Affordable backpacking quilt
 

Last night my go to quilt got chilly at 50 degrees Fahrenheit. I am now looking for a quilt that will go down to 30 degrees, yet is not in the uber price range. Under 200 bills is the goal. Any hope of finding one that is over 80" in length?

OneTigris 3 season quilt - $72 - This one might be worth a look - although rated to only 40 degrees, commenters on the youtube review mention that they have used it with an underquilt down to the teens. The reviewer also mentions using an underquilt with it in cooler weather. The length is 78".

Thanks, Trueblood. Interesting how the reviewer labels it a quilt. More like a sleeping bag with an enclosed footbox. My needs are a full on quilt without an enclosed footbox.
The biggest hurdle is the length. I have found plenty of rectangular sleeping bags that fully unzip and form a quilt like presence, which will work, however finding something over 80" and affordable is proving difficult. I did find a Kelty, but the length is only 76 inches. I guess backpackers are shorter people?

I have never even seen a quilt. What advantage does one have over a sleeping bag?

I have never used one, but I have talked to backpackers that cite smaller volume to pack and less weight. I am sticking with sleeping bags.

Last year I bought a new sleeping bag to replace one that is getting a bit tired after about 12 years of use. This is the one I bought.
https://www.rei.com/product/220973/s...-bag-mens-long

The above is the long I bought, the regular size has slightly less weight and packed volume:
https://www.rei.com/product/220972/s...eping-bag-mens

For comparison, that manufacturer makes a quilt to the same spec. Thus, you can compare apples to apples here. Quilt has slightly less weight, slightly smaller packed volume.
https://www.rei.com/product/220960/s...nitro-20-quilt

They list the quilt "fits to" length as between the long and regular sleeping bag lengths, that complicates a direct numerical comparison slightly.

I noticed the two different versions (bag and quilt) because I almost accidently ordered the wrong version.

I will let others that have actually used a quilt explain more since I have not used one. They probably have more reasons to cite.

I bought a 30F down quilt for a bike tour and believe it's the best gear purchase I've ever made. I splurged a bit and bought a nice one made by enLightened Equipment, a bit over $200 ten years ago. (I've finally learned that sleeping insulation is not the place you want to cut corners.) In addition to lower cost, bulk and weight, one of the advantages I discovered is that it stays clean. A few minutes of sun every few days disinfects it easily. I've never had to launder mine.

I'm sure the one I bought costs quite a bit more than $200 now, so I didn't recommend it to the OP. To go cheaper, you'll probably have to get a heavier, bulkier synthetic. There may still be kits and homemade versions on various backpacking forums. It looks like the synthetic "Ray-Way" quilt kit is still available: https://www.rayjardine.com/ray-way/Quilt-Kit/index.php

Many people don't like quilts because of drafts. I use a sleeping bag but do also have a quilt for car camping.

That quilt kit looks interesting and I do know a gal that sews everything under the sun. Will look into it. The only concern is the toe box, but there may be a way to design around it.
As far as quilt vs sleeping bag, a bag is too confining for me. I have a really nice bag that will get me down into the 20's, but it is simply too confining, especially in the foot area. A quilt allows for better heat regulation and certainly doesn't restrict movement during the night.

This is the one I bought years ago when the guy was just starting out his company. Excellent workmanship. It does have a toe box though.

Try this site Quilts & Sleeping Bags – Garage Grown Gear

Garage Grown Gear certainly looks like really nice stuff, unfortunately it is outside my definition of affordable. I have contacted my seamstress friend and am waiting for some ideas from her. She can make anything I want in down or other fill at less than half the cost I can find online.

lol

Then she is selling herself short.

I got one for sitting out watching the stars. Jack’s R Better model with velcro center slot for wearing like a serape. The advantages are slight compared to a sleeping bag for sleeping but it has more utility beyond sleeping. Just don’t sit near fires or smoke wearing it,

Friends help each other out, hence she is helping me out. Silvia is one smart lady when it comes to this stuff and the ideas just flow from her mind. Her first thought was why reinvent what I already have, and she proposed adding a layer that can be attached to the existing quilt or removed when temps don't warrant it, plus the layer can do double duty in warmer temps as a single thin layer.
Next proposal was a rectangular sack to be used under the existing quilt. I will have to think about this as I don't like being confined in a "bag".
Then this popped into her mind, a dual fill, one layer down, and a second layer a batt. I told her about size constraints during storage on the bike, and she quickly ruled it out.
I'm sure she will come up with something.

Great invention, you could call it a sleeping bag.

I have the Katabatic Palisades quilt, no drafts. They offer many sizing options but it is around $400. It is rated to 30F. I have 2 oz overstuffed down in it and it is comfortable down into the lower 20's and have had it to 15F but was chilly. This quilt will weigh 18-22 oz depending on size and down type selected

The benefits to a quilt for me as a side sleeper is comfort as they are far less constraining than a traditional bag. On a warmer night, I can disconnect the quilt from the air mattress and sort of use it as a blanket.

This one is about as value orientated as you can go in my opinion and you can get it in different size and fills, they rate to comfort

https://hammockgear.com/economy-burr...QGsX00&irgwc=1

I find odd the idea of sleeping directly on the mattress. Seems to me a regular bag with full length zipper can be used just as well as a quilt when open, but you can also have the draft-free warmth when you need it and the comfort of sleeping on something other that rubber.

There are wide or rectangular bags that are much less confining than a mummy.

I've always used a liner in a sleeping bag which can be used by itself and is easy to wash (make them myself and they stay in place with velcro).

U.S. Army poncho liners are 63" by 80" and under $25. Probably not good at 30 degrees.

I find it very odd when in a mummy or rectangular that lays on top of my thermarest that when I roll or turn, the mattress displaces somewhere into the hinterlands of the tent. My quilt and mattress are connected and my body is on top of the mattress. The insulation of a sleeping bag is so compress under you that it have negligible insulation value anyway.

I used a synthetic down quilt (birthday gift from family) this summer on an air mattress rather than the 1985 Cats Meow SB. I enjoyed being able to sleep more as I do in a bed. I'd think it has it's temp limits.

How about a Silk Blanket with one side reflective and the other Black. Take a step back to the 1942 survival blanket...

This post is with sleeping bags, not quilt, thus off topic.

A gal I used to work with always used a sleeping bag liner, she said that her sleeping bag stayed much cleaner that way. That was over a dozen years ago, I started doing the same. And I find that I am washing the sleeping bags a lot less often than I used to when I use a liner.

I find that on a warm night I can start using only the sleeping bag liner, and as it cools, use more of the sleeping bag over the top of me.

I have two, one silk for light weight and one microfleece for more insulation on colder trips.

I never wash as sleeping bag. I did once after a house fire to remove the smoky smell. Washing can reduce the loft.

Tourist in MSN, it could also be dubbed a sleeping bag liner. Now, what differentiates one from the other? Hmmmm, gonna have to think on this one.

Over 100 bucks for an insulated quilt is pricey to me as it is simply a blanket made from lightweight material. Down is not pricey from what I have been told and light nylon in ripstop form is common and relatively inexpensive. Silvia believes with fabric, thread and insulation the 100 dollar threshold is easily achievable.