[pct-l] Quilts versus sleeping bags

[Diane Soini of Santa Barbara Hikes]

A quilt is just a sleeping bag without a zipper. You can get  
effectively the same thing as a quilt by not zipping your sleeping  
bag. There are some sleeping bags as light as quilts so if I was  
going to buy a new bag, I'd get a really light sleeping bag and just  
not zip it when I want the quilt experience.

I currently (and during my PCT hike) have a GoLite Ultra 20 quilt. It  
worked fine. On winter trips I put another quilt on top. That  
eliminates a lot of the drafts. My 2nd quilt is a wearable quilt from  
Jacks R Better. If I ever buy another quilt, I will get one from  
them. They make a fine product. I now just bring my wearable quilt  
and wear it to keep warm like a jacket. I no longer need a down jacket.

On the subject of packs, I used a Gossamer Gear G4 pack on my 2nd  
hike. I didn't like the fit of it or the feel of it, but it worked  
just fine and is still in great shape and I sometimes use it for  
hikes when I need a lot of capacity. My favorite pack is a ULA Relay.  
I think ULA makes the absolute best packs. I also have an Osprey Aura  
65 which is a great pack for heavier loads and the nice thing with  
Osprey packs is you can get them from REI.

On the subject of tents, I love my Gossamer Gear One. This is the  
best tent I have ever slept in. I truly love it.

Full disclosure: I'm a Gossamer Gear "Ambassador".
On Feb 12, 2013, at 8:05 AM, pct-l-request at backcountry.net wrote:

> Quilts versus sleeping bags