Review on the New Down Quilt from Sierra Designs with built in hood and hand pockets

[Ammon Bruce]

Review by Ammon Bruce

I took Michael's offer to test out the New Sierra Designs Backcountry Quilt. This thread started out about a quilt and now it is on tents. Michael sent me the quilt and I recieved it on October 3rd. I tested it for 2 nights and my brother one night. For those that saw the so called gaps on the Prolite video and wanted to know more. This review is for you and all the people that read it.
Specs
Produce info from the workbook
SD Backcountry Quilt 800
2-Season. (30 degree f/-1c)
Size Regular
MSRP $259.95
Trail Weight 1lb 9oz
Fits Up To 6'4"
Fill Weight 11 oz
Stuff Size (WxL) 7"x14"

Fill 800 fill duck Dridown
Shell 20D Nylon Ripstop
Liner 20D Nylon Taffeta
To see this workbook specs go to http://www.zenbivy.com/ZenBivy/Sierra_Designs_files/SD14%20Workbook.pdf
Part I

[Ammon Bruce]

Part II
My profile
6' 3"
255 lbs
49" Shoulders
Top size XL
Bottom size 36
Shoe size 12
I test in a long sleeve merino 1 Patagonia shirt. Shorts and running socks

The quilt's specs according to me: Remember this is prototype and sizes my change. When the Quilt comes out in April 2014, it my have had some changes. So go try it, I know I will.
Quilt weight 1lb 7.5 oz
Top 50" wide
Length 76"
Hood 12"x14" fits a size 8 head comfortably
Foot Box 12" wide mummy
Foot box size 21"x21"
True 30 degree quilt. I feel that it couple easily have gone 5 degrees lower with bag liner. I woke up at 30 degrees feeling no cool spot anywhere. I slept on my back, side and stomach. Warm and comfortable at all sleeping styles. Tested at 30-37 degrees over the three nights
I made sure to wake up early to see how I felt at the coldest time of the night.

Fits up to 6'1" I found that I stretched it out in some areas, but found no cool spot where the loft had been streched tight. Right now they have a "one size fits all". (Regular size). No long size.
I am hoping the final product is a inch or two longer.
Part III…..

[Ammon Bruce]

Part lll

Positions and Performance

On your back:
Well on my back I was unable to use the hand pockets do to how high they were. So, I pulled the quilt up to my neck and the hand pockets keep the warmth in like baffles.
Rated 10/10

The hood worked great well on my back. Head and face stayed warm all night and fit great for a size 8 head. I found no moister in the morning anywhere around the mouth opening. I thought I would, but due to a great designer the quilt remained dry. The hood felt soft against my face. My brother has claustrophobia and the hood bothered him.

Rated 10/10 for back sleepers.

On your Side:
I tried using both pockets and found that it did not wrap well around me. It left gaps for air lose(like in the Prolite video on YouTube)down by the knees. Both he and I are big guys and had to adjust to MAKE it fit. Solution: only use one hand pocket. Sleeped on my side with the top pocket and some air lose when I moved to switch sides. Sleeped warm and cozy over all.
Rated 8/10

You can us the Hood with a little adjustment , but works better for a back sleeper.
Rated 9/10

On your Stomach:
Hand pockets are your two best friends well sleeping on your stomach. Works great!! Wraps you warm and tightly. Here is where the hand pockets features shines.
Rates 10/10

Well you can't use the hood well on your stomach, the opening is designed to let no air out. So it acts like a extra layer to keep your head warm, bonus!
Rated 10/10

Remember that I am at the big and tall side of the scale. I believe that a smaller person would not have the side sleeper draft problems like I did. You would find it more like a 10/10 rating.

My rating is based on Features, Warmth, Comfort and overall Quality of sleep.

Conclusion……

[Ammon Bruce]

Conclusion:

This is not a ultralight Quilt. The Backcountry Quilt is more like the missing link between Ultralight and light hiking. No cuben fiber here,but take the ZPacks quilt and you have to wear a separate down hood with that; which is the way you want it. Now look at this Quilt for whom its' target audience is, every one else.

Going to REI or MooseJaw you don't find quilts with these helpful features. So for everyone else this brings them one step closer to Ultralight hiking and that is a good thing. Also you don't find $250 6'2" 32* degrees hypo phobic down quilts anywhere.

So come April 2014, go try one out and see how it fits you. I had three warm and comfortable night sleep in 30* degree weather.

This is your Big and Tall review. If it works for me, it should work for you!

Tester:
Ammon Bruce

Side note: I have no affiliations with Sierra Designs or Michael Galvin. I was given nothing to try this quilt or write this review. Just a thank you message from Michael. I payed to ship it back to Michael. Thanks for your time.

[Tony Wong]

Ammon,

Thanks for creating a new thread to highlight your work on reviewing this quilt.

It is great to see some innovative designs that we have never seen before in a quilt and from a larger manufacture.

Definitely should be an eye opener to the traditional backpackers or to those lightweight backpackers who are curious to try out the move to a quilt.

Great price for sure.

Wish SD a lot of luck in bringing this to the traditional backpackers at places like REI.

Thanks for including a photo of yourself in the quilt while using the hood.

This quilt looks pretty wide to allow coverage for your arms off to your sides.

When sleeping on your back, looks like plenty of coverage to keep out drafts.

Sounds like the hand pockets are for side and stomach sleepers to keep out the draft.

Anyway, thanks again for taking the time to share with us your experience with the SD quilt.

Tony

[Michael Glavin / Zenbivy]

Hey Amman:

Great to meet you and thanks for trying out the quilt. I wanted to let you know that based on field testing, including yours, we have made some minor modifications to the quilt to provide better coverage around the "gapping" identified in some of the threads.

I am enclosing a photo that details the pattern changes…..

[Mark Ries]

Great idea, why didn't I think of that. Its nice to see you looking at your designs and improving them b4 they hit the market.

[Mark Ries]

I'm having problems visualizing what its like to get the hood on pillow in place and then get all the tucking in around the shoulders and neck and not have drafts could you show us what the upper part of the quilt looks like from the under side with any snaps snapped Sorry to be a pain.

[Daryl and Daryl]

Ammon,

Thanks for the review and follow-up. Very helpful. I particularly like your 10 point scale idea. Makes for easy digestion of the info.

[Daryl and Daryl]

VIDEO

Mark,

I think the video link from the previous thread on the quilt may answer some of your questions.

[Michael Glavin / Zenbivy]

Hi all:

The Backcountry Quilt has no snaps, or closures of any kind. One of the things I hate most is designs that add fussy adjustments and hoo-ha's that force the user to fiddle. We thinking camping should be simple and comfortable. Neither the Backcounty Bed or the Backcountry quilt has any kind of closure. And even our new Mobile Mummy (which has zipperless arm ports and can be worn like a garment) has only a single zipper, that not only provides access and closure, but controls the seal around the neck without the usual blob of constrictive fussy toggles, cords and Velcro. It works without all that stuff. I can't believe as users we have accepted all this junk in the past: do you tie strings around your neck in your bed at home? Why would we do it in the backcountry?

Regarding how to "tuck" the quilt while on the back: the good actually makes it quite easy. You lay on your back, slip the hood on, then roll up on one side and the quilt falls cross your back. You just hold it there with your hand and roll back to your back. Then repeat on the other side.

[Michael Glavin / Zenbivy]

And by "good" I mean "hood". Dang iPad……

[Luis Acebal]

Since there are but a few reviews out there on this quilt, I wanted to provide my first impressions. After receiving the quilt a few days ago, I decided to tested out last night in my backyard. The temperatures were moderate with only a breeze (40 degrees early morning. Granted, it was not cold but I didn't feel that I was pushing the limits of the bag by any means, and I was only wearing light-weight, capilene long underwear. What I really loved about the quilt was the comfort and flexibility it provided. As has been mentioned, it is a functional, simple design- somewhat of a hybrid between a traditional quilt and traditional bag. As a point of reference, my go to bag has been a Mont-bell super stretch #3 and I found the quilt more comfortable and versatile. First impressions are just that, but I have purchased and used enough backpacking equipment to know when things are not going to work for me. Time on the trail will provide me with more of a feel for the quilt, but I'm pleasantly impressed by the quality and overall design of the item. If I wanted to picky, my only recommendation for improvement at this point would be for a smaller stuff sack.

[Chris Alvillar]

I’m reviving this thread all these years later. I just bought a bc quilt online and I want to buy a cuben stuff sack that’s actually appropriate for its size before it gets here. 3L? 5L? 9L?

I’m glad they’re still making these quilts over at Sierra Designs. Waiting 3 months for a cottage quilt is kind of silly in my opinion.

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