Quilts

quiggleryan
quiggleryan Member Posts: 45

Hey everyone,

I currently have the Thermarest Vesper 20 quilt! I love it and was thinking about getting a 30 degree quilt for trips that aren’t as cold. What recommendations do you have for quilts? I would love to hear what you guys are using!

Comments

  • Jessicaholly88
    Jessicaholly88 Member Posts: 44

    I use the sierra madre puffle quilt, absolutely love mine!

  • bergstromra
    bergstromra Member Posts: 20

    I have an Enlightened Equipment Revelation, and I love it. I got it in black to help hide the dirt and filth (there’s a lot of that thru hiking) plus I feel like it dries out faster in the sun because it absorbs the heat.

  • skyestoury
    skyestoury Member Posts: 36

    I have the vesper too but haven't used it yet. Does it keep you warm into the 20s? Planning to take it out this coming weekend for snow camping and hoping it will be warm enough.

  • TenDigitGrid
    TenDigitGrid Member, Moderator Posts: 81

    +1 on Enlightened Equipment. My wife and I have their two person quilt, it's fantastic.

    If you are handy at all, sewing a MYOG quilt is fairly straightforward. I have made a couple that my wife and I use as well.

  • katethewild
    katethewild Member, Moderator Posts: 23

    I also own and love my Enlightened Equipment 40 Degree for summer backpacking. Unzips for those hot nights and its so lightweight, like 14.6 oz!

  • MARK SIREK
    MARK SIREK Administrator Posts: 293

    Big news, Peeps - https://www.hyperlitemountaingear.com/products/40-degree-ultralight-quilt

    It was nearly impossible not to say anything!

  • sashaswashut
    sashaswashut Member Posts: 41

    I’ve heard really great things about quilts! I’ve been wanting one as well, so thanks for this thread. Also just saw that Hyperlite has one for preorder- so definitely getting that one!!! So excited :) Thanks guys!

  • TenDigitGrid
    TenDigitGrid Member, Moderator Posts: 81

    Thats awesome! Congrats on the new product launch!


    Any plans you can share about other temp ratings?

  • Left_Enright
    Left_Enright Member Posts: 5

    They say it's a 40 degree quilt but the 1000 fill down has unspeakable loft and warmth. I got to test one of these quilts on my SOBO AT thru hike last year and stayed toasty warm on nights dipping into the 20s.

    The lowest temperature I had this in was on top of Roan High Knob where I camped in the shelter with Strawberry and Tortilla. The shelter has a wall thermometer that read 18*F the next morning.

    I earned my trail name that night.

    _Prototype

  • tina
    tina Member, Moderator Posts: 56

    Honestly, I've never had a better experience with a quilt than I've had testing Hyperlite's version... and I say this with a background of countless, obsessive hours of research and more than too much money spent trying out various styles. My 20* EE quilt was a joke that I couldn't get rid of fast enough. Hardly ever warm enough for me on the AT, so much so that I had to pick up an additional liner (at a weight penalty of 6 ounces.) The quilt itself was bulky at 25 ounces. Not to mention the annoying customer service over there, sorry. My 20* Feathered Friends Tanager is a close second to my HMG bag (it weighs 17 oz) and what I previously thought would be my catchall thru-hike bag. But it's a fully enclosed bag with no zipper, so it's not practical in all conditions and certainly not as versatile as a quilt. I've tried a Western Mountaineering 20* bag & although it's impeccably constructed, it's nearly 2 full pounds. And I've tried the EE 40* summer quilt, which feels like wrapping yourself in tissue paper, but somehow still weighs 16 ounces. The HMG quilt is the best of all worlds: the thoughtful and ethical construction of a WM of FF bag, the customer service and reliability of a HMG product, the lightest bag of all that I've ever tried, and competitive in price when it comes to premium bags. I have taken it on a PCT thru hike, gotten in completely soaked in a flash storm in Oregon (still stayed warm), woke up toasty (but with the bag covered in ice) while climbing in the Tetons, used it car camping across the country, schlepped it up the Rockies, used it winter thru-hiking in Florida, and it is now my daily driver while living and working out of my van here in a National Park in South Dakota. All that, and it still looks brand new. It will come with me on the Arizona Trail this fall. Am I a grown-ass adult with a dedicated "blankie" at this point? Yes, I am.


  • PNW_backpacker
    PNW_backpacker Member Posts: 1

    I’ve been using a Zpacks 30 degree quilt all summer which has been great. I sleep on my side and can’t get comfortable in a sleeping bag.

    I do want to grab one of the new HMG quilts before I do the PCT next year.

  • cameronsublett
    cameronsublett Member Posts: 1

    I can't say enough positive things about Katabatic. I was hesitant to hop aboard the quilt bandwagon. I knew and trusted my beloved WM bags, but I was intrigued by what I was hearing from others on trail. I had lots of questions, though. And instead of reading blogs and untrustworthy "reviews," I just called up the Katabatic folks and hit them with everything I had. I was on the phone with them for over 45 minutes. They broke down the tech details for me and helped me find the right quilt for my sleep needs/preferences. Ultimately, Katabatic and I decided the Sawatch would serve me best given I already had 30 and 40deg WM bags and the Sierra Nevada were my stompin' grounds. I hiked the JMT from 7/13-7/22 this year to test it out and was really impressed with the warmth, comfort and durability of the quilt. I went back out for a 5-day cross country hike across the Minarets and Banner Peak mid-September and it kept me warm in gnarly rain/hailstorms (thanks also to my Duplex for saving my backside). If I am honest, I still have a preference for sleeping bags. I dunno, maybe I'm an old dog and/or just lame. That said, I have no regrets purchasing my Katabatic quilt. The quilt itself is supremely and expertly made with very high-quality materials. It's evident right out of the box - it looks and feels unambiguously professional. And the loft is ridiculous; literally twice the loft of my favorite WM bag and still a touch lighter. Most importantly, though, the people at Katabatic are fantastic - in it for the right reasons. And I'm happy to pay a little more for that. My recommendation is to reach out to them - give em' a cold call. You'll likely learn a lot and come away with a high degree of confidence, which is hard to find on these here interwebs, but it's a big deal if you're transitioning to a quilt for the first time. Now, I'm sure all of what I've said here applies to other quilt makers, too. Others can chime in on that. But I'm only willing to speak to my experience. And when it comes to quilts I've only - and likely will only - deal with Katabatic. Unless HMG is willing to impress me : )

    - Secret Weapon