Quilt Questions?????

1. First…with a sleeping bag I would usually take off most of my "around-camp" insulating layers before going to bed and sleep in my baselayer. With a quilt in colder weather do you usually keep most if not all of your insulating layers on?

Depends on the temperature and the rating of the quilt. With my Old Rag Mountain by JRB, I have slept in 10 degree weather in just my boxer briefs. Perfectly warm.

2. Next…do you use a quilt in sub-freezing weather? I have heard that some choose not to because of drafts. This is a good point…but drafts may not be as much of an issue I would think if you are wearing your insulating layers.

As noted above yes, however in sub-freezing temps, I bring the omni-tape together and form a footbox, using one of my socks in the hole in the end.

3. If you do use your quilt in sub-freezing weather (like down into the teens or single digits) do you prefer a bigger quilt to provide more coverage and therefore less chance of drafts, or do you prefer a smaller quilt that fits more closely (more efficient).

It is true, in this case, bigger is better. With a down quilt you can snug it as close to your body as you want. Doesn't matter how big the quilt is for fitting more closely, a big quilt and a small quilt still lay down on top of you the same way. But a bigger quilt has more down, meaning more insulation, meaning a warmer sleeper.

4. Last do you use any sort of straps or ties to tie your quilt underneath your sleeping pad, or do you use some sort of velcro closure to make it into a sleeping bag (like the Jacks R Better omni tape)?

I use a hammock with a underquilt so no need for a pad. And sometimes I use not only the omni-tape, but the additional tie outs to make it even more tubelike. However, if you use a pad with the quilt, it is easy enough to attach elastic material or thin shockcord to the ends of the quilt under the pad.

I use my 30 degree quilt down to 15-20 degrees with some insulative clothing (WM Flash jacket/pants, a fleece hat, powerstretch gloves and goosefeet). The quilt is sized to wrap underneath my body by about 2-3 inches. I've only tested this in a tent, so far, and you do notice some drafts without the quilt secured. However, I use a pad attachment system similar to the Katabatic quilts which solves this problem.

I wrap a cord around my pad, and then use some cordlocks with clips attached to them:
http://cord-lock.com/pja1180cordlockwithsnaphook1pc.aspx

The clips clip into some grossgrain loops on the quilt, and the cordlocks keep it secured in position I want on my pad. I wish I could find some smaller ones, as they're pretty big, but the system works. You can unclip the quilt from the cordlocks to get out, and you can slide the cordlocks to adjust how tight the quilt is wrapped around your body.

IMO, this system is more reliable than Katabatic's system. I can easily see those hooks coming off the cord if you're a restless sleeper. However, it's also a bit less comfortable, since the cordlocks are bigger and under your body. I don't notice them once I fall asleep, but I sometimes notice them before falling asleep. It's more of an annoyance than a real problem.

I intend on switching to a tarp and bivy this year, and am curious to see how things will change when compared to a tent.