Last questions before buying my first quilt

also am i being too scared or would you also go 15F/-9c for a lets say 2 and a half seson quilt? im usually hiking into late summer early autumn like end of September in the mountains
i think on normal nights it can go down as much as -3c probably maybe more.

What pad do you use? It will be especially important when using a quilt that your pad’s R value is strong enough to keep you warm from underneath.

I don’t have experience with Katabatic only with EE quilts so can’t compare directly. I’m a side-to-side sleeper and used to have one of their quilts with the Karo baffles (square baffles that are open to each other so down can move between baffles), and I did find that my body movements moved down to the sides during the night, leaving me a little chilled along the center, but I now have one with the vertical baffles and I never get dead spots, so yes to me the vertical baffles make a noticeable difference. Using the straps I don’t get drafts. My chest is 41″, my quilt is reg/reg and it’s a good size for me.

Mine is 10D in and out and it’s been fine for me. I don’t do anything with my quilt that requires the fabric to be more durable (it’s only laid out in my shelter on my pad for sleeping, it’s never being abraded or poked by anything rough or sharp). I haven’t needed the 20D strips at head and foot for moisture, just hasn’t been an issue for me.

Like you, I sleep fairly cold. I just returned from a two week trip (with brief intermission) where I got temps of 24F/-4C at night in my 20F/-7C quilt. It was just enough to allow a good nights sleep. But, I wore two sets of long johns and a down jacket (sweater,) too.

1) I never missed the collar from my bag. But, the quilt was over sized. A long/wide allowed me to wrap around my shoulders and over my head (barely) with just my face peeking out.

2) Yes. The vertical baffles help with holding the down over you. Horizontal baffles allow down to fall to the edges and not stay over you. Slightly warmer, but you have to fiddle with them more to distribute the down up and down, depending on the temps.

3) It depends on how you sleep. I got an oversize quilt to help me roll around. I am a restless sleeper. If you are not, you might get away with a slim. I roll till I can tuck the quilt under my back then roll back to cover my front (or left and right sides.) The extra width lets this happen easily.

4) I don’t use weather strips, or heavier fabric at all. But, I use a larger tarp. You shouldn’t let you bag be exposed to any kind of wet overnight.

Perhaps I should have brought my bag, but I was fine with the quilt, even though I was just over 12 pounds before consumables. I was also at the limit of my pad, quilt and clothing.

I have two Katabatic quilts…the 22F Aslek and 30F Palisade and I love the draft collar, which I did not have on the 1st quilt, which was a Jacks R Better.

For me, a draft collar is a must….it solved the biggest complaint that I had with my prior quilt…heat leakage around my shoulders/neck.

I am a cold sleeper and the Katabatic quilts seems to be conservatively rated….very warm.

Being able to snap the top ends of the quilt around my neck and then use the draw cord to cinch the top of the quilt around my neck makes a huge difference in the warmth.

I also like having my GooseFeet down booties for additional warmth, as I am a cold sleeper.

If it really gets cold, I can either wear my insulting jacket or lay it on top of my chest for additional warmth.

Just make sure that you have a really good down balaclava/hat to keep your head warm.

I also use a Merino wool Buff to cover my neck/head/ears for even more warmth.

I happen to be a back sleeper.

Katabatic quilts are very well made, but expensive, but I have no regrets….hence why I bought a 2nd one.

Hope this helps.

Tony

Generally speaking, side sleepers should order a quilt a little bit wider than they would need if they were back sleepers.  It’s warmer because it helps reduce drafts, which are more common for side sleepers.

EE 10F rating will work well for you in Norway in summer based on my experiences from Sweden.. I find that you can get a EE quilt tight around the neck with the drawcord. I have the 20D stripes om my Revelation and feel that was the right call although I havent really had the circumstances to tell if they make any real difference yet. I made the choice mainly to increase water resistance, not durability. As a slide sleeper I Think you may regret that you bought a slightly narrow quilt but not bouing a to wide one. I have a wide quilt. (Though I weight about 200 Pounds.)

I’ve used both Katabatic and EE quilts extensively. I like the vertical baffles of the EE. I like the draft collar of the Katabatic. I like the pad connection design of the Katabatic better when used with an inflatable pad, like a NeoAir. I like the foot box of the EE. I like the customizability and fabric options of the EE.

If I were ordering a brand new quilt right now, it would be an EE because I appreciate the custom options.

But my Katabatics (Alsek, Chisos) are just a little (and I do mean: only a little) bit nicer in terms of construction quality, fill/puffiness, and pad integration.

So there you go. A totally indecisive answer. Good luck!!

first of all thanks a lot for all the replies.
J.R – I use the NeoAir Xlite. i  might have the women version not sure (how do i check it. it doesn’t say on the matt itself).
thanks for the input about the vertical baffles . i too think it’s probably a good idea although – as you say yourself- it might be more of a hassle to rearrange the down . i notices down shifts on my WM Ultralite sleeping bag in the chest area. but horizontal baffles make it easier to rearrange .

James Marco thanks a alot. i think it’s a good idea to get extra width for the tossing and turning and the ability to drape the quilt around your shoulder and back.
i don’t know man, i really feel that down neck collar is one of the more useful things when you’re looking to trap the heat in.
thanks for the input about the fabric choosing.

Tony Wong
thanks for the reviews sir,
glad to hear that you like you KG quilt. i lean towards the KG myself because of the draft collar.
i dont like to sleep with a hat or socks but i will if it’s too cold. i dont think i will be taking it to super cold temps since i’m hiking almost exclusively in the mountains and when the temps drop it’s probably too snowy and dangerous anyway.
you think with a girth of a 111cm\ 44 inch using medium width Sawatch i could fit in with my down jacket?

Valerie E
thanks for the tip!

Gunnar H
thanks a lot. the thru hike of Norway – the Norge paa langs- is one of my future goals and dreams. so your input is valuable . im thinking about going for either the EE 10 F or the Kg 15F which are from what i read is comparable.
although i weigh only 119lb and pretty slim i’m too scared to go for a slim in the EE and the KG does’nt even have that option.

Ryan Jordan
thanks, all of those point are greatly appreciated. it is a hard decision, between 2 (or even more if you consider other companies ) top products.

“J.R – I use the NeoAir Xlite”

Just know that the temp rating of EE quilts assume that one is sleeping with at least R-4 underneath of them (XLite is noticeably less than this). I don’t know about Katabatic ratings.

When I used to sleep with an X-lite, I always threw a ccf pad on top of it – to both boost it’s R value and to make it more firm. (I consistently found the NeoAirs to be too squishy, and my back would start hurting after 2-3 nights.)

You already have a ton of info, but I’ll throw my 2 cents into the mix. I have a Katabatic Palisade, been using it for 7 years or so. I only get out a few nights a year, but I also use it to car camp several nights. I couldn’t speak highly enough of this quilt.

I once ordered an EE 20 degree quilt. IMO it was a similar warmth ratio to the Katabatic Palisade. I returned it because it didn’t seem to be any warmer than my Katabatic based on look, feel, etc…I would also agree Katabatic is slightly better in quality, but it is slight.

I also own a EE 50 degree synthetic quilt. I love it. I use it in the warm summer seasons around home and take it for colder nights when I can place it on my Palisade for extra warmth.

I have also owned a Nanutak in the past. I believe both Katabatic and EE are great quilts that serve their purposes well. I often toy with getting a 10 degree EE to have a warmer quilt, but always talk myself out of it since I don’t go that much and already have the 2 quilt solution.