Best Temperature Rating for Minnesota

[Malcolm]

I’ve been planning on buying a 10° underquilt. I just realized that temperatures up here in Central Minnesota average above 10° for almost the entire year. I’m thinking maybe a 20° underquilt would be better, as I don’t think I’ll do camping in those couple coldest months of the year.

I tend to sleep very warm. I’m often under just a sheet while my wife is under the comforter wearing a hoodie.

Does anyone have experience with underquilts through Minnesota winters?

[Cory Hess]

I don't have the experience you're looking for, but I do have something similar. I'm in Wisconsin, so our temps should be pretty similar. This'll be my first winter hanging, but I've used 20 degree sleeping bags on the ground from early March through mid-November no problem. If you're willing to skip out on December through February you should be fine with a 20 degree bag. I'd imagine that there'll even be some weekends in that stretch where the 20 degree set will do you just fine.

[TrailSlug]

I have a 10 degree rule of thumb where you try to stay within 10 degrees of your quilts rating. This will easily get you to into the lower 30's to upper 20's with no issues what so ever with a 20 degree quilt. Some users like to push their quilts ratings but at these temps it's not something you want to suffer through. So having said this I would definitely go with the 10 degree and if it were me I'd go with a 0 degree quilt. That's what I use all winter in Alabama and I've never slept cold.

[bkrgi]

If your buying your first quilt then it is hard to go wrong with a 20*. (I use my 20* from 70* down to 30* and have gone as low as 15*(it does have a few extra oz of down)) Now I break out the 0* below 30*
When your ready to push the depths of winter further then get a 0*
Then when you want to push the extreme temps that can be offered up then stack the 2 and -40 is obtainium.
In consideration of stacking buy the 20* to fit your height then go one size longer on the 0* (if that works based on your height)

[Malcolm]

Thank you all for your suggestions and experience. I've decided that because I've never gone camping past October, a 20* quilt will be fine for now. If I decide to go deeper in the winter, I'll get something that I can layer with it. And as it happens, HG had one of their 20* econ quilts in stock. So that was nice.