Quilt vs. Bag for winter use let the debate begin

My perspective is the same, except I use my 30F mummy bag as my quilt in the summer. At around 40-50F, I start using it as a bag due to drafts. The flexibility to use it as either a quilt or bag and to seal out drafts when it's colder is worth the weight due to improved sleep.

If you can just sleep on your back, some straps would probably solve this. The good thing about quilts is you can use different layers or wear clothing underneath and not have to worry about compression from the inside out.

I really like sleeping in a quilt rather than a bag. The weight savings are nice, but I really like being able to toss and turn easier and being able to pop in and out with ease. For 3 season use I'm a total quilt user.

In the winter drafts can really take a toll, so you need a wider quilt. The weight savings is largely gone, but you still get the added comfort. In deep, cold winter where drafts can be a really serious problem, then I would give up my preference for a quilt and go to a bag. So I'm a 3.5 season quilt user and a 0.5 season bag user.

I've got a 40F quilt that I can take to about 20F with the right down layers inside. Ideally I'd love to have a 10F quilt for those cold early spring/late fall trips and then a really warm winter bag, but the funds are there yet for those so I'll keep stealing my wife's 15F sleeping bag and using that in conjunction with my 40F quilt for winter use.

I used to bealive the compression issue justin but am on the fence after reading the down sweater state of the market report. In the report Roger Caffin talks about how down can be compressed up to 2.5 times it's full loft without losing insulation value " I think this is right correct me if I'm wrong "

Yeah that's basically been the conclusion on the down compression issue by Roger, Nisley etc.

If you compress 4" of down to just 2" of thickness, then it's going to be almost 2x as warm per inch of thickness, so the total insulation value is almost unchanged. There is a slight loss (ie. it's most efficient to have down fully lofted) but the loss is quite small until you get into serious down compression…..like compressing it to 1/10th or so, which is what happens with the down in a sleeping bag when it's underneath the body.

William, you are right. But when I'm laying in a sleeping bag, the down is compressed essentially 100%.

Drafts get awful around 20°F. I will still use a quilt at lower temperatures, but only for short trips.

I am with the previous posters; living in Colorado there is just no way that I would take a quilt over a bag during the winter or even a cold fall weekend. Quilts have their limitations and even a zero degree quilt does not compare to a zero degree bag when those winds are howling.

Personally speaking, I have done a 20Deg quilt+50deg overbag combined with a down jacket and pants and been comfortable down to zeroF at around 11,700ft– but would I recommend it for more than a night or two? Heck no! I long ago replaced this system with a true zero degree bag and even a -25deg bag for the real Colorado winter conditions.

Quilts, IMOH are for much milder conditions.

I go back and forth on this. Right now I layer a down quilt over a down bag because I'm not out in winter conditions a lot. I'm leaning towards eventually making a quilt because I sleep in a hammock a lot as well and its a lot more convenient than a bag.

I am currently debating this in my head and research. I have to agree that very cold weather and drafts it is just not worth relying on layering or other to stay warm. Miserable if you are cold and can not do anything about it. I guess my quilt will have to stay 3 season and looking for a bag will be next. Been looking at getting bag a Zpacks right now. Thoughts.

Hi Guys,

This is a great thread, I have given a lot of consideration of changing my Winter bag for a quilt and now I think I am going to stick with the bag.

Cheers,

Stephen

I haven't used a quilt in winter and am considering it. I was also going to buy a bivy and figured that would improve the efficiency of the quilt.

How well does a bivy stop drafts in winter?

This winter I'm planning to see how low I can get with a quilt plus hooded down sweater. It's worked fine down to about 15 F so far. Tossing and turning for me can be a problem, but the heavy sweater helps block the drafts.

If you own both, why not use what works? Any drafts or leaks are obviously more significant as the temperature drops— consider the features that are added to cold weather bags like draft collars and zipper tubes. I'm a side sleeper, so the area of compressed insulation is much smaller than a back sleeper and I like the full coverage of the bag and the hood too.

What is the actual weight difference between your bag and an equivalent temperature range quit? Seeing that you own the bag and I imaginethe number of winter trips are fewer and the trips are probably shorter, I don't see the investment in a cold weather quilt worth the bother unless there is a significant weigh savings, a lot of use, AND you are comfortable.

I enjoy using my quilt for most of the year, but come "winter" I break a bag out- I think the weight savings become very minimal when you have to add back in a good hood, I also feel the collar most winter bags have are a nice feature I'm not keen on giving up

I think width becomes more critical as the temp falls, the width that you can get by in @ 30-40 degrees might not be the same when the temps are near 0

my winter bag also serves as a boot warmer and clothing warmer- easier to do w/ a bag vs quilt imo

then again maybe I just need to man up :)

This may not count, because it is rare for me to go under 20F, but it did go down into the teens couple a couple trips last year and I did it with a quilt. More specifically two quilts; a Tim Marshall Cuben inside and Arc Specialist with 2 oz overfill in the foot box. The Arc is wide enough to prevent drafts given that I am kind of skinny. Right now I am trying to complete the "Honey Do" list so I can leave tomorrow for a BP trip. If there is an interest I can post some pictures when I get back on Sunday. Theoretically this combination should be good to around 6F (3.75" down)? and with a down jacket and pants even more. I do wear an insulated balaclava, but I would bring it anyway with a sleeping bag, as I would the down clothes.

I am a desert rat and hate cold, so I work very hard to stay warm and dry. The above combo weighs less than my WM ultralight and has much more loft, at least on top of me, on the sides and at the bottom.

Even in winter I am going to try and shave every ounce if I can, and to me the bottom of the bag is un-needed weight for the places and conditions I go.

If there is any chance the temp is going to be near 0F or worse… yes to me sub zero F is worse case scenario, I just change my destination :)

Well I toss and turn when I sleep and I've found that when it get's cold out I simply can't keep as warm using a quilt even when it has good straps on it fastened to my body.

For summer I use a quilt.

Fall / Spring I use a mummy bag.

Winter I use a mummy bag.

Justin Baker wrote:

"If you can just sleep on your back, some straps would probably solve this. The good thing about quilts is you can use different layers or wear clothing underneath and not have to worry about compression from the inside out."

I really don't see how using a quilt will allow you to not worry about compressing the loft insulation in either your bag or puffy layers. Sure a quilt with shock cord straps will allow you some wiggle room but it will still provide a snug fit to reduce drafts and that snug fit will compress loft just as much as a properly fitted mummy bag.

This combined with the fact that compressing down up to two times it's lofted height doesn't reduce it's insulation value and I think their isn't much merit in your 'quilts won't compress lofted layers' idea.

If you get drafts, your quilt is too narrow, or you haven't found a method of keeping it tucked in.

Do bag users use a bag at home when the temp drops?

I never did any winter backpacking, but just curious whether if this will work.

Let's say we target FF Snowbunting temp rating: -18C with 794g of down (all over the body).

Could I substitute it with:

MEC Reflex (430g, torso)
Goosefeet Down Pants (113g, leg)
EE Revelation Quilt 30F (280g, all over the body)
Total: 823g

?

getting a 30 degree quilt (or sleeping bag) to 0 isn't going to be an easy task

getting a 15 degree quilt/bag to 0 w/ the addition of down parka, down pants- (probably should add additional headwear and footwear to the equation as well)- is definitely doable

hmm but if the mec reflex has a massive amount of down (430g / 15.2oz) is it doable? it also has a hood.

I think you're getting pretty close with that combo. The glaring weak spot is the feet. The torso looks good, the legs look okay but the feet are going to freeze.