To put it simply, we do not recommend fastening a quilt to a sleeping pad.
Attaching a quilt to a sleeping pad negates some of the primary benefits that a quilt offers compared to a traditional sleeping bag.
Our quilts are designed to be used as a blanket with complete freedom of movement when unsnapped. Alternatively, you can optimize them to seal out drafts by forming the foot back and snapping the head end behind your neck, reducing the amount of dead airspace.
When attaching a quilt to a sleeping pad, there are some things to keep in mind.
- If the straps are too tight, the inner and outer shell fabric will be pulled together tightly, preventing the down from fully lofting. Reducing the loft of your quilt can decrease its warmth by 10 to 20 degrees. It’s important to note that when the quilt is tightly wrapped around a protruding body part, such as a shoulder, the loft can be completely compressed, causing discomfort and a possible cold shoulder or hip in the middle of the night.
- Sleeping bags can sometimes feel tight and cause a sense of being confined, which may make it harder to move around freely. Additionally, they can make it challenging to respond to nature’s call during nighttime. In comparison, a quilt provides the advantage of unrestricted movement and effortless accessibility. However, attaching a quilt to a sleeping pad brings back these issues.
- Switching from a sleeping bag to a quilt can provide significant weight savings. Adding a pad strapping system into the equation adds additional weight back into your system.
Do you still intend to attach your quilt to your sleeping pad?
The best way we have found is to lay the quilt out beside the pad, inside facing up. Run two pieces of cord around the pad and through the loops on the side of the quilt closest to the pad and tie the two ends of the cord together. When you lay down on the pad you can pull the quilt over and slide your feet into the foot box.
This method minimizes the risk of pulling it too tight and enables easy entry and exit.