Nothing can turn a refreshing, night-in-the-woods into a dismal, nightmare-in-a-sack more quickly than getting cold. There is great gear out there for just about every extreme imaginable, but once I found the Sierra Designs Nitro Quilt 800/20 ($279.95), it became nearly indispensable for my wilderness sojourns. It packs a lot of features into a compact, ultralight package and goes a long way toward making those frigid nights a thing of the past.
There are a lot of great options in the sleeping bag category but I have not yet found one that is perfect. I tend to roll around in the night like I am working through the positions of a hot yoga class. When it gets cold enough to zip up a bag, I generally wake up tangled up like a pretzel and sweating like I am in a sweat hut at some kind of executive leadership retreat.
The hood is surprisingly useful and a feature that I use much more than I anticipated. When it is cold you can stay warm AND you can breathe. Not a bad combo…
When I keep the bag unzipped to get the freedom I need, I wake up shivering because I always manage to roll out of the bag. Once that happens it usually means I will be worming around to get barely comfortable or worse, getting out of my tent/hammock to re-situate. Talk about frustrating. The Sierra Designs Nitro Quilt addresses all of those complaints.
What I Liked
Design
It took a little getting used to but once I figured it out there were a lot of things to like. The Nitro Quilt fits a single person. (You could try to fit two people, but it would be rather…intimate). The basic layout is similar to a sleeping bag with the zipper pulled up around mid-calf. It lies on top of the sleeper – like, you know, a quilt.
The inside of the Sierra Designs Nitro Quilt showcases the integrated hood and pockets for hands – two great features for keeping the quilt where you need it to get a good night’s sleep.
The insulated hand/arm pockets and the footbox work together keep the quilt in place and mostly sealed against drafts. The upper portion of the quilt has plenty of room. I do not wake up chilled or uncomfortable nearly as often. In especially cold conditions, the integrated hood is indispensable for sleeping comfortably. A sleeping pad or liner on the outside of a hammock is essential. If temps dip below 50 degrees – it had best be a good one.
Specs
Sierra Designs Nitro Quilt 800/20 has outstanding insulation vs. weight qualities. The total weight of the quilt comes in at 708 grams / 1 lb 9 oz. When I have the mandatory sleeping pad or hammock liner, the 800-loft DriDown is simply fabulous for temperatures down to around 36 °F / 2 °C (Additional gear is highly advisable for lower temperatures). There is simply no other solution that surpasses down for weight, warmth, compressibility, durability and cost.
The Breakdown
- EN Limit Temp Rating: 21F / -6C
- EN Comfort Temp Rating: 32F / 0C
- Fill Weight: 14.8 oz / 420g
- Minimum Weight: 1lb 9oz / 708 g
- Fits Up To: 6′ 3″ / 190.5 cm
- Length: 75in / 191 cm
- Shoulder Circumference: 56″ / 142 cm
- Hip Circumference: 56″ / 142 cm
- Footbox Circumference: 40″ / 102 cm
- Mesh Storage Bag Size (LxW): 20 x 12″ / 51 x 31 cm
- Stuff Sack Size (L x W): 13 x 7″ / 33 x 17.8cm
Materials
The 15 denier, nylon, ripstop fabric is very lightweight – though not particularly resilient. The compromise between weight and durability has merit for a piece of gear that needs to be ultralight. The fabric is quite thin which makes sleeping under the quilt quite pleasant. Caution is important when using it for anything but sleeping. However, it can easily tear if it is caught on something like a sharp edge. Once those precious down feathers go flying, good luck getting them back in.
Construction
Chambers in the Sierra Designs Nitro Quilt 800/20 separate and contain the down. Though some have complained about it, I have had no problems with clumping. If that happens, I will probably just throw the quilt into my dryer for 20 minutes with a tennis ball or two. As with most down items, storage is key. Keeping the quilt in its stuff sack for the least amount of time possible should reduce that issue.
Storage is key for any item that contains insulation – but especially for expensive down. Give it room to breathe and it will reward you by keeping you warm for years.
Size
One of my favorite aspects of Sierra Designs Nitro Quilt 800/20 are the dimensions. For me (6’1” / 200 lbs) it is roomy and comfortable.
Getting a good night’s sleep is much easier. Only one size is available but since it is made to sleep underneath, I think that folks with a smaller frame will like it just as much as I do. However, anyone taller than me may want to check one of these out in person to make sure they can be accommodated.
DriDown
If you ever find yourself in the mood to ruffle some feathers (see what I did there?), simply sit down beside a campfire and say: “treated vs. untreated down.” There is rarely a shortage of opinions and you will hear most of them. Science is my guide in any debate that does not involve s’mores. I have studied the topic in depth and concluded that treated down is safe, effective, and likely to be as, or more, durable than the alternative.
Words like “hydrophobic“ and “polymer” may seem a bit intimidating, but consider that the down that a goose grows is naturally both hydrophobic and a biopolymer. Treating it simply restores (most of) the qualities that are lost when the down is (necessarily) cleaned during manufacturing. I have spent many long hours researching this topic and the claims made by the manufacturers are backed by legitimate data.
We are all human…and kind of gross
When we sleep our bodies release moisture through respiration and perspiration. Some of that will find its way to the down in any sleeping system and will reduce the loft (air space) which, in turn, reduces the insulating ability of the down. Nobody argues that. It is also widely accepted that treating the down all but eliminates that issue. The contrarian folks (who I love!) generally ask, “Why improve something already so great?” and “Will it last as long?”
My thoughts are simple: Innovation is why our society exists (think – fire/wheel/vaccination) and that I have found no reason (none/zip/zilch) to suspect that making the down more resilient to moisture will do anything but add to the longevity. Moisture leads to mold, and mold and our body oils/goo are the greatest enemies of down. Basically, treat any kind of down lovingly and it will last for decades. Period. (Come to think of it, do that for all the people in your life as well and your friendships will last even longer.)
Weight. With 800 loft down and weighing in at 1lb 9oz / 708 g, the Sierra Designs Nitro Quilt is an item that I would classify as ultralight. It packs down so small that, when I take it out and watch the down pop right back up, I am always a little floored. The weight vs. insulation vs. size ratio is nothing short of remarkable.
What I did not like / What could be better
Not a Liner
In a hammock anything you lie upon is compressed, reducing its insulating ability substantially. A great strategy is to attach an exterior liner to the bottom of the hammock. When I expect cold weather, I pack a liner specifically. However, when temperatures are cool but not especially frigid, I prefer to use a thinner layer on top, and employ my thicker insulation as the liner. Having both means I can switch it up as needed.
Unfortunately, the design of the nitro quilt does not lend itself to that purpose. More flexibility means less gear to carry and that always makes me happy. It would be nice to have the ability to spread the quilt out and attach it to the exterior of my hammock.
Sizes
I slide into the Nitro Quilt as if it were tailored specifically for me – which is fortunate because there is only one option. Folks with different sized frames might appreciate some size options. Since it is meant to be slept under, rather than within, this is unlikely to be a problem for most, but it might be nice to have at least a couple choices. (Like sleeping bags).
Bottom Line
The Sierra Designs Nitro Quilt 800/20 is my go-to when it is cold and I am in a tent, and is pretty much mandatory when I am in a hammock. With my penchant for nighttime sleep-dancing, the freedom of movement alone improves my sleep substantially. It is an excellent product that I expect will be in my arsenal for a long, long time.
