Quilt Foot Box Question

It’s funny – your post made me realize that I don’t have any quilts with a zippered foot box:  They’re all either sewn or a velcro/snap combination.  I’ve not noticed a difference between them.  My MLD quilt has a “plug” that you use to plug the hole that’s left after cinching the footbox, but again, I’ve not noticed an issue with temperatures down into the 20’s.  Perhaps when it’s really cold it would be.

• If it’s a dedicated top quilt (I usually sleep in a hammock) then I prefer the sewn footbox because it’s one less thing to deal with
• The advantage of the velcro/snap footbox is that I can probably use the quilt as an under quilt if I choose to do so

What temperatures are you looking at?

I think 25 – 30 degrees is the coldest I can go, based on what I have read on this forum. Below that and folks are saying a quilt won’t work very well.

LK

Any difference there might be will be small, and your pad is the primary source of insulation from below. As to using quilts below 25F… I have regularly used quilts to 10F and and have gone lower on a few trips.  The primary issue is managing drafts / gaps which are increasingly noticeable as the temp drops.  If you move a lot while sleeping then as the temp drops either a sleeping bag, or a sleep system with a quilt and a bivy would be better.

Quilts can and do work at really low temperatures.

What won’t work is a combination of an inadequate mat (too thin, too cold) and a too-narrow quilt. The mat failure leaves you turning over lots, and the narrow quilt lets drafts in.

After all, no-one ever uses a sleeping bag at home, do they?

Cheers