I toss and turn a lot at night. Sleep on my back, stomach and both sides !!!

A tailored mummy bag is out of the question. I currently use a Vango Cocoon sleeping bag, because of the shoulder width. I think it is almost 1 Meter wide.

Hence I am considering a quilt now. Packs smaller, lighter, warmer, etc.

What do you put over the pad??? I can’t see myself sleeping on a naked pad.

I currently have a nice thick cheap one from Decathlon sports, but may get a Therma Rest Neo Air, at some stage...

Do you use a sheet? Or?

We've usually used sheets over the mat. You can get 'fluffy' sheets (not sure about the proper name) rather than normal thin ones if it's a bit colder or when it's even colder wrap the quilt round you so there's insulation below you.

Ah, so I am not the only one who feels a bare pad is a bit chilly harsh then???

Anyone else?

I sometimes use a semi-rectangular sleeping bag with a full zip--basically, a quilt which can turn into a sleeping bag (or the reverse). It's a lot warmer when zipped up, and every so often that's really and truly necessary.

What's more, a quilt is usually heavier and bulkier, because any good sleeping bag is designed to be neither. I'm not sure where you're getting "smaller, lighter, warmer..." but it hasn't been my experience at all.

When car-camping with company, I've done all sorts of stuff with flannel sheets and quilts over plush Thermarest pads, but IMHO none of that stuff really works for travel with a bike.

But the real answer to your question is that when it's cold and I'm alone, I don't sleep nekkid. Instead, I wear thin long underwear bottoms and some sort of top. When it's really cold, I add more clothes and a hat, sometimes a neck gaiter, socks, etc. etc. etc. This means no need for anything to cover the sleeping pad.

Last, I'm always seeing sleeping "systems" advertised which include covered pads and quilt-like products, all designed to attach, sometimes to roll up into one package. I've never even bothered to investigate further, but you might.

Hope that's helpful.

Mark

Sleeping bag ratings and quilt ratings are with thermals on! Ideally you want one set of thermals only for sleeping - that way they stay dry and fairly clean.

Some sheet over the sleeping pad ... umm adds some weight. You might think about using a sleeping bag inner sheet - keeps the bag/quit cleaner and adds some comfort. You can get then in various fabrics - cotton, silk, fleece. It can also be used where the hotel sheets are not the cleanest too.

I'm a T shirt and shorts kind of sleeper - unless it's a winter camping in the snow sort of trip when I'll take some heavy duty thermals. If I'm expecting that sort of cold it's an expedition level sleeping bag that gets packed, but the duvet / quilt +sheet option works really well from "hot' down to a degree or so above freezing - three season camping really.

Regular sleeping bags in hot climates have been an niggle with me for some time. If it's a well specced bag it ends up around your ankles when you get too hot and those part of you still inside it just sweat into the filling. Pretty much all of my decent bags over the years have been binned because they've never been as good after trying to clean them. A duvet has much greater flexibility - you can kick it off / pull it on when you're half asleep because you're not lying on half of it.

We got lucky with the double duvet we've been using recently - it's down filled and we got it for nothing on Freecycle. Because it's down filled it packs down well. In the pic below the duvet + sheets + some other clothing are all in the blue bag on the right of the photo. OK, it's a big bike but I've used the same set up on my 125. That duvet has been used down to about 5C at night.





If you have to buy one from scratch then the advantages may not be so clear cut. A decent down filled one is expensive and they're not as robust as a similar cost sleeping bag, but if you've got an end of life one at home or you can find something usable secondhand they certainly have their place.

Thanks all for the responses.

I have never heard that sleeping bag ratings are including thermals...

I am boxers and t-shirt sleeper, but have slept in a few layers with a down jacket on in Canada. A fleece hat in cooler climes too!

Thanks again. So in a nutshell I am not mad for wanting a sheet. Yes more bulk/weight, by having a sheet. Room to roam priceless... I do have a few Ikea down duvets... I could try that first... hmmmn...

Here's a light weight alternative to carrying a sheet for your pad ...

https://enlightenedequipment.com/pad-cover/

£40 ... you bugger!!

That’s perfect!!!!

“You don’t know... what you don’t know”

I never knew anything like that existed.

Thank you very much indeed!!!

Bugger... because now, have to have that !! (and the quilt!! )

Ah, it’s nylon...

Sewing machine time !!

I'm like you toss and turn all night. I too use a quilt on top of my sleeping pad. I use a sleeping bag liner and slip the pad into the liner. It packs really small and light weight.

Thats the way I am heading too...

I did think of that... i have a rectangle liner i took to India... ill give that a go. Thanks.

I use the cheapest sleeping bag liner I could find at decathlon and instead of crawling into it, I put my entire Exped mat into it. Much more comfortable than the feeling of plastic on my skin and not as sweaty on warm nights.

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Belgium to Nordkapp via Iran | Discover Overland | Destination World

Hiya


You can buy the fibrepile material similar to that used for clothing like a Buffalo jacket and make a cosy sleeping bag whatever size you like then. It is stretchy so not super easy on a sewing machine. I love Buffalo stuff, I'm going to see what sleeping in that is like with no bag when I get the chance



Or the biggest bag I've seen is a Savotta Yukon, big enough for two friendly people, velcro tabs on the front if you want to leave the zip open if it's too warm, but it is a bit chunky packed up.

Been toying with the idea of a down quilt for a while myself, they seem to offer all the advantages of a sleeping bag as most can be tensioned up around you or left loose, they are lighter and generally pack dopwn smaller, obviously need to have a good pad to insulate you from the cold floor or a really light camping bed. in really cold conditions you can use the quilt and sleeping pad and that way you don't need an extra big winter bag. i also am not a fan of the restricted feeling of a sleeping bag, my current mackpak sleeping bag has no insulation under so it wraps over the pad and insulates just the top of your body but unless its really cold I still find it restrictive for movement.