A hiking quilt is a sleeping bag with the back and the hood taken away. That sounds like a compromise, and on some nights it is. On others it's lighter, roomier and more comfortable than a mummy bag. Here's how to work out which suits you.
What a quilt is
When you lie in a sleeping bag, you crush the down underneath you flat, so it adds little warmth. A quilt leaves that part out and lets your sleeping mat insulate you from below. What's left is a down blanket with a closed footbox, a collar or drawcord at the neck, and straps that hold its edges to your mat.
A typical trail quilt has no zip, no hood and no down underneath, with an insulated collar that cinches at the neck, a trapezoidal footbox, and elastic straps that go around your mat.
Where quilts win
Weight
Because a quilt skips the down you'd crush flat underneath and the hood you might not use, it's often noticeably lighter than a mummy of similar warmth: in one maker's range we compared, about a third lighter for the same ratings. The price is drafts on cold, windy nights.
Read that comparison with some care. The ISO 23537 test behind sleeping bag ratings is written for mummy-shaped bags, and a quilt's real warmth depends on how well it's sealed to your mat. Our temperature ratings guide explains the test.
Room to move
Side sleepers and restless sleepers turn over under a quilt instead of inside it, and your knees can bend. If a mummy bag makes you feel trapped, a quilt is the obvious thing to try.
Venting
On a warm night, lift an edge or put a foot out. That makes a quilt comfortable across a wide range of temperatures, which suits Australian trips where a hot evening turns into a cool 3 am.
Where quilts struggle
- Draughts. Each time you roll over, cold air can slip in along the edges. Straps and a snug collar help, but they don't stop it completely.
- Cold nights. As a rule of thumb, quilts are easy to live with down to around freezing. Below about −5°C, keeping the cold out takes more care and a very warm mat. For winter in the Alps or snow camping, we'd take a hooded mummy bag.
- Wind. On exposed camps, such as Tasmania's alpine walks or Kosciuszko's Main Range, wind works its way under a quilt more easily than into a zipped bag.
- No hood. On anything but a mild night, bring a warm beanie or a hooded down jacket.
- A poor mat. With nothing but the mat under you, a thin one shows up straight away. Below freezing, use a mat of R 4 or more; our sleeping mats list the maker's R-value on each, and our R-value guide explains what you need.
Straps, collars and stopping draughts
- Use the straps. The Twilight comes with two long and two short elastic straps that hold its edges to your mat.
- Cinch the collar snugly around your neck on cold nights, so warm air doesn't pump out when you move.
- Tuck the edges under your body when it's cold, and close the footbox.
- Pitch out of the wind, and keep the tent door shut on the windward side.
- A wider mat gives the edges more to seal against.
Wearable quilts
Some quilts do more than one job: they zip into an envelope bag, open flat as a quilt, or become a cape you can wear round camp.
On mild trips, wearing your quilt at dinner can stand in for a heavy camp jacket. On cold trips, treat it as a bonus layer, not a replacement for one. Either way, keep it well clear of stoves and campfires.
The middle ground: envelope bags
An envelope bag is rectangular and unzips to lie flat. Our Goose Down Envelope Bag opens into a 200 cm down duvet on hot nights, and two of the same colour zip together. It has no mat straps, so opened flat it's a loose blanket rather than a quilt sealed to your mat.
Quilt, mummy or envelope at a glance
| Quilt | Mummy bag | Envelope bag | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weight for the warmth | Lightest | Light | Heavier |
| Stopping draughts | Fair, with straps and a collar | Best: a hood, and usually a draft collar and zip draft tube | Poor |
| Room to move | Plenty | Least | Plenty |
| Venting | Easy | Zip only | Easy: opens flat |
| Hood | No: wear a beanie | Yes | No |
| Reliance on your mat | High | Lower | Moderate |
| Where it shines | Summer to around freezing, and lower with care | Summer to snow | Warm nights, car camping, huts |
| In our range | ASTA 700FP quilt | Goose Down Mummy, Black Snow 800FP | Goose Down Envelope Bag |
Which one is for you?
- Choose a quilt if you sleep warm or on your side, walk mostly from spring to autumn, and want to save weight.
- Choose a mummy bag if you sleep cold, camp in wind or on snow, or want one bag for the whole year.
- Choose an envelope bag for warm nights, car camping and huts.
Whichever you choose, pick the warmth by the comfort rating, and match your mat to the season. Our guide to Australian conditions has overnight lows by region.
Before any alpine or winter trip, check the park alerts and the forecast for where you'll camp. Snow camping takes experience and far more than a warm quilt or bag: a four-season tent, navigation skills and a plan for bad weather.
Still unsure? Our sleeping bag guide walks you through the choice, and all three of our quilts are in down quilts.
Sources
- ISO 23537-1:2022: the manikin test is written for mummy-shaped sleeping bags.