They wrap fully around and enclose your body whereas quilts generally cover only your top and sides more on this below.
Top quilt vs sleeping bag.
Essentially the main difference between a sleeping bag and quilt is that a quilt is like the ultralight sibling of the sleeping bag.
Perhaps the biggest benefit of a quilt vs sleeping bag is the weight.
Sleeping bags differ from sleeping quilts in one significant way.
This is a huge plus for anyone who prefers to keep their pack lightweight.
Finally quilts don t use a zipper which is a surprisingly heavy component of a sleeping bag.
Whether you re bike packing thru hiking or simply prefer lightweight trekking eliminating extra weight can almost always be helpful.
Backpacking quilts are rapidly gaining popularity among lightweight backpackers and for good reason.
A quilt can easily be opened up flat in warmer weather.
It s your sleeping pad that keeps your under body warm.
Quilts are generally between 20 and 30 lighter than their sleeping bag equivalents.
But both have their place.
The quilt takes care of insulation on the top while the pad takes care of insulation on the bottom.
In fact the average sleeping bag on our list of top picks is 366 whereas the average quilt is 318.
Quilt vs sleeping bag.
Quilts are almost always lighter than sleeping bags.
A down quilt simply removes the down under you and the fabric enclosing it saving nearly half a pound vs a sleeping bag.
Many ultralight sleeping bags use a zipper to cinch all the way closed while others like the feathered friends tanager drop the zipper for a simple slip on tube.
It can oftentimes attach to your sleeping pad so that you can tuck yourself in when it s colder out.
Keep in mind that there are some outliers the marmot micron sleeping bag for example is 159 and the katabatic palisade quilt is a whopping 410.
The main benefit of a quilt is that it weighs less than an equivalent fully enclosed sleeping bag.
But a well designed quilt can also be more versatile.
The quilt has a foot box just like a mummy bag and is thrown over you like a blanket.