Waratah Quilt -2C

Neve Gear is an Australia based company that makes an awesome quilt. I just got the Waratah -2C and really really like it. Got it for 260 USD so mid price but it is easily on par with much more expensive quilts/bags. The strap design is also much better than a lot of quilts out there. They make a 6’6 option so height shouldn’t be an issue. Really can’t recommend them enough especially if you’re in Australia.

Absolutely the Nevegear Warratah -2c. I use it three season in the UK and it’s perfect. Well made and excellent value for money. The new Exped 6.5 mat is my new favourite (rectangular not mummy IMO as it’s warmer) - very lightweight, packs up small and easily, warm enough for 3.5 seasons, comfy. My new go to pad (was using Big Agnes SL Rapide). I highly recommend this combination. In fact, I urge you to get them!

I have the Neve Waratah quilt(-2C version) and prefer it to my Sea to Summit Spark sleeping bag. I use it with the Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XTherm NXT sleeping mat. The mat is a R 7.3 so might be too warm for you but I’m a cold sleeper. However that being said I have used it in summer in the Blue Mountains and I didn’t overheat but I’m not sure how it would go if the weather was a lot warmer.

Quilts are great. They're lighter and more comfortable than sleeping bags. The main considerations are head insulation and draught control. The way a quilt attaches to your sleeping pad matters quite a lot to prevent draughts of cold air from cooling you down. You should also pair a quilt with a slightly more insulated sleeping pad. Obviously quilts don't cover your head. You could wear a beanie and a buff, or just wear the hood of your jacket. I have a synthetic full face insulation system made especially for quilts, because synthetic copes a lot better with hair oils and condensation from your breath than down does. Quilts are absolutely warm enough for the UK. You want to be looking at a quilt with a comfort rating of 0C/30F and a limit of -6C/20F or around that kind of range in order to be comfortable for three season use. Ideally pair with a pad with an R-value of 4 or higher. When buying a quilt make sure to look into whether the advertised temperature is comfort or limit.

I use the Timmermade SUL Waterbear - Climashield. The SUL version is quite tight around your face and is more fitted than a regular hood, which I like since I find it better for sleeping. It's also lighter. Amazing product, but Timmermade has a bit of a convoluted ordering system. They're a very small company with very high demand, and they hand make every item to order. So, they have this system where throughout the month an essay question will be on the website. You have to write a paragraph answer and send it to them, and they select a portion of the correct answers to get a coupon allowing them to place an order the next month (for difficult questions it might be 100%, for easy ones it might only be 10%). Honestly, I probably wouldn't bother - I can see that On-the-Shelf they've got a couple of the heavier 3.6oz/yd\^2 insulation versions. Or, you could get the Enlightened Equipment Torrid Hood which is more easily available but doesn't cover the whole face.

I love Neve Gear. They're high quality and lightweight, and even after shipping + import fees (they're based in Australia) they end up cheaper than equivalent quilts from Enlightened Equipment, Cumulus etc.

Difficult question. I honestly think both would be fine. The -2 would probably be more comfortable in summer, but could become borderline during shoulder season if you get an especially cold or exposed night. The -8 is a safer bet for poor weather and colder camps, although during summer you’d likely be quite warm. One advantage of quilts though is that they vent very easily, so overheating is still manageable. Personally I’d lean towards the -2 because I’m quite weight conscious and wouldn’t want to carry extra insulation on warmer trips. Given Neve’s ratings seem pretty conservative - they say the -2 is more like comfortable to around -7 for warm sleepers/men - it should still handle most Scottish 3-season conditions fine. That said, Scotland can be damp and windy, and quilts are a bit more draft-sensitive than sleeping bags. The -8 gives you a larger safety margin if the weather turns nasty or you regularly camp high up on colder shoulder-season trips.

Quilts are great. They're lighter and more comfortable than sleeping bags. The main considerations are head insulation and draught control. The way a quilt attaches to your sleeping pad matters quite a lot to prevent draughts of cold air from cooling you down. You should also pair a quilt with a slightly more insulated sleeping pad. Obviously quilts don't cover your head. You could wear a beanie and a buff, or just wear the hood of your jacket. I have a synthetic full face insulation system made especially for quilts, because synthetic copes a lot better with hair oils and condensation from your breath than down does. Quilts are absolutely warm enough for the UK. You want to be looking at a quilt with a comfort rating of 0C/30F and a limit of -6C/20F or around that kind of range in order to be comfortable for three season use. Ideally pair with a pad with an R-value of 4 or higher. When buying a quilt make sure to look into whether the advertised temperature is comfort or limit.

I use the Timmermade SUL Waterbear - Climashield. The SUL version is quite tight around your face and is more fitted than a regular hood, which I like since I find it better for sleeping. It's also lighter. Amazing product, but Timmermade has a bit of a convoluted ordering system. They're a very small company with very high demand, and they hand make every item to order. So, they have this system where throughout the month an essay question will be on the website. You have to write a paragraph answer and send it to them, and they select a portion of the correct answers to get a coupon allowing them to place an order the next month (for difficult questions it might be 100%, for easy ones it might only be 10%). Honestly, I probably wouldn't bother - I can see that On-the-Shelf they've got a couple of the heavier 3.6oz/yd\^2 insulation versions. Or, you could get the Enlightened Equipment Torrid Hood which is more easily available but doesn't cover the whole face.

I love Neve Gear. They're high quality and lightweight, and even after shipping + import fees (they're based in Australia) they end up cheaper than equivalent quilts from Enlightened Equipment, Cumulus etc.

Difficult question. I honestly think both would be fine. The -2 would probably be more comfortable in summer, but could become borderline during shoulder season if you get an especially cold or exposed night. The -8 is a safer bet for poor weather and colder camps, although during summer you’d likely be quite warm. One advantage of quilts though is that they vent very easily, so overheating is still manageable. Personally I’d lean towards the -2 because I’m quite weight conscious and wouldn’t want to carry extra insulation on warmer trips. Given Neve’s ratings seem pretty conservative - they say the -2 is more like comfortable to around -7 for warm sleepers/men - it should still handle most Scottish 3-season conditions fine. That said, Scotland can be damp and windy, and quilts are a bit more draft-sensitive than sleeping bags. The -8 gives you a larger safety margin if the weather turns nasty or you regularly camp high up on colder shoulder-season trips.

I am shorter than OP at 6'2 but have the -2 waratah in 6'6 version and it is good stuff. haven't taken it down that cold yet but it's a nice bit of kit especially at the money.