Why Choose a Quilt Over a Bag?

[Brad P]

I will first acknowledge that we are not all the same, and that’s a good thing.  We have different likes, dislikes, temperature preferences, etc.  I’m glad manufacturers make options to fill these varying desires.

I’m an assistant Scoutmaster and have been camping with the troop for a few years.  We mostly car camp, for various reasons, but backpacking interests me.

I see many places offer quilts, and I’m trying to see why some consider this better. One reason I can see is some people might be claustrophobic in a bag. The ability to move around more freely would be a benefit compared to a bag.

The problem I see is first, pads aren’t made of material that seems best to me for direct contact.  They’re plastic. The sleeping bag material would be more comfortable in my mind.

Second, on cold nights, being enclosed in the bag has to be warmer than the quilt, all else being equal.

I’m just curious about what you experienced folks have to say on this subject.  Thanks!!

[Iago Vazquez]

With regards to the plastic contact with the pad… In the cold I’m typically wearing thermals. In the heat, we’ve all been hot at some point in a sleeping bag and drapped it over as a quilt or tossed it aside.

[JCH]

My reasons for converting from a mummy bag to a quilt, in order of importance:

1. Comfort: I hate being confined in a mummy bag…it does not feel comfortable or natural. I found I was using my WM Megalite as a quilt 80% of the time.  The only time it was used as a bag was on the coldest trips.
2. Flexibility: I like having a sleep “system”, i.e., one which is composed of modular elements that can be combined to address the specifics of the trip. I have a quiver of headwear items that are added depending the temps I expect.  I often pack a hooded down jacket and sometimes down pants…both can be worn under the quilt to lower it’s temp rating, along with down socks.
3. Sleeping style: I’m a side sleeper, knees drawn up somewhat.  A quilt works much better for this position…again, it feels more natural.
4. Weight: Since it is a modular system, I can reduce the total weight of the system down to just the quilt.  I only carry what I need to carry for each trip.

The Megalite has been relegated to being a loaner for family members who might tag along for a one nighter.

Re: your pad concerns.  I always sleep in some sort of base layer. I rarely camp when it’s hot, but when I do I always wear a Cap1 top and bottom to keep my nasty body off of both the pad and whatever I am sleeping under (which is often nothing or a thin fleece blanket). A sleep base layer, regardless of temperature, is IMO crucial for maintaining the sleep system…sweaty, greasy, dirty and smelly are not characteristics I wish to foster in my gear :)

[jimmy b]

As a bag to quilt convert I would say quilts are…

*lighter and more compact for the warmth value…keeping in mind you cover your head when necessary.

*as you mentioned allow for more unrestricted movement including stomach sleeping without the annoyance of dealing with the hood.

*no zipper to futz with.

*many are made in the USA

*they are more versatile. Can be used like a blanket. You can vent them easier in warm weather. Use them strapped to yourself or pad in cold weather.

Personally sleeping on any type of pad material has never bothered me to the extent of loosing sleep. A lot of things like this can be overcome simply by ignoring them. The more you give credit to small inconveniences the more they will bother you. Also at the end of a good hike sleep would come to me on top a pile of leaves let alone a nice comfy inflatable :)

Lastly I haven’t yet abandoned my WM bag for the really cold stuff until I try a heavier quilt and balaclava combo. BUT if a quilt will suffice I would rather go that route.   YMMV

EDIT= My apologies for nearly duplicating JCH’s thoughts…couldn’t see his post while I was typing.

[Don H]

Excellent question and reply posts all.  Reference the comment on the sleeping bag being warmer, this appears to be initially true except for two related issues I’ve been told:

1. The part of the bag under one’s body gets compressed and loses its loft insulation so is providing no relative warmth (warmth is coming from the pad which is why the R-factor is an important consideration).
2. If the user rolls/turns that part of the bag becomes ‘exposed’ and the user has a cold spot until the loft fluffs back up.

Many of the quilts I’ve seen allow a ‘tuck under’ capability with their sleeping pad straps which creates near mummy bag like coverage so no ‘side’ cold air leaks.

I’m saving up for a quilt myself for the reasons provided by others above (weight, system, modular).  Would like to hear thoughts from quilt users on what I posted … how accurate am I?

Thanks

 

[Matthew / BPL]

I use a quilt primarily because of comfort. It’s so nice to not get all twisted up like in a mummy bag.

The weight savings is significant as well.

[Brad P]

This is intriguing with lots of good points. I do like the look of the quilts that give the flexibility to work in different ways.

Follow-up question.  What is the best way to buy more gear without your wife finding out?  :)

[JCH]

Don H – Everything you said is pretty much dead on.  I actually find the quilt to be warmer because you rotate under it, i.e., the quilt stays in place.

+1 to what Matthew said.  I particularly enjoy just popping out an arm to do something, and how easy it is to get under/out of a quilt.

Bradley – have it shipped to the office :)  Seriously, I do not recommend hiding gear from the wife…you are simply delaying and intensifying the pain.

jimmy b – highly recommend a modular approach to headwear.  I have a Cap4 beanie, Cap4 balaclava and a windstopper 100wt fleece beanie…and of course the hood on my MB Plasma 1000 parka.  That said, the combo of the fleece beanie under the balaclava is pretty darn toasty.

[Kenneth Keating]

Follow-up question.  What is the best way to buy more gear without your wife finding out? 

Sell items online, have the buyers transfer funds into your personal PayPal account, buy items with the funds in PayPal, and have items shipped to work.  I have no idea why I know this :)

[JCH]

Kenneth – Ha.  Beautiful.

I find that regularly assembling a pile of gear and telling my wife I’m selling it almost totally negates any dirty looks when something new arrives in the mail :)

If I have learned anything from American political history it is to tell the truth because if you do not,  you will be caught and you will have made it MUCH worse because of the lie.

[Brad P]

Right now I have an REI Flash bag that I love for all but the really cold nights.  It’s light and compresses down very small. I got it when REI was discontinuing that model and the price was great, too.

For cold weather, I have a giant monstrosity of a Marmot synthetic bag. Since we’ve been car camping, that wasn’t an issue.

I think I can live with my current setup for now.  As for replacing my Gregory Baltoro 85 backpack with something light and adding a Zpacks duplex to the gear list, well…..  :)

[Kattt]

Adding to some of what has been writte already…..those of us that hammock like how much easier it is to get in and out when using a quilt.

[James Marco]

Yeas, I agree with all the points you make. But, don’t forget this is backpacking LIGHT. Quilts are generally about 6-8oz lighter for the same temp rating, or, a half pound lighter. The cost is generally less, also. A good WM bag is around 425, a quilt is around 300. So, they are cheaper. But, only in high quality mid-temp ranges.

For cold weather, 10F and below, bags are still preferred. They do not let in drafts, and occasional open hole, etc. Quilts often do not include a hood, either. So, at cold temps, a separate hood is needed and/or balaclava.

Pads become more important with quilts. You do not have the luxury of down providing ANY insulation along the bottom, extending to the 2″ zone right at the curve up. Quilts often include clips, straps, etc to make up for this to some degree. You NEED to consider IR reflection, as well as insulation. CCF is far more comfortable to sleep on (Evazote foam) than ckeap blue foam and provides a bit more insulation. The inflatables all have their proponents. In cold weather, a Down filled Air Matress (DAM) is perhaps the warmest. But a NeoAir and 3/4″ evazote pad are as warm(depending on thickness equivalencies) and lighter. But, if you need to pay the extra weight on a good pad, why save weight with a quilt? So, quilts are generally considered 20F and above. Colder and they don’t save anything.

For mid range temps, quilts work well. An occasional draft is not an icicle. A lighter pad is needed, and, overall they save weight.

[Bob Moulder]

I think I can live with my current setup for now.  As for replacing my Gregory Baltoro 85 backpack with something light and adding a Zpacks duplex to the gear list, well…..  :)

Brad,

A little off-topic here, but what you’ll find when/if you go “all-in UL” is that an 85 liter backpack is such mega-massive overkill on volume (even for winter… short of alpine mountaineering) that you’ll be irresistibly compelled to get something with smaller volume.

However, the oft-repeated advice to get the pack last still stands. Get the rest of your UL systems—sleep, shelter, clothing, cook and ‘dinky stuff’ (first aid, water treatment, toiletries)—reasonably well dialed in before buying the pack.

When I first got into UL my pack was a REI Flash 62 and after acquiring some decent UL kit the pack soon dwarfed the load I was carrying, so at that point I got an Arc Blast 52 liter. Nowadays, for milder weather I can easily fit all gear and food into a 36 liter frameless pack.

 

[Brad P]

I NOW know that the Baltoro is WAY too big and heavy.  My plan is to eBay it.  I like the looks of the Arc Blast Zip. Maybe when the Scouts PLC plans out the next year, which will include a backpacking trip, I can make my plan.  :)

I was intrigued by the quilts, but I’m not at a point where I could justify that change right now.  However, at some point, my Flash could be a hand-me-down to my son (like my old cell phone was) and then I’d be in the market for a replacement.

When adding in the cost of a separate down hood, I think some of the cost difference shrinks, but not completely. As a side sleeper, the hood has a practical advantage over the built-in hood of a bag.

[James holden]

Note that quilts require more SKILL to use

using a quilt to its temp limit, you basically look like a mummy anyways

theres tons of threads on BPL and reddit over the years of folks getting cold in quits but were fine in bags … Usually a skill issue, or they didnt have proper head gear, etc ….

As to price if one takes WM as an example one should probably compare em to katabatic ….

marmot, MH and other name brand bags you can often get at a 30%+ off sale with free return shipping …. Something you cant do with a quilt generally

I own and use both quilts and bags

;)

 

 

 

[Bob Shuff]

Another Asst. Scoutmaster and quilt convert.  Hard to add much value to the comments above.  I’m going to forward this to a friend of mine I’m trying to convince.

You are on BPL – so weight is so obvious, and packability is nice, but like others here it’s comfort for me. I had the WM 15 mummy bag when I started reading Ray Jardine’s book and soon realized I could use that like a quilt – and it worked.  I took some intermediate steps with wider BA bags and a rectangular down bag to get that roominess/comfort you don’t get in a mummy bag.  It wasn’t until I started hammock camping and got into Hammock Forums that I switched over completely.  I keep those older bags for friends and family to use, but use exclusively for hammock or ground camping.

I also wear thermals most of the time when sleeping, and the benefits go beyond comfort to keep your quilt (or bag) cleaner so you have to wash it less often (if ever?)  I only wipe it off if dirty and air dry.  Along these lines, the pad as-is is easy to wipe off or wash even on the trail – and will dry quickly in most conditions.  Not that I find that necessary.  If you want the feel of cloth, sew a sheet to fit over your pad, or check out EE’s new quilt cover.  I think it’s only 1.5oz.

My 15 year-old scout is seeing the light as we do more backpacking.  He’s using a Costco down throw for an upcoming Catalina Island trip.  I’ll be sportin’ a new Loco Libre Ghost Pepper Operator series summer quilt – assuming it arrives in the next 3 weeks.  (fingers crossed).

YIS,

Bob (Slbear)

[Brad P]

I currently use a very thin, light (from my perspective) sleeping bag liner to keep my bags clean.  It also works well on those hot nights when I end up just using it on top of the bag, particularly at summer camp.  Fortunately, Camp Ottari is in the mountains and not AS oppressive as most of Virginia is during the summer.

[W I S N E R !]

I really don’t like being zipped up in bags.

But that said, I buy bags instead of quilts.

I can use a bag as a quilt….but I can still use it as a bag when I need to, namely sleeping out in cold temps without a shelter.

Saving ounces with a quilt is irrelevant to me; my Western Mountaineering bags are light enough.

[jimmy b]

Ah, saving weight is never irrelevant to me…or me old bones at the end of the day :)

[Brad P]

My philosophy is, will I be happier with or without the weight.  If I’m shaking like a Yugo on a cobblestone street because my super ultralight bag isn’t warm enough, I’ll take the ounces.  Same thing with a pad.  If I can’t sleep or wake up feeling like 2 sumo wrestlers were body slamming me all night, then I need something better.

That’s why we’re lucky to have so many different options.  Find your happy option.  Price, comfort and weight are factors.  What works for one, doesn’t for another.  Clearly (to me), the lightest option you can afford and still have enjoyment is where you should be.

 

[JCH]

Price. Comfort. Weight.  The corners of the Backpacking Triangle :)

You can only pick 2.

[Jon Fong / Flat Cat Gear]

For years, I used my sleeping bag like a quilt, zipped down 2/3 of the way and many times rotated (zipper down).  I flop a lot and sleep hot.

Then I discovered quilts and it is perfect for me.  I use quilt (30 degree) down to about freezing.  Below that, I switch a bag.  my 2 cents

[Thomas Willard]

When I was about 8 or 9, I somehow managed to turn myself around in my sleeping bag and ended up waking up with my head at the foot, screaming because I couldn’t breathe and figure out how to get out of the bag. That traumatic event stuck with me for decades and even after I grew tall (and wide) enough to where that could never happen again, I had a hard time sleeping in a mummy bag.

When quilts came along, 30 years of mummy bag fear went out the window in one nights sleep.

[jimmy b]

My philosophy is, will I be happier with or without the weight.  If I’m shaking like a Yugo on a cobblestone street because my super ultralight bag isn’t warm enough, I’ll take the ounces.  Same thing with a pad.  If I can’t sleep or wake up feeling like 2 sumo wrestlers were body slamming me all night, then I need something better.

Yes, well I make that assumption. But, all things being equal I don’t at all discount the value of a lighter pack, even if it is by a few ounces. So far in my quest for an ever lighter kit I have not given up a bit of comfort. In fact after abandoning my old ways of double walled free standing tents, mummy bags, gas stoves ect. I have more room in my shelter, a more comfortable sleep system and a more peaceful experience cooking my meals over a super quiet stove at a more relaxed pace. All this and more at a reduction in pack weight that really improves the quality of life every step I take. Biggest misconception about UL is that you have to give up quality of life…not so.

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