My Summerlight has been my go-to bag for several years. I love it! If I know it is going to be a cold night, which it usually is in the high Sierras, I can layer up. I might have to try a quilt one of these days, but don't get what the 'hype' is all about on them. My bag is 19 0zs., works well for me, and I haven't seen that many comparable weight and rated quilts out there that look like they will do what the Summerlight has done for me. My 2 cents only, I know quilt owners swear by them, so maybe I am missing out?

So I think I'm sold on the alsec quilt. Do they ship them out pretty quick?

Edited by brandonreynolds85 on 12/17/2011 19:37:43 MST.

Aaron shipped my quilt the day after I placed the order, shipping was free, USPS first class, so it arrived in about 4 days. Give him a call, he's a cool dude.

Wow thanks everyone, this has really helped. Anyone had any experience hiking the CT in August?

I was on the Colorado Trail portion of the Continental Divide trail during June(2010).
I used a Western Mountaineering Ultralight throughout the Mexico to Canada trek including the stretch where the two trails begin to coincide northbound; Elk Creek Drainage.
I mostly used the WM ultra bag as a quilt all through Colorado and that is what prompted me to switch to a quilt (MLD Spirit quilt 30) for the Appalachian Trail this year.
The conditions i found along the Colorado Trail in early june were sunny cool mornings from freezing to temps in the 40's to thunderstormy afternoons which were in the 50's to low 60's.
I used a Gossamer gear One tent during that time and keeping my down bag dry was no problem as i always had sunshine to air out and dry my bag everyday at some point.
From just North of hunchback peak and the southern confluence of the CT and CDT, all the way to Twin Lakes and Mount Elbert, where the trails diverge, I used my WM bag as a quilt without problems.
Here is a picture from Hunchback peak at the southern end of the CT where it meets with the CDT in early June.
.
After reading Eric's post below i wanted to add.. I used the WM bag as a quilt and sometimes wore clothes underneath to bolster the warmth.
A sleeping bag, used as a quilt, works, but has dis-advantages.
There is too much girth, so that a lot of extra material is just laying to the sides and not contributing to insulation, or worse: it opens up to drafts when you move.
The quilt, by design, "cups" your body even when you roll over so that warmth is retained.
However, i would never have figured out how to use the quilt properly if i had not used my bag as a quilt first.
The other advantage of a propely sized quilt is that you can add layers of clothing without compressing the fill of the quilt.
A bag has a definite inside circumference that can be exceeded.
A quilt lays on top of you, and your clothes, in an arc.
With my WM bag if i added layers of clothes it worked to a point until the clothes began to compress the fill of the bag from within and actually decreased insulation, and restricted blood flow to extremeties.
Personally, i would recommend making slow steps.
If your present sleeping bag is adequate to freezing, or a bit below with some clothing, go with that.
Use it as a quilt and see if you like it.
Then if you find it favorable, buy or make a quilt, if thats what you want.
My 2 cents

Edited by Ice-axe on 12/17/2011 21:10:40 MST.

I have a WM Megalite regular. Though it's a 30 F. bag I've managed to sleep OK at 24 F. with all my clothes on.

Anyway I recently had it "overfilled" with one ounce of down (800 fill) for $38. including shipping. This will give me a 20 F. bag most likely. It's really lofty.

Maybe it's heavier than you'd like for a summer bag but I have wide shoulders and need the room. In addition it's big enough that I can wear insulated pants and jacket, like my Bauer down sweater if I need to go down to 10 or 15 F.

Also the Megalite opens fully to make a great quilt on hot to balmy nights.

Yea thanks for the post Matthew. I have a north face kazzoo and it's my first down bag. I have used it as a quilt just because it is do dang hot. Thats why I think I will take the jump to the quilt.

Ps can u email me that pic. It'd make an awesome screen saver ha.

You are gonna have dreams for years about the Colorado Trail, far beyond the pictures you take!
I am very jealous of you for hiking the CT.
You are gonna love the trail my friend!
I met a CT hiker in Twin Lakes.
We had dinner at the little B&B there together.
Just two dirty hikers!
We ordered our food from the menu and the waitress came back and said:" How about home-made Egg-Foo-Young instead?"
We agreed and were served two huge.. I mean HUGE plates of egg-foo-young.
It was epic!
You are SO LUCKY my friend!
The trail is waiting there for you, under snow, through time... just waiting.
Colorado is stunning!

Edited by Ice-axe on 12/17/2011 21:20:13 MST.

"Another hiker that used a quilt too narrow for them."

Ha, ha, no. I have a couple bad disks, from an old injury. I cannot sleep in any one position for any more than 45min or an hour. My neck/shoulder will wake me up and tell me "ROLL you idiot!" I do. I don't even remember doing it for the past 25+ years.

"If i was hiking as a couple, i would get a quilt wide enough to cover both of you. Share that body heat. :)"

Good thought! The wife and I usually share our bags. BTW a partner is good for another 10-15F. If two Summerlites can zip together(L&R zip in a matched set is usually possible at WM,) you might find this a good light weight alternatinative. Full zipping on top and leaving the bottom open will make a nice quilt. But, WM bags are fairly snug for two if zipped on both sides. I would suggest a larger bag. Kind'a depends...

Yea we cant wait! I think we talk about it every day. Our dream is to hike the CDT like you did. Were slowly working up to it and getting our gear in order haha.... and saving money.

BPL is a natural choice for thru hikers.
In fact you might meet folks with huge packs at the beginning of any trail (PCT,CDT,or AT) ... okay it's only the AT where folks have really huge packs.. You will find: The further you hike... the smaller the pack.
I am absolutely not judging people by that statement.
That TRUTH... is what you shall find; on any long trail, on either coast, or in the middle.
Yet, standing strongly behind my statement.
PS. It is soo difficult trying to get THAT point accross without sounding condescending.
Thats why hiking makes sense and talking about hiking does not.

Edited by Ice-axe on 12/17/2011 23:17:27 MST.

I used a BPL quilt on the trail that according to some is good down to 15 degrees. I never got that cold but it was nice not having to worry about it. I don't think I ever woke up cold or had to adjust anything. I could have used a lighter quilt but the extra margin of safety was nice. I went pretty light but I thought having a few luxerious was worth it if it kept me motivated and hiking.

Just an FYI the B&B in Twin Lakes was closed when I went through their. That was a let down! I'd get Eric the Black's CT guidebook. A friend of mine had it and whenever we hiked together I'd want to look in it. It had lots of useful info that wasn't in either of the official manuels.
Good Luck! Its a great treil.

just vouching for excellent service/response time from aaron at katabatic. i got ahold of aaron on a friday afternoon to see if he could make me a chisos with an oz of overfill by tuesday for a section on the CT. He had it ready to go and I swung by the shop to pick it up on the way to the trail head. Thats a day lead time. Not a fair expectation but totally awesome he was able to do it for me and I slept warm and happy despite coming into camp sopping wet at near freezing.

"Ha, ha, no. I have a couple bad disks, from an old injury. I cannot sleep in any one position for any more than 45min or an hour. My neck/shoulder will wake me up and tell me "ROLL you idiot!" I do. I don't even remember doing it for the past 25+ years."

Sounds familiar, James. :)
I too had surgery, and roll over during the night as the position becomes painful. As long as my quilt is wide enough, i can roll underneath it, without getting cold drafts.

I went from Denver to Creede mid August to mid September in 2011 and Creede to Durango the last two weeks of August this year. I used a WM Ultralight, both years but also have a Summerlight. In early Sept of last year I wore every piece of clothing to bed the last few nights, this year I didn't need to wear any clothing to bed. I would have been fine with the Summerlight this year, not last.

Bottom line, how light do you want to go?

Karl


>> Wow thanks everyone, this has really helped. Anyone had any
>> experience hiking the CT in August?

Brandon, I yo-yo'd the CT this past summer (Den>Durango>Nederland) from July 1 to Aug 4. I used Katabatic's palisade + crestone hood and was plenty warm 98% of the trip--had one bad night above tree line in a kind of violent storm that I could of avoided if I hadn't worried about 'wasting time' getting down to treeline.

Any-hoo, if you have any questions about the hike, ie resupply, alt-routes, just send me a PM and we can chat. In the words of some Aussies I met this summer, I have a 'rubber arm' when it comes to talking about hiking, don't have to twist very hard.

Wow thanks, I'm getting the guidebooks for Christmas. Once I get get into the nitty gritty I'm sure I'll have questions. Thanks for the post.

I have an Ultralight. I couldn't imagine using the Summerlite anywhere but warm places. I tend to sleep in a single layer (socks, thermals). I don't like to carry extra clothing just to sleep in.

I find draft collars are awesome - get it for that, IMO.

FYI, I am a cold to neutral side and back sleeper.

YMMV. -Ed

Edited by ejhayes on 12/19/2011 13:09:27 MST.

Okay I ordered the katabatic alsek quilt this morning, should get here this week! Can't wait to use it the first of January! Thanks everyone.