Down quilt

[auburnfive]

I’ve read posts about using a small down quilt inside a liner, which seems like a great idea. Where can these be purchased? Any brand recommendations? What size? Thank you!

 

[Jeff Crawley]

Mine is a Get Out Gear one. It has plastic snap fasteners already fitted so you can wear it like a cape while sitting around on cooler evening. I added a few more.
As to size, if you're sleeping on a conventional mattress you don't need heat retention below you - I could never see the reason for using an outdoor sleeping bag indoors, at home do you put blankets under you? - so it just needs to cover you, especially if you are using it inside a liner (preferably one made of silk).

 

[J Willhaus]

I think you can also source ultralight ones at REI in the US. Very pricey though. Walmart has a packable down throw for $29.

 

[Sheesh]

If you are in the USA, Montbell has a couple of options. Shipping is expensive to countries outside of the States though.

A few years ago Costco sold an inexpensive bed-sized down quilt that I read many folk had success cutting down to size. I don't know if it is still sold, it would be a seasonal item if it were.

 

[J Willhaus]

If you are in the USA, Montbell has a couple of options. Shipping is expensive to countries outside of the States though.

A few years ago Costco sold an inexpensive bed-sized down quilt that I read many folk had success cutting down to size. I don't know if it is still sold, it would be a seasonal item if it were.

We have a pair of Montbell Spiral Hugger 5 bags, no longer made unfortunately. Excellent for the Camino. They weigh 16 oz each.

 

[Sheesh]

We have a pair of Montbell Spiral Hugger 5 bags, no longer made unfortunately. Excellent for the Camino. They weigh 16 oz each.

Yes, I remember looking at those longingly online at one time. But I was meaning that their down blankets, which come in three sizes, might be appropriate, especially the medium weighing in at 209 grams.

 

[trecile]

A few years ago Costco sold an inexpensive bed-sized down quilt that I read many folk had success cutting down to size. I don't know if it is still sold, it would be a seasonal item if it were.

Unfortunately, Costco hasn't sold that blanket for several years.

I have the medium sized down blanket from Montbell which I tuck inside my silk sleep sack. It just covers me, and is a good option if you don't need to add a lot of warmth.

If you are larger or will be on the Camino when it's colder, the large size might be better. Either way, putting it inside your liner works well.

I find the Montbell blankets to be very well made. And mine has survived the hot dryer bedbug treatment.

 

[mspath]

Mine is a Get Out Gear one. It has plastic snap fasteners already fitted so you can wear it like a cape while sitting around on cooler evening. I added a few more.
As to size, if you're sleeping on a conventional mattress you don't need heat retention below you - I could never see the reason for using an outdoor sleeping bag indoors, at home do you put blankets under you? - so it just needs to cover you, especially if you are using it inside a liner (preferably one made of silk).

Jeff Crawley,
In winter all dorms are not warm. Check this post re using blankets in frigid unheated/uninsulated spaces.

 

[Jeff Crawley]

Jeff Crawley,
In winter all dorms are not warm. Check this post re using blankets in frigid unheated/uninsulated spaces.

I would tend to agree with you, if I were sleeping on the ground or on a thin kip mat on the floor of a cold building, but I did say "if you're sleeping on a conventional mattress you don't need heat retention below you".

Conventional wisdom before low temperature sleeping bags were invented, and I'm thinking of old style "cowboy bedding rolls" here, was to have more blankets above you than below and they were sleeping on the ground and outside.

I remember staying one Christmas in an unheated gîte in the Atlas mountains where the night time temperature inside was 4 deg C and we slept on mattresses on the stone floor. I found I was warmer inside my silk liner (mainly for hygene) with my sleeping bag unzipped and spread over me like a blanket than I was cocooned inside the zipped up bag.

Maybe I was a little more roughtie-toughtie in those days?

 

[Sparleb644]

Does anyone have the specs on the no longer available Costco blanket? Weight, type of down, down weight, etc.? To help orient my search as this has been a popular and successful piece of gear.

I see the Monbell blankets are 650 type down.

Buen Camino

 

[J F Gregory]

I don't know if you have Costco. We purchased ours for for about $20.00 and they have worked very well. Even in very cold weather also a sleep sheet.

 

[Stivandrer]

Sea to Summit TR I and II are down quilts and sleeping bags
Excellent quality

 

[trecile]

I don't know if you have Costco. We purchased ours for for about $20.00 and they have worked very well. Even in very cold weather also a sleep sheet.

Unfortunately, they haven't been available for several years.

 

[Carl Remarx]

I’ve read posts about using a small down quilt inside a liner, which seems like a great idea. Where can these be purchased? Any brand recommendations? What size? Thank you!

Seamless Down Hugger 800 Thermal Sheet

This versatile sleeping system is great for a variety of uses. Perfect as an ultralight sleeping...

www.montbell.us

Perfect little bag(14 oz), opens to large quilt in warm weather.

 

[trecile]

Does anyone have the specs on the no longer available Costco blanket? Weight, type of down, down weight, etc.? To help orient my search as this has been a popular and successful piece of gear.

The packaging says 700 fill power. The dimensions are 60 inches x 70 inches, and weighs one pound.
The fabric content is 54% polyester/46% nylon with minimum 80% down fill, so it also has feathers.

The popularity of the Costco blanket was mostly due to its very low price.

I have both the Montbell blanket and several Costco blankets, and the Montbell is definitely a much nicer blanket, and probably more durable.

I'm pretty sad that the Costco blanket (made by Blue Ridge Home Fashions) is no longer being made. I think that I bought the last few that were available on Amazon. I have a little hobby business of making silk sleep sacks with cut down Costco blankets, and I won't be able to offer the blankets for much longer.

 

[trecile]

Seamless Down Hugger 800 Thermal Sheet

This versatile sleeping system is great for a variety of uses. Perfect as an ultralight sleeping...

www.montbell.us

Perfect little bag(14 oz), opens to large quilt in warm weather.

For more than $100 less the Large Down Blanket from Montbell is a better buy if you are looking for a blanket and not a sleeping bag.

Down Blanket L

Fitted with snaps and lightweight adjustable cords, this down filled blanket easily converts to a...

www.montbell.us

They also have the Down Sleeping Wrap - 12.2 ounces for $209

Down Sleeping Wrap #5

The Down Sleeping Wrap #5 is a versatile camp companion. In summer conditions or warmer...

www.montbell.us

 

[MikeyC]

Have a look at Naturehike which has a USA website. We have the rectangular down sleeping bags which open up flat.
I saw now that they have a down shawl but check the size.
We have various products from this company including a back packing tent, swimming and hiking gear and find it good quality.
We buy through Taobao which is much cheaper than USA prices so I don't know if the $ prices are competitive.

 

[trecile]

Have a look at Naturehike which has a USA website. We have the rectangular down sleeping bags which open up flat.
I saw now that they have a down shawl but check the size.
We have various products from this company including a back packing tent, swimming and hiking gear and find it good quality.
We buy through Taobao which is much cheaper than USA prices so I don't know if the $ prices are competitive.

The Naturehike "shawl" down blanket is very similar in size and weight as the medium Montbell blanket, but at less than half the price on Amazon.

 

[henrythedog]

If buying anything containing down, please consider something accredited as ‘ethical down’ by RDS or similar where the birds are protected from live-plucking and force-feeing.

I would love to be proven wrong, but I can’t see the Costco and Walmart products meeting a recognised ethical standard and those $20 price-points simultaneously.

I’ve just checked the current price of my down blanket (from PHD in the UK; very good quality with top level certification for ethical sourcing of the down.) £430; that’s over $500.

 

[Rita Flower]

Sea to Summit TR I and II are down quilts and sleeping bags
Excellent quality

Sea to Summit traveller 1 - can be a sleeping bag or quilt. 420 grams and the lightest I could find on the Australian market. No cheap though. I am a bit envious of those who pay $20 - $30

 

[Copper Image]

I’ve read posts about using a small down quilt inside a liner, which seems like a great idea. Where can these be purchased? Any brand recommendations? What size? Thank you!

I have a down blanket from Alpine Outfitters, a small company in Texas. I used it on my Camino and loved it. Weighs in at 411g. I either put it inside my silk liner or if there was a cloth sheet I would just use the blanket on its own.

 

[auburnfive]

I’m looking for something readily available in Canada, which makes it a little more difficult

 

[J Willhaus]

Poncho liner at Army surplus. You can have it cut down to a smaller size if needed. It is cheap, available used, and and you may not need the liner bag at all.

 

[Copper Image]

I’m looking for something readily available in Canada, which makes it a little more difficult

I live in Canada and wanted to buy more local as well. I looked at what Altitude Sports and MEC and Sail carried and other retailers and ended up ordering from the US. I was pleased with my purchase in the end.

 

[jrewins]

FWIW: Putting the down comforter inside a silk sleep sack defeats the purpose of both items. The silk in the sack is an insulator for your body to reduce heat loss from direct contact with air or other items with lower temps. The down comforter is like the insulation in a house; it traps your body heat but the down must remain fluffed and uncompressed. A down sleep quilt eliminates the underside of a traditional sleeping bag because the down under your body will be crushed rendering it useless as an insulator against the cold.

Slip into your silk sleep sack and pull a down quilt over the top and if you’re in any of the rooms that I slept in, you’ll be more than warm enough.

Buen Camino!

 

[trecile]

FWIW: Putting the down comforter inside a silk sleep sack defeats the purpose of both items. The silk in the sack is an insulator for your body to reduce heat loss from direct contact with air or other items with lower temps. The down comforter is like the insulation in a house; it traps your body heat but the down must remain fluffed and uncompressed. A down sleep quilt eliminates the underside of a traditional sleeping bag because the down under your body will be crushed rendering it useless as an insulator against the cold.

Slip into your silk sleep sack and pull a down quilt over the top and if you’re in any of the rooms that I slept in, you’ll be more than warm enough.

The problem with the down blanket on top of the silk sleep sack is slippage - as in the blanket is likely to end up on floor. The very lightweight silk doesn't compress the blanket at all.

 

[trecile]

I have a down blanket from Alpine Outfitters, a small company in Texas. I used it on my Camino and loved it. Weighs in at 411g. I either put it inside my silk liner or if there was a cloth sheet I would just use the blanket on its own.

Is it this one from Alpine Ridge Outfitters? Looks good to me.

Ultralight Down Camping Blanket

For backpacking adventurers who weigh every ounce, the Ultralight Down Camping Blanket by Alpine Ridge™ delivers a quality warmth - Alpine Ridge Outfitters

alpineridgeoutfitters.com

 

[henrythedog]

Is it this one from Alpine Ridge Outfitters? Looks good to me.

Ultralight Down Camping Blanket

For backpacking adventurers who weigh every ounce, the Ultralight Down Camping Blanket by Alpine Ridge™ delivers a quality warmth - Alpine Ridge Outfitters

alpineridgeoutfitters.com

View attachment 130725View attachment 130725
Looks good to me.

 

[Rita Flower]

Sea to Summit Traveller 1 - can be a sleeping bag or quilt. 420 grams and the lightest I could find on the Australian market. No cheap though. I am a bit envious of those who pay $20 - $30

Although reading other posts I can confirm that the down in this bag/blanket is ethically sources. Lots of documentation with the product. I was impressed. $AUS 239. From Wildfire.

 

[Copper Image]

Is it this one from Alpine Ridge Outfitters? Looks good to me.

Ultralight Down Camping Blanket

For backpacking adventurers who weigh every ounce, the Ultralight Down Camping Blanket by Alpine Ridge™ delivers a quality warmth - Alpine Ridge Outfitters

alpineridgeoutfitters.com

Yes that’s the one!

Is it this one from Alpine Ridge Outfitters? Looks good to me.

Ultralight Down Camping Blanket

For backpacking adventurers who weigh every ounce, the Ultralight Down Camping Blanket by Alpine Ridge™ delivers a quality warmth - Alpine Ridge Outfitters

alpineridgeoutfitters.com

That’s the one!

 

[Copper Image]

FWIW: Putting the down comforter inside a silk sleep sack defeats the purpose of both items. The silk in the sack is an insulator for your body to reduce heat loss from direct contact with air or other items with lower temps. The down comforter is like the insulation in a house; it traps your body heat but the down must remain fluffed and uncompressed. A down sleep quilt eliminates the underside of a traditional sleeping bag because the down under your body will be crushed rendering it useless as an insulator against the cold.

Slip into your silk sleep sack and pull a down quilt over the top and if you’re in any of the rooms that I slept in, you’ll be more than warm enough.

Buen Camino!

Your point is well taken but in my experience the problem re compressibility simply didn’t arise. I walked the CF starting mid April and I used the down blanket almost every night.

 

[Jeff Crawley]

FWIW: Putting the down comforter inside a silk sleep sack defeats the purpose of both items. The silk in the sack is an insulator for your body to reduce heat loss from direct contact with air or other items with lower temps. The down comforter is like the insulation in a house; it traps your body heat but the down must remain fluffed and uncompressed. A down sleep quilt eliminates the underside of a traditional sleeping bag because the down under your body will be crushed rendering it useless as an insulator against the cold.

Slip into your silk sleep sack and pull a down quilt over the top and if you’re in any of the rooms that I slept in, you’ll be more than warm enough.

Buen Camino!

Agree wholeheartedly with your first paragraph. But . . .
Slip into your silk sleep sack and pull a down quilt over the top and watch the quilt slide off onto the floor. Repeat until exhaustion sets in.
¡Dulces sueños!

 

[Maureen D]

I bought one on sale from Eddie Bauer (travel throw that folds into pillow), paid $20. It is synthetic fill but quite light. I added some fasteners so that I can wear as cape or tuck my feet into a pocket. I am hoping to use that on Camino next Spring. This is not a full size blanket but I am 5'4" so it works OK for me. I don't see it available now but perhaps something similar is out there. I basically tried to duplicate this blanket for 1/6 the price: https://www.graveltravel.com/collec...vy-layover™-travel-blanket-packable-insulated

 

[raincitygal]

I just got the Naturehike down quilt from Amazon, ultra lightweight .49 lbs (7.8 oz), dimensions 54.7" x 36.4" which will be fine for me at 5'5" tall, will use with a silk liner either over the top or inside the liner if slippage is a problem. Cost $39.99. I'll be starting from SJPDP Sept 13, hope that with quilt and liner, and lightweight compressible puffy coat as needed, I will be OK!

 

[RussB]

I’ve read posts about using a small down quilt inside a liner, which seems like a great idea. Where can these be purchased? Any brand recommendations? What size? Thank you!

Not connect to the company , but used it , Alpkit down quilt, if I’m being honest I would prob have used a light down sleeping bag as I found myself fighting with the quilt . Don’t get me wrong it’s great as a quilt , but would prob go light down bag and silk liner next time. Despite global
Warming it doesn’t get cold , and post exercise sometimes needed the extra cover

 

[KariC]

I’ve read posts about using a small down quilt inside a liner, which seems like a great idea. Where can these be purchased? Any brand recommendations? What size? Thank you!

I was surprised to see so many people chime in with recommendations. I would expect down to get very heavy when wet and not dry out quickly at all or dry out clumpy. Is this not a concern? Are there not better things to use than down? And of course it depends on which Camino you are hiking and what season, but I have a hard time believing down could even be necessary for a hike that doesn't start or end in early spring or late fall.

 

[raincitygal]

It's just that down is the lightest weight, I considered synthetic materials for ease of washing but decided to go with down for the warmth/weight ratio, will carry in waterproof stuff sack

 

[linkster]

I store my down quilt in a ultra-sil dry sack from Sea to Summit.

Enlightened Equipment Revelation 40°

Hammock Gear Premium Burrow

 

[RussB]

I have water resistent down and lightweight synthetic, for choice I would always go down l, you just have to try and see

 

[trecile]

I was surprised to see so many people chime in with recommendations. I would expect down to get very heavy when wet and not dry out quickly at all or dry out clumpy. Is this not a concern? Are there not better things to use than down? And of course it depends on which Camino you are hiking and what season, but I have a hard time believing down could even be necessary for a hike that doesn't start or end in early spring or late fall.

Damp down might be an issue when camping, but not when sleeping in albergues.
I have been very cold at O Cebreiro in August, so I appreciated having my little down blanket.

 

[DoughnutANZ]

Agree wholeheartedly with your first paragraph. But . . .
Slip into your silk sleep sack and pull a down quilt over the top and watch the quilt slide off onto the floor. Repeat until exhaustion sets in.
¡Dulces sueños!

I guess that one way of resolving this would be to sew two long elastic strands towards the bottom and the top quarter then it would cling more, not slide off but it would compress more.

Perhaps the best idea would be to sew some Velcro patches to both the silk sleep sheet and the down blanket so that the blanket doesn't slip off and doesn't compress

 

[C clearly]

have been very cold at O Cebreiro in August

And I have been so hot there in November that I had to get up and leave the dorm. I was sleeping next to the big heater on the wall, and was afraid my sleeping bag might melt!

 

[Keith H]

I can second Enlightened Equipment ‘s Revelation. I have 2 and move them. Not cheap but very very good

 

[RussB]

I can second Enlightened Equipment ‘s Revelation. I have 2 and move them. Not cheap but very very good

Haven’t tried the quilt but do have 2 jackets, great kit

 

[RussB]

I guess that one way of resolving this would be to sew two long elastic strands towards the bottom and the top quarter then it would cling more, not slide off but it would compress more.

Perhaps the best idea would be to sew some Velcro patches to both the silk sleep sheet and the down blanket so that the blanket doesn't slip off and doesn't compress

Or put it inside the liner

 

[Lisa HS]

The packaging says 700 fill power. The dimensions are 60 inches x 70 inches, and weighs one pound.
The fabric content is 54% polyester/46% nylon with minimum 80% down fill, so it also has feathers.

The popularity of the Costco blanket was mostly due to its very low price.

I have both the Montbell blanket and several Costco blankets, and the Montbell is definitely a much nicer blanket, and probably more durable.

I'm pretty sad that the Costco blanket (made by Blue Ridge Home Fashions) is no longer being made. I think that I bought the last few that were available on Amazon. I have a little hobby business of making silk sleep sacks with cut down Costco blankets, and I won't be able to offer the blankets for much longer.

What Trecile said. Get a silk sleep sheet and a light weight down throw (both washable). Then, instead of stuffing the throw inside the sleep sheet, do this: Cut it so it's just a few inches wider than the sleep sheet and attach it to the top of the sleep sheet with spaced velcro tabs down each side (maybe 1.5' apart), and a velcro strip along the bottom. That way it won't fall off, it's more comfortable having the silk against your skin, and you can easily detach the top tab or two if you get too warm. I used the infamous Costco down throw, and a Cocoon washable silk sleep sheet, but any brand with these specs will do. Weighed only 1 lb., packs very small, wide at the bottom so much more comfort than a light-weight mummy style sleeping bag. I can't tell you how many people on my Caminos asked me "where did you get that‽"

 

[Kanga]

I also put my down inside the silk liner. If hot, I push it aside, if cold I snuggle into it. Easy.

 

[bmorrish]

The problem with the down blanket on top of the silk sleep sack is slippage - as in the blanket is likely to end up on floor. The very lightweight silk doesn't compress the blanket at all.

The Rumpl down puffy blanket has loops on the corners; you can slip your thumbs in and keep your blanket from sliding away when you are asleep. It's not cheap (I got mine on sale) but it packs down to the size of a Nalgene water bottle and weighs a scant pound. I plan to use it on top of my Enwild silk liner.

 

[Duffman]

FWIW: Putting the down comforter inside a silk sleep sack defeats the purpose of both items. The silk in the sack is an insulator for your body to reduce heat loss from direct contact with air or other items with lower temps. The down comforter is like the insulation in a house; it traps your body heat but the down must remain fluffed and uncompressed. A down sleep quilt eliminates the underside of a traditional sleeping bag because the down under your body will be crushed rendering it useless as an insulator against the cold.

Slip into your silk sleep sack and pull a down quilt over the top and if you’re in any of the rooms that I slept in, you’ll be more than warm enough.

Buen Camino!

Liner keeps the bed bugs off and keeps the down quilt in place. Plus if you get hot you can push the down quilt to the side of the liner or to your feet. Endless possibilities.

 

[trecile]

Liner keeps the bed bugs off and keeps the down quilt in place. Plus if you get hot you can push the down quilt to the side of the liner or to your feet. Endless possibilities.

I hate to break it to you, but bedbugs can crawl into the silk liner the same way that you do.

 

[patiras]

Sea to Summit TR I and II are down quilts and sleeping bags
Excellent quality

I used a see to summit sleeping bag (traveller)and it was perfect, cozy and warm, I also loved that when it is open, feels just like a blanket!

 

[NorthernLight]

I sewed a bit of ribbon to each side of my quilt, at about where my knees would be, then tied those ribbons together. The quilt then gets used like a blanket on the outside of my liner with the ribbons (and part of the quilt) tucked under the liner. The quilt might still slither off my upper body, but it doesn’t leave my bed since my legs trap it.

My quilt came from Costco years ago. The first one was the 80% down, the second one was synthetic filler.

I had a down vest (also from Costco) and the zipper busted. I ripped the vest apart and turned it into a rectangular quilt/throw. (160g/5.6oz) Ugly as sin, but it will be my future 1/2 quilt … I’ll wear my new vest and use the new throw on my bottom half. I would not use this combo on an early spring or winter camino, but for shoulder seasons were it’s not needed every night, I think it’ll work.

 

[katkins_in]

Last walk I carried little paper clasps and strong multi-filiment fishing line as a very compact drying line... and those clips are great for attaching things to things... like, a slippery blanket to a silk liner, or not quite dry things to my pack etc. I think the weight of the clips, fishing line, and a pill bottle (clips inside, line wrapped around) was about 20-30 grams...

 

[Jeff Crawley]

Since this post was originally published I spent a week in September in a wooden camping hut - one of those A shaped wooden tents - and was shown a different approach to using a throw.

Mine is a standard "Costco" but I've added Kamsnaps (I think you might call them diaper buttons in the Americas?) in various configurations so it can be used as a cape for sitting outside, a light weight sleeping bag etc.

You will need a heavy duty ponytail elastic and . . . that's it. Maybe some safety pins.

Take your throw and scrunch up one end across the narrowest length and fit the band:



Now invert it and it looks like, in the words of my host, a "cat's butt"



You can see how, with a few the Kamsnaps fastened, it forms a "footbox" - you could use safety pins here.

Get into the silk liner then pull the throw over you slipping your feet into the footbox.

There was no heating in the "tent" (although I was sleeping on my 4" thick SIM) and I was toasty all night and the throw never once came adrift. I'm 6' 1" and it still came up to my chin - I don't sleep with my head under the blankets!

You could get the same effect by unzipping a mummy bag most of the way and leaving a footbox for your feet but that would be much heavier and we are all about the lightness, no?

You sleep with none of the bag beneath you - it's all on top or to the sides.

 

[henrythedog]

Since this post was originally published I spent a week in September in a wooden camping hut - one of those A shaped wooden tents - and was shown a different approach to using a throw.

Mine is a standard "Costco" but I've added Kamsnaps (I think you might call them diaper buttons in the Americas?) in various configurations so it can be used as a cape for sitting outside, a light weight sleeping bag etc.

You will need a heavy duty ponytail elastic and . . . that's it. Maybe some safety pins.

Take your throw and scrunch up one end across the narrowest length and fit the band:

View attachment 136903

Now invert it and it looks like, in the words of my host, a "cat's butt"

View attachment 136904

You can see how, with a few the Kamsnaps fastened, it forms a "footbox" - you could use safety pins here.

Get into the silk liner then pull the throw over you slipping your feet into the footbox.

There was no heating in the "tent" (although I was sleeping on my 4" thick SIM) and I was toasty all night and the throw never once came adrift. I'm 6' 1" and it still came up to my chin - I don't sleep with my head under the blankets!

You could get the same effect by unzipping a mummy bag most of the way and leaving a footbox for your feet but that would be much heavier and we are all about the lightness, no?

You sleep with none of the bag beneath you - it's all on top or to the sides.

That’s really impressive Jeff. I’ve a considerable list of ‘great things someone has thought of that I really must do’, to which this has just been added.

 

[raincitygal]

I took a small down quilt on recent Sept- Oct Camino Francés which I put inside my sleeping bag liner ( large, rectangular) when needed for extra warmth, worked great

 

[david marquez]

I have a Kammok firebelly down quilt which I have been dragging around with me for the past 4 years. So far it has held up to travels around South and North America.
the current model is here:

Firebelly 30°F

The Firebelly 30º down backpacking quilt is designed for the cold-weather, active adventurer. Our newest version is designed to adapt to any environment as a minimalist sleeping bag, top quilt, hammock underquilt, or your go-to insulator for travel. With our new buttery-soft Atmos X™ fabric and...

kammok.com

mine is an older and smaller model, actually better suited to camino style walking. I have been very pleased. Not cheap, but good outdoor gear rarely is