The importance of either a sleeping bag or a quilt is best understood by the avid backpackers. Spending the night out in the cold with no bed but something to lie on is no joke. You depend on the quilt or sleeping bag only to give you all the warmth you need to sleep comfortably. This brings the question of quilt vs sleeping bag.

Choosing the right hiking gear can be quite hard but we are here to guide and help you make the best decision. There are a lot of choices and new products are coming out every year. This is the case with sleeping bags and quilts. New technologies are emerging and the products are coming out differently.

Most times, the choice between a quilt vs sleeping bag boils down to personal preferences, quality of the product, price among many other things.

After a long and tiring hike, the best thing you can give yourself is a comfortable and stress free rest. For hikers, this is the most luxurious thing and it pays back excellently. There are different sleeping gear like tents and hammocks as well as quilts and sleeping bags. With any of these, you are assured of a good night sleep. Comfortable and convenient.

Quilt vs Sleeping bag

Here, we are going to take a look at the quilt vs sleeping bag. The advantages of each and the similarities as well as the differences that set the two apart.

• Weight

Quilts are lighter as compared to sleeping bags. They were found to be 20 to 30 percent lighter than the sleeping bags. One reason for this is because the quilts don’t have a hood. It provides insulation only where it matters and that’s the top side. A quilt has one side as compared to the sleeping bag which covers your entire body. The underside of the quilt is negated by the hiker’s weight.

When it comes to hiking, the weight of the gear is watched closely. The lighter the gear, the more it is preferred. Think of a quilt the same way as a blanket that can be tied closed round your neck or at the bottom of the feet.

• Volume

Apart from weighing less, a quilt also occupies less space as compared to the sleeping bag. If you roll it up, it takes less space because it’s made of less material.

Less volume on one hand means less compression. It won’t take long to re-loft at the end of the day no matter the temperature. At the end of the day, you are tired and super exhausted and all you need is rest and a few hours of sleep. The faster you can do this, the better and the quilt offers that.

The quilt is made of less material making it light and consumes less space. You need more space when storing a sleeping bag space that would have been used to carry something else.

• Warmth

Both the sleeping bag and the quilt offer good amounts of warmth. With a quilt, you can adjust the temperature if you have an insulation pad or mattress. Remember the quilt doesn’t have the underneath side as it is negated by the weight and volume of the user. however, this messes up with your sleeping positions.

Mostly, quilts rely on sleeping pads for warmth and if a pad fails, the quilt loses most of its insulation. This makes it difficult to stay warm in the quilt anymore. We can say without a sleeping pad, the chances of having a good night sleep in the quilt are very low.

• Freedom and versatility

As compared to the quilt, a sleeping bag offer more flexibility and versatility. You can sleep in any position you want without jeopardizing your health by exposing one side to the cold. A quilt is best for people who are used to sleep facing up. If you toss and turn all night, you might wake up at night shaking from the cold.

With the sleeping bag, you can wrap yourself in it and sleep in any position you are comfortable in. It is all sided making it effective in providing warmth in all positions.

• Design

A sleeping bag has a simpler design than the quilt. When the quilt opens out flat, the sleeping bag has a tubular design. It is similar to the blankets that have cords and ties which are used to clinch the bottom part attached to a mattress or closed.

The sleeping bag surrounds the whole body making it effective in sealing in the warmth and preventing the draft from entering. You will have a much more comfortable night. Quilt manufacturers are also adapting and integrating this design in quilts in a bid to outmatch the sleeping bag.

• Set up

Sleeping bags are easy to set up as compared to quilts. You just need to get inside the bag and sleep. With a quilt however, you need more time. They are fussier and the cords and ties which must be set up don’t make the set up process easier. If you are in dire need of sleep, you will have slept for more than five minutes before the one with a quilt finishes the set up.

• Comfort

With a quilt, you can move freely when sleeping as compared to when you have the sleeping bag. The sleeping bag also allows for movement but it doesn’t have a mat attachment that prevents draft if you move a little too much. The quilt on the other hand doesn’t limit movements making it more comfortable.

As much as we can talk about the quilt versus the sleeping bag, the choice comes down to individual tastes and preferences. The most important aspect in sleeping equipment is comfort and warmth. You came from a long and tiring walk and you need to sleep comfortably all night long. You don’t need to wake up at night complaining of cold bites while shivering.

Choose the sleeping equipment that offers you a relaxing sleep, comfort and peace of mind at night.

Making the decision between quilt vs sleeping bag should be easy after reading this.