If you’re in a rush, the most effective backpacking quilt is the Therm-a-Rest Corus Down Backpacking and Camping Quilt.
Is a sleeping bag the one choice for staying heat when tenting? No means! While sleeping luggage are the gold customary, there are a handful of different selections on the market.
One that undoubtedly involves thoughts is a backpacking quilt.
Quilts may be simply as helpful as sleeping luggage when tenting or backpacking, particularly since they’re so versatile. If you’re fascinated with switching up your sleeping system with a quilt, I discovered the highest 5 backpacking quilts for tenting and backpacking in 2022. Here they’re:
Best Backpacking Quilt: Our Top Recommendations
Therm-a-Rest – Corus Down Backpacking and Camping Quilt
The Therm-a-Rest Corus Down Backpacking and Camping Quilt is the quilt for preserving heat on chilly nights.
This tenting quilt has a number of insulating options for trapping physique warmth. The heat ThermaCapture seams and comfortable insulated toe field hold you heat all the way down to 32 levels. That’ll hold you comfy on most nights, for certain.
Not to say, this quilt is tremendous light-weight and condenses all the way down to a small, simple to pack dimension. That means you may mix it with different layers like sheets, sleeping pads, or sleeping luggage for a cosy, customized sleeping state of affairs.
Pros:
- Features like anchor factors, pockets, and baffles assist hold out drafts and be certain that this quilt received’t slip misplaced.
- This quilt takes up little or no area and may be very light-weight, so it’s simple to pack and carry when backpacking.
- The included stuff sack and storage bag assist make transport a breeze.
- The perimeter snap loops help you snap the quilt to a sheet, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, and extra so you may create a custom-made sleeping system.
- This quilt comfortably suits individuals as much as 6’2″ tall (measures 80 x 52 inches)
- The 650-fill energy Nikwax-treated Hydrophobic Goose Down traps in physique warmth like a champ. It’s additionally water resistant and dries thrice quicker than customary down.
Cons:
- This backpacking quilt is type of costly however is effectively price it.
- Not optimum for solo use under 40 levels (for my part). The wind chill will make you chilly.
Best for: campers who need to take their heat to the following degree.
Sea to Summit Spark Ultralight 18F Sleeping Bag
Sizes: Regular, Long | Temperature Rating (F): 18 levels | Weight: 14.4 oz | Packed Size: 14 x 6 in | Fill: Ultra-dry down
Sea to Summit is thought for making top quality backpacking gear, and this quilt is the creme of the crop.
Filled with 850-fill-power down, this quilt has an 18 diploma (F) decrease restrict textual content, you’ll be comfy all the way down to 29 levels (F).
Most of all it’s made for ultralight backpackers. Weighing 14.4 oz within the common dimension, there’s not significantly better you are able to do on eight in a top quality quilt.
Pros:
- Ultralight, weighing an unimaginable 14.4 ounces
- Comfortable all the way down to 29 levels (F) and examined all the way down to 18 levels (F)
- Filled with 850-fill energy down
Cons:
- Very costly in comparison with artificial quilts
Best for: Ultralight backpackers.
REI Co-op Magma Trail Quilt 30
Sizes: Short, Regular, Long | Temperature Rating (F): 30 levels | Weight: 1 lb 4 oz | Packed Size: 13 x 4.75 in | Fill: 850-fill-power gray goose down (RDS licensed and bluesign® authorised)
REI Co-op at all times makes an array of spectacular merchandise, and this Magma Trail Quilt isn’t any totally different.
Made with sustainability in thoughts, all supplies are bluesign and Responsible Down Standard (RDS) authorised.
You can safe this to your sleeping pad, whereas on the similar time with the ability to alter for heat.
Pros:
- Comes in three totally different sizes, making it good to tailor to your peak as much as 78 inches
- Ultimate heat, due to its 850-fill-power gray goose down
- Made with solely sustainable supplies
- Lightweight at only one lb 4 oz
Cons:
Best for: Those on the lookout for a premium and light-weight backpacking quilt
Paria Outdoor Products – Thermodown 15-Degree Down Sleeping Quilt
Sizes: Regular, Long | Temperature Rating (F): 15 levels | Weight: 2 lbs 3 oz | Packed Size: 10 x 7 in | Fill: 700 fill-power 90/10 white duck down
The Paria Outdoor Products Thermodown 15 Degree Down Sleeping Quilt is a stellar choice for backpacking. It solely weighs 2 kilos, so this quilt received’t overwhelm your pack. And, it compresses all the way down to only some inches massive.
Not to say, stressed sleepers will discover consolation on this sleeping quilt. It straps all the way down to your sleeping pad so you may transfer round comfortably whereas staying heat as an alternative of being confined to a sleeping unhealthy. This is a big bonus that makes sleeping that a lot cozier.
Lastly, Paria gives a dependable lifetime guarantee to ensure your buy.
Pros:
- For campers who transfer round of their sleep, this quilt gives a sleeping pad strap means that helps you keep heat it doesn’t matter what.
- This backpacking quilt dries very quick. Even if it will get moist or condensation builds up, you may go away it out, and it’ll be dry in a number of hours.
- Weighing solely 2 lbs. 3 oz, this quilt is ideal for backpacking because it received’t weigh you down.
- The included compression sack reduces the quilt all the way down to 10 x 7 inches – good for packing.
- This quilt comes with a lifetime guarantee so you may relaxation assured that if something ever occurs to your tenting quilt, will probably be fastened or changed.
Cons:
- Not essentially the most big quilt in the marketplace. Keep this in thoughts when you’re above six ft tall.
- Definitely pair this with a sleeping bag for temperatures under 35 levels.
Best for: stressed sleepers who desire a quilt that received’t get bunched up in the course of the evening.
Buy Direct from Paria Outdoor Products
ENO Spark Hammock Top Quilt
Sizes: One Size | Temperature Rating (F): 40 levels | Weight: 1 lb 9 oz | Packed Size: 23.75 x 12 in | Fill: recycled polyester fibers
The Eagles Nest Outfitters (ENO) Spark Top Quilt is the proper quilt for pairing with a sleeping bag. Its distinctive form suits snugly contained in the hammock, trapping your physique warmth in and wicking water away.
It even works nice for backpacking because it solely weighs 25 ounces. It additionally compresses all the way down to a small dimension with the included nylon compression stuff sack for simple carrying.
Combined with its 6’6” size and talent to connect to another sleep gear, this tenting quilt is certainly a prime decide.
Pros:
- It’s rated for 40-60 levels, so this quilt will hold you sleeping heat.
- The safe convertible foot field retains your ft heat whereas additionally making entries and exits simple.
- At solely 25 ounces, this tenting quilt may be very light-weight.
- The included nylon compression stuff sack makes for simple packing.
- Measuring 6’6” x 4’5”, this quilt is lengthy sufficient to accommodate tall individuals who could not in any other case be capable to discover a tenting quilt that matches.
- This quilt can connect to different gear like a hammock, sleeping pad, sheets, and extra.
Cons:
- Might not be extensive sufficient to wrap round king-sized individuals.
- Not the most effective quilt for subzero temperatures.
Best for: campers who need to add a quilt to their favourite hammock or sleeping bag.
Big Agnes – Kings Canyon Ultra-Lite Quilt
Sizes: One Size | Temperature Rating (F): No Rating levels | Weight: 15 oz | Packed Size: 6 x 4 in | Fill: Primaloft® Silver
The Big Agnes Kings Canyon Ultra-Lite Quilt is an all-around superior tenting quilt. While it’s particularly advisable for indoor tenting, this quilt can hold you good and heat in virtually any situation.
Unique webbing loops and the included shock wire create a comfortable system to maintain you heat and cushty all evening lengthy. It can be nice for backpacking, as it’s ultralight and straightforward to pack with out weighing you down.
This quilt is a bit pricier, however that’s as a result of it’s so dang gentle (1 lb) and heat. I extremely suggest this one.
Pros:
- Works with sleeping pads of any form that measure 80” x 60” inches or much less.
- The small pocket on the foot of this quilt permits you to slide your sleeping pad in so it stays in place, preserving the 2 objects linked.
- The webbing loops and the included shock wire help you lace the 2 sides of the quilt collectively and pull it comfortable throughout you.
- This quilt is ultralight, so you may really feel secure in packing it whenever you go backpacking.
- The artificial supplies make it skinny and straightforward to pack, but heat and insulating for chilly climate.
Cons:
- The elastic band can get tangled simply, and takes some getting used to.
- Definitely expensive, however effectively price it.
Best for: campers who desire a quilt they will hold of their again pocket for surprising chilly climate.
ENO Vesta Hammock Top Quilt
Sizes: One Size | Temperature Rating (F): 30 levels | Weight: 1 lb 12 oz | Packed Size: 23.75 x 12 in | Fill: PrimaLoft Gold/PrimaLoft Black
The Eagles Nest Outfitters Vesta Top Quilt is a flexible tenting quilt that you need to use in a wide range of tenting circumstances. The water resistant ripstop nylon shell retains physique warmth in whereas the blocking water out.
The PrimaLoft Synergy insulation creates air pockets throughout the quilt that show you how to keep heat in temperatures as little as 35 levels. Other options, just like the shock-cord suspension rails, make this tenting quilt comfy. It’s additionally simple to reposition when sleeping.
Pros:
- I like the PrimaLoft Synergy insulation. It does an important job of preserving you heat.
- The ripstop nylon shell of this quilt is sturdy and water repellant, so water will roll proper off, preserving you dry all evening lengthy.
- This tenting quilt is simple to arrange as a result of it contains shock-cord suspension rails. These rails make repositioning your self very simple.
- Easy to compress and light-weight – appropriate for backpacking.
- Probably one of many softest quilts on this listing.
Cons:
- Not the warmest quilt, hold this in thoughts for winter excursions.
- It could possibly be on the excessive finish of your price range.
Best for: tenting in moist circumstances, or whenever you desire a quilt that’ll shrink down quick.
Buying Advice For Backpacking Quilts
Before you buy groceries, there are some things it is best to know that might show you how to make the precise alternative.
Quilt Insulation
You have two selections: down or artificial.
And on the subject of the warmth-to-weight ratio, down is unbeatable. Ultimately, a down quilt that weighs the identical as an artificial one shall be hotter.
That’s to not say that artificial can’t be heat. In truth, there are some fairly nice artificial quilts on the market which might be nice for low temperatures. However an artificial quilt of the identical heat as a down quilt shall be heavier in weight.
On the flipside, down loses its insulation capability when moist, in contrast to artificial. So whereas it retains you heat when it’s dry, it’s not an important alternative when there’s a chance of rain.
Also, down is way more costly than artificial, in order that’s one other issue to remember when deciding between the 2 sorts of insulation.
Quilt Temperature Ratings
Just like sleeping luggage, quilts even have two rankings: consolation and restrict rankings.
Comfort temperature signifies the bottom temperature at which you might lay casually in your quilt along with your physique relaxed and never be chilly. This can be the temperature extra appropriate for girls, as their physique temperature tends to be decrease than males’s throughout the evening.
Limit temperature, however, is the bottom temperature at which you might sleep curled up with out being chilly.
Of course, each of those rankings are for an “average person.” After all, it’s inconceivable to tailor one product to go well with everybody completely. You should think about different elements as effectively, like what place you sleep in, whether or not you’re a heat or chilly sleeper, what you’re sporting, and many others.
Gear Weight
When you’re backpacking, each ounce issues. And you need to carry a bunch of stuff anyway, the very last thing you want is a heavy quilt, proper?
When choosing the proper quilt, consider how a lot all the pieces else weighs. Maybe when you go together with a light-weight sleeping pad, you may deliver a barely heavier and hotter quilt. Figure out a technique to pack and carry the requirements with out sacrificing consolation or burdening your self with an excessive amount of weight.
Standard and Custom Quilt Features
Standard quilts, because the title suggests, include a set set of options, usually most requested in such a product. This makes it simple for producers to provide in massive numbers.
Some manufacturers, nonetheless, supply a little bit of customization as effectively. This is sort of sensible, provided that we’re all totally different, so not all merchandise are one-size-fits-all.
For a barely bigger worth, you may tailor the product to your wants. This contains elements like:
- Color
- The quantity of fill
- Width and size
- Temperature ranking
- Draft collar
Of course, which of those (or any further) changes can be found will depend on the model.
Sleeping Pad Attachment Systems
There’s nothing worse than waking up on the chilly floor as a result of your sleeping pad managed to slip away from an excessive amount of motion whereas sleeping.
Luckily, that’s simply avoidable. Many fashions these days have some form of attachment system that permits you to hold the pad in place.
However, understand that many manufacturers make the attachment system work simply with their gear, which mainly forces you to purchase the quilt and the pad from the identical model. With that being mentioned, there are some which might be extra adjustable, permitting you to connect the quilt to any kind of pad.
Why Backpack With a Quilt Instead of a Sleeping Bag?
Sleeping luggage would be the conventional technique to camp, however tenting with a quilt opens an entire new world of prospects. In truth, many individuals select to go backpacking with a quilt as an alternative of a sleeping bag, ditching it altogether. That’s as a result of backpacking with a quilt has many distinctive traits
Warmth
You could also be pondering that there isn’t a means a quilt could possibly be hotter than a sleeping bag, particularly since sleeping luggage wrap all the best way round you. But, quilts may be simply as heat (if not hotter) than a sleeping bag.
And in case you are involved about not being heat sufficient with only a quilt and a sleeping pad, make sure that to layer up and think about using a hood to sleep.
You may also use a quilt in tandem with a sleeping bag. This is very helpful if in case you have a lightweight sleeping bag that isn’t rated for subzero temperatures.
One of the primary advantages of this combo is that the quilt will keep round you higher. In a sleeping bag, your bag leases a big space uncovered to the chilly when you flip over. With a quilt, this isn’t a difficulty. The down retains you insulated irrespective of which means you flip.
Restless Sleepers
Speaking of, quilts are sometimes most popular by those that transfer round of their sleep quite a bit.
Sleeping luggage, especially mummy-style, hold your limbs near your physique and don’t go away you a lot room to roll. On the opposite hand, a tenting quilt provides you the flexibility to maneuver round in your sleep, which is able to result in a way more comfy evening.
Packing
Another vital profit of selecting a tenting quilt over a sleeping bag when backpacking is that quilts are lighter and take up much less area. It doesn’t take as many supplies to create a quilt, and the weather that go into making it are tremendous light-weight.
It additionally takes quite a bit much less compression to make a tenting quilt shrink down. That means not solely does it make it simpler and extra handy to pack, but it surely makes it extra environment friendly for a fast arrange at camp. Ordinary sleeping luggage can take some time to re-loft after being compressed, however a tenting quilt takes no time in any respect.
Faqs
How extensive ought to a backpacking quilt be?
This will depend on a number of elements, together with the place you sleep in.
But usually, it’s finest to go together with a quilt with a width equal to your girth on the widest level, plus a further 4 inches.
How lengthy ought to a backpacking quilt be?
This once more will depend on the way you sleep. But you don’t need it to be too lengthy, as you received’t be as heat at evening. Ideally, go together with just some inches previous your peak.
What is a backpacking quilt pad-attachment system?
This kind of system permits you to connect the quilt to your pad, in order that it doesn’t transfer or slide out whilst you’re sleeping. Typically, it entails straps, however may also embrace Velcro attachments.
What temperature ought to a quilt be rated for?
This will depend on the climate you propose on tenting in. For summer time, go together with a ranking of 32°F or above. For spring and fall, a ranking between 20°F and 32°F ought to work. For winter tenting, you want a quilt with a ranking under 20°F.
Is there a temperature ranking customary for quilts, like sleeping luggage?
There isn’t an precise temperature ranking customary that manufacturers use. However, most of them comply with the identical methodology as sleeping luggage for deciding the ranking for his or her merchandise, thus making it simpler for patrons to decide on.
Our Verdict
Camping with a quilt as an alternative of a sleeping bag may utterly change the best way you camp. So why not give it a attempt?
If you’re able to improve your sleep state of affairs (or go away your sleeping bag behind), think about attempting a backpacking quilt. My best choice is the Therm-a-Rest Corus Down Backpacking and Camping Quilt.
This tenting quilt retains you insulated in freezing temperatures provides you a cushty sleep. Not to say, this tremendous heat quilt received’t transfer round throughout the evening and works for individuals as much as 6 ft 2 inches tall.
Check it out, you received’t be upset.