Anna and I have enjoyed many years of sleeping in the outdoors tucked away in our cozy sleeping bags. Between us we own 8 different sleeping bags and two quilts. All have their own use and we love each of them for different reasons.
For kayaking trip through the Inside Passage which takes about 3 months- we weren’t excited about the idea of being in separate bags for that long. We also needed a sleeping solution that could handle the near constant rain and damp of the Inside Passage and both the hot summer weather of lower British Columbia and the cold nights spent in Glacier Bay with icy winds blowing down on us from the glaciers. It also needs to pack down small enough to fit in our kayaks along with 21 days of food. On top of that, I sleep rather warm and Anna sleeps very cold. We needed a synthetic quilt large enough to allow Anna to burrow in and me to fold down as temperature warrants.
We scoured the internet and found Enlightened Equipment, a company that specializes in custom made quilts for outdoor pursuits. You can pick temperature, insulation type, fabric, color, length and width. After several conversations we ordered a customized Convert Synthetic APEX quilt in 20°F fill. We picked the length and width that best fit us and the rest of our sleep system and chose a 10D fabric for both the inside and outside layer. The finished bag weighed in at 2 lbs 6 oz and packed easily into a 20 liter dry bag. And the fully customized bag only cost $285.
We paired the bag with two Sea to Summit Adapter Coolmax Liners which Anna’s mom sewed together to make one large liner. This greatly reduced the cold air that can come in when sharing a quilt with a partner that rolls in the night (Anna). We do feel having a liner paired with a quilt is almost a requirement in colder weather and will not use a quilt without one. We slept on a Sea To Summit Comfort Plus SI Double Sleeping Pad.
We couldn’t be happier with our Enlightened Equipment quilt and Sea to Summit Coolmax Liner combination. The water resistant DWR outer nylon shell as well as the synthetic Climashield APEX insulation allows the bag to retain its warmth when damp. We experienced wet mornings with dew on our bag many times on the trip. It was perfect. Anna was able to cocoon herself on colder nights and I folded the quilt away from me when it was hot.
The ultralight 10D fabric proved to be surprisingly durable even with 90 days of continuous use and at least a daily stuffing into a dry bag with not much care. The Convert has a zipper that allows the bag to be folded in half and zipped into a one person mummy bag. In mummy bag configuration, a there are shock cords to pull the footbox closed and to draw the neck in for warmth. To eliminate cold spots, the Convert has sewn through seams.
Technical Specs
- Material: Ultralight 10D nylon fabric with DWR
- Climashield APEX insulation
- Temp rating: 20°
- Price $285
Pros
- Fully customizable
- Quilt style allows personal temperature adjustments
- Lightweight but durable DWR fabric
- Packs down well
- No cold spots
- Great for cuddling
Cons
None
Overall
The Enlightened Equipment Convert Synthetic APEX Custom Quilt is a fully customizable solution that lets you create exactly what you need. With synthetic fill and DWR nylon fabric we got a sleeping bag that stays warm when wet, is lightweight and durable and most importantly, kept us comfortable through a broad range of temperatures over our 90 day trip. We got great customer service at a good price, plus a well made product. We definitely recommend this sleeping bag to everyone. We give this bag 5 of 5 stars.