Going from a Bag to a Quilt

I switched from bag to quilt two years ago, and won't go back. I never did use the hoods on my bags very much, though. The trickiest things in my opinion were:

1)the feel of the NeoAir underneath me–I wear clothes to bed, hasn't been a problem, won't be a problem in a hammock
2)securing my pillow–that's why I didn't use the hood, it was around my pillow!

There are down hoods that can be purchased, I just have a hood on my baselayer and pull that up, and I found a hat that I am not constantly pulling back onto my head all night. I have an EE quilt, which wraps around me nicely, have only very rarely had issues with cold spots.

Do you use an underquilt? If you don't have down beneath you in the hammock, depending on conditions, I should think you might need something else under you to keep you warm.

Switching to a quilt and lightning my pack weight are 2 of the greatest things I have done for myself over the years. A quilt leaves you so many options, and no zipper to snag or get in the way. You can wrap yourself snug or drape it over you or leave a leg out..easily. I also went with a down hood/balaclava and this solved my winter situation. Otherwise a silkweight balaclava or a fleece hat of some sort works perfectly also. Or nothing. Options options options. I can not comment on getting in and out of a hammock since I have never done it, but I can say using my quilt in a tent or under my tarp or in my bivy or cowboy camping is a pleasure.
On that note, don't suck up anything. I sure as heck would not. You shouldn't just settle just because. You should make it work and make sure it works. What's the point of Sucking up if it doesn't work or feel comfortable for you?
You wouldn't have to suck it up anyway, I believe you will like using a good quality quilt..

Hey Erica it sounds like you really love the features of a sleeping bag in regards to cutting off almost all exposure. I love my quilt but below 20 degrees I think I'd enjoy a sleeping bag more.

There are sleeping bags out there that can relatively keep pace with the weights of similarly rated quilts. I would just stick with bags because with quilts there definitely is more exposure with them and you expressed your concern with that characteristic.

I have several bags and several quilts.

I prefer the quilts.

An inquiring person might ask why i still have bags?

I ask myself that too sometimes.

Bags get smellier too.

A wide quilt you can tuck under, isnt that much less material than a bag, you can just get a really light fragile material.

I like being able to turn my head, and sleep on side without getting all tangled up in a bag. Much worse in a hammock i hear.

Love my quilts.. i am a side sleeper anyway and never zipped myself all the way in anyway. I am short enough and the quilts are long enough that I can still cover my face mostly and use a hat to keep the top of my head warm. my EE has a snap at the head end that keeps everything wrapped up. I have been meaning to add one to my MYOG synthetic to match.

I have a homemade 40* synthetic and an EE revolution 20* down quilt. I could show them to you sometime.

Erica,

I am another quilt convert (ten years+) and probably won't get a bag again. The other folks already hit most of the high points.

That said, I agree with Jordan on this one – based on what you like I would recommend sticking with a bag. You just won't duplicate that with a quilt.

But if you still want to scratch that itch, buy a cheaper quilt (new or on gear swap) and try it. You can always resell it.

Todd

There exist things that go on your head – from a beanie hat to a balaclava – that I have collected over the years I've been using a quilt. I am a hammock sleeper when I can be, and a ground sleeper the rest of the time. The nicest thing is getting up to pee, putting on a jacket, and still have on a warm hat as I leave the hammock. I hated mummy bags and was wearing a hat and using the hood of the bag for a pillow anyway. Starting with a quilt was so freeing. No more dealing with zippers while I'm half asleep.

The hardest thing for people to conquer is the thought that it won't keep you warm. I feel warmer in a quilt, since I can tuck it around me more tightly, with no excess insulation and material to bunch up. The 0 degree quilt i purchased from Hammock Gear has a nice draw cord/snap combo with which I can cinch it around my neck, to prevent warm air escaping too easily. There are also small loops at regular intervals down the edges to use cord with, if for some reason I want to put my pad in with me and keep the quilt fastened down to it. One of the best things about getting a quilt from a cottage vendor was the ability to decide what features I wanted, and to ask for a couple ounces of overstuff – perhaps I wouldn't be truly comfortable at 0 degrees, but I bet 10 is well within reach, with the lovely solid loft I have with it.

For what it's worth, as a hammock side sleeper I feel a lot more "consumed" by my winter insulation when it's a nice puffy quilt and puffy underquilt than I ever did in a sleeping bag. Like being cocooned in uncompressed down all around instead of only on the top.

Thanks everyone!

I have seen plenty of quilts, I love and agree with many of the benefits, but have never spent an overnight with one to see how I really like them.

Maybe making one of my own in a cheap synthetic just to get an idea would be a great idea (to the people that mentioned it).

Hi Jake! I know we have spoke before about meeting to discuss gear. What pattern did you use for the MYOG quilt?

Could I just modify something like this? http://www.walmart.com/ip/Ozark-Trail-Envelope-50F-Sleeping-Bag-Green/34109022

It was an easy transition for me, and all positive.
I use the Goosefeet down hood sold through ZPacks when it's cold enough, and a Buff, beanie, lightweight balaclava, etc. when it isn't.
All of the above turn with me, even the down hood with the collar of the quilt cinched down, so I don't end up facing, and breathing, into it like I tend to do with a sleeping bag.

I also kept wondering if I would like a quilt and stay warm enough. But I couldn't justify buying a new quilt since my bag was "good enough."

Then a few years ago, I started unzipping my sleeping bag all the way and draping it over me like a quilt, complete with built-in footbox.

I love it. Next big purchase will be a quilt.

Someday.

Now I can't justify the money to buy a quilt since my bag is working out so well :-)

— Rex

I sold all my sleeping bags. Not buying another. if I haven't been cold in 8 years I am not going to be. i don't sleep in anything but a baselayer, socks, hat – anything more makes me sweat too much. once I am comfortable I move less in my sleep- as far as I am concerned, once you master tucking yourself in, you're good.

I much prefer a quilt to a sleeping bag for hammock use. Much easier to get in and out of the hammock that way. Trying to get into a sleeping bag requires more contortions than I want to go through.

If you get a quilt,just get a matching down (or synthetic) balaclava too. You can draw that close around your face and feel just as comfortable as being in a bag.

Use a warm enough pad and/or underquilt underneath you to take care of the rest of the insulation you need.

I regularly use a quilt down to 0F while hammocking. If I need more insulation than just the quilt I'll wear my down parka under the quilt, either on top of me or normally.

seems like with a quilt, air would get in around the edges

when you first lay down, you could tuck it in, but as you roll around at night, it would come out and there'de be air gaps

>"Could I just modify something like this? http://www.walmart.com/ip/Ozark-Trail-Envelope-50F-Sleeping-Bag-Green/34109022"

Sure. And for $20, why not? Since it's never going to a high-loft, low-weight quilt, I'd suggest a real hack job with the intention of doing a few iterations. i.e. trim with good scissors, but don't even sew the cut edges closed, just use duct tape or sealing tape to close the cut edges. Leave it extra wide and extra long initially and trim it incrementally after each trip. Play with how much of a foot-box you want as well. After 2 or 3 trips and adjustments after each one, you should have a great pattern for a DIY quilt using better materials. You'll only have $20 and a roll of tape invested in it and then you'll really know if quilts work for you. But keep in mind, it will always be stiffer and heavier than a high-quality quilt. One of the many things I like about my quilts is how light they are on me.

+1 on the hat. That's a great strategy in a bag or a quilt because it is such an easy, quick way to adjust your temperature.

+1 on peeing, etc, when using a quilt. Not only is it easier to get in and out of, but you can also drape it over your shoulders like a shawl for a midnight run or around camp in the morning (it's cold, you're cold, and not hiking yet) – a great way to multi-purpose your gear and possibly eliminate the need of an additional puffy top.

I work for EE, so there's that disclaimer.

I'm another one that feels warmer in a quilt than a sleeping bag. My proportions are a little unusual (very tall, skinny) so a sleeping bag that's long enough for me usually is too wide. Quilts feel like they are a little more flexible in cinching it tight without leaving too much air inside the bag, so I think that's why I feel warmer in a quilt. Obviously if your bag fits you well that's not really an issue, but I think it does explain some of the cases out there.

I'm a side sleeper, so I never liked normal hoods anyway, but the added warmth of leaving it on when getting up at night, or during chilly mornings, is a huge boost for me. I also find it pretty easy to keep the quilt mostly on me while getting my boots on (and getting dressed under the quilt as well), so that makes that transition a little easier too.

If you want to try an EE quilt, you can just let us know too and we can find an appropriately sized quilt to "sell" you, with the understanding that you're just planning to try the size and comfort level out. Don't know the specifics on the other quilt companies' return policies, but I'm sure some of them have a similar option.

I moved to a 20F quilt in 2008 to save weight. I started using it in the spring so I was use to it by the time fall hit. I enjoyed using it enough that I bought a second lighter 40F quilt. I find that quilts are more flexible to use then a confining sleeping bag. I just finally sold off my 3 down sleeping bags as I've realized that I'm never going back to a sleeping bag again.

As some mentioned, it may take some getting use to sleeping directly on a sleeping bad since there is no fabric under you. As I normally sleep in lightweight thermal underware, it's not a problem. But on the occasion, I sleep in my underwear and a t-shirt, sleeping on a foam pad doesn't really bother me.

Drafts aren't a big problem for me as I've trained myself to retuck everytime I flip over to my other side (side sleeper). I don't really toss and turn in my sleep. I do partially wake up and flip myself onto my other side when I do. Unless you have a narrow quilt, there is plenty of material to tuck around your body.

I use a balaclava when I go to sleep. If it's warm, I use it as a pillow case on my stuff sack that acts as my pillow. I wear it when it's cold. If it's really cold, I pull it down all the way so it covers my face and neck and I tend to bunch the quilt around my head but keeping my face exposed so I don't put moisture into the bag. Works for me down into the teens. But I'm a side sleeper which is a warmer way of sleeping then on the back which I suspect would be an issue in a hammock. For most, a down hood that many company's make would be a good replacement for the mummy hood.

Next time you go camping, keep your sleeping bag unzipped and turned sideways and just use it like it's a quilt. It won't fit around you as nicely as a quilt, but it will be close. See how you like it.

"i.e. trim with good scissors, but don't even sew the cut edges closed, just use duct tape or sealing tape to close the cut edges."

Or, sew a seam through fabric and insulation and then cut an inch further out and try it. If you decided you liked it, you could cut the insulation close to the seam, foldover the fabric on both sides hiding the raw edge and sew through it.

You could do the same thing with fabric and insulation that you bought.

"seems like with a quilt, air would get in around the edges

when you first lay down, you could tuck it in, but as you roll around at night, it would come out and there'de be air gaps"

It depends. I have a couple of Nunatak quilts that have straps with buckles that run underneath you. After getting under the quilt, you buckle the straps and tighten them enough to seal them off. Haven't had any issues with air leakage, either in a hammock or on the ground.

I have gone from a Marmot Plasma to a Zpacks "sleeping bag" – the Zpacks hoodless design with a drawstring at the top allows me to use it as a quilt or as a sleeping bag. I have a 20 degree model, so the design allows me to use it in a variety of conditions and temps.
For colder weather, I wear a warm jacket which I have brought anyway for around camp, etc. Reduces my pack weight and volume, but it is a bit spendy.

I remember switching to a quilt – a GoLite which was comfty warm and just like being under a duvet straight off, and it packs small. I did slightly miss a hood so now I wear a thin fleece to bed which has a hood, I used to wear a thin fleece without one so this was an easy win. I have a women's thermarest and there are straps to hold it in place under the quilt, but I like squishing around! If I really want it all to stay together I chuck it all in a very lightweight bivi from Sol – the breathable one. Then I go to sleep and forget about it. I really love having a foot box I can get my feet out of. The other great thing about the Quilt? My husband took the old sleeping bag and likes it very much… And turns his nose up at the quilt. My gain!

for hammocking, a quilt for sure. As others have said, if you have an adequate underquilt you'll be fine and still very snug.

I got a regular width quilt from EE. I could have gotten a narrow. With a MYOG project you can experiment with the width!

My quilt pattern was from someone on here. M90(ripstop outside and taffeta inside) and Apex 2.5 from Thru-Hiker.com 12.5oz total

there is a PDF link on here. I did just the main part, skipped the small pieces. I used newspaper strips as a "guide" for the sewing machine foot instead of spare strips and they rip right off after you sew it. I would have maybe added a bit of width for the top for a bit more wrap around my shoulders

https://kringlelight.wordpress.com/2011/11/15/sin50/

Yes, I think that I might try making one out of some cheap materials that I can find locally so that I can get the sizing right for me.
I might even buy just some cheap batting from the fabric store with some rip stop and make it a "summer quilt" for any car camping we might do.

My current bag is a REI Flash wish has the synthetic back, so I cannot try it as a quilt unfortunately.

Thanks for the link and pics Jake.