High Sierra Topix

If you are lucky the mfg. for bag and quilt will list inches of loft and that will allow direct comparison. But, as you mentioned, if you move around during the night a quilt will have more (cold) air transfer. Also you will have to decide if you need to add the weight of the balaclava to the quilt (since the balaclava gets double use during the day.)

The reason I am leaning toward a bag vrs. a quilt in my own choice to replace an old sleeping bag is that I move around a lot at night and because I am a side sleeper. A sleep system is warmest if there is a lot of loft and if the air space between the sleeper and the down is minimized (does not have to be heated by the sleeper's body). A side sleeper with sleeping pad looks like an upside down letter T, and the best way to conserve heat is if the side sleeper is covered with an upside down letter U (a sleeping bag) as opposed to an upside down letter V (a quilt that attaches to the 20" wide sleeping pad.) I learned the importance of minimizing air space between sleeper and insulation when I had to sleep in just clothes and a down jacket on several nights -- I slept surprisingly warm even with the reduced loft.

Long story short, loft and fit are probably important and it is worthwhile to try before buying.

kkman wrote:If you are lucky the mfg. for bag and quilt will list inches of loft and that will allow direct comparison. But, as you mentioned, if you move around during the night a quilt will have more (cold) air transfer. Also you will have to decide if you need to add the weight of the balaclava to the quilt (since the balaclava gets double use during the day.)

You can compare loft but there are other important differences between a given bag and quilt. I don't think a direct comparison is possible and trying them in advance is problematic as well. Many bags and quilts have to be ordered and return policies on used items varies.

I always have a warm hat or balaclava, even in the summer, even if I'm using a sleeping bag. So for me, and I suspect most people, this wouldn't be extra weight. On the other hand, I usually do not need the down hood of my sleeping bag in the summer time.

kkman wrote:A side sleeper with sleeping pad looks like an upside down letter T, and the best way to conserve heat is if the side sleeper is covered with an upside down letter U (a sleeping bag) as opposed to an upside down letter V (a quilt that attaches to the 20" wide sleeping pad.)

That's just theory. And not all quilts attach to the pad. Mine doesn't, it wraps around me pretty much like a sleeping bag but without a bottom half. Your mileage may vary.

if you want to argue quilt v. bag, start a new thread. the title of this thread is clear and he chose.

russ

What about a big agnes hybrid. Insulated on one side like a quilt but still a sleeping bag. They are light with tons of room.

What about a big agnes hybrid

I have head the problem with this configuration is sitting uprright in the bag. The pad goes up as well, which would seem somewhat awkward. I guess that we be the case with any bag or quilt strapped to the pad.

rlown wrote:if you want to argue quilt v. bag, start a new thread. the title of this thread is clear and he chose.

russ

It's likely many others are making the same decision on a Sierra's sleeping bag/quilt so we might learn something by keeping the thread going. I agree with you that the thread was drifting to argument over bag vs. quilt so I'll just give/restate considerations when choosing what to use for 15F nights.

Your personal sleeping style matters - back vs. side and how much you move around, loft matters, and I've found that fit matters. Too much air space or air movement makes for a cold night. (Caveat: if part of your sleep system includes clothing to keep warm there needs to be some space to wear clothes.)

And again, try before you buy, especially if you don't have a long history of gear use to rely on. Ask friends to try their gear, rent, and to test quilts try using a sleeping bag unzipped in various configurations. And take time to notice the details, such as not being able to sit up as easily with a system that attaches to a sleeping pad (thanks, freestone). A sleeping bag with a zipper that sticks constantly (like Mountain Hardwear's) could leave you pissed in the middle of a cold night.

OP has made his purchase, so any further discussion should be in a new thread.
The debate about bag vs. quilt should be entertained in a new thread, not only
because it doesn't belong in this thread, but also because it is interesting and
deserves a separate discussion. Thanks

Sorry, I'm used to forums being about everyone's' learning, not just about one person, so I mis-interpreted the title as Recommend a 15* down bag, not Recommend Me a 15* bag.

Sort of agree with kkman here.
While the quilt vs. bag discussion richly deserves its own thread, further discussion about what 15º bag to buy still has merit here and doesn't need to start another thread just because the OP already made a purchase.
(BTW, he bought the second bag mentioned...lol)

that's nice if we can keep it on bag here. If it spins into quilt, spawn a new thread.