Quilts for ground sleepers

[vaporjourney]

I'm wondering how comfortable quilt usage is when using them while sleeping under a tent. I know they are perfect for a hammock, but on the ground they don't wrap around you for even more comfort under the body. Since these quilts just have enough space to tuck under you on the side, do you guys find it harder to sleep on just a sleeping pad, with no down insulation underneath, as opposed to sleeping bags which wrap your whole body like a cacooon. I was interested in a quilt for weight savings, but now I'm wondering about the comfort issue. In a hammock this would be fine since you're floating in air, but on the ground it may make a difference.

[verber]

I'm wondering how comfortable quilt usage is when using them while sleeping under a tent.

Lots of quilt users aren't hammock hangers. I have been using a quilt on the ground for several seasons and generally find it more comfortable than using a sleeping bag because it's easier for me to control temp through the night.

A few issues you should be aware of:

1) Quilts are more vulnerable to drafts than sleeping bags, especially if you are a tarp user like me. But unless you are at the edge of the quilts comfort range or facing serious wind (>30mph) this shouldn't be an issue... you just tighting the straps to pull the quilt closer. This shouldn't be an issue with a tent. If you end up using a tarp and regularly face heavy winds a DWR bivy + quilt provides a very flexible combination.

2) If you sleep naked on a non-breathable pad you might find yourself sticking to the pad which can be incomfortable. If you pad doesn't breath you might want to either sleep in a base layer or use a silk liner.

--Mark

[Uncle Silly]

I use a quilt on the ground too. A mummy-bag would be more preferable in cold weather, but in the heat of the summer it's just too hot. The quilt can be adjusted during the night for optimal coverage... a little less if it's a hot night, a little more if it's not.

I use a tarp as well, so winds are the only trouble with my quilt. It's very light and a strong wind could just pluck it right off me.

As an aside, the specialized quilt use for hammockers seems to be using a quilt outside the hammock, rigged underneath, for underside insulation during cool weather. My quilt has tie-outs on the corners to facilitate this, but I'm a ground sleeper so I've never used it that way.

[vaporjourney]

Are quilts a hassle for someone that tosses and turns at night? Just curious because they don't seem to be overly wide like a bed sheet, which can compensate for all of the tugging at the sheet/quilt. With a 4 foot wide quilt, this could become an issue.

So you guys don't mind sleeping directly on the bumpy ridgerest i assume? Just weighing it all out before I decide to drop $150 on the JRB Shenandoah quilt for summer hiking.

[Ridge]

I would forget quilts, get a bag, army surplus, flee-market, ebay, friends or relatives. Get the best one you can afford, your life may depend on it.

[verber]

Are quilts a hassle for someone that tosses and turns at night? So you guys don't mind sleeping directly on the bumpy ridgerest i assume?
I do shift around a fair amount during the night. I haven't had any problems with keeping the quilt over me. I can't comment on sleeping on a bumpy ridgerest since I sleep on a BA Insulated Air Core. I spend at least 1/2 the night sleeping on my side... foam doesn't provide enough cushion for me to get a good night sleep. But I would think that the ridge-rest bumps shouldn't be significantly different than your current experience using a bag... down compresses enough that I doubt you sleeping bag provided much additional cushioning.

I don't really get Ridge's comment. Clearly he doesn't like quilts and seems to imply that bags are somehow safer than quilts. Whatever. My experience is that for three season condition, quilts are really great and I prefer them to more traditional sleeping bags. Actually quilts are more "traditional" :)

[MedicineMan]

remember if you smush/crush down/polarguard/hollofil/etc flat then it isnt insulation anymore...thats why you carry the pad, to insulate from the ground
IF your quilt is big enough then it will wrap under you enough to stop cold from entering....my largest quilt is an Arc Alpinist and when draped over me extends close to 2.5 feet on either side.....i'll be using the Alpinist in 3 weeks on the Rae Lakes Loop, parts above 10,000 feet and def. below freezing..I dont doubt the Alpinist at all....and since a large part of that hike is above treeline I'll have to use a tent...with the quilt i'll be taking a balaclava and some down socks....the pad i'll be using is a downmat by Exped.
When forced to ground, the weight savings of the quilt allow for a more plush pad.....if you want to push the envelope of weight savings look at Nunatak gear's Arc AT, it is a half quilt designed to use with your jacket for even more weight savings since you are carrying a jacket anyway.

[Uncle Silly]

I toss and turn a lot, so I end up shifting the quilt a good bit during the night. I don't mind sleeping directly on my Z-rest or the inflatable 3-season thermarest, but I carry a silk liner for additional bug protection or nights when it's just too hot for the quilt. Recently, tho, the liner just gets stuffed into my clothes sack for a firmer pillow. :)