I love quilts. I love the way warmth radiates back at me almost immediately. Never had that happen with a pad.
That said, temps in the 50's are child's play temperature wise. One HF member found of jeeps and camo with a three letter name who shall remain anonymous sleeps neked with no pad at that temp
An inexpensive pad will get you there no problem. The main issues are making sure you have coverage at the shoulders, and whether the pad slides around beneath you.
All comes down to what you optimize for, or what your constraints are. If you want the lightest, most packable option and $$ are not a constraint, then a summer underquilt is the answer. If you want to minimize $$ and not get cold, and bulk is not a constraint, then a pad is the way to go.
Grizz
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