) and use 800-850 down so they should stuff down pretty much the same. Its probably more a function of how tight you want to compress vs any quilt realy compressing much smaller than another.

At 6'4" you will need a long, quilts to consider…

* Golite Ultra 20 (nice price, light)
* JRB Hudson River or No Sniveller (great value, lots of versatility)
* Nunatak Arc Alpinist (long wait, lot of $, awesome quilts)

Jamie

I just started using the Ultra 20 I bought at Christmas. Mine is a Long version

Weight listed: 1 lb 3 oz (540 g)
Actual weight: 1 lb 4.7 oz (587 g)
Color: Maui/Grease
Fill weight listed: 10.5 oz (297 g)
Loft listed: 5 in (13 cm)
Actual loft observed after one hour sitting out: 4 in (10 cm)

I'm really tempted by the ultra 20, but don't really have the $$ at the moment as I'm still saving for a new tent and pack.

Almost everyone seems to agree it is not a true 20 degree quilt. Which is fine with me. I'm thinking of it as a cheaper alternative to the WM summerlite.

Question: how cold does it need to get to use this quilt? It seems like it would be warmer than the summerlite, so I'm guessing that it might need to drop below 50F to avoid getting hot and sweaty underneath? If you have an estimate of temp ranges that work for you I'd be interested to hear (bearing in mind the usual disclaimer that we are all different…!).

I had used my ultra down to exactly 20 degrees and was fine in it. I was only sleeping on a short 3/8" thinlight pad, but was in a bivy and was wearing my montbell down inner and fleece cap. It worked as a 20 degree bag just fine for me. And the regular size is a true 19 oz.

As far as warm temps I have used it as high as 55-60 degrees. Being that it is a quilt it is easy to ventilate or just drape loosely over you. If it got real warm you can stick legs out, ect or sleep completely on top. I did find it necessary to sleep on top of my bivy (not inside it) on warmer nights.

If you want a warm weather quilt I would recommend a JRB stealth. It sleeps great in warm weather (45+) and lets you leave behind insulating garmets as you can use the quilt as a poncho.

Jamie

Actually i have a 45 degreesynthetic bag that i use down to about 40 degrees with a insulated jacket. And it weights only like 1pound 4 ounces if i remember corectley and is about the same size of a 1 liter water bottle. I am hoping to find a way to maybe make a square stuff sack so i could place this in the bottom of my SMD essence pack. Would like to use the stuff sack as it is a pannel loading pack.
I might just go ahead and order one of these quilts tommarow and get it over with.

Thanks Jamie. I'd kind of like a quilt which would suit temperatures from 30-55F ideally. Below freezing I have a warm bag (ultralite) but it is 32oz.

The golite is attractive because it is significantly cheaper than any other quilt around. Only $160-70 shipped or so. The stealth is $220 plus shipping for a long, and it doesn't seem as wide as the golite (might be wrong on that). I'd prefer something that can get me down to near freezing.

ps. sorry about the thread hijack =-)

Ashley, Based on your description I would confirm golite ultra all the way. The stealth is not designed to approach 30 degrees as it is sewn through and has less loft, the ultra's sweet spot is 30 to 55. Also if width is at all in question the ultra is indeed noticably wider than the stealth (not a lot but you can tell).

Jamie

The width is another factor for me as well. Thank you for mentioning this, and i am going to start looking for a good buy on a long Ultra 20.
Curious, does anyone make like custom silnylon stuff sacks. Especialy a rectangular shaped one?

Gregg, the JRB No Sniveller is only a couple ounces heavier than the Golite Ultra 20 and is a far more versitile piece of gear. If you want to push the quilt a few more degrees add the full length omni tape or the hood. With the compression sack provided my No Sniveller easily gets down to the 7"x7"x8"(listed specs) and fits in my GG Murmur perfectly. I really am a fan of the nice fluffy 2.5" of loft. Worn in poncho mode, the No Sniveller does an excellent job of insulating the core=) now i can leave the insulated jacket and other layers at home. Another nice quality is the rectangle shape. This allows me to make adjustments with ease and get a good night of sleep in all conditions.

If temps get warm I just open it up and drape it over my core and have my legs and arms out the side;Anything over 50 degrees I'll go to my BPL UL 60 Quilt. When temps are on the colder side, you can seal the omni tape,create a footbox with the drawcords, and add the hood. Although i haven't had the opportunity to test it in cold conditions yet(below 30*F) i imagine i could push the system listed above to the lower 20's with just a light base layer and a bivy. This is my new favorite piece of gear and will be my go to quilt. Another great quilt to consider=) I Love mine! Worth a look and the little extra $ IMO
-Aaron