Sierra Designs - Nitro Quilt 20

I had my Sierra Design Nitro 20 quilt and it was PER-FECT. But I tend to run cold in general, including at night (I'm tall, thin with very low body fat %age). I did the tour du Mont-Blanc in early July 2023; I can't exactly remember the temperature at night but I'd say between 0-5°C, give or take. My sleeping pad is Sea-To-Summit Ultralight Insulated, and I sleep with light fleece pants, merinos socks, tshirt & light fleece sweater.

Okay that pad is not very warm or particularly comfy so it’d be a really bad idea below freezing. I once had one a lot like it. It’ll do okay on soft ground in reasonable weather. So I’ve given your quilt some thought and come up with an answer. Sierra Designs Nitro 800F 20°F Down Quilt. It’s very reasonably priced for an 800FP (fill power) quilt and it has some neat features that makes it good on the colder end of the scale. It weighs 760g and should be comfortable at above freezing temperatures. Water resistant down will help it last and dry out faster. You can partially lay it over you in summer, move it fully over when it finally gets cool enough. You can use it even a bit below freezing if you wear an extra layer or two (but don’t use your current pad). I know Sierra Designs well and they’re one of the best of the mid-market for sure. So in terms of a decent lightweight quilt to cover as much of the year that one item can, I think this is the best value for your money. [£230](https://wildbounds.com/products/nitro-800f-20-f-quilt?variant=39416617894055&utm_term=ShowSignup&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=17178698583&gbraid=0AAAAACpiRygrPP7SwmYLQcl_VgOoH4Uoz&gclid=Cj0KCQjwsNnCBhDRARIsAEzia4CgumdRaYZtEkx9Wba4cxGtCbuu2QuCQzjWpv8UiNzPkIcXMqDGROUaAhySEALw_wcB) is the lowest price I saw on google, but check around if you’re gonna go for it. I suspect the price might sting but trust me with sleeping bags/quilts, if you want down, then quality filling is just expensive as a commodity. So decent down bags just don’t come cheap. Down is much warmer per gram and compresses smaller than any synthetic filling. If you want light, down saves you a chunk of weight. The trick is to buy the right thing for your long term needs and then look after it. My 3 season sleeping bag is a Rab Neutrino bag I’ve had for over 10 years now. I’ve slept in it over 100 times. I’ve always dried it out if it gets moist, never got it dirty or soaked, always compressed it the bare mininum in my pack (I don’t use a compression bag), dried it and aired out thoroughly at home and stored it in a loose sack in a wardrobe. It’s still as good as the day it was new and I could sell it for something like £150 on ebay. So if the budget is tight, buy a decent quilt in a little used condition if possible 2nd hand on ebay. But I’d urge you to buy a decent quilt that’ll really do the job. There’s a [Thermarest Corus](https://ebay.us/m/BVJmho) on ebay right now, this model is a bit warmer than you want and it’s a long size which you don’t need. I didn’t see anything else right now but if you have time, save some searches on ebay and get alerts when ‘camping quilts’ or ‘ultralight quilt’ are listed. Hope that’s helpful mate

Sierra Designs has or had one recently. I tried it out but didn't like it much and ended up going with a Zenbivy which is exactly what I hoped it would be.

I also got an EE quilt and have thoughts on rating - I opted for a 0° bag but this was motivated by spending some uncomfortable nights right around 35° in my Sierra Designs down bag that was rated at that. With a quilt the zero seems overkill but the design has meant I've been comfortable in much warmer temps despite being a warm sleeper generally. I can open it up, hang a leg or arm out, or be just partially covered. They key with the quilt style is having a pad that is matched for the temps you're in. On my last trip i still took my Sierra Designs bag as it packs slightly smaller than my ee quilt but this setup works for me to cover a wide range of temps. Admittedly I missed the mobility of the quilt compared to the mummy but I've spent most of the last 30 years in mummy bags so it's not unfamiliar.

I have a Sierra Designs sleeping bag that has an actual foot flap that allows you to have your feet out of the bag while your body is still in the bag. It’s great. Highly recommend.