Quilt VS Sleeping Bag: Which To Choose?

Staying warm and dry is essential for a restful night’s sleep when you’re camping under the stars. But because each style has a different set of benefits and drawbacks, choosing between the two can be challenging. In order to help you choose which is best for your upcoming camping trip, I will compare weight, warmth, ease of use, price, durability, comfort, size, moisture control, and more.

Pros And Cons Of Quilts

Because they use much less insulation and materials than sleeping bags, quilts are typically lighter than sleeping bags. A quilt may be up to 50% smaller than a sleeping bag because it uses less down and fabric to make it.

As a rule, down quilts shrink to the size of a softball when packed down, which is also incredibly impressive. 

Because of its design, a quilt can be used in a variety of ways. You might be able to expand it into a straightforward down blanket, depending on the particular model you buy. For people who value variety, this may be pleasant. 

Quilts can be more expensive than sleeping bags because they’re still a more recent addition to the camping equipment market. However, you can find a reasonably priced quilt that will meet all of your sleeping needs. 

Pros And Cons Of Sleeping Bags

Quilts and sleeping bags both have advantages and disadvantages. You won’t need to fiddle or adjust a sleeping bag in order to stay warm because of its design.

Instead, you won’t have to worry about tossing and turning in your bag or having a foot escape into the cold when you’re ready for bed.

However, they also contain more fabric, which makes them generally heavier than quilts. And as we previously stated, that extra insulation might not be doing much to help.

Quilts VS Sleeping Bags

Weight

Generally speaking, quilts weigh about 25% less than comparable sleeping bags. By removing extra insulation and fabric from underneath the sleeper, quilts reduce overall weight.

This is possible because down or synthetic insulation does not provide warmth when compressed by the body weight of the user.

Instead, the bottom is simply left unclosed. A sizable amount of weight is lost by removing this extra down and fabric. Your sleeping pad helps to keep the bottom of your body warm.

By eliminating extras like full-length zippers and hoods, quilts also reduce weight. A quilt simply contains less material.

Volume/bulk And Compressibility

Quilts compress down smaller than sleeping bags because they have less insulation and material. You could potentially save up to one additional liter of space in our pack by switching to a quilt. This has several advantages.

The most significant benefit is that you can store your quilt less compressedly. This makes it loft more quickly at night when you’re ready to go to bed. When you’re drained and chilly and just want to curl up in your tent and fall asleep, you’ll be glad you have this.

A quilt, for instance, could loft fully in just a few minutes if it was only loosely compressed. A sleeping bag that is tightly compressed could take 5 to 10 minutes to loft completely.

Additionally, if the quilt is not compressed as tightly, it will last longer.

Warmth

In general, given all other things being equal, sleeping bags are warmer than quilts. There are several causes for this. The first step is sealing the sleeping bags completely all around. Because of this, you can move around at night without worrying about catching a cold draft.

To keep your head warm, most sleeping bags come with an integrated hood. The sleeping bag can be fully closed with the zipper, with the hood pulled over your head and zipped up snugly. You will remain warm and cozy as a result of this.

Ease Of Use

The set-up process for sleeping bags is much quicker and simpler. Unstuff your sleeping bag, roll it out on top of your sleeping pad, and climb in when you’re ready to go to bed. No straps or clips are necessary, so there is no hassle. The bag is kept shut by the zipper. There is no learning curve.

As a result of the need to be fastened to the sleeping bag so they stay in place, quilts require a little more time and effort to set up. Every producer employs the tiniest unique attachment system.

To hold the stopper in place, the majority of designs employ some type of snap, clip, or hook. Some are more effective than others. Some are simply obtrusive and challenging to set up, while others have a propensity to come loose.

Cold air may draft in the night if one of your fasteners comes loose.

Cost

In all other respects, quilts are less expensive than sleeping bags. This is because of two factors. To begin with, fewer materials are needed to make quilts. They generally don’t have zippers and use less fabric. Because quilts don’t have hoods, the designs are secondarily simpler.

As a result, quilts are quicker and simpler to sew. Due to these factors, quilts are less expensive to produce and therefore more affordable to purchase.

For instance, you could budget $250–350 for a nice, ultralight 20° quilt. A similar sleeping bag could cost $350-$400. A quilt typically costs $30 to $50 less than a sleeping bag. The savings are hardly noticeable.

Comfort

Quilts are typically cozier for side sleepers and those who move around while they’re asleep. They are less limiting, which is the explanation. They give much more room for movement.

When you toss and turn to change positions, the quilts stay in place because they are attached to your sleeping pad. Due to the quilt’s inability to move with you, you won’t have to worry about falling off your sleeping pad at night.

For more mobility, sleeping bags can be opened. The issue is that there is no attachment system to hold the bag in place, so you’ll get cold.

Durability

Compared to sleeping bags, quilts are more robust. Mostly because they don’t have zippers; instead, they just have basic straps, clips, and shock cord to keep them closed. If clips or straps break, you can easily replace them. Zippers are much more intricate.

The zipper is frequently a sleeping bag’s weak point. When zipping and unzipping, the material might get caught in it.

If zippers are over-compressed, they may kink. Eventually, zippers just fall apart from use. Zippers are typically absent from quilts. Just one less thing to worry about.

Moisture Control

Compared to sleeping bags, quilts are better at handling moisture. As a result of the quilt’s drawstring or neck collar tightening around your neck, your head always remains outside. Your breath is kept out by doing this, which keeps the quilt dry and warm.

It’s simple to roll over while sleeping in a sleeping bag and end up with your face in the hood. Your breath is directed into the bag when you breathe into the hood. When you get cold, it can be tempting to bury your head in your sleeping bag.

Temperature Regulation

In a wider range of weather conditions, quilts are helpful. In order to keep the quilt close to your body and trap as much heat as possible when it’s extremely cold, you can attach the quilt to your sleeping pad and seal up the foot box and neck collar tightly.

The quilt can be spread out like a blanket and draped over you on a warm night to keep you warm. While keeping you warm, it provides a ton of ventilation. This will prevent you from overheating while using a quilt designed for cold weather in a warm climate.

A long trip or thru-hike where you anticipate experiencing a wide range of temperatures would benefit greatly from this feature. It’s not necessary to switch midway between a quilt for cold and one for warm weather. Every journey only needs one cozy quilt.

Versatility

A quilt’s ability to be used for other purposes besides just sleeping is a nice touch. The foot box of the majority of quilts can be unzipped or unbuttoned to transform it into a flat blanket. When you’re sitting around a campfire or on a chilly morning, wrap it around yourself.

For added warmth, while hiking on a particularly chilly morning, wear it like a down jacket. There are numerous applications for your quilt. At home, use it as a typical blanket on your bed.

On the other hand, a sleeping bag is really only meant to be used for sleeping. It’s unlikely that you’ll use it outside of the home or anywhere else.

Technology And Trends

Having the lightest base weight possible is the current trend. Everybody is going ultralight. It resembles a contest among hikers to see who can assemble the smallest kit.

You can reach that 10-pound base weight thanks to modern high-tech materials and incredibly light quilt designs. A quilt is the best option if you value having the most up-to-date and fashionable gear.

On the other hand, some hikers think that sleeping bags are a little dated. They don’t match anymore. They are heavier primarily because you are required to carry some extra weight. Sleeping bags might not be the best choice if you’re concerned about staying current with outdoor gear fashions.

Conclusion

Both sleeping bags and quilts are excellent choices for keeping warm while camping. Although sleeping bags are more popular than quilts, the simple quilt is rapidly gaining popularity in the backpacking community because it offers an ultralight substitute for a heavy, bulky sleeping bag. Now choose your favorite and begin your camping trip!