10 Best Backpacking Quilts of 2024

With a weight that’s competitive with the higher-end quilts on our list but a much smaller price tag, the UGQ Bandit 20 is an incredible value. 

UGQ allows for a ton of customization on their quilts, and they have one of the widest arrays of color options we’ve ever seen. All of the customization options can be a bit overwhelming if this is your first quilt, but the Features tab of the ordering page has a ton of useful info to help you make your choices. If you have a little extra cash to spend on your quilt, one upgrade we recommend is the neckline draft collar for extra warmth.

Senior Gear Analyst, Casey Handley, tested the Bandit during her thru-hike of the John Muir Trail. This warm and fluffy quilt provided a comfortable night’s sleep after each long day on trail, and the weight was barely noticeable in her pack when it was time to get moving again.

The baffle design of the Bandit prevents down from shifting away from your core and makes this quilt feel fluffier than many others. And while this isn’t the smallest quilt when packed away, the bulk isn’t too bad. Hikers who are tight on space in their packs may want to splurge on the more expensive 950-fill-power down. This option still comes in under $400 and will save you a considerable amount of weight and bulk.

Backpackers who want the luxury of a custom quilt without having to break the bank will absolutely love the Bandit. This quilt keeps pack weight low for ambitious adventures, and the extra loft will help you rest your best on trail.

The Hyperlite Mountain Gear 20 is made with the absolute highest quality materials – namely 1,000-fill power down – and it makes a noticeable difference in the warmth, weight, and packability of this quilt.

We spent 40 nights testing this quilt – including a 300-mile hike on the Arizona Trail – and we find it warmer than many others in its weight class with the same temperature rating. To put it in more data-driven terms, the HMG 20 has 14 ounces of 1,000-fill-power down. The Zpacks Classic and Therm-a-Rest Vesper 20 have 13.7 and 12.5 ounces of 900-fill-power down respectively, and the EE Revelation has 15 ounces of 850-fill-power down. Since the HMG quilt has a larger amount of higher quality down than the Classic and Vesper, it will be noticeably warmer. Seeing as the HMG is filled with better quality down than the Revelation but the fill weight is a bit lower, these two quilts are similarly warm.

Of course the higher quality comes with a higher price tag. The Unbound 20 is one of the most expensive quilts on our list, and whether it’s worth the added cost or not will depend on how much you value saving a few ounces without sacrificing warmth. One big thing the HMG 20 has going for it as far as cost is the fact that you won’t have to pay more to get the long size, and this quilt has a wider cut than many others.

We think thru-hikers and those wanting a quilt for use in chilly shoulder seasons would benefit from the boosted specs of the Unbound, but fair-weather hikers would probably be just fine with a slightly heavier and less warm quilt that costs less.

The Flicker 30 UL Quilt from Feathered Friends is well-constructed, comfortable, and versatile. It can be unzipped to function as a cozy blanket on warm summer nights, or you can cinch the footbox and fully zip the quilt to create a draft-free enclosed system on chilly nights.

The Flicker comes with a high price tag, but you’re getting a high-quality quilt that doesn’t skimp on the details. This quilt is stuffed with 950+-fill-power down, a smooth zipper, and some of the nicest outer shell fabric available. That said, you can save a good chunk of change by choosing the slightly heavier Flicker 30 YF model. The YF uses a thicker shell material and downgrades slightly to 900+-fill-power down, but it’s still a great choice with a premium build.

It’s common for quilt temperature ratings to be overly optimistic by 5-10°F, but the Flicker’s temperature rating is pretty accurate in our experience. That’s why the 30°F option is a go-to for CleverHiker Gear Analyst, Annie Hopfensperger, on her 3-season backpacking trips. She’s spent many nights testing this quilt in the mountains – including her hike on the Tonquin Valley Trail in Jasper National Park – where temperatures can drop quickly at elevation and has always stayed toasty warm.

While the Flicker UL 30 weighs about as much as some of the ultralight 20°F models on our list, the small weight penalty gives you a pretty good boost in durability. The added weight comes – mostly – from the Pertex Endurance shell. This outer fabric is 10-denier (denier is a unit of measurement that describes the thickness of a fabric) while many UL quilts use a 7-denier nylon shell fabric. Pertex Endurance fibers are individually wrapped with water-repellant silicone rather than relying on a Durable Water Repellent (DWR) treatment that will wear out quicker with washes.

Hikers who aren’t expecting to backpack in below-freezing conditions very often will love the high-quality build, adaptable design, and durable construction of the Flicker 30 UL. 

Full review: Feathered Friends Flicker UL 30

We love the versatility, warmth, and comfort of the Katabatic Flex 22, and we’re impressed with its performance on the trail. It comes in several temperature rating options that are all organized in a more simple ordering process than many of the other quilts on this list.

For trips that won’t dip much below freezing, the 22 is our top pick for warm sleepers and the 15 is our top pick for cold sleepers. CleverHiker Senior Gear Analyst, Casey Handley (warm sleeper), tested the Flex 22 on a late-season trek through the Strawberry Mountain Wilderness where nighttime temperatures were in the low 30s, and she stayed warm and cozy through the night. Cold sleepers should also consider the Katabatic Alsek 22 which is just a warmer, closed footbox version of the Flex.

The Flex is pretty similar in design to the EE Revelation, but it costs a bit more. That said, we think the quality of the craftsmanship on the Flex is a little better and Katabatic adds some value by including a very effective pad attachment system, a storage bag, and a stuff sack. Another feature that sets the Flex apart from the competition is the highly water-resistant down fill. The ExpeDRY treated down helps the Flex maintain loft in damp conditions and also allows the feathers to dry quicker, so this quilt is a good pick for backpackers who live in wet climates.

Having said all that, the Flex still ranks a bit lower than similar options, like the Revelation, due to its higher cost, weight, and bulk. We also prefer the baffle design of many other quilts over that of the Flex.

The Flex has horizontal continuous baffles that can make it more difficult to keep down fill where you need it most. Continuous baffles allow you to shift down around in your quilt to pile it up where you need it most. Many modern quilts use this construction to help keep costs lower for the user, but quiltmakers will often incorporate different patterns into the design to keep down from shifting too much throughout the night as you toss and turn. The Revelation, for example, uses U-shaped continuous baffles to prevent down from shifting away from your core.

Hikers who tend to stay put while snoozing likely won’t find this to be an issue, though. Those looking for premium features at a price that won’t induce sticker shock will love the water-resistant design, the highly effective pad attachment, and the convenient internal stash pocket.

Full review: Katabatic Flex 22

The Enlightened Equipment Accomplice is our favorite shared sleep system for couples who like keeping weight to a minimum and snuggles to a maximum.

It’s one of very few double backpacking quilts on the market, and it’s a great value compared to buying two separate quilts or a heavier double sleeping bag. It’s also a little lighter per person than most other quilts on our list. We typically have one person carry the quilt while the other carries the shelter to even out the weight.

We also like to use this quilt for car camping – since it’s luxurious enough for the frontcountry and light enough for the backcountry, the price is even more worth it. CleverHiker Gear Analyst, Heather Eldridge, loves using this quilt for all kinds of adventures with her husband. She’s taken it backpacking in Oregon’s Eagle Cap Wilderness as well as car camping in the high desert, and she loves that the roomy cut provides ample space to sleep cuddled up or cozied on your own side.

That said, one issue with a roomy sleep system is that it can be harder to keep warm. We recommend always packing along the included pad connectors to eliminate dead space between your sleeping pads and prevent cold spots. 

The Accomplice can be ordered as a stock quilt that ships out quickly, or you can customize it to your preferred specs if you’re not in a hurry to receive it. Couples who usually hit the trail together should heavily consider going with the Accomplice to save weight and money.

The Therm-a-Rest Vesper 20 is one of the lightest and most packable backpacking quilts on the market, so it’s a popular summer quilt among ultralight hikers.

The Vesper is one of the few quilts that’s widely available in outdoor gear stores, so this could be a good option if you’re gearing up to hit the trail soon. That said, we think the REI Magma Trail Quilt 30 – also available immediately if you have an REI nearby that has it in stock – is the better buy. The Magma is considerably more affordable, weighs about the same, and is more durable. The Vesper is a bit warmer, but not enough to justify the higher cost in our opinion.

The Vesper is also quite narrow – it’s designed with a harsh taper that can feel cramped compared to other UL quilts. So side sleepers and those who shift around a lot in their sleep likely wouldn’t find this quilt to be the most comfortable option.

While the Vesper isn’t our first choice, it still earns a spot on this list for its ridiculously low weight and small packed size. Hikers looking to go as minimal as possible may find this quilt to be a perfect fit.