Have you used a down quilt instead of a bag?

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1982john
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Have you used a down quilt instead of a bag?

Post by 1982john »

I thinking of something like this for a British summer

https://www.ultralightoutdoorgear.co.uk ... uilt-p8628
Mountain Equipment - Helium Quilt

It's almost half the weight of my current bag and I imagine would take up a lot less space. Maybe combine it with some warm camp clothing which I'd probably take anyway.

Guessing others must have tried something like this out?
PH
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Re: Have you used a down quilt instead of a bag?

Post by PH »

I've been using one for 10+ years, first recommended it on this forum in 2010 after I'd had it a couple of years. Still using the same one, average 25ish nights a year, had it professionally cleaned once, still very pleased with it. Whether it's right for you depends on your needs and likes and I have no experience of the one linked.
Needs a good insulated mat, also benefits from a cover on the mat for comfort. I wear lightweight PJs, which adds some warmth and also helps keep the quilt clean. It won't be as warm as a close fitting mummy style bag, but I've never slept well in those bags anyway, nor do I camp in extreme weather, though I've been warm enough when there's been frost on the ground. It's great for regulating the temperature, well pretty much the same as a home quilt.
There wasn't much choice in the UK when I bought mine, so I imported from the US, I'd have no hesitation recommending them, but couldn't make any comparison with what's now available.
http://www.jacksrbetter.com/quilts/
tatanab
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Re: Have you used a down quilt instead of a bag?

Post by tatanab »

Yes, I use a Thermarest quilt https://www.ultralightoutdoorgear.co.uk ... nket-p9726
I've been using these for about 6 years now. I like them because they are low bulk having no zips baffles or hood, all of which get in the way if you use a sleeping bag opened out. Most of my camping is summer so it is warm enough for me, although one very cold June I had to dress up to go to bed.

There are several thread here about using quilts instead of bags.
Tangled Metal
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Re: Have you used a down quilt instead of a bag?

Post by Tangled Metal »

Golite quilt. Supposedly good to - 7 but I've only find close to zero. Great 900 fill power quilt with a footbox and a treated outer fabric at the top and footbox. These supposedly protect the down from condensation of your breath or your feet pushing against a damp tent fabric.

It was a cracking quilt. 690g in the xl version I got, 600g in standard. I got it for £100 from a great outdoor shop that used to get a load of lightweight brandsv products cheaply then passed it on to customers. The RRP was £280 at the time so a market leading product.

My advice is a silk sleeping bag liner is more comfortable than sleeping on bare mat and keeps the quilt clean.
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NATURAL ANKLING
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Re: Have you used a down quilt instead of a bag?

Post by NATURAL ANKLING »

Hi,
Buy a sleeping bag with a zip.........OK that's what you posted.
Clothes you wear aren't as good as a sleeping bag to keep you warm
Specs a bit vague, stitched through construction went out many years ago with woollies bags, but a lightweight quilt wont work with box construction well.......and it would be heavier.
I see people are drawn to gram numbers.
No length but user height :?
Draw cords.....well you are going to need them for sure.

Not sure why people want quilts, they don't go well with less than a four season tent when the wind picks up a bit like tarps, you still need a windproof cover for the wind.......................and then it rains.

Don't get me wrong I have slept in or under a bag for the last four years on my bed at home..........its a darn site more comfortable than sharing a quilt.........even converted er in doors :)
NA Thinks Just End 2 End Return + Bivvy - Some day Soon I hope
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Tangled Metal
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Re: Have you used a down quilt instead of a bag?

Post by Tangled Metal »

My experience is different. I have used my quilt under a tarp without a bivvy bag without any issues. I'm not sure what his quilt is like but mine has two thin webbing straps that form a loop between string loops on opposite sides of the quilt at approx a quarter of the total length from each end and a popper holding it together at the neck. The neck has a drawstring to seal at the neck.

I'm use the quilt pulls under the body and whilst sleeping you get no gaps between quilt and mat unless you're moving a lot or you want the gap (it's an effective way to cool down if it's a warm night).

The design is very good. Box wall, top notch fabrics, the best fill power down available at the time I got it (900 or 950). Water resistant treated fabric at points likely to suffer from moisture such s footbox (pressed against tent it can contact condensation) or around your neck (breath can condense in some conditions). It's an xl size which means nice and long (a little bit too long for my 6'5" height). It's also got a big girth which is why I tuck the sides under my body. All for a weight that you couldn't have achieved back then with a full sleeping bag.

Bear in mind there are many different styles of camping quilt. From plain, flat, rectangular quilt to fitted quilt which is very much like a sleeping bag. If the latter then you can use it where you can use a sleeping bag and practically in the same way.
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Gattonero
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Re: Have you used a down quilt instead of a bag?

Post by Gattonero »

NATURAL ANKLING wrote:...
Not sure why people want quilts, they don't go well with less than a four season tent when the wind picks up a bit like tarps, you still need a windproof cover for the wind.......................and then it rains.
...


You want a quilt when you move a lot while sleeping, it gives a lot more freedom and less sense of "being boxed".
What some people do not understand is how is meant to work: with a quilt you rely on a good sleeping pad! That is the principle: down gets compressed at the bottom of the bag, so it's warmth becomes limited. Then get rid of the bottom of a sleeping bag by using a quilt with a better sleeping mat that will provide a more effective insulation. In practice, for the same bulk and weight you get better insulation.

I won't trust any sleeping bag to be used alone under a tarp in this country, you really need a bivvy bag whatever is your sleeping pod of choice. And a good sleeping mat. And a piece of groundsheet to make you life a bit easier.
It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best,
since you have to sweat up the hills and coast down them.
Thus you remember them as they actually are...
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andrew_s
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Re: Have you used a down quilt instead of a bag?

Post by andrew_s »

After many years of using a fully unzipped sleeping bag, I recently gave in to the irritation of the hood and drawcord/cord grip in my face, and the zip under my calf, and got a quilt.
I picked a Cumulus Comforter - box section quilting (stitch through means cold spots in my view), elastic draw cords top and bottom, and a set of loops for (supplied) elastic cords for under the mat if you want (or for rigging as a hammock underquilt).
(there's also a smaller version, ~20cm less width & length).
PH
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Re: Have you used a down quilt instead of a bag?

Post by PH »

andrew_s wrote:box section quilting (stitch through means cold spots in my view)

I understand the theory of that and it's entirely logical, yet it's not my experience. Maybe because of the loose nature of a quilt rather than a fitted bag, whatever it is I've never felt cold spots on my stitched through quilt.
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NATURAL ANKLING
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Re: Have you used a down quilt instead of a bag?

Post by NATURAL ANKLING »

Hi,
Stitched through unless off set by another layer of off set pattern will have cold spots for sure.
Stitched through is simplest construction and more importantly lightest.
But there is the flaw, where stitching there is zero loft.................

This is done of course to save weight / market a lighter product.
In my 46 years of camping I have experienced many bags through the ages.
Bags get lighter and better insulation through their construction of -
Differential cut
Differential fill
Box construction
The argument for quilts goes on, but a bag will always be superior not least because it eliminates drafts.
If you are not on the edge of performance then a quilt if you find more comfortable will suit if you observe Gattonero's comments.
I am a cold person so I tolerate close to the edge but I know that most need more comfort.
Most of the year I sleep under my bag (at home) zip undone so I can poke my feet out (warm feet) to cool off like a quilt, zip up and even change bag when the temp drops.
Have fun.

http://www.sleepingbagsoutlet.co.uk/sle ... lings.html
https://www.trailspace.com/articles/sle ... html#other
https://backpackinglight.com/forums/topic/50203/
https://www.snewsnet.com/news/how-to-se ... eeping-bag
Interesting reading-
http://www.backpackingnorth.com/ultrali ... r-bedding/
NA Thinks Just End 2 End Return + Bivvy - Some day Soon I hope
You'll Still Find Me At The Top Of A Hill
Please forgive the poor Grammar I blame it on my mobile and phat thinkers.
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pjclinch
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Re: Have you used a down quilt instead of a bag?

Post by pjclinch »

NATURAL ANKLING wrote:The argument for quilts goes on, but a bag will always be superior not least because it eliminates drafts.


This is a rather singular statement, but the reality is first of all you have to define "superior" and like all of these things it typically comes down to context (e.g., if your tent has already eliminated the draft you can think about other aspects).

If a sleeping bag was "always superior" we'd all be using them at home. By and large, we're not.

Pete.
Often seen riding a bike around Dundee...
1982john
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Re: Have you used a down quilt instead of a bag?

Post by 1982john »

Tangled Metal wrote:My experience is different. I have used my quilt under a tarp without a bivvy bag without any issues. I'm not sure what his quilt is like but mine has two thin webbing straps that form a loop between string loops on opposite sides of the quilt at approx a quarter of the total length from each end and a popper holding it together at the neck. The neck has a drawstring to seal at the neck.

I'm use the quilt pulls under the body and whilst sleeping you get no gaps between quilt and mat unless you're moving a lot or you want the gap (it's an effective way to cool down if it's a warm night).

The design is very good. Box wall, top notch fabrics, the best fill power down available at the time I got it (900 or 950). Water resistant treated fabric at points likely to suffer from moisture such s footbox (pressed against tent it can contact condensation) or around your neck (breath can condense in some conditions). It's an xl size which means nice and long (a little bit too long for my 6'5" height). It's also got a big girth which is why I tuck the sides under my body. All for a weight that you couldn't have achieved back then with a full sleeping bag.

Bear in mind there are many different styles of camping quilt. From plain, flat, rectangular quilt to fitted quilt which is very much like a sleeping bag. If the latter then you can use it where you can use a sleeping bag and practically in the same way.


Which quilt is that?
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Gattonero
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Re: Have you used a down quilt instead of a bag?

Post by Gattonero »

1982john wrote:
Tangled Metal wrote:My experience is different. I have used my quilt under a tarp without a bivvy bag without any issues. I'm not sure what his quilt is like but mine has two thin webbing straps that form a loop between string loops on opposite sides of the quilt at approx a quarter of the total length from each end and a popper holding it together at the neck. The neck has a drawstring to seal at the neck.

I'm use the quilt pulls under the body and whilst sleeping you get no gaps between quilt and mat unless you're moving a lot or you want the gap (it's an effective way to cool down if it's a warm night).

The design is very good. Box wall, top notch fabrics, the best fill power down available at the time I got it (900 or 950). Water resistant treated fabric at points likely to suffer from moisture such s footbox (pressed against tent it can contact condensation) or around your neck (breath can condense in some conditions). It's an xl size which means nice and long (a little bit too long for my 6'5" height). It's also got a big girth which is why I tuck the sides under my body. All for a weight that you couldn't have achieved back then with a full sleeping bag.

Bear in mind there are many different styles of camping quilt. From plain, flat, rectangular quilt to fitted quilt which is very much like a sleeping bag. If the latter then you can use it where you can use a sleeping bag and practically in the same way.


Which quilt is that?


Most of the modern quilts are like that: can cinch the bottom to form a "footbox" with no drafts at all, and you can cinch the top too. the straps can go under the sleeping mat for belt&braces approach.
If you have a friend going to US frequently, have a look at Enlightened Equipment, it's top-notch stuff. Their "2nds" sales are very good
https://enlightenedequipment.com/production-2nds/
It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best,
since you have to sweat up the hills and coast down them.
Thus you remember them as they actually are...
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Gattonero
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Re: Have you used a down quilt instead of a bag?

Post by Gattonero »

pjclinch wrote:
NATURAL ANKLING wrote:The argument for quilts goes on, but a bag will always be superior not least because it eliminates drafts.


This is a rather singular statement, but the reality is first of all you have to define "superior" and like all of these things it typically comes down to context (e.g., if your tent has already eliminated the draft you can think about other aspects).

If a sleeping bag was "always superior" we'd all be using them at home. By and large, we're not.

Pete.


I would add that you will have to compare a "sleeping bag" and a "sleeping quilt" made with the very same fabric and the same type of filling. Most modern fabrics are already moderately windproof at least, so you're left with the design and construction of the bag/quilt.
A well-designed quilt will use a cinch cord +buttons on the footbox, once you have done the cinch from the inside and closed the buttons from the outside, there's no drafts whatsoever. On the neck you will have the cinch cord done right to go high enough, because you choose the quilt to go comfortably over your face and not finishing right at your neck.

Another positive thing of the quilt, is that can be done at home with big savings! :D :D :D
It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best,
since you have to sweat up the hills and coast down them.
Thus you remember them as they actually are...
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NATURAL ANKLING
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Re: Have you used a down quilt instead of a bag?

Post by NATURAL ANKLING »

Hi,
How do you tuck your feet in with a quilt?
Drafts not just external but when you move.
Are you telling me that a quilt of same weight of a bag with differential cut and fill and body shaped will be warmer?

This is just a personal taste thing with a dislike to bags and I get it yes.
NA Thinks Just End 2 End Return + Bivvy - Some day Soon I hope
You'll Still Find Me At The Top Of A Hill
Please forgive the poor Grammar I blame it on my mobile and phat thinkers.
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