Sleeping Bag vs Quilt--Infrared Proof

Flir infrared view of cold spots and air leaks, feature comparison, recommendations, and gear links. Choosing between sleeping bags vs quilts can be a decision with some consequences on your wallet and pack weight. Let me know what you choose. Enlightened Equipment Revelation vs a Feathered Friends sleeping bag.
If you are planning to hike or thru hike the AT, PCT, CDT, SHT or doing any other hiking or backpacking, this gear review with the Flir One Gen3 thermal imaging will be helpful to make the decision.

You might also be interested in these videos:
5 Ways to Stop Losing Heat and Warm Up.
Stop Losing Heat and Sleep Warm.
How to use a Steripen and why I switched.
3 Exercises: Learning how to use a compass.

Flir One Gen 3 Thermal Imaging Camera
Enlightened Equipment Revelation Quilt
Thermarest NeoAir XTherm
Feathered Friends
Ridgerest Classic (2R insulation)
Ridgerest SOLite Reflective (2.8 R insulation)
Military Bivy
Filmed with a GoPro Hero 7 Black (available here):

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Flir One Gen 3 Thermal Imaging Camera
Enlightened Equipment Revelation Quilt
Thermarest NeoAir XTherm
Feathered Friends
Ridgerest Classic (2R insulation)
Ridgerest SOLite Reflective (2.8 R insulation)
Military Bivy
Filmed with a GoPro Hero 7 Black (available here):

[alexl]

In my opinion this is very misleading. When you roll over in your bag you need to give the bag a chance to regain some loft and retain heat so keep your infra red camera rolling. You are not getting any drafts. When you roll around your quilt you let in drafts which don’t seal unless you rearrange the quilt. It really seems that the outcome of your ‘test’ was predetermined.

[benkilbourne]

I like the idea of the test, thanks for giving it a try! I do think it would be useful for the two bags to be more similar: both brand new (FF looks old maybe, or in any case has poor loft for some reason), both similar amount of down, both similar girth, both differential cut (maybe nunatak or katabatic would make more sense).

[SIC]

I used to use my sleeping bag half open as a quilt, because I toss and turn, and because I always sleep with my knees, bend.
Eventually I started bringing a duvet with a homemade strap system, and I felt warmer in it.
I have been delighted to discover top quilts and am definitely going to buy or make one.

[trevorhill]

I find 2 advantages with quilts. The first is that it doesn't suffer from compression of the down. In a sleeping bag, the bag around the upper abdomen and shoulders gets stretched causing compression of the down. The second benefit is that, unlike a sleeping bag, down doesn't get squashed and rendered useless underneath you.
For two similar weights, the quilt offers better utilisation of the down, hence better heat retention.

[vinceburris]

I like the quilt idea. Thanks for the videos.

[tomsitzman]

Back in 1972 my wife opened up on our Eddy Bauer Sleeping bags, down the side and across the bottom so that they laid out flat and sewed a nylon sheet to the sleeping bag creating a two person sleeping bag, with dawn on top and a sheet on the bottom side. You sleep between the down and the nylon. There is no need to attach the bag to the sleeping pad. Warm air can't gush out when you roll over. The second Eddy Bauer she put in a zipper that goes down the side and across the bottom so it can be used as a traditional sleeping bag or as a quilt. Back than we were not obsessed with saving a few ounces on a longer zipper. We were more concerned with versatility and function. At home they are the down quilt on our guest bed. The obsession with ounces by present-day hikers is overrated.

[BackcountryPilgrim]

Very cool video and perfect timing as I am making some decisions on this right now. New sub!

[typo]

Thank you, that was useful. I strongly dislike close fitting mummy bags, and you give some of the reasons. However, I found your video another convincing demonstration of why quilts such as that would be a really bad choice for me, and I suspect many others.

[OutsideChronicles]

Cool video, love the "scientific" proof. I love my quilts and am looking for quilt in the 0-15 degree range.

[olympic-gradelurker]

In cold weather camping, I'd end up sleeping with my down jacket on and hood up anyway, so the quilt could still work

[jimihenrik]

When rolling around with the sleeping bag. there are a few things to consider:
1. Not everybody rolls with the bag, some roll in the bag. Some sleeping bags even come with a system to attach to the pad, so the less insulated underside doesn't get exposed.
2. If you roll with the bag, the down needs some time to expand. You have only filmed a few seconds, if you filmed a few more, we would see that red spot rapidly disappear.

[janeeightfive]

Just a tip for using a Quilt: You are supposed to put both (!) straps on the air matress and then attach the quilt to it. This way you can turn around without having air drafts.

[hoser]

Quilts let in too much cold air imho. Turning around on film while awake is one thing. While sleeping gaps just open on me. Even for summer backcountry use I have switched to a Patagonia ultralite sleeping bag. More ppl seem to like quilts and I do for hotel travel and some car camping but fir backcountry I am sticking w slpg bags. 😬

[drumeshopeth]

I've been considering a quilt for some time. I did the Uintah highline trail in August(only month without significant snow at altitude) with a sleeping bag and was just bitter cold with every layer on that i had packed. I realize now it was my cheap pad with no insulation but for similar reason i am distrustful of quilts. I went out there alone hoping to die but not quite in that way.

[anthonymauger]

Done both, used a sleeping bag in many weather condtions, some sleeping bags are way out on their temp ratings . Matter of preference what people can use, but when you need to warm up, or stay warm then a good sleeping bag can save you life when your cold or condtions rapidly change

[nathanielpoulin]

It appeared to me that your quilt was warmer. White being the highest area of heat loss, then red, then yellow, etc. Would agree for winter camping I would want more then just my pad on my back for insulation regardless of the R value. 3 season prefer a quilt

[ruben]

shouldnt you lock the quilt below your sleeping pad? S2S recommends doing so with all their quilts and will have absolutely no drafts because the quilt is tucked and locked to the edge of the sleeping pad. i've used the etherlight xt with the glow gw2 and it worked great

[SA-mfgq]

An infrared camera shows difference in temperate. It does not show heat loss. If used correctly you can determine if there is heat loss though. When you sleep on your back in a sleeping bag, you squeeze the sleeping bag with your back against the pad, making this area of the sleeping bag warm (inside as well as the the outside fabric). I am not an expert but when you turn around, the infrared camera is showing you that the area you just laid on is warmer than the rest of the bag. Surely there will be some loss of warmth, because of the loss of loft, but the camera is also showing you that the sleeping bag has become warm while you were laying on it. It could very well be that the inside of the back of the bag stays warmer than the rest of the bag after it has regained its loft.

[underdogontheappalachiantr]

Gotta ask. Where do we get the brown n white knitted hat. TY