5 Reasons I Love a Quilt Sleep System

I’ve been going over my dream gear lists and tweaking all my choices and making sure I had everything just the way I wanted and I got to thinking about the reasons why I love a Quilt for my Sleep System. So here are my top 5 reasons I love a quilt!

1. Low Weight: You just can’t get a full mummy sleeping bag at the low weights that a quilt can offer. You don’t use the bottom of the sleeping bag so why take it? Since your body smashes the insulation underneath you beyond the point of usefulness there is no point in carrying twice the insulation you need or use.

2. Customization: Even if you’re not handy at sewing you can always find someone who would be willing to make a custom quilt, giving you exactly the features you want and none of the features you don’t. Also this usually means you can get it in a custom size. Which for someone who is significantly shorter (or taller) than the norm, like me, you could get your weight down even further by cutting out extra material you’re not using anyway.

4. Better temperature control: It does take some practice to get your system to the point where you can confidently take it out and get it right every time, but with a little planning and the right equipment for you you can get a whole new level of usefulness out of your system without having to buy two or three separate bags for backpacking. By using the insulation you’re already wearing on your body to bolster a quilt’s temperature rating you can get a bag to be good much lower than it would be by itself without carrying anything extra.

5. Great for Side Sleepers: This is probably my favorite reason of all. I’m not just a side sleeper who can’t fall asleep on my back at all, I’m also a wiggler. I can sleep in any position and wiggle all I like in a quilt and I’m much less likely to end up waking up cold or tied into a knot, and woke up cold or from a claustrophobic fit. Also it’s lots easier to stay on a sleeping pad when you don’t have a slick sleeping bag in between.

And those are the top 5 reasons I love a quilt! What’s yours?