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| In my sleeping bag at a camp in Death Valley National Park last October |
When I began backpacking the question of whether to use a sleeping bag or a quilt didn’t arise as suitable quilts didn’t exist. A couple of decades ago the first backpacking quilts were pioneered by Ray Jardine. Since then quite a few have appeared at the specialist ultralight end of the market and they are often touted as superior to sleeping bags.
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| Airing my Pacific Northwest Trail quilt |
Are quilts actually better than sleeping bags? There is no
right answer. Both work okay. If a quilt works best for you then it’s the right
choice. My preference though is for a sleeping bag. Maybe this is due to the
many hundreds of nights I’d slept in one before quilts came along. I have given
quilts a good try however. Indeed I took one on the Pacific Northwest Trail and
used it on sixty nights. I think that’s a fair trial. I had no problems
sleeping under it and found it very comfortable. So why have I never used a
quilt since?
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| Sitting in my sleeping bag at a chilly camp in the Cairngorms earlier this year |
The main reason has actually nothing to do with sleeping. It’s
to do with how I use a sleeping bag when not sleeping, which is as an item of warm
clothing. I like to pull the bag up under my armpits and tighten the neck
drawcord so I can sit up or lie on my side while cooking, eating, reading,
looking at the view, writing my journal or any other activity I can’t easily do
lying flat. You can’t really do that with a quilt. Yes, you can wrap it round
you but it doesn’t stay in place well, at least not in my
experience. I missed sitting in my sleeping bag on the PNT and so decided not
to bother with a quilt again.
The arguments for quilts are generally that they save weight
and that they let you sleep with more freedom, especially if you’re not a back
sleeper. I don’t think the weight argument is very valid – there are ultralight
versions of quilts and bags. As to how you sleep well I’m a front and side
sleeper who shifts a great deal during the night and I have no problem sleeping
comfortably in a sleeping bag unless it’s too close-fitting. Yes, I often end
up with the bottom of the bag on top (which is why I don’t like bags with less
fill in the base) but I don’t find this uncomfortable. I also like the ease of
using a bag – no need to tuck it in or arrange it in the right way, just slide
in and tighten the drawcords if necessary (my ideal bag doesn’t have a zip – I like
simplicity).
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| Snug in my sleeping bag |
This is not meant to knock quilts – as I said they work fine
– but I just wanted to give a counter view to all the praise quilts receive. There’s
no need to feel guilty or inferior if you prefer a sleeping bag!
