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  1. #1
    Registered User sdisser's Avatar
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    Question Quilt for a tarptenter? Y or N? Which quilt? (Rookie in training)

    Hi, rookie thru-hiker in planning here. I'm trying to cut weight (aren't we all) and was under the impression that switching from a mummy bag to a quilt was a good way to do that. However, when searching on here it seems that everything I find having to do with a quilt involves a hammock. Well, I'm a tarptenter. Am I on the wrong track here?

    I'm looking for the lightest sleeping option. I currently have a Marmot Plasma 30 mummy bag, but it is 26 oz. and is rather restrictive as I'm a side sleeper and need some leg room. Is a quilt right for me or should I consider something different? My budget is $400 or less (preferably less).

    Thanks for your help!

  2. #2
    Registered User FarmerChef's Avatar
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    Do you like to sew or know someone who does? You can make a fine quilt for about $75 out of Climashield XP and M90 fabric from Thruhiker.com. There are also good quilts from Jacks-r-better and other cottage manufactures that won't cost you that much more and might have different/better features than one you sew yourself. I made my own and LOVE it. It's rated down to 25 degrees, weighs around 18 ounces, and I was warm in toasty in those conditions, even came to a sweat one night and had to take off some layers.

    Quilting is not just for hangers. The key to doing it on the ground is that you need to have a good pad under you to stop heat loss through conduction. When it's very cold (teens, zeros) or you're on snow this can be amplified so some here suggest a closed cell bottom layer with an inflatable top layer. Others use reflectix under their inflated pad. Still others do it differently.

    Quilts can be wonderful - I sure love mine but it's not for everybody. One way to try it out is to get a long, rectangular bag and unzip it. Fold the end under to create a foot box and try sleeping outside for an evening. See how it feels, where problem spots are or what you like and don't like. Then when/if you go shopping you'll know what kind of features to look for (draft shields, flexible fabrics that drape well, tapered cut, foot box type, etc.). Enjoy!
    2,000 miler. Still keepin' on keepin' on.

  3. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by sdisser View Post
    Hi, rookie thru-hiker in planning here. I'm trying to cut weight (aren't we all) and was under the impression that switching from a mummy bag to a quilt was a good way to do that. However, when searching on here it seems that everything I find having to do with a quilt involves a hammock. Well, I'm a tarptenter. Am I on the wrong track here? ....
    I'm in much the same boat. I found info from some well regarded quilt maker web pages that specifically address the ground dweller needs. That makes me feel more confident. First from Enlightened Equipment:.

    SLIM is well suited to hammock users (both as top or underquilt), back sleepers, slimmer side sleepers, and users who have a slim or athletic build. 50″head half tapered to 38″foot.


    REG is best suited to users who sleep either in a hammock or on a ground pad on their backs, side sleepers, and slimmer users that toss and turn in the night. 54″ head half tapered to 40″ foot.


    WIDE is best suited to larger users who sleep either in a hammock or on a ground pad, larger side sleepers, and users that toss and turn in the night. 58″ head half tapered to 42″ foot.


    And, from the Jacks R Better site:

    For ground campers, the width of the quilt becomes important to be able to keep the quilt tucked in on both sides to eliminate drafts. Relatively trim back or stomach sleepers achieve good results with our 48 inch wide standard quilts. At 48 inches, the standard quilts work well in a hammock but can be a little narrow for someone sleeping on the ground, especially a restless sleeper or side sleeper. To address the additional tuck issue, we recommend adding Full Length Omni-Tape to our standard quilts and using Quilt Wings to add 7 inches of material to each side of the quilt.


    Alternatively, the Sierra Series quilts, designed with the ground sleeper in mind, are made slightly larger in the top half of the quilt (52 inches) and taper to a narrower foot box (42 inches). A second alternative is to buy one of our Family of Large quilts which are 62 inches wide.

  4. #4
    Some days, it's not worth chewing through the restraints.
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    All you need to do to see if a quilt is right for you is unzip your bag and use it as a quilt. If you like it that way, and then want to invest in a quilt for the weight savings, off you go. I use my bag quilt-style, but I'll wait until I need something nwe before I replace it. Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without.

  5. #5
    Garlic
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    I've been using a tarptent for over 10 years now, and just switched to a quilt for a summer trip last year. That worked great. I'm not sure one quilt would have done the trick for me on my AT thru hike--I really enjoyed my 15F mummy bag during some April blizzards in the high country.

    An excellent quilt is made by Enlightened Equipment, the Revelation X. There's another thread going now extolling the virtues of it.
    "Throw a loaf of bread and a pound of tea in an old sack and jump over the back fence." John Muir on expedition planning

  6. #6

    Default Quilt for a tarptenter? Y or N? Which quilt? (Rookie in training)

    I use a quilt while tenting. I made my own quilt so there was kind of a learning curve. I really enjoy the freedom of not being wrapped up in a mummy bag (when it's not too cold).

  7. #7
    Registered User DeerPath's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by sdisser View Post
    Hi, rookie thru-hiker in planning here. I'm trying to cut weight (aren't we all) and was under the impression that switching from a mummy bag to a quilt was a good way to do that. However, when searching on here it seems that everything I find having to do with a quilt involves a hammock. Well, I'm a tarptenter. Am I on the wrong track here?

    I'm looking for the lightest sleeping option. I currently have a Marmot Plasma 30 mummy bag, but it is 26 oz. and is rather restrictive as I'm a side sleeper and need some leg room. Is a quilt right for me or should I consider something different? My budget is $400 or less (preferably less).

    Thanks for your help!
    I have Thermarest Mattress & AlpineLite 35F blanket. The blanket sides snap to the bottom of the mattress to keep out drafts. Plenty of room to move around. I sleep in it at 30 degrees one night with long johns and cap and was not cold. I also carry a Silk Bag Liner, good for about another 10 degrees.

    http://cascadedesigns.com/therm-a-re...ket-35/product
    http://cascadedesigns.com/therm-a-re...ap-kit/product
    Last edited by DeerPath; 03-15-2013 at 12:03.
    DeerPath

    LIFE'S JOURNEY IS NOT TO ARRIVE AT THE GRAVE SAFELY
    IN A WELL PRESERVED BODY,
    BUT RATHER SKID IN SIDEWAYS, TOTALLY WORN OUT,
    SHOUTING "HOLY CRAP....WHAT A RIDE!"

  8. #8
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    You can return an Enlightened Equipment quilt if find quilts aren't for you.

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