Sleeping Bag vs QUILT | Which is the BEST Backpacking Sleep System for You?
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Like most of you, I started backpacking with some sort of “traditional” sleeping bag. For me, I actually think it was a hand-me-down, square-cut Coleman. I then transitioned to a synthetic mummy bag. For nearly the last ten years, I’ve been using the Marmot Helium 15F down bag. In 2021, I decided to switch to using a UGQ Bandit Top Quilt. But just because I made the switch, doesn’t mean you should.
In this post, I want to compare the pros and cons of each system in seven categories:
Weight
Cost
Comfort
Versatility
Ease of Use
Customization
Availability
Then I’ll talk about why I made the switch. And I’ll finish with a few questions to help you find out which system might be best for you.
Weight
I can’t overstate this enough: weight should NEVER come before quality of sleep in the backcountry. If your sleep system is under a pound but you can’t get more than 20 minutes of sleep at time, did the weight savings buy you performance or efficiency? NO, it just bought you a miserable experience.
To that end, most high quality, down-filled mummy bags are light enough. My Marmot Helium +15F bag stuffs down small and weighs in at just over 2 pounds which isn’t too bad for most situations.
However, comparable quilts are just going to be lighter. My UGQ Bandit +10F quilt stuffs down small and weighs in at a scant 25.8 ounces which is over eight ounces lighter than my Helium AND it’s warmer.
I’m not sacrificing good sleep with either option. The clear winner here, in my opinion, is the quilt.
Cost
It might surprise you, but quilts typically cost a lot less than sleeping bags of equivalent temperature rating. Looking at the updated version of my Marmot Helium +15 bag on REI, I see that it uses 800-fill goose down and is rated to 15 degrees F and costs $431. Compare that to the UGQ Bandit configured with 800-fill goose down, at 10 degrees F, a little wider and a little longer, you come in at $274.95. That’s a $156 savings over my current system if I were to purchase everything brand new.
Backpacking quilts are the clear winner on price. But as I’ll you’ll see later, there’s a BIG asterisk on that number. I’m talking a Barry Bonds / Mark McGwire, All-Time Home Run type asterisk.
Comfort
I’ve always found mummy bags to be pretty restrictive and claustrophobic. Quilts, on the other hand, are ridiculously comfortable. You’re able to sleep like you do at home. You’re not laying in your bed in a sleeping bag. Maybe you are — I’m not. So, tucking up in a quilt just feels natural.
I’m a very active sleeper. I’m constantly tossing and turning and repositioning. A quilt allows me to do that so that I can find a comfortable spot to get the best possible sleep in the backcountry.
Because comfort is so subjective to the individual, I’m not going to declare a winner in this category. Though, I do prefer a quilt to a sleeping bag, personally. In a pinch, either system works exceptionally well.
Versatility
When talking versatility, I’m referring to versatility through a wide range of temperatures. Quilts are naturally more versatile through a greater range of temperatures than sleeping bags. Quilts offer many more adjustments to help you regulate your body temperature, which means you’re going to sweat less at night. You can fold down a quilt, stick a knee out, stick one foot out, both feet out, you get the idea.
Sleeping bags, on the other hand, are much more limited. You can unzip the bag and fold it down and maybe zip up from the bottom to possibly get a foot out but it’s a challenge at best. You just have much fewer adjustment options compared to a quilt. However, in a pinch, you could fully unzip your sleeping bag, crawl out of it, turn it over, and use it like a top quilt.
Given that you can use a sleeping bag like a quilt, I’m generously going to call this category a draw.
Ease of Use
Let’s be honest mummy bags have staying power. They’ve been popular for so long for a reason. They just work. Especially today’s power-filled down models. Find a bag rated for the temps you’re expecting, stuff it, and you’re pretty much set.
Top quilts aren’t difficult but do take a bit more practice especially at the lower end of the temperature range when keeping drafts out is critical to a good night’s sleep.
I think mummy bags eek out an ease of use win.
Customization
Quilts are predominately made by cottage manufacturers. Because of that, you can customize practically everything on a quilt. You can get a custom length, custom width, custom colors, custom fabrics. You have your choice of fill weight and over-stuffing options. In fact, there are so many options, ordering a quilt can be confusing and intimidating. Leave a comment below if you’d be interested in a video on how to order a custom quilt and a breakdown of all the different customization options.
If customization is important to you, then you may want to take a deeper dive into the world of backpacking quilt manufacturers.
Availability
Mummy bags are readily available online and at many brick-and-morter sporting goods store. If you need or want a new mummy bag, you can have it the same day or at least within a week in most cases. That’s generally not the case for quilts.
You may remember that quilts often cost considerably less than equivalent mummy bags. Well, the caveat is since most quilts are still produced by cottage manufacturers, you may have to wait 10 or more weeks for production and shipping.
Why I Switched
I’m a very active sleeper and I’ve been battling sleeping bags for years. I toss and turn a lot. It takes me a bit of time to find that perfect spot to get the best possible sleep in the backcountry. I tend to find sleeping bags exceptionally restrictive, so it’s very difficult for me to get comfortable. And I’m a bit claustrophobic. On more than one occasion, I’ve let my anxiety get the best of me and I’ve had to burst from a sleeping bag like a moth coming out of a cocoon. Yeah, not pretty.
I wanted to try something different. I’ve been researching quilts for a while and decided to pull the trigger. After a few winter outings with my new UGQ Bandit, I can honestly say that the savings in cost and weight are icing on the cake of MUCH BETTER sleep in the backcountry!
Which System is Right for You?
Just because I made the switch to using a quilt doesn’t mean it’s the right system for you. To help you decide, answer the following questions:
Are you an active sleeper or do you sleep like a log?
Do you find it cozy being cocooned in a sleeping bag or is it restrictive and claustrophobic?
Do you hike in a wide range of temperatures?
If you answered that you’re an active sleeper, who finds sleeping bags restrictive and/or claustrophobic, and you backpack in a wide range of temperatures, then do yourself a favor and consider replacing your mummy bag with a quality down quilt.
