sleeping bag vs quilt

[Ewker]

It's not really fair to throw it out there if it's no longer something that can be readily purchased. All it does is add confusion to the process for the OP while searching for a workable option.

in a way I agree with you but it also lets the poster know that a good sleeping bag can be used as a quilt instead of totally disregarding them.

You always have to be on the lookout for people selling good sleeping bags at an affordable price

[Barefoot Child]

I use a Big Abnes sleeping bag as a quilt and it works good. But I have not had a right proper top quilt to compare it to. Anybody else out there that uses a Big Agnes bag, and what are your comparisons?

[oldgringo]

I have a BA, and haven't even tried it as a quilt, due to its lack of bottom insulation. It wouldn't be wide enough to function well as a TQ for me.

[mbiraman]

Golite ultra 20 is on at prolite gear for $180

[koaloha05]

any advantage to purchasing a quilt over a sleeping bag? Most good quality bags dont weigh much more than quilts.

Why I like a quilt over a bag:
1. Easier to maneuver around in a hammock.
2. If you add head cover, more warmth per weight.
3. More convient for thermal regulation.

[OldMan]

Why I like a quilt over a bag:
1. Easier to maneuver around in a hammock.
2. If you add head cover, more warmth per weight.
3. More convient for thermal regulation.

I can see #2, but fail to understand how an unzipped mummy bag, I have an REI Sub Kilo 20 degree bag, is more difficult to maneuver around in or to thermally regulate. I actually like the foot box because my feet don't end up hanging out the end (I am 6'2") when I pull it up under my chin. I have not used a 'real' TQ though so have nothing to compare with. It is a narrow mummy so does not have a lot of excess width. The zipper, draft tube and hood are excess weight, but not all that much.

[Fiddleback]

Why I like a quilt over a bag:
1. Easier to maneuver around in a hammock.
2. If you add head cover, more warmth per weight.
3. More convient for thermal regulation.

I can see #2, but fail to understand how an unzipped mummy bag, I have an REI Sub Kilo 20 degree bag, is more difficult to maneuver around in or to thermally regulate. I actually like the foot box because my feet don't end up hanging out the end (I am 6'2") when I pull it up under my chin. I have not used a 'real' TQ though so have nothing to compare with. It is a narrow mummy so does not have a lot of excess width. The zipper, draft tube and hood are excess weight, but not all that much.

My quilt weighs about 18oz, my bag weighs about 40oz...both stay at home when I'm hanging in temps over 20 degrees. I use cold weather clothing (hooded jacket and insulated pants) which I always carry because there are always cool/cold nights and mornings in my home region. I get dual use of the clothes which I feel I must pack but virtually have never used while hoofing down the trail.

I knew it was going to be convenient...i.e., I wouldn't have to wrestle with the bag or quilt in the hammock but what I didn't anticipate was the convenience of the nighttime Nature calls. With booties already on, all I have to do is drop out of the hammock and find a suitable tree. No dressing or undressing to face the cold, nothing to warm up when I return.

So...add to the two alternatives in the OP a third alternative...

FB

[mbiraman]

Fiddleback; you and i are almost neighbors, well, compared to many folks here. I like your idea of the extra clothes for summer hanging. I miss summer. I wished i had converted a bit earlier to get in some summer hangin. My first hammock, a WBBB, should be here sometime in the next week but it will take more than a few extra clothes to keep me warm now.

[Mustardman]

Personally, I like the wraparound of a mummy bag when it's really cold. I like the hood all cinched down around my face, and no normal head gear is going to replace that.

In a mummy bag, I can roll around, turn sideways, move my legs, and the bag is always on me. Not so with a quilt.

Above freezing, my bags usually get unzipped and used as quilts, so I could see myself eventually switching over to a purpose built quilt for 3-season use, but when it's getting seriously cold, I like being zipped up inside a bag.

[HappyCamper]

I'm still using my Western Mountaineering Summerlite bag as my warm weather top quilt. It's 19 oz I think and rated to 30 degrees and my JRB No Sniv was about 21 oz. I found them both equally warm. I added extra down to the No Sniv so it's now my cold weather top quilt. No plans to replace the Summerlite with another top quilt. It does just fine.