View Full Version : Quilt or bag?
I need to upgrade my sleep system and need advice on a quilt or bag. I don't camp in winter and have question on if I still need sleep clothes with a quilt? Is it comfortable with a pad on bare skin? I want something under 2 lbs and have been looking at enlightened equipment quilts.
Advice?
Have u tried it on your pad ? Could use sleep clothes. I like my EE down quilts .
thom
What type of pad? Foam? Neo Air? Even if you don't wear sleep clothes, you can still sleep on top of extra clothing so you are off the pad. I normally use sleep clothes, but the times I don't, I have no issues sleeping on my foam pad.
Pastor Bryon
02-06-2017, 22:32
Love my EE quilt. I wear sleep clothes and a liner for a few reasons - comfort (don't want to be/feel sticky on a pad) and preservation of the quilt (it will absorb oils and such from the body and not loft quite as well with this). If you get a silk or poly liner, very little weight and for better comfort, in my opinion.
With the EE Revelation, you can lay it out or cinch up the footbox or something in between. The versatility of it is excellent for a variety of settings.
I have a kings canyon quilt, and have slept on my trailpro thermarest. Not the best experience in my opinion..... nut not too bad. I think my new nemo tensor pad will be worse.... I have used a standard twin sized flat sheet folded over, but it's heavy and bulky for what it is. I'm still working on a good solution for a bottom sheet....and now that I'm trying to lighten up my load, I'm scratching my head.
EE Revelation quilt with a Nemo Tensor insulated pad and a lightweight baselayer dedicated to sleeping. When it's really cold, I'll add a STS Thermolite Reactor Plus liner.
Just Bill
02-07-2017, 11:12
I would sleep on your pad with no clothes first if that's what you plan.
Doesn't bug me at all but it does bug some folks. Exped is a bit more comfy than a Neo-Air next to skin... but they are all vapor barriers so if you find you can't deal with it... you'll probably find a sleeping bag lighter than a quilt+liner sheet unless you'd be using the liner anyway.
Otherwise the quilt side of the equation... it's just typical sleeping bag liner material in a quilt, so that shouldn't be unfamiliar to you to sleep against.
That said- most of, if not all quilts are using a .67 or .90 ounce material that has a light DWR coating to it. So they do feel a bit clammy against bare skin in warmer weather until they wear a bit for some.
The biggest advantage of a quilt is versatility over a wider range of temperatures. You might be pushing to take a 20* quilt to 20* unless you are good at using it. But a 20* mummy will be easy to use at 20*. However if you try to use that 20* mummy at 40-60* it's not going to be much fun at all. But a quilt can be opened up like a blanket, vented at the footbox, just tossed on a bit sloppy (instead of all tucked in neat and tidy).
So basically-
If you do weekends/short trips and own enough gear- a mummy style is a bit more efficient when you know the weather window you're traveling in. A good UL mummy doesn't weigh any more than a quilt and the hats to go with it.
If you want more of a jack of all trades or will be out for too long to know exactly what the temps will be (like a LD hike) then a quilt is very flexible. You can also add or subtract clothing easily as you go. You can mail home your heavy hat or extra baselayer when it gets warmer... you can't mail home the hood of a mummy bag.
EE makes good stuff.
Thanks for all your answers.
I decided to go with the EE Revelation Apex 40° long,wide. I currently use a Big Agnes air core to sleep on and thermals if needed.