Help me pick a quilt!

Joined
Jan 10, 2014
Messages
613
I’m looking at getting a down quilt. I’m a stomach sleeper and I’m hoping that a quilt will afford me a better, more comfortable nights sleep than my mummy bag has in the past on hunts and backpacking trips. I love how warm the bag is, I just can’t fall asleep on my back for the life of me, no matter how many times I try to train myself to. I always end up trying to roll to my stomach at some point during the night and getting twisted up in the bag. I’ve had mixed results with side sleeping; sometimes I can sometimes I can’t, and I’m ready to give up on forcing my mummy bag to work for me.

I’ve been looking in to quilts a lot lately, and I think I’ve narrowed my choices down to a katabatic gear elite (either 5 or 15 degree) and a zpacks bag (5 or 20 degree; probably 5 if I went with zpacks).

Anyone have experience with either of these brands? Which did you choose and how have you liked it? Anyone who is a stomach sleeper and switched to a quilt who’d be willing to share their experiences? I’m thinking the switch will help me sleep better in the backcountry, but I’d love to hear from those that have already switched and what they’ve learned.

Whichever one I end up going with will be paired with a thermarest xtherm pad. I’ve got the regular now but may be upgrading to a large for the extra width. I’m 5’11 so I don’t need the length, but the width might be nice. I don’t toss and turn too much in my sleep so I’m still debating this as well...


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Colberjs

WKR
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Dec 26, 2014
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Oklahoma- Go Pokes!!!
Following along. I’m a side sleeper that likes a fetal position so I too am looking to switch to a quilt system. Haven’t done a lot of research on them yet so I’ll piggyback here.

Thanks.
 
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I would not choose either of those companies. Some very good quilt makers out there at a much better price. Not mass produced either. Here are 3 VERY high quality quilt makers.

Enlightened Equipment Quilts
Loco Libre Quilts
Underground Quilts
 
OP
back country
Joined
Jan 10, 2014
Messages
613
I would not choose either of those companies. Some very good quilt makers out there at a much better price. Not mass produced either. Here are 3 VERY high quality quilt makers.

Enlightened Equipment Quilts
Loco Libre Quilts
Underground Quilts

Is your recommendation to not go with katabic or zpacks based off of personal experience, or simply price point? Just curious.


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boom

WKR
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Sep 11, 2013
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3,185
i learned to quit fighing my mummy bag. if i want to lay on my side, i just kinda roll-slide (to stay on my pad). i bring the mummy with me. i dont try to roll within the mummy. it works for me.

having said that. i just bought an EE 10 deg quilt. the Enigma or something. i havent gotten it out yet but once. and i did it wrong and froze my butt. i need a redo. it is built well and it is crazy how small i can scrunch it down..and the weight is ethereal.
 
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Jul 31, 2014
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I am a stomach/side sleeper that has been using an enlightened equipment quilt for a few years with no issues.
 
Joined
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Is your recommendation to not go with katabic or zpacks based off of personal experience, or simply price point? Just curious.


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Personal experience. I have a quilt from all 3 I listed. All custom made to how I like them. Go onto hammock forums and you can get tons of quilt info.
 
OP
back country
Joined
Jan 10, 2014
Messages
613
Personal experience. I have a quilt from all 3 I listed. All custom made to how I like them. Go onto hammock forums and you can get tons of quilt info.

I was actually getting at 'do you have experience with katabatic or zpacks and would not recommend them because of _________,' but I see where you were coming from. Thanks for the suggestions.
 
Joined
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I originally looked at katabatic but did a ton of reading and researching on quilts. The hammock community is the go to for quilt info. That is where I basically gathered info and asking a lot of questions.
 
Joined
Mar 14, 2013
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1,111
Stomach and side sleeper here. Same issue as you when I was trying to use a mummy bag. Went to a EE 10 degree quilt and a wide/regular xtherm several years ago and love it! Room to move and draw my legs up to me instead of having to keep them strait out all the time. A quilt and a wide therm is a great combo if you want some room to switch positions during the night. Xtherm really adds to warmth for me.
 

Wolfey

FNG
Joined
Jan 27, 2016
Messages
38
I like my katabatic flex quilt a lot. It's a 40° quilt that I've slept in down to freezing temps just fine. If I was going to get a 0 degree quilt it would be a Hammock Gear Burrow Econ with a sewn footbox and overfill. Might not be the lightest option but when battling condensation in the cold I'd rather have more down plumes in the baffles to keep the loft. My 900fill katabatic quilt looses a lot of loft from condensation.

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Colby Jack

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Sep 22, 2013
Messages
239
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Eagle River, AK
Subscribed. Alaskan stomach sleeper. Looking at the Nemo Argali. Want a cold weather non-mummy essentially. I love the idea of the bathtub floor with integrated pad sleeve. I just hate mummy hoods.
 

Yoter

FNG
Joined
Jul 23, 2013
Messages
52
Location
Aurora, Colorado
I have had a Katobatic Flex 30 for a year now, and I love it. Used it about 20 nights. Looked at many brands, went with Katobatic because it is near my house (Colorado). Also paired with Xtherm.

I have no experience with other quilts, but I really like how the cords and clips secure it to the pad. I can lock them down or allow them to slide. See the video on Katobatic website.

I am getting ready to order a 15 degree Flex soon for some colder weather hunts this fall.

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OP
back country
Joined
Jan 10, 2014
Messages
613
Be sure to get it larger than listed......I like having a bit of extra quilt so I avoid cold spots after rolling over.

Good tip...this is what I was thinking as well.


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OP
back country
Joined
Jan 10, 2014
Messages
613
I ended up ordering a katabatic quilt just a few days ago. I went with the grenadier 5* model (6’6” length, standard width). I’m more of a cold sleeper so I wanted the extra margin.

I’ll report back as soon as I get hands on it in case any one is interested or thinking about a katabatic quilt. Their CS has been great so far, I called in twice with some pretty specific questions and they took the time to answer all of them. The owner was actually who I spoke to the first time I called in. I asked him about a measurement that wasn’t listed on the website (neck opening circumference measurement) and he said ‘I’ll go measure it right now can you hold on a second?’ Pretty happy with them so far


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FlyGuy

WKR
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Aug 13, 2016
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The Woodlands, TX
I'm jumping in to the quilt life as well. Have run a 20F slick bag. I am a stomach sleeper and very "active" sleeper. I also like to keep my clothes down in the footbox so that I don't have to put on freezing cold clothes when I get up, but the weight of that contributed to the binding and twisting and fighting the bag.

Just pulled the trigger about 20 minutes ago on a 0F revelation from EE, long-Xwide. Didn't really need one that low for most of my fall hunts, but since I'm keeping my 20F slick bag I wanted my overall kit to cover a much broader temp range.
 
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