Quilt + beanie = extra weight

[Tae Kim]

I understand that quilt is a lot more comfortable since you aren't bound to the mummy shape of a regular bag. However, in terms of weight saving, if you have to take with you either a beanie or balaclava to keep your head warm, whats the point? there is no weight saving!

can anyone post some pictures of how they would wrap themselves around with quilts in say 10000 ft elevatioin in the sierra…

[Mark McLauchlin]

I don't know that your assessment of a quilt + beanie is more weight than a traditional bag, far from.

Example(my setup);
Golite Ultra20 Quilt = 540g
Beanie = 27g
Total = 567g

How many traditional bags with the same temp rating, and everything else being even, weigh less than 567g?

Also take into account that a Beanie can be worn while you are walking, making dinners, sitting by the camp fire, cozie for FB meals etc.
Cheers

[Jeff K]

Although, I completely agree that the beanie is a multiple purpose item. In bear territory, I wouldn't recommend using it as a FBC cozy as well as sleeping while wearing it.

[Sanad Toukhly]

Even with a beanie, a quilt would be lighter than a bag.
The major weight savings of a quilt do not come from eliminating the hood. They come from eliminating the underside, where the down would be crushed and no longer provide any insulation. In this way, you are able to have less down in a quilt versus a bag of the same temp rating.
The attraction to quilts is not just because of the lighter weight, but also because they are much more versatile than a bag. They can be used in a wider range of temps.

-Sid

[Tae Kim]

One bag that comes to my mind is Phantom, heavier by just a couple more oz and rated not quiet 20 but 35. I understand going ultra light on Backpacks, tents and etc… when you can easily save up 2 lbs and more, but it seems ultralight mummy bags are already light as it is and imo, GOLITE Ultra coming at 19oz just doesn't justify me branching out and getting something online (instead of from REI) and not being able to return for a full refund.

[Tom Caldwell]

I've understood the GoLites were a little optimistic on their ratings.

[Jessen Jacobsen]

True, when you look at the MH Phantom 32* (reg) which weighs 21 ounces, a quilt doesn't really have that much more weight savings. My homemade quilt for example weighs 22 ounces, but then again it can take me down to 20* and into the teens if I add layers. But all things being equal, I don't use a quilt because of the weight savings; I use it because I don't have to feel confined by a mummy bag. I toss and turn a lot when I sleep, and the quilt lets my kick my legs around.

And people are right about the beanie. Chances are you are going to bring one anyways, so it really isn't "extra weight" when you think about it.

[Ashley Brown]

Quilts are usually a couple of ounces lighter than a bag of comparable rating. For bags that are true 20 degree bags, the difference between a bag and a quilt can be around 10oz (eg. compare the WM ultralite to JRB quilt).

For 30 degree bags/quilts there is not much difference in weight, often only 2 ounces or so. You can save a bit more if you have the $$$ for a Nunatuk quilt but the weight savings are still seldom more than 4 ounces if you are getting, say, a WM summerlite. If you need a larger bag (eg. megalite) then the weight savings by using a quilt are more attractive.

So for 30 degree bags/quilts, it is largely a matter of preference according to how you like to sleep. For colder 20 degree conditions there are more weight savings to be had… but having said that, many people prefer a bag below 30 degrees anyway because they want to completely eliminate drafts in those conditions.

[Tae Kim]

Can anyone post some pictures of how they sleep with the quilts when its really cold?

i am going to order this online today if possible from here. They are having a sale. Still expensive compared to what others got back in June for like 140, but its the cheapest I could find at the moment

http://www.sunnysports.com/prod/GOLBU20S.html?ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=GOLBU20S

[Mark Verber]

I would agree that the quilt doesn't have that much of a weight savings if you are in a narrow bag. For example, the western mountaineering summerlite is 19oz, my nanutak ghost is 16oz which are likely to be similarly warm. If I have to bring my down balaclava (2.5oz) it's 18.5oz -vs- 19oz.

So why do I quilt? I sleep comfortably under the quilt where the summerlite feels constraining… I wonder how well I would sleep if I was using it. It's easily for me to integrate clothing with the quilt than with a close fitting bag.

As to the hat / balaclava… there is the double use angle… I normally bring some sort of hat. The other thing is that as a side sleeper I don't actually need a hat. In cold conditions the quilt goes over my head. Rather than sealing around my neck the draw sting is used to make a narrow "breathing hole".

–Mark

[Inaki Diaz de Etura]

having a hood that's independent from the quilt (or bag) is something I like. I can turn inside the quilt/bag and the hood turns with me so I'm not eating fabric nor breathing inside the insulation. You can do this with a traditional mummy bag if you make the bag turn with you but then you expose crushed down that has to loft with new air that you have to warm. Maybe not a big deal unless you turn a lot but I prefer to turn independently from the quilt, much as I do in a bed and a separate hood (whatever I use for a hood) is perfect for this.

[Dale Wambaugh]

Sounds like some sort of breakfast food— quilts and beanies.

I would be carrying a beanie anyway in cool/cold weather. The advantage to a quilt is that the down is all on top, giving more warmth and using 100% of the weight for insulation rather than crushing 25% of it under your body. Properly done, a quilt gives the same temperature rating with less weight.

I wear a beanie in a regular mummy bag in colder weather– think of it like socks. In a good selection of layered clothing and sleeping bag, you can sleep in some of your clothes, giving multiple uses and allowing a lighter bag for the same temperature. Power Stretch jammies are the best :)

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