[pct-l] Sleeping quilts vs bags

[Eric Payne]

I switched over to quilts a couple of years ago, and don't ever plan to use
a full bag ever again.  keep in mind that I have 2 different quilts, one
rated to 45* for summer, and the other to 20* in winter conditions.  The
winter quilt is made by Nunatak, who make their quilts nice a wide, so they
are easy to stay tucked under the body.  The quilts even come with straps
that can be fastened under the body to keep the quilt in place when tossing
and turning at night.  Both of the quilts are down, and I don't think I
would ever consider using a synthetic quilt.  Sure down is completely
worthless when wet, but there is no reason that it should ever become wet.
If you are using a silnylon stuff sack inside of a pack cover/liner, then it
will always stay perfectly dry.  There may be some tricky situations if you
were to camp in only a bivy during a hard rainstorm, you shouldn't be doing
that!, but you could work around it.  I feel that the fear of keeping down
dry has been entirely too overhyped.  Then again, maybe I've never hiked in
the right environments to cause down to be a real threat.  Over 2,000 miles
on the AT never caused me to worry about my down, and I'm nearly certain the
PCT will be just as suitable for down.

I'm not sure how much loft the Jardine quilt offers, but I'm pretty sure
that it isn't really rated down to 20 for winter temps.  This would surely
be uncomfortably cold in the High Sierra and other chilly areas on the
trail.  Don't let the fact that staying warm in a quilt was difficult in the
past dissuade you from sticking with a quilt.  You can always wear more
clothing to bed that you are already carrying, or use a thicker sleeping
pad.  Quilts simply make much more sense to me, instead of all of the wasted
fabric in a sleeping bag.
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