5 Backpacking Quilt LIES You Shouldn't Believe 

Let me know WHY you prefer a sleeping bag or quilt!

Interesting but I'm an old mummy bag guy. My current setup is a mummy bag with an uberlight underneath. I stuff my pillow into the hood of the bag so that it is always right there for me, in the position I want it in. I do toss and turn a fair amount at night but my bag turns with me, I don't turn in my bag. Also, yes, insulation is what keeps you warm and when you sleep "on" it, you are compressing it but your body isn't flat so where your body doesn't press against the mattress there is still space for insulation. Plus, if the bag has heat reflectivity of any kind, that continues to work. But, whatever works best for each person, as long as you are getting out!

As a side sleeper who turns and kicks or flails, quilts are my thing. Sleeping bags are too restrictive. I don't mind wearing something on my head. Even if my face gets too cold, I usually have my head inside the quilt with the rest of my body and limbs. I basically cocoon myself in a partial fetal position sometimes, and a sleeping bag doesn't let me do that. 🤷‍♀️

Oh boy. I think I just learned why I’m often getting drafts when using my quilt. Thanks for the tip with the pad straps! I’ll give that a try the next time I’m using one.

OMG! I just figured out that I've been using my straps wrong. I toss and turn a lot at night, and I'm constantly pulling the quilt back down to close the gap. I had the straps going under the pad instead of wrapping around the pad. I also realize that one of my staps had some stitching come off so it is way too long. Now I'll sleep warmer. Yay! Thanks so much for yet another great informational video! PS...I LOVE my EE Revelation quilt!

that was very kind of you Justin, that at the end you have acknowledged that some people may just prefer the sleeping bag :) I do. When the temperatures go down to 32F and below I will always choose sleeping bag. Myth#2 is a fact for me, however I put attachments from my quilt on the straps I will always get a bit of draft, when I toss around and I dont like it. When it's freezing, why should I have beanie, hood, straps and quilt, so many different items, cumbersome, when I can have all this in one - sleeping bag. Hood in sleeping bag I can tight so only my nose is sticking out, no beanie required, with quilt and hood, still wont work, I had to put extra towel over my face. Yes, when it's warm like high 30s and up I take my quilt, what you have said is true, less constraining, comfortable. And just for the record here in Europe they put temperature limit (lower comfort) on both sleeping bags and quilts, so it's all the same. and to save on weight it's better to think 950 fill power rather than no zipper, hood and back. Of course this is just mine opinion, but isn't this film just yours ;)

Great video and info! I just got a Western Mountaineering Astralite top quilt and I am super excited to try it out! Thanks for sharing.

I'm a big quilt fan as well! They are more versatile and comfortable. I didn't actually know the tip about the pad straps, I will test it out next weekend!

the parts of the video where you show the quilt in use are really helpful to understand what they are all about. Thanks

Everybody loves a quilt until they get stuck for days in a windy blizzard. Enjoy those drafts 🥶 ☠️

I'm thinking of getting a quilt to lighten my pack weight, but my 15° bag has served me well for over 12 yrs. I use it as a sleeping for very cold weather, and I turn it over on me like a quilt for warmer weather (~30° and up).

Great points! Your last myth busting video on quilts v. bags convinced me to go with a quilt! I finally got my UGQ quilt a few weeks back and testing it out soon. I also got mine with the tension control down the sides to help keep the quilt more underneath me. Great tip on pad strap placement!

Added an EE Enigma 10 degree this year. My Nemo Disco 15 was pretty good for tossing and turning due to the spoon shape, but it was also 48 ounces verses 26 ounces for the quilt.

Really great info on the pad straps! Just bought my first Quilt and was wondering how to use the straps properly, but now I know how! Really like your videos, but maybe a tip for the presentation: Reduce the talking speed by 10% and show the little clips (photos) a little longer, so all the information can sink in more easily. Just seems a little rushed. Just meant for constructive criticism and keep on the great work!

my main reason for NOT going to a quilt below -10 is the lack of the cocoon effect of having a sleeping bag with the hood sinched up. for 3 season, i agree that a quilt does look more comfy.

Been there done that. If you have a good quality sleeping bag with continuous baffles, you can simply fluff and adjust the down so that it’s on top of you, not compressed under you, Cheers

Dudes. I swapped out my sleeping bag for a quilt 3 years ago and not a single regret except that I didn't do it sooner!

nothing can't beat the feeling to get really wrapped in a sleeping bag,quilts isn't for me at all.

I really appreciate the way you do your videos and actually demonstrate what you're talking about. I'm a visual learner and that helps me immensely to better understand what you (or anyone) is talking about. I also learned a lot about quilts through this. I will be investing in one down the line. Thanks for the great video!

I really appreciate your videos, you do all the hard work and share the benefits of your personal findings with us. Take care and happy hiking neighbor.

The tip about putting the straps on the side was the winner here for me. Even in instructionvideos from the company itself they show it wrong Cuz it makes a huge difference. Thank so much I was close to ditching my quilt thank god i found this!

Boy, am l glad I watched this. I have been using the pad straps incorrectly for years and negotiating drafts. Now I know. Thanks 🙏

I have a Thermarest NeoAir X-LT 'small' reduced price. (I have a TR Pro Lite+ reg also.) I'm only 5'8" and ordered the MEC Talon 0ºC Quilt. Watching all you experts waxing positive on the quilt. Quite curious now how this will work for spring. I sleep very warm. Thanks, J.O.

these videos bring me so much joy!

Drinking game: take a shot every time he says "backcountry". Actually, don't do that you'll probably hospitalize yourself. Great tips man! Have a sub par synthetic mummy bag that I'm looking to replace and I'm definitely considering quilts. They seem superb for side sleepers too!

Warning: drafts are real and they are a problem when it's cold. I tried both sleeping bags and quilts. Even if you do everything correctly like Justin (straps, neck) there are cold drafts when you move. And it's quite logical as there is no seal between pad and quilt at the upper body/shoulder area.

Very helpfull. I am at the point that I need a new sleep system and I am very much thinking about going for a quilt.

my UGQ bandit should be shipping soon. can't wait to try it out in Banff or Jasper at some higher altitudes

Some very good points made here. I will definitely research this more. Thanks.

There is such a flow of info published about this subject, but finally I really understand the difference in "feel" thanks to your video: excellent! During my kayak trips sometimes I don't put up my tent and sleep in the open air. Wouldn't a sleeping bag protect better from crawling bugs?

Quilting for life! Somehow that didnt sound as badass as I thought it would...

Well done. I will give a quilt a try for this summer or warmer fall and spring weather. I will also add a sheer liner to go with it as I cannot stand bare skin against sleeping pad fabric. And I OC about keeping my pads clean but funk happens. Also I am not hot to go in Wyoming winter in a quilt as I have too many $$ in zero to sub zero bags and it is unlikely I wear the beasts out; and they work. My 3 season stuff is near ending in life, so I am more open to options.

Thanks Justin! I have 2 questions How is being strapped to your pad less claustrophobic than being in a bag?? Do you use a sheet or anything on top of the pad?

Interesting video. But enlightened equipment even recommends sleeping bags for colder weather. I don’t have experience in cold weather though.

Hey Justin, fellow Calgarian here. I ordered a synthetic Enigma and I'm stoked on the product. Wondering how you pack your quilt. I have a Balatoro 65 and I haven't quite figured out how to pack it efficiently. Advice?

After having used both (correctly) I think it depends on what kind of sleeper you are. I'm a side/belly sleeper, I toss and turn and love to snuggle my cover around me. To have enough fabric/material to do this, I need a wider version. Making it the same size as a zipped open sleeping bag. Making the entire weight saving the hood... but I want a head cover, so not having a hood is a con for me. Why have a separate hood when you can have it on the bag? Allowing for more temperature control. Quilts are (more easily) draftier when used incorrectly or if it isn't wide enough for your sleeping style. Doesn't Quilts can have the same insulation value, true, so the warmth is the same. As long as the quilt fits you. isn'tIfootbox isn't there or often can be opened. As someone with very very warm feet, that's a big plus. I used to have sleeping bags that could do the same (its just 30 grams of extra zipper) but nowadays most sleeping bags don't have that anymore.

Thanks for this great vidéo! Using a quilt is the further step for me!

I have a 20°F quilt and I can't argue with the weight savings- at 24 oz, it disappears in my bag. Even if there are drafts, a pound or more of weight savings is worth it. My knees thank me. I've found the key to making the weight savings worth the perceived draft disadvantage of a quilt is to make use of the clothing items I would have brought anyway on a cold weather trip- a beanie, thermals, puffy, etc. Those are the items that I wear while hiking or while in camp- none of them are exclusively for sleeping.

Both: quilt in summer and warm weather fall and spring and my Moonstone bag for sure in winter.

The point about comfort and limit ratings is false. Enlightened equipment (the quilt you have there) always lists limit ratings for their quilts.

Great vid! I need some help Justin! I'm about the same size as you so this should be an easy answer. I ordered then returned a Revelation reg/reg because I thought it was too narrow. I use a 25" wide tapered sleeping pad and am 100% side sleeper. I'm thinking about ordering an Enigma but don't know if I should go with the regular 54" width or the wide 58". Too keep the drafts down I had the ends of it clipped together as tight as they could go but it would open up gaps just like you showed when rolling over. I never tried the straps in the "correct" position you showed, with the clips right at the edges of the pad. This seems like it would leave a lot of unoccupied air space inside and make it cold. Is that the case and would you still recommend the 58" wide that you have for someone our size and with a 25" pad? Thanks a ton for your help!

Justin, you might look into and test Katabatic Gear quilts for additional perspective on closure systems. Katabatic is a premium manufacturer of quilts (better than EE in several respects - including temperature ratings). Katabatic's closure system operates differently from the one you show and IMO is far superior and operates differently. The ability to "roll" and to get a good seal without drafts is superior with Katabatic's closure system compared to the traditional system used by EE, MLD, etc. (the type you show in the video). I agree that down quilts CAN be more comfortable than down sleeping bags, largely due to the ability to "roll" inside the sleeping bag without everything twisting up. There is also some advantage in ventilation, but the first step in better ventilation is getting a down bag rather than synthetic - they are simply more comfortable as long as the user can safely manage the risk of accumulating moisture inside the insulation. However, IMO a quilt is better only if the user does not mind "fiddling" with things. I advise new backpackers / campers NOT to get a quilt unless they have a personality that enable them to embrace "fiddly" stuff. Example, my good buddy runs a construction business. He definitely would NOT be happy dealing with a fiddly quilt. He watched a bunch of videos extolling the virtues of quilts and was leaning in that direction. Because I knew he would be unhappy "fiddling' with a quilt, I advised him to get a Western Mountaineering sleeping bag and he is very happy with it. For perspective, I've been trying to get him to at least buy a good down bag for over 20 - perhaps 30 years. He can sleep on a rock with a grass matt for warmth and there have been times when I could mistake his sleeping gear for those things. He's probably like a marine that way. Once he finally got the good down bag he was sold (I let him use one of mine a few times and that helped inform him). In addition, many very experienced users (and myself) prefer regular sleeping bags over quilts when temperatures are much below freezing - I'd draw the line at about 20 degrees. Listen to Ryan Jordan on BPL.

Great tip on pad straps toward the outside of the pad rather than under you. It does work much better 😎👍🏼

I just got a top quit synthetic to 40 degrees. I used it on my bed and was not cold but not hot either. I hear people how hot they got right away with a top or bottom quilt. I thought my heating blanket was on the way out so I put the top quilt on the top of the bed. Crawling into bed it was so warm an ahhh moment. About 2:00 am I thought I was being cooked it was so hot. What I learned is the installation only traps your body heat. I guess I am a cold sleeper and don't generate a lot of heat but the heating blanket did. How warm a quilt or sleeping bag gets depends on how much heat you put out and how much of that heat is kept in the quilt.

I'm going to wait until the warmer months before trying a quilt, so if it doesn't work for me I won't have to part with quite as much money.

Great video Justin. I’m still undecided on either going with another sleeping bag or quilt. But I’m leaning towards a quilt

I must have a hood around my head to keep warm I dont want to sleep directly on a pad When I turn in my sleep, I want the insulation to move with me

Very informative! Thank you!

I wonder when someone comes up with a system where the quilt is zippered to the pad from the edges, forming a hybrid to please everybody. Getting rid of the nasty air gap. Quilts seem a suspicious trend to me, as blankets belong to history and sleeping bags took their place later as more advanced sleeping system. This kind of shallow trend pattern sometimes appear in other items too.

Great info Justin... is the same type of Quilt that someone would use in a hammock?.. Dennis, Canoehound Adventures

Subbed! I have never tried a quilt but have been reading a lot about them over the last year. I am ALWAYS uncomfortable in a sleeping bag because I'm a side/stomach sleeper and generally sleep poorly no matter where I am. I'm about to venture into bikepacking and will need to buy new, more packable gear for that. The BA Fly Creek bikepacking tent will be the shelter but I'm not sure about the pad or quilt yet. I'm not "planning" on camping below freezing if I can help it. Any thoughts on a super packable quilt and pad? Thanks and stay healthy!

Nicely done dude!! I can't return to a sleeping bag. I thrash like I'm in a mosh pit!

I'm inexperienced with quilts. Are quilts an alternative to a SBag? Or vicaversa? What is a US military quilted Poncho Liner? Is this a quilt? Hope you can enlighten me Justin?? Bonsoir :)

Hey Justin, Will a quilt work if your not using a traditional pad but instead using a foam pad?

Great info! New sub👍

Do quilts work just as well with a sleeping pad that’s not full length? I’d love to save some weight with a quilt but I don’t want to have to invest in another pad too. Thanks Justin! Happy trials 💜

Thanks Justin, I don't do a lot of winter camping but hope to go out soon. Question, If my sleeping pad isn't warm enough and I want to add a reflectix as an additional layer off of the snow is it better to have it under my sleeping pad or on top closer to your body? I have seen both and have heard reflectix is more effective closer to your body in reflecting heat. What are your thoughts, Thank You

Handy tips! What pants are you wearing here?

It is wise to take notes of what the Big Dogs use at base camp " Everest ". ...and I can guarantee it will not be a quilt.

I can't wait to get my quilt...I don't know if I want to Thermarest Vesper -6c or a custom made from UGQ

I grew up sleeping in tents and backpacking. However, now that I am older and gained weight during this pandemic, I am not sure which one to go with. sleeping bag or quilt. I weigh about 300 pounds and I recently tried the Marmot Sawtooth Extra Wide Long. I felt too constricted in it and overall prefer something like a square sleeping bag. I do toss and turn a lot during sleep and generally sleep on my side and stomach. I am getting back into tent camping and considering the quilt. Any advice?

Great info, very helpful. Thx.

Hoping you'll review a Zenbivy quilt before I buy one!

Too many caveats to quilts- booties, hoods, insulated mattress a must (straps), get wet easy in cold weather from condensation-need to air dry them out daily(if the weather is good)

Great effort Justin. Still not convinced. Still have to lie on the nasty nylon of the pad and no cosy hood. Will have to try one reluctantly instead of being a bigot.

The placement of that draft collar looks really annoying, will it not just get in your face when you are trying to sleep?

Best way to counter act drafts with a quilt....use a sleeping bag

The straps do not "eliminate" the side drafts, they mitigate the side drafts. The truth is if you are a side sleeper and turn throughout the night you are going to pull on the side of the quilt and will create drafts. The degree to which this interrupts your sleep will probably determine whether you will be comfortable with a quilt or not. Personally I'd rather carry a few extra ounces with a sleeping bag, not have to worry about waking up and get a good night's sleep. Better sleep + a few extra ounces makes for better hiking the next day. But to each their own.

Horses for courses, quilts have their place but not a replacement for sleeping pads imho

Which sit pad you are currently using?

it should be impossible to have a patent on "using two pad straps on a quilt"! it sounds illegal to be able to patent that

Great video. I prefer a quilt for a few reasons. One, down compacts on the bottom anyway, so your warmth is really about your sleeping pad. Second, I do like to side sleep and role over, much easier with a quilt vs a sleeping bag. Third if it is warmer, the quilt lets you open it up easily and adjust your level of comfort. Really, the other nice thing is with the straps it stays in place on the sleeping pad. I tend to roll of the sleeping pad with a sleeping bag. Overall, personal preference, but the quilt works best for me for sure. I also do a mix of overlanding or hiking. Quilt is great both in my rooftop tent, in my larger ground tent or in my back packing set up.

Quilt or bag, just a matter of personal preference. I can guarantee one thing, you won't find quilt sleepers at a K2 base camp.

Dig your channel, but this video is full of holes. I think we should focus on the myths that quilters believe without one ounce of scientific proof and are just flat out untrue. As someone who recently switched to a 30° baffled Quilt from a 40° sewn through bag for 30-40° nights, a sleeping bag has a quilt beat everywhere except for flopping around comfort. The Number myth is that the extra material on the bottom side of the sleeping gets compressed, doesn't keep you warmer and is extra useless weight and cost. Even compressed, the bag is adding R value regardless how small and as you turn or move, it instantly starts to decompress. Not only are drafts stopped, but it just as importantly minimizes air voids around your body which is less heat loss to heat empty air. That's why tucking the edges of the quilt under you is recommend vs wrapping the quilt around the edges of your pad. Creating bigger pockets of air may be comfortable but it is not thermally efficient. Without a doubt, you need to buy a more expensive and heavier pad with a higher R rating for a quilt. And along with a down hoody, it makes quilting neither lighter or cheaper and a whole lot fussier. Sure both may be equally warm on a overly hot and pricey xTherm, but that's not a test. So I will issue you a simple challenge. Go out on a 30° night with a 30° quilt (no standardization for quilt ratings yet, only bags and pads, FYI) and 1.7 R Z-lite. Or I'd accept 2.3 R Uberlite on a 25° night. Do the same with a 30° bag and let us know your results. You might be cursing your mummy bag, but you'll be a whole lot warmer. Then you can do the "5 lies about sleeping bags that YouTubing quilters tell".

Thanks!

I think I'm just holding onto old ways honestly. I don't really have a good argument to why I use a bag, just always have lol

Every time I see somone sleeping in a quilt , they're also sleeping in their puffy jacket with their hood up, apparently the underside of a puffy jacket has magical insulation powers that the underside of a sleeping bag doesn't. Sadly I still remain unconvinced despite a really nice video... I'm waiting for the world's military forces to ditch sleeping bags for quilts....

brilliant

So you save 100 grams with a quilt only to have to buy a hood for cold weather. Good luck with the fad. Sleeping bag for me

Personally, I would never buy a quilt that was too small for my body type and/or sleeping habits just to save weight.

Quilts vs. Sleeping Bags? Stupidest First World argument ever!

See to me quilts are a massive ripoff. If you look at a standard single down duvet they are cheaper and larger and you dont need straps because they are big enough to cover the sides. somebody should make a down selk suit. perfect soluution

Theory at 4:30 might be true if we were flat on the bottom. Don’t know about you but I’m not...

Katabatic gear.

Your head is still exposed and you can's sit up, period.

These are just 5 reasons why quilts arent VASTLY inferior to a sleeping bag, just inferior. Using a quilt is one step backwards. Its a reason why no serious expedition use quilts. And watching someone put on a down hood is the biggest meme ive seen. That is a part of a sleeping bag, which you basically "cut" off and buy separately?

I dunno, I like your videos alot Justin but, well buying the hood you cut off for a quilt is a bit ridiculous . . . .and There is no way, bearing in mind the laws of physics and conduction, that the outer material, the insulation even though compressed under me, and the inner material of my sleeping bag is not affording me some insulation/ thermal break, even when I am lying on it. To say that it offers no insulation is simply false. Sure it may not be much, but it is still more than a quilt with an open back offers. Also, as you move around at night, areas of the underside of your bag will become un-compressed and will insulate more. If I lie flat on my back a large area is compressed and insulating less, if I roll onto my side, a smaller area is now compressed and I am getting more insulation.

Quilts are a over hyped ripoff, cost is not justified. Zipper is the most costly thing that a seamster does yet quilts cost more. 🤔