MegaLite

I’ve owned a WM Megalite and still currently own an Ultralite. I also currently own 40* and 20* GG Aries quilts. I think GG quality is great. Is it as good as WM? Maybe not. I think the WM bags are really well designed. If budget isn’t an issue, get the WM. If budget is tight, the GG bag will still be great and Gary is great to work with. I also think that a separate hood just makes more sense.

I'm a 5'9" male and fluctuate between 155-160lbs. I've owned the Megalite and still own the Ultralite. The Megalite is the same dimensions as the Alpinlite. At your stated size, I would definitely recommend the larger size of the Alpinlite. I think you'll appreciate the extra room. I always recommend the over stuff. It really helps to firm everything up so that there is less down shifting, which helps to eliminate cold spots.

Quality of the bag/down makes a difference. I only use WM bags. Your body heat should be sufficient to "bake off" any moisture. Over the years I have spent a couple of months on Kodiak island and the Alaska interior in some nasty weather with my WM Antelope. Never had an issue with the moisture. Similar experience with the WM MegaLite as far as dealing with moisture albeit in warmer temperatures. Due to a tarp/hammock failure during a monsoon, the footbox of this bag took a direct hit from a multi-hour monsoon followed up by a multi-hour soak. It was not nearly as bad as what the naysayers would have lead you to believe. Water only soaked through the top half of the bag. Poured the water out, hopped in, and went to sleep. It was bone dry in the AM despite overnight rain.

In practice I have never had any issue like this in a my hooded mummy bags (like WM Megalite). Maybe it depends on the bag, or it becomes more of an issue with bigger/warmer bags?

I can turn both with my mummy bag (WM Megalite so quite roomy), but also turn in it without moving the bag. In the latter case, the hood isn’t necessary in the way. But again, maybe that is because it’s not a very warm bag.

western mountaineering megalite fits the bill for a non-constricting mummy bag design and it its too expensive the rei magma 30 is spec'd extremely similarly at a much lower cost.

There’s a lot of quilts that cost less that are better than EE. Sell some gift cards on one of the gift card exchanges, do some research, and get a better quilt. EE made good, affordable quilts years ago and are still riding the hype with a mediocre quilt at exorbitant prices. See r/ultralight If you’re really stuck on getting something with those REI gift cards. Sux it up and get a sleeping bag by Western Mountaineering. A 30F sleeping bag by WM is going to be warmer than a 20F quilt from EE. Some brands to check out: hammock gear, hang tight (cheap good ETSY), Katabatic, Nunatak, Feathered Friends, Loco Libre, Zpacks, warbonnet, gryphon gear, UGQ, cumulus, Neve Warath Have fun!

EE hasn’t fixed the issues at all. Not sure where you heard they did, but here are the top 5 complaints you’ll see in the community: 1. Drafts sneak in around shoulders, sides, and neck—EE’s pad straps often fail to seal fully for side sleepers or restless movers, creating cold spots. 2. Temperature ratings feel optimistic—a 20°F quilt frequently performs closer to 25–30°F comfort in real conditions due to drafts and shifting down. 3. Down migration and clumping—U-shaped baffles let down shift over time, leading to uneven loft and cold spots that require frequent fluffing. 4. Fragile fabrics—lightweight 7D/10D shells snag, tear, or leak feathers more easily with heavy use compared to premium competitors. 5. Poor moisture handling—down loses loft quickly if damp from condensation or sweat, with no strong hydrophobic treatment standard. I agree, WM is probably overkill for the AT once warm weather hits. But, so is an EE 20F revelation. However, if the only place you’re shopping is REI, and you’re doing a thru hike starting March to mid-April, a 30F WM is going to be better than a 20F EE on all the metrics above. If you’re able to shop somewhere else besides REI, for the same money, a Katabatic Flex 30 is going to outperform an EE 20F revelation in every key metric. All the brands I listed will outperform EE for the same or less money. When you buy EE, you’re paying a premium for the brand name without accompanying performance. The only time I would consider EE for a quilt is if I needed a synthetic quilt in the 40-50F range for summer fast packing. But, that’s not an AT thru hike thing. And the synthetic climashield apex insulation solves all the issues EE has with down. This is because apex is one continuous sheet of insulation that cannot migrate like down to create cold spots. That said, I would still be wary of their temp rating even for a synthetic quilt.