Ohanadad Posted October 3, 2012 Share Posted October 3, 2012 Since we moved, I now get to camp in very moderate temps year round. As such, I saw an article on a Camping quilt made by Thermarest that is suppose to be smaller and lighter than a lightweight sleeping bag. It does so my taking advantage of not having to go around you since it snaps to the sleeping pad that give you the isulation below. A lot of hammack campers use quilts. The Thermarest quilt is $50 and since a scout is thrifty, I was wondering if it would be better use use a poncho liner instead? Anyone have experience with a quilt? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeanRx Posted October 4, 2012 Share Posted October 4, 2012 I don't know about a quilt, but I have a poncho liner I've had since my active duty days and I rarely go camping without it. Even in warm climates and temps, I use it as a sleeping pad or roll it up and use it as a camp pillow. dean Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AZMike Posted October 4, 2012 Share Posted October 4, 2012 I also continue to use my poncho liner, mostly just wrapping myself in my quilted camouflage security blanket when it's warm. I'm also thinking about buying a sleeping bag liner from REI and using that (alone) as my warm-weather sleeping bag (very compact), and then using it as an add-on to my bag when it gets cold.(This message has been edited by AZMike) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunny2862 Posted October 4, 2012 Share Posted October 4, 2012 Find a Grunt who doesn't have his Poncho liner and you've found a Grunt whose gear has been "claimed" by someone else, who has been the victim of the only thief in the Corps. Poncho liners are great multi-purpose items that take abuse well, quilts are fine, the biggest difference is the temperature rating and your own comfort level and durability. One of my favorite projects: http://www.backpacking.net/makegear.html then go down the left hand side, "Sleeping", "Light Quilt" Add or delete fill, for your comfort level. Make sure you store uncompressed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
desertrat77 Posted October 4, 2012 Share Posted October 4, 2012 Poncho liners rock! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ohanadad Posted October 4, 2012 Author Share Posted October 4, 2012 Gunny, That site rocks! I took a look at it and came up with all sorts of ideas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CalicoPenn Posted October 4, 2012 Share Posted October 4, 2012 Are you going to be backpacking? Then the camping quilt in place of a lightweight sleeping bag makes sense. Are you car camping? Why spend the money on either a sleeping bag or a camping quilt. Chances are you've got all you need sitting on a bed at home right now. I don't get moderate temps year round - it can get downright cold (aka below zero) some nights when I camp. I have not used my sleeping bag in years. I have a twin size sheet folded in half lengthwise and sewn up at one end and along the side that my sleeping pad slips into (I just don't like sleeping directly on my pad). In the summer, I use another twin sheet (I also don't like sleeping without some kind of cover, even if it's lightweight). When it gets a bit cooler, I use a fleece blanket - the kind you can get at wally world or k-mart for 5 bucks. Sometimes, I use 2. If I need more than 2, it's cold enough for a nice wool blanket in place of the poly blankets - you can still get army surplus wool blankets cheap, and if you have them nearby, check out a couple of mountain man rendezvous - sometimes you find folks selling Hudson Bay blankets fairly cheap. Pendleton has some nice ones as well - they may be more pricy than the camping quilt, but you're more likely to use it at home as well as at camp too. On really cold nights, a sheet and two wool blankets is usually all I need. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeBob Posted October 4, 2012 Share Posted October 4, 2012 Has anyone ever really tied a poncho liner to a poncho? I had to quit loaning my poncho liners to my un-initiated friends. They'd tell me to my face that I was NOT getting the poncho liner back! The only downside to poncho liners is that they are slippery. If you use one on top of your sleeping bag to improve the rating, the poncho liner waits until the coldest part of the morning (when you least want to crawl out of your bag) to slither off. I use a mummy-bag cover outside to hold the poncho liner in place when it's cold, which gives me a three layered system to adjust for all weather. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
desertrat77 Posted October 5, 2012 Share Posted October 5, 2012 Joe Bob, excellent question...though I've been tempted a few times to actually tie poncho and liner together, I've never actually done it. I imagine it would be a warm combo. Concur, those liners are doggone slippery! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeanRx Posted October 5, 2012 Share Posted October 5, 2012 Poncho liner + OD green wool blanket + sleeping bag bivy sack = great night sleep in almost any weather. I add an emergency blanket on top if need be when its really cold. I also take my closed foam sleeping pad (only ounces and my back is getting too old for being right on the turf). Use that and a tarp with my hiking poles as a lean-to for most packpacking situations. 6 lightweight tent pegs for tiedowns... Total weight for sleeping and shelter is no more than 4 and 1/2 pounds. Nice thing with the lean-to, I have built a reflector fire up against a boulder on a really cold (snowy) winter night and was shedding layers to stay cool in the night! You can stay very lightweight, warm, and versitile without spending a ton on $$ on equipment. I did spring for a nice Big Anges waterproof bivy sack - as I can handle being a little cold, but I HATE being wet! Dean Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Callooh! Callay!1428010939 Posted October 5, 2012 Share Posted October 5, 2012 Poncho liner is light and packs OK. It's slippery. The old-school field jacket liner was the best part of the old field jacket, which was otherwise not very useful. The field jacket liner and liner pants are essentially the same material as the poncho liner. They're a light quilted suit that will pack small and be useful not just for sleeping warm but as a wearable insulation layer. You can do better, but maybe not at the price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AZMike Posted October 5, 2012 Share Posted October 5, 2012 If you use one of those heavyweight survival blankets that have mylar on one side and colored plastic on the other (not the lightweight all-mylar survival blanket that comes in a little bag) , you can use that as a groundcloth under your poncho liner roll and the reflected body warmth keeps you comfortably warm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeBob Posted October 5, 2012 Share Posted October 5, 2012 Callooh: at 6'2" I had a bit of trouble keeping my toes under a poncho liner. So I used the Field Jacket liner for my feet. Stick you dogs in the sleeves and you don't have to worry about 'em slipping out in the night. Dick Malvesti told me it was the best use of a field jacket liner he had ever seen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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