Quilt Efficiency

[rmtjr]

Before I dump $100 in quilt materials, i.e,. Primaloft and rip stop nylon, I'd like your thoughts on quilt efficiency. I like Ray Jardin's theory about putting the insulation on top, but he also advocates hiking when temperatures are mild. I read one TrailJournals.com entry that reported a 33 degrees forecast in May. I don't consider 33 degrees mild, but when you're out there, you're out there. My problem with all but one of the off-the-shelf sleeping bags is shoulder and waist girth. I don't like sleeping at attention. I'm a side sleeper. I really liked the couple of times that I opened my sleeping bag and used it like a quilt, but central Texas springs at 60-70 degrees aren't like the AT with 20-40's. Do you think a quilt is a viable alternative for temps in the 20s? Oh, the sleeping bag competitor is the Big Agnes Lost Ranger.

Bob

[alalskaman]

I too like the quilt "theory" but I have to say that when I have tried to use my bag zipped open as a quilt, I have always ended up zipping up when the temps get down there and the little currents of air find their way in between the pad and the "quilt." My bag is a 20 rated REI subkilo, and the temps that forced me to zip in were Spring Alaska temps, like just barely below freezing. The key is, I think, we're both side sleepers, and if you move at all, the air movement is just too much. I have tried to learn to sleep like a mummified egyptian, but have not succeeded. I think, for me, to have a quilt that worked would require about three inches of loft, so excessively warm that a few drafts would be welcome. So no weight savings. Cheers. Bill

[peter_pan]

I have 5 quilts and they are great. Started Springer on 26 Mar last year for a 625 mile section with a78x48x2.5 inch down quilt it worked well into the high 20s. But mostly I was in a hammock so the sides stay tucked in.....I must admit that on a shelter floor the sides were always coming untucked ( they are so damnnnnnn uncomfortable I toss and turn). But in a hammock, no movement, so they stay tucked. If you intend to use it on the ground go wider...52-56 inches. Look at the quilts at JacksRBetter http://216.83.168.206 . My 3 season quilt "Old Rag Mtn" model at 24 oz beats 3 season bags... read Jardine with a grain of salt. Great ideas ...not all work for everyone...test any new approaches before you venture too far.

[SGT Rock]

An idea is to make a quilt like the Old Rag Mountain Quilt or Hungry Howie's Quilt and use a couple of straps on the back - similar to the Nunatak Arc Alpinist that go under the pad to keep the pad and quilt mated together when you turn.

[TedB]

I used a quilt for about 5 months of my 6 1/2 month thruhike. It was an easy to make project, weighted around 1.5 pounds, did a reasonable job of keeping me warm, and did ok when it got wet. I sleep in all four directions, but for the coldest nights, I found sleeping on my belly to be the warmest. However, when I switched over to my 20 degree bag, it was so much warmer, and no more cold drafts, very luxurious. Although the quilt did its job, I'm not convinced it is a better design than a sleeping bag, except maybe for warm weather. The next time I make a dedicated summer bag, I think I'll add an uninsulated bottom that can be zipped up. In fact I plan to do this with my old quilt one of these days.

[BeaverTrapper]

I've gotten to the point that I divide everything - boots, clothes, pack, shelter, bag/quilt, into two simple categories: Summer and Winter. Summer calls for a much lighter, smaller load out than winter. I make the summer/winter switch when I expect temps to fall below 45 degrees. Above 45, I use a poncho liner inside of a military bodybag. The poncho liner functions as a quilt, and the bodybag functions like a roomy bivy. The bodybag can also be used as an emergency mattress when stuffed with leaves, as a stretcher, and as a hammock. Spraying the body bag with Permethrin helps keep the bugs off. Unless it's a warm night, I find myself wrapping almost completely in the poncho liner. I have often thought about getting one of those zipper kits for my poncho liner so that I don't have to fool with 'wrapping up tight' when using it. I guess all in all, I have gotten to where I want my 'quilt' to be more baglike, rather than wanting my bag to be more quilt like. Of course, I am a side sleeper who likes to curl up to sleep, and I usually flip over three or four times before I finally nod off. In the same vein, I like a very wide bag for the same reason. I like to flip over in my bag, not with my bag.

The older I get, the more I value sleep. My sleep setup is the last part of my gear to stay 'traditional/heavy' in nature. I'm a hammock/tarp believer, a soda can stove convert, etc. But to me - sleep is SACRED :D I still use the heavy, insulated military air mattress and a 20 degree Wiggy bag, extra wide, extra long.

[gravityman]

My wife and I just finished a "coupler" project. We got a WM mitylite (1 lb 10 oz, 40 degree bag). We made a coupler that holds our pads together as well as zips the quilt to it. The coupler weighs 6 oz. We took it out this past weekend backpacking in colorado. We went down to 32 degrees (that's an easy temperature to figure out you are at!) and raining/hailing and windy. But we were warm and snuggly all night! (We did have some warm clothing on...)

But that is for two people! Can't really comment on one person quilts, but it should work pretty much the same, just less weight. I like the strap idea, but you probably need some type of draft tubes along the sides. We found that our coldest parts where the outsides towards the zippers.

Gravity Man

[The Hog]

I like Sgt Rock's suggestion to add straps to a quilt. I recently took a Fanatic Fringe 30 degree quilt out on the CDT (Beaverhead mtns - MT/ID border) and found that I was cold even at 45 degrees because my body heat kept escaping. I tried to tuck the quilt under my prolite thermarest, but it kept popping out when I rolled over. I also tried a "safety" pin, which popped open several times. Finally, I gave up and put on every stitch of clothes inside the bag. Clearly, a quilt needs some way to hold it closed or some way to marry it to the pad to handle temperatures that push the envelope.

[TedB]

The next time I make a dedicated summer bag, I think I'll add an uninsulated bottom that can be zipped up. In fact I plan to do this with my old quilt one of these days.

An alternative to a zipped up uninsulated bottom is uninsulated side flaps that extend the width of the quilt so that it can wrap all the way around you. I just added some 7 inch wide by 60 inches long side flaps to my old quilt, and I like the result. I haven't tested it outside yet, but I think that should stop the draft, without adding much weight or really changing the functionality.

[Youngblood]

When sleeping on the ground so that the cradling effect of hammocks is not at issue, wouldn't a quilt versus a sleeping bag efficiency be related to whether you are sleeping double versus sleeping single. If your only heat source is your body, then a sleeping bag is pretty good at keeping convective heat loss at bay. If you are sleeping as a couple, then a quilt would allow you to share body heat... and if shared body heat gained was more than convective heat loss due to the ability to seal it off, then it will be more efficient.

Youngblood

[TedB]

Sounds like the mittens versus gloves theory.