My Sleep System: A Review of EE Revelation Quilt & Therma Rest X Therm

My Sleep System: A Review of EE Revelation Quilt & Therma Rest X Therm

Before we dive into the gear, I think it’s worth mentioning this is my trouble spot in backpacking. I sleep cold, I hate being cold, and it’s my biggest concern when backpacking. I really dislike the feeling of waking up in the middle of the night shivering and not having any options to change the situation. While there are things you can do to improve your situation that are unrelated to gear (eating before bed, site selection, activity, etc.), this post will be discussing the two pieces of gear that changed my relationship with backpacking in the shoulder seasons: the Enlightened Equipment Revelation 10 degree quilt & the Therm-a-Rest XTherm sleeping pad.

Cost

Before we get into the details, it’s worth addressing this was a major upgrade for me and came with a hefty price tag. This upgrade is around $500 and one that I didn't take lightly as I am always trying to find the best cost to value in the backcountry. After spending countless nights colder than I’d like to be, and doing my own research into ways to fix this problem, I took a leap with this setup and thankfully, after many nights in cold temperatures, I have no regrets spending this money to make this kind of upgrade.

Enlightened Equipment Revelation 10 degree quilt

This quilt is 28oz as I chose the long/wide option. Being over 6 feet tall and someone that moves in their sleep, I wanted to guarantee I had enough material. EE has a great reputation in the backpacking community and it’s no surprise why. This quilt offers a great warmth to weight to size ratio. It compacts down really well for being so big and it is very warm. As someone that sleeps cold, I always add degrees to sleep systems and so I can’t discuss the limits of this 10 degree quilt, however I can say paired with the pad I describe below, this system has been comfortable into the high 20s and tolerable into the mid 20s. To me, that is a great benchmark and although I haven’t tested this down to 10 degrees, the safety and security I feel in the 20s is something that I had never experienced before. The only challenge with this sleeping quilt is making sure I configure the quilt part right in order to minimize draft and heat loss. Thankfully using a sleeping pad makes this much easier as there are straps that you can use to tether the quilt to the pad. After some trial and error, I feel like I have this system down.

Therma Rest XTherm Sleeping Pad

This sleeping pad was a game changer for me. I’d argue this is the best pound (15oz) of gear in my pack on any adventure. The warmth to weight ratio on this pad is incredible. It has a very high R-value (6.9), which means it will retain and return heat very well. For comparison, their popular XLite pad has an R-Value of 4.2 and is considered a great 3 season pad for most people. The only thing I may have done differently is opted for the wider option. I move a lot in my sleep and sometimes I notice my arms sliding off the pad and waking due to the cold. This isn’t a gear problem, it’s the way I sleep. As soon as I adjust and stay on the pad, I am comfortable again. I think the extra 5in width would minimize the likelihood of this issue arising, but also at a slight weight penalty.

The best picture I could find showing my sleep system in action. Not great quality and clearly not designed to showcase this setup, but an image nonetheless.

The best picture I could find showing my sleep system in action. Not great quality and clearly not designed to showcase this setup, but an image nonetheless.

Conclusion

I love backpacking in the mountains and at high elevation. Therefore, most of my ideal backpacking trips have me sleeping overnight in the 30s, even if it’s the middle of the summer! Some may argue this setup is overkill in the 30s, but for me, this combination has changed backpacking. I feel certain when carrying these two items that I can be comfortable below freezing and tolerable into the low 20s, probably even safe into the high teens. This piece of mind and comfort has allowed me to push the shoulder seasons and avoid crowds by backpacking when the night time temperatures are less pleasant for most. This combination weighs in at 43oz, which is just over 2.5 pounds, and admittedly is a big portion of my overall base weight, however I wouldn’t change this gear for anything at this point, and this weight affords me the ability to have more options when selecting trips in the future!

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