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I switched because I get up more than once during the night and it's just more convenient but it takes a lot more bedding.

I've got too much money wrapped up in sleeping bags for me to consider buying one to try.

I have a 10* quilt and I use a silk liner to help keep my accumulated taint and oils from getting the quilt dirty. ( I have concerns that repeated washings will reduce the water resistance of the treated down ) That extra layer probably adds a few extra degrees on the low end too.

Coldest night I've been under my quilt was mid to high teens, I think. I slept just fine. I also wear a beanie and base layers.

Make sure that you have a pad with adequate r value.

I started using a quilt a couple of years ago and am very happy. The space and weight savings are very nice.

Because of my crazy work schedule, I probably only have 45-50 nights under a quilt though. And a few of those are camping with the kids, hardly what you'd call "in the field". So qualify my opinion.

Maybe I'm missed how to really use it right. ????

Ed

And I'm not ticked off Beendare. I'm happy with the way a quilt is working out for me in the temperatures common during my hunting seasons. I'm not really concerned with its popularity.

When the time came to replace my bags that were looking like something a homeless guy on an off ramp would be carrying, I went in two directions for different conditions; ultralight down quilt and bulky bomb-proof synthetic.

If I owned a quality lightweight down bag in good condition, I wouldn't be buying a quilt to save some ounces. I'm trying to squeeze nickels. I tend to be the guy where gear goes to die.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjsAxRNnnsE

Ed

I'll look into the straps you mentioned.

Ed

We tent camped in the Bighorns at temps to sub-zero. I still have a heavy foam pad from the 70's...I'd slip that into a sleeping bag and wrapped up in a great down comforter. Cozy and warm no matter the temps.

I'd also throw "tomorrow's" undergarments in the foot of my bedroll. Nothing better than jumping into nice warm duds in the freeze-yer-@$$-off pre dawn cold.

Quilt would have been nice to throw over everything else.

They're even warmer than hippie chicks and better conversationalists, but lacking in other areas.

When I decided to try a quilt, I bought one off the classifieds that was a good deal. I really liked it, but even at 6' a long was the right fit for me.

I'm with Bruce, I think they are a summer through hiker hippy chick ultra lite fad. Not to be relied on for mid to late fall on the mountain. I'd question their "comfort" rating just on the basis of the "mummy" factor. Tight fitting mummy bags have highest ratings. They do so because there is less "dead air" to deal with in a small bag than with a bigger cut. The looser fitting the bag, the lower the comfort rating. Fact. They don't come any looser than a quilt.

My thermostat is set pretty high I admit. Might trust a quilt to summer trips, but mid to late sept in the teens.... I have a LOVE affair with that WM Badger. Recently added a Neo-air X-therm pad. Two shake down cruises with it.... I sleep great and never give a thought as to what the mountain will throw at me... don't care how many oz more I have to pack. It's a part of my backcountry foundation, don't leave home without it.

If it gets too cold I'll take the through hiker hippy chick's quilt away for myself....you know you're getting old and the mountain about has you beat when you might value a warm night over a hot night....

Who would turn down a combo of lighter, cheaper, and roomier when it comes to your sleeping arrangements for camping?

I toss several times in a night and haven't had any trouble. Also using it mostly in September so no harsh cold yet.

It's versatile enough that I've used it over my clothes to stay warm during early morning glassing. This is mostly because I don't carry heavy weight clothes for September hunts. Overall, a weight and space saver.

All bags from Enlightened Equipment are custom orders so you can get camo if you want.

They are all crazy sticklers about wt. Many many back packers are not willing to carry more than 25 lbs because daily distance is a big part of it for people doing things like the PCT. When your goal is 20-25 miles a day up and down mountains for many weeks to months at a time, cutting a couple ounces is a big deal.

There's no way I'd ever use a quilt, but I don't have a pelt like Orionsbro. 10 degree synthetic in September for me. I use a liner if it's getting below 25 at night. It's big and heavy, but the higher weight is worth it to me to sleep good while hunting.

Sleeping well under a quilt, even in cooler conditions, is easy, normal.

My concerns with using a quilt are:

1. Extreme wet conditions or a mishap where gear gets soaked. One turn with hypothermia is enough for me. But that's more of a concern about the down than the quilt...I bought a quilt with water resistant / treated down.

2. Durability. Snagging, abraiding, tearing, melting the shell and pouring feathers out everywhere. Again, same sort of concern with a down bag...I leave it in the tent.

3. Maintenance. I don't know that I'm fully convinced on the treated down, but it seems to me that emulsifying soaps that will remove skin oils would probably strip the hydrophobic agents from the treated down...I use a silk liner to try to keep the quilt cleaner longer.

So, even if your hide is tanned hairless like Ike, you might be surprised that something that packs down to a little bigger than a Nalgene bottle is very comfortable. I was.

But I'm just offering my opinion and experiences. It's no hair off my furry azz if you choose a different sleep system than me.