I hate quilts

My name is Mathieu and I hate quilts. This has been my worst purchase during my 10 years in the outdoors, long hiking and expedition. I hiked the 4,240km Pacific Crest Trail in 115 days with this quilt... 🤦♂️

To give you an idea of the type of hiker I am, my base weight (weight of my equipment without food and water) is under 5 lbs for 3 seasons. Yes, 5 pounds! I'm in the ultra-ultra-ultralight category for long hikes with an expedition mindset 🙂

I don't discourage quilts, but the concept doesn't satisfy my own needs. The paradox is that I design quilts. The other paradox is that every week I advise hikers who want to buy quilts.

I'm going to get stones thrown at me by my friends in the quilting community! 😅

In 2016, I hiked the Pacific Crest Trail. I prepared for my long hike by meticulously choosing my hiking gear 🙂

I have studied the quilt from every angle. It is the perfect solution to reduce weight. Lightweight and versatile, it's perfect for the 4,240km trail I was going to walk. I looked at the discussions on the Facebook groups, the articles, the comments and they all confirmed that it was the only solution. Remember that in 2016, the quilt was less known in Quebec, but mostly in the United States. 

I bought a quilt in the US. It was perfect. However, I didn't get to test it before I left. I was in my final exams for my bachelor's degree. Two days after my exams, I was on a plane to San Diego, California 🙂

The first evening I literally froze. 

The second evening I literally froze. 

On the third evening, I literally froze.

On the fourth night I realised that the quilt was the problem. I sewed my quilt from the bottom up. Imagine yourself in your tent sewing your quilt by hand ahaha

My quilt turned into a sleeping bag. The warm nights could begin 🙂

My way of sleeping

I can sleep with a ¾ sleeping bag with a temperature -18°C to -40°C in the mountains. However, I get cold with a -18°C quilt when the temperature is positive. Find the error... 😅

The problem with the quilt is not the maker or the concept of the quilt. It comes from me. The decision matrix is a consideration. 🙂

I sleep on my side. My body touches the ground at three points: my shoulder, my hip and my feet. By reducing the surface area of my body, I can optimise my body heat. The cold comes from the ground and not from the air.

My head is put on a pile of clothes and my feet are elevated on my backpack filled with outdoor gear.

I also use alternate breath management so that I can warm up my sleeping bag without getting moisture in it.

It is a management that is complicated to explain in writing. Nevertheless, this technique allows me to be able to go down into very low temperatures. The ground mattress and body support points are also not negligible in its management of the cold 🙂

Here is a summary of the negative points:

- Draft when you move during the night

- Tie straps do not hold the quilt firmly enough as it moves through the night

- You can't sleep with your head in the quilt, or you'll get a draft in your back

- The quilt is only made for 3 seasons. You can't go below -15C. Below a certain temperature (about -15C), the weight gain of the quilt is no longer present because it is less efficient than a closed sleeping bag.

- It is more difficult to sleep in low temperatures with a quilt

- The footbox created by the zip is less warm than the rest of the quilt. A closed footbox would have been a better choice.

The quilt transformed by my sewing hands were perfect for the rest of the 4,240 km Pacific Crest Trail 🙂