layering top quilts

[Solohammock]

Ive had good luck with tucking one sleeping bag into another, I don't have a TQ yet but I'm sure you would get the same results... I'd done a few 10*-15* nights in two 35* sleeping bags tucked together. I was nice and warm and pretty comfortable with all the loft. You really end up with more loft than you think you would by just doing the math of adding the two single bags loft ratings together. This is because the bag inside squishes up a bit and creates dead space between the two layers, which helps to insulate as well. The problem is the bulk but as long as your not packing it, no problem!

[Sunndog]

All I can say is 20+40 > single 0° TQ!! I stacked my 40 and 20 HG Burrows in a -5°F test and it was a blast furnace. No problems at all.

Now I'm not saying do it, because it's a TON of bulk and just overkill. But it does work. I tested it just for fun since I already had them. Then I bought a 0° and I love it.

I think all the math is silly. No offense, but that's how it is. Maybe for an estimate, but the real world actual comfort is all you can count on.

Whats the pack size like compared to your 0* quilt mate?

[Just Bill]

Thanks for the link and info. What in your mind are the additional benefits aside from saving money? Easier temperature regulation?

Some of the benefits only apply to my stuff.

The biggest one though is mentioned in the EE article too-
If you mix a summer synthetic with a three season down...
You protect your down much better from body vapor buildup on a longer trip. By using the synthetic quilt on the outside you keep the dew point layer where that vapor condenses beyond the down. Even water resistant down is still affected by that frost buildup and there is little you can do to chase that out. To be fair we're talking about 4-5 days out before this is a bigger deal, but for those on deep winter trips this may prove a more reliable system.
A deep winter Mainer or Minnesotan may even find that a sub 1lb synthetic summer quilt over their zero is good insurance for this reason too on trips longer than a weekend.

Not a big deal really- but having a synthetic outer in there does give you a bit of safety margin if your down got wet somehow as well.

You can vent, or fold back your outer quilt to regulate temps and avoid fully letting cold air in... but there are enough ways to do that efficiently normally to call that a big plus.

The big bonus really is the simple buy two get one free though to be honest.
Few people NEED a dedicated winter piece, for the 10-15 nights a year below 20 most of us encounter, this is a great solution.
I own a good winter mummy, and it's hard to argue that a combo is better if you own one though...

Pretty nice rig for an aspiring thru hiker as well who is gearing up. Especially on the AT where only a few weeks of sub 20 temps are expected.

[Just Bill]

Math saves you from buying crap just to see if it works, or a very bad weekend.
It also cuts down the number of nights you'd need to confirm something works.
It helps a ton if you are trying to cut out the "just in case" part of your kit.

But it never substitutes for a few nights in your yard to test that it works for you.

And nothing will ever replace actually using gear on a trip.

[OneClick]

Whats the pack size like compared to your 0* quilt mate?

I didn't take it on a trip...just in the back yard. So I really don't for sure. But you can make some assumptions by the photo of all mine packed separately:

Math saves you from buying crap just to see if it works, or a very bad weekend.

Yeah just an estimate like I said. But I don't think it would keep me from buying to try. Sometimes you just don't know. Especially for expensive and important items like these, I think $15 loss in a sale thread is worth 10x that in comfort and peace of mind.

[Sunndog]

Thanks for that mate

I sleep warm and have a full length 0* UQ so its just not worth me buying a dedicated winter TQ when the temps only drop below 15* for a few nights a year most winters.
So the "buy two get one free" school of thought works for me, and is deffo worth carrying what looks to be about 50% extra bulk on perhaps one or two trips a year

Plus mine will be sierra quilts from JrB so i can probably get away with a smaller down jacket rather than me big winter mothership layer if i get that worried about weight

[Life Scout]

My tips for layering TQ s. Pin them together if you toss and turn in your sleep. All my quilts are slick and one quilt will go one way the the other will go the other way leaving you with a cold spot some ware. Works fine if you can keep them stacked together.

[Just Bill]

towns-end combo.jpg

I don't usually stuff my insulation, I loose pack it. But here's my 45* large sized quilt and my 25* regular size TQ.
Don't know the official size... but using a bit of that pesky math it's a 6x6 square bottom and 12" tall. 6x6x12/61 if I remember right is 7L. Hell call it 8L fer fun.
2lb 9.75 oz fer the mess ain't too shabby either really.

These are my Primaloft Gold TQ's... probably $350 shipped I'd guess if I can ever get that far, lol.

The other advantage when you have the large size 45* (with mine at least) The footbox is oversized at roughly 48" (46" to be safe ID)... that lets you turn the quilt over, step in and pull the sewn footbox over your torso. You can then wrap the upper around your torso or double it over your back if you have a fire at camp. The whole mess goes into a wind shell one size too big to make a puffy jacket.

Mike Clelland gets credit for the SUL Puffy (the Houdini Trick), Basically you take your sleeping bag or quilt and stuff it into your windshell or rain coat to make a dual use puffy jacket.

But in the 45* quilt I intentionally make it bigger so the footbox fits a decent sized torso/chest size. That way the puffy trick isn't so bulky and ill fitting and covers you better.
One layer on the torso is 45*, if you double up over your back you have 3 layers of insulation (0*) and one layer up front for hanging around the fire.

So add a L or XL Patagonia Houdini (which I bring anyway) and you get a nice puffy jacket for around camp out of your 45* quilt without risking any water/fire/sweat in your 25* quilt. Also since the 45* is cut one size up it stacks well with the other quilt with no compression of insulation. Sizing up the summer quilt is only a few ounce penalty so the ding come summer time isn't noticeable if you're counting grams.

[jes4kix]

Ditto on the "real world comfort" you don't really know till you try. The "comfort zone" is purely subjective/personal. The math is a starting point, gives you a baseline not necessarily a finish line. I like having a baseline, because from there I know where I'm heading.

Kix

[OneClick]

Thanks for that mate

I sleep warm and have a full length 0* UQ so its just not worth me buying a dedicated winter TQ when the temps only drop below 15* for a few nights a year most winters.
So the "buy two get one free" school of thought works for me, and is deffo worth carrying what looks to be about 50% extra bulk on perhaps one or two trips a year

Plus mine will be sierra quilts from JrB so i can probably get away with a smaller down jacket rather than me big winter mothership layer if i get that worried about weight

That makes sense. I do feel bad about blowing that kind of money on a 0° TQ for 2 or 3 trips each year. I try to justify it