No, quilts aren’t always better than sleeping bags  

Thanks in advance for all the comments and discussion!

Great balanced chat. I live in a small town on the PCT and the majority of hikers are novice and decked out with the exact same gear that popular RU-vidrs of the year declared was the best. Most gear is trend based because most people out there have very little experience and shop based on their RU-vid feed. Cottage companies then chase, not lead, these trends and it all becomes an echo chamber.

What really blew up quilts was the Hammock Movement.

Sleeping bags advanced much. I found something I think will be a good combination between a quilt and a sleeping bag - Nordisk Oscar Curve - no drafts, but space, feet ventilation, arm ventilation, and a hood, you can open it or close it completely.

Sleeping bags are defineatly better in freezing conditions. However, My problem with them is I am a side sleeper/stomach sleeper. The back is not usually insulated to save weight. I’ve started using them without the hood (use a separate hood) so that I can turn over without the back of the bag leaving the mat.

Finally some sensible words 👏 Rab Mytic 360 my current favorite, then Mountain Hardwear Phantom Torch. Quilt, only for summer trips.

OMG….i just figured out who you sound like exactly. Ricky from Trailer Park Boys. That is a high compliment in my books just so you know. Just discovered and scribed to your channel. Loving it so far. I don’t agree with everything you say but different things work for different people I guess. Stay stocked and awesome.

Nice, I have the newer cat's meow, which is under 3 pounds and good for about 5c comfort (for me). Your old one seems a bit like the snow leopard, a beefier cats meow basically weighing a bit under 4 pounds.

i'm totally with you on this... i'm from Houston and its mostly hot and if not just down right humid as hell.. 3/4 of the year i'm using a quilt 40 degree EE, Now if i'm going to utah or Colorado or even north Texas in the winter i'll pack the sleeping bag .. i've have almost come to a conclusion in getting a hybrid at this point. EE and Zpacks pretty much make a converter quilt/sleeping bags now.. i say if you can afford it .. have it all lol that way you have options and options are always nice lol Great Video!

I like my quilt. Like others I just feel too restricted in a sleeping bag. I’m currently using a 10 degree EE.

I like quilts for warm weather during the day, with cooler nights. Where you go to bed too warm, but need the insulation in the morning. Quilts breath better and have better options for cooling off your feet without totally getting out of the quilt/bag.

Amen. Quilts are lighter by the weight of a pair of wool socks. Quilts are lighter.. then they added foot boxes, snaps, hooks, (and advocates recommend sleeping balaclavas). Sleeping bags can be used like quilts, + the hood section easily goes beyond your head. 5c is about right for choosing quilt over sleeping bag.

I feel like maybe 2006-2007 was when I first began to notice talk of quilts in the cultural zeitgeist, first emerging in the dark corners of internet message boards. By that time, I'd already sunk several grand into my sleeping bag fleet and didn't adopt. Now I'm looking at upgrading my Marmot Atom and the weight difference between a modern UL mummy bag and a UL quilt is pretty negligible. It's really crazy to think about.

Reckon you’ll take some heat for this one! As for me, 100% agree. Everyone is unique. With my rotisserie style of sleeping I find a quilt annoying below about 10C, or higher still if I’m under a tarp and it’s breezy, even with a bivy. A friend of mine sleeps like a slab of stone and doesn’t have that problem. A quilt works for him below zero. It’s all good.

I have a 35 degree down quilt but I bought it for extremely mild weather, warm weather, or to use with a wool blanket, They say your insulation compresses in a bag so it's not necessary but I'm gonna go ahead and call bullshit, a bag is warmer than a quilt, especially the air leaks are a problem Ultra lighters need to get off the high horse, man up and carry more weight where it counts

Obsessed w my Feathered Friends 20° quilt

Thank you for the truth ! A lot of bandwagon quilters.

Weight was always the issue for pundits, but freedom of movement is the real difference. Hood is attractive benefit of sleeping-bag. Surely somebody makes a quilt with a hood (with a footbox that can be opened flat)?

I agree with everything you mentioned. My beef with sleeping bags is when I need to go pee in the middle of the night and the effing zip catches. At one time I just let go. I couldn’t make it out in time. So I partially peed myself. Imagine the mess. I had to sit the night out and then there’s the hiking with the open bag sprawled over the backpack while it dries out! So I went with quilts. Those drafts as I tossed and turned were sleep killers… Does anyone know how much a zipper weighs? Is it that much? Finally I found the Sierra Designs Backcountry Bed. That was a revelation! I can toss and turn without drafts and rise up in a flash if nature calls. Unfortunately the company doesn’t make it anymore. I’ll have to treat it well.

I've been hiking in the Rockies for 35+ years, and I can attest that there was a significant evolution in gear during the 90's and early 2000s that significantly reduced our overall weight. I remember buying 3/4 length mattresses to save a full 300 g of weight. A 2P tent under 5 lbs was unheard of. Stoves were bulky, filters were ceramic and LED lights were non-existent. I learned to hike with a 30 lb base weight. My current base weight is in the 14 lbs range, which is totally manageable, without sacrificing reliability and durability. I find the idea of a rain jacket made of the same material as a grocery bag to be foolish. I never bough in to the whole quilt debate. I did plenty of side-by-side, apples to apples comparison, and sleeping bags always came on top. The only valid argument I give to quilts is that they're less restrictive if you don't like feeling claustrophobic (which is actually one the the reasons I like my bags). Here in Alberta, the average backpacker hikes during a 2-month window, and potentially only spends 10-15 nights in the backcountry. They don't actually have time to properly evaluate / experiment with gear, so they just go with trends. To me, quilts, hammocks and trail shoes are all trends that are coming to an end. Just my opinion.

Great vid. I personally like the quilt over a sleeping bag to 0°c. I would probably prefer a bag with a tarp setup, although i have never used one. But a quilt is definently an advantage when hammock camping. It is difficult to get into a bag in a hammock. Another advantage you didn't touch on is that premium quilts are a lot more affordable than bags.

Another false justification for quilts is that the insulation under the user is compressed, and therefore ineffective. That does not, however, account for the form the bag accommodates as a torso is not a completely flat panel. A sleeping bag's insulation under the sleeper fills the hollows and crevices beneath and around, greatly increasing efficiency. And, as is well known, an unzipped sleeping bag serves as a very nice quilt.

Did you just put 30lbs of food into your pack? lol