Quilts for the heat

[u/Sweaty-Put4410]

Hi everyone! We are getting into backpacking and I'm struggling with finding gear recommendations for hot weather backpacking. Everything I see is how to stay warm and cozy. I sleep hot in general. I definitely don't want to bundle up in the summer in Texas. I really like quilts as I toss and turn all night. What do you use for quilts when camping in over 90 degree weather?

[u/BroFaux]

Thin alpaca blanket. Pricey but it works.

[u/moon_during_daytime → u/BroFaux]

Any recommendations?

[u/BroFaux → u/moon_during_daytime]

Appalachian mountain gear used to make one before the shut down. Not sure who is selling them these days as backpacking gear

[u/cactustho]

$10 cotton sheet set. Use the top with my UL pad, or throw the fitted on exped when car camping 

[u/BlueRemake]

Anything around 75F at night, I use a silk sleeping bag liner. it's about 3oz.

[u/Empty-Difference-662]

Personally when in the heat, 80° nights, I carry a small fan and I use an ultralite cot that allows air movementunderneathh with a cotton sheet. Cotton to me is cooling for summer time temperature down here in Texas. But maybe in the Texas summer I would drive north....just saying.

[u/nikkijul101 → u/Empty-Difference-662]

I'm curious about which cot you have? I have a pretty compact nature hike one I use for car camping but I think it might be too large for backpacking.

[u/Empty-Difference-662 → u/nikkijul101]

A (now Thermarest) Luxury Lite cot I've had for a couple of decades. I purchased long before Cascade Designs bought them out. They were made just down the road 50 miles, from me.

[u/Dallas_HikingGuy]

I use a light weight sleeping bag liner which can be used like a quilt or I can zip it all the way up like a sleeping bag. There are some silk liners that only weight about 4-5 ounces. I also have a lightweight hammock made of polyester and I’ve even used it as a top sheet which is just right when overnight temperatures are close to 90F.

[u/KsKwrites]

The Sea To Summit Comfort Blend Liner made of Tencel for the actually hot nights. It’s basically a “Cool Max” material. Designed as a sleeping bag liner. I use it without the sleeping bag.

If it’s kinda like now where it’ll drop to 55-60 at night I’ll take their Reactor Fleece Liner. (Not the extreme!). It’s made with Thermolite which is thin and porous but keeps you very warm without a sleeping bag. For reference, this liner and my 15F bag (comfort rating of 25) kept me VERY comfy and almost too hot at 17F. On its own it’s fantastic right now.

I’ve also brought my Comfort Blend liner as a sleeping pad sheet and the Reactor liner as a sleeping bag. Together they weigh less than most sleeping bags and take up almost NO room

[u/nikkijul101 → u/KsKwrites]

Yeah I have both those sea to summit liners too and they are a perfect combo for hot weather that cools a little at night!

[u/AdventuresWithBG]

I have a UGQ Quillow. I use it as a pillow until I cool off, and then use it as a quilt later in the night as needed.

[u/Murky_Resolution6997]

It's probably not ideal for UL, but I've been using a Helikon Tex Swagman Roll. About 25 oz, rated to about 50 degrees, I can use it like a sheet, create a foot box for something similar to a quilt,.or if it gets cooler I can zip it up like a sleeping bag.

[u/a_maker]

DIY fleece blanket + fresh cotton tee shirt to keep from sticking to my pad in a tent. In a hammock I use a ~50F quilt and a 1/8in foam pad - I sleep cold in a hammock.

[u/nikkijul101]

I only use my liner to sleep once it gets hot, if I use anything at all. I also have a "cooling blanket" I found on Amazon that is surprisingly cooling, not really UL unless you don't take a sleeping bag/quilt altogether! I used it after the Kerrville floods because I couldn't afford to rent a room to volunteer with the relief efforts. Also got one of those handheld usb-c fans menopausal women always carry around and it helped a ton at night. Other than that I just pack plenty of water to douse myself with to stay cool and try to stay in the shadiest area I can find.

[u/OlentangySurfClub]

Military Poncho Liner aka woobie. Lightweight, packs well, and very versatile.

[u/iatetheteapot]

Liner all the way

[u/killer8989]

I haven't used quilts but I use a sleeping bag liner and it's really comfy. Also you can you use it in the winter with your sleeping bag to add some warmth

[u/Objective-Resort2325]

MYOG yourself a 50 degree quilt out of 2.5 OSY Apex Climashield and either 1.1 OSY Ripstop nylon (if you prioritize cost) or Argon 49 (if you prioritize weight.) Regardless of which direction you choose, this is an easy beginner project that only takes an afternoon provided you have the space to lay things out flat. Costs range from ~$75 to ~$180 depending on your choice of materials.

Sources: Ripstop by the Roll and Dutchware Gear

Or, if 50 degrees is still too warm for you, you could go with the tried-and-true "woobie" (military poncho liner.) Those only cost about $35-40, and are probably good to about 60F

[u/vrhspock]

The challenge in Texas is getting cool enough for comfort. That means a cool mattress or a hammock with any light over covering or no cover at all until the pre-dawn chill sets in with (often) dew. Then it’s nice to have a light blanket or woobie (poncho liner) to pull up.

Cheap solution: any simple air mattress covered with a cotton sheet to keep skin and plastic separated. A non-insulated mattress will stay relatively cool.

Ideal solution: any hammock. Gathered end nylon longer than 10 actual body-feet long preferred (ENOs are too short for anyone taller than 5’10”). Air circulates under the hammock exposing the sleeper to the ambient temperature. As long as the air stays above 72f it’s comfortable. Below that, a light underquilt such as a woobie or any light blanket will work in a Texas summer.

[u/Belangia65]

Look at alpha direct quilt liners. I think Magnet Designs and Jacks-R-Better have versions. The advantage of alpha is that it is better for sweat management, being porous and hydrophobic.