Katabatic Gear Palisade Quilt

[Richard D.]

This is a preliminary review based on testing the Palisade on my balcony. I'll be using it all summer in the mountains of Europe and will update the review later this summer.

The quilt is beautifully sewn with what seems like an optimal distance between baffles. If the distance is too great, down slides to the sides of the quilt too easily. If the distance is too short, unnecessary weight is added.

My quilt weighs 536 g in size L — one ounce more than the declared weight. I'm considering whether or not to sue the company over that :)

The differential cut is really a great thing compared to a flat quilt. It naturally curves under your body (aided by a slight strip of elastic around the bottom perimeter) and helps avoid cold spots when a part of your body is pressed into the quilt. The width of the quilt is also very nice compared to my JRB Rocky Mountain No Sniveller, which was marginally wide enough even for my somewhat narrow shoulders, when I slept on my side.

The quilt provides nearly the same warmth as a JRB High Sierra Sniveller, which weighs 170 g more (size L). The cut of the Palisade is more efficient, down is not "wasted" in places where it is compressed due to the conversion from serape to quilt, the shell fabric is slightly lighter, and it doesn't need to have the strings and omni-tape that allow it to be converted into a serape. Also, the distance between baffles is smaller, helping to keep the down in place over your body instead of shifting to the side. But then the Palisade can't be worn either…

The single neck snap of the Palisade has come undone for me 1 night out of 6. Now, I just leave it snapped and slide it over my head to get out of the quilt. I tried the quilt fastening system one night and haven't formed an opinion yet. It is probably unnecessary for me because I have a narrow body. The drawcord around the neck withe the extra neck insulation seems to work quite well.

Temperatures. I seem to sleep slightly on the cold side compared to most other men (possibly because I'm skinny). With a typical full set of hiking clothes on (Marmot Cocona PowerDry top and bottom, wind layer, T-shirt, shorts, Montbell down vest, BPL Pro 90 hood) but without a bivy sack I am warm under the quilt to about 1 or 2 C (34-36 F). I figure the bivy sack will add 1 or 2 C of warmth, so that'll get me to freezing. If it gets colder, I'll have to wrap myself in a poncho or space blanket.

So far I am very pleased with the quilt and expect to use it all summer in temperatures ranging from -2 C to 15 C. I will update my review as necessary.

UPDATE 110 NIGHTS LATER:

Performance exactly as expected. No loss of loft after avoiding total compression by using large stuff sack. Warm at 0 C with clothes and bivy. This is probably the quilt of my dreams and one of my best purchases ever.

[Dustin Snyder]

I love this quilt! It is really well made and is very light. I have slept in it a few nights and find the large size fits me very well.(To get an idea for my size I am 6'3" and 175#) I would recommend this quilt to any one who is looking for a high quality, down,quilt at a very reasonable price.

[Reggie]

I have slept in this quilt at temps below freezing. I have alway been warm. Usually I am a cool sleeper.

On the warmer nights, (never used it above 45 degrees) I don't snap the draft collar around my neck. Also, I just clip the sleeping bag attachment points so they will slide around. On the colder nights I snap them in place them clip on the other thing to keep the bag snugged up around me.

I've never had a draft and have always stayed toasty warm.

Since I'm an ultralighter, I go with a lighter quilt and wear my insulating piece to bed. That piece is an OR Primaloft pullover that is losing its loft.

On one trip I had slush in my water bottles but I was very warm in the quilt.

The inner fabric does a great job of wicking any moisture and it feels dry all the time. The outer Pertex really does keep moisture off.

I think Aaron has the best quilts around.

[Peter S]

I have the Regular. It weighs 515g.
I'm 185cm. It's just perfect for me. If you are higher than me, definitely get a longer one.

I'm normal build, and i can sleep with my clothes on with no problem.

I can't see how you could improve the design or craftsmanship.

I currently use the neo air xlite reg with this, but i think that pad is too slim with this kind of quilt. I may get a large neo air xlite…

[Chris Chandler]

I went back and forth for a while about whether I could afford/wanted to spend the money on the steep price tag of a KG quilt. After reading numerous customer reviews, I decided it was worth the investment.

Great customer service from Aaron in getting me set up with the right quilt. I bombarded him with questions, and kept changing my mind about whether I should get a Palisade, Chisos, or Chisos+overfill. He guided me to the Palisade, and it was the right choice.

I was looking for a quilt that would be comfortable down to the mid-low 30's (F) with a prolite pad, base layer, pants, nano puff, and hat; and manageable down to the mid 20's with additional layers. On my recent 8 night trip, it dipped right down to 30 a couple of nights and by synching up the draw cord and tucking the quilt up around me, I was perfectly comfortable. I think a Chisos would have worked, but would not be warm enough into the 20's. And as Aaron pointed out, the extra 3 ounces in the Palisade are a lighter way to get an additional 10 degrees of warmth than carrying extra layers.

My quilt weighs in at 17.39 oz, and totals 18.22 with the two tie-down cords and stuff sack. I actually used the stuff sack for clothing, and just stuffed the quilt down in the bottom of my bag without a sack. I took the stuff sack because I found that it is the PERFECT size to put 2 1L-Platypus soft bottles in and use as a pillow.

The quilt is super light, fluffy, and wispy. It exudes quality from the second you hold it. The draft collar is very comfy. I had no problem with my snap coming undone in the night as others have reported. I did have the bag unclip a couple of times from the cord when having it on the "sliding" setting, but I also toss and turn in my sleep. When clipping it in tight, so it locks in place, I had no problem. What I usually did was lock down 3 of the 4 clips, and left one of the top ones undone/loose, and then if it got cold at night, I'd clip it down.

Extremely happy I made the leap to invest in a Palisade quilt.

[Author]

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