From Hype to Heartbreak: The VESPER 20° Down Quilt

[@jukkavv]

I have it .. and I have to agree with you. Same thing with their sleepingbag hyperion .. yes its light to carry, but not that warm 🥶

[@natehikes]

Sucks when you can get something from EE for basically 1/2 the cost that would actually work 😡

[@rwp722]

I just got off the trail after 972 miles carrying the Vesper. I used it, and due to its packability and weight, I recommend it. I don't know if it's the warmest quilt out there, but it's warm enough, and I loved crawling into it after a long day of hiking.

[@natehikes]

Appreciate the input. Happy it’s working well for you. Agreed, packability is awesome. In your experience, would you consider this quilt properly rated?

[@rwp722]

@@natehikes I'm not well versed in comparisons, but I will say that if it was below 40 and in the thirties, I used a liner and was comfortable. If a liner is unnecessary, it may be rated wrong. It and a liner got me through nights in the low 30s

[@natehikes]

@rwp722 that’s been about my experience as well. Anything below 40°F and I start to feel it unless supplementing. I wouldn’t mind if it took a tad more real estate in my pack for a warmer experience. It definitely has some room to spare.

[@milesfrussell]

This is why I recommend Western Mountaineering, Feathered Friends, and Katabatic. They are rated to comfort, and have superior baffle designs. Buy once cry once. Thernarest makes amazing pads though. I love my Xthrem and Xlite.

[@natehikes]

Duuude I want a Katabatic quilt badly - Someday. Xterm is amazing. I got the ML Spirit 28 bc no one’s really talking about syth quilts - Wasn’t a top choice, but someone needs to review things like that 🤘

[@asher8272]

Katabatic gear is literally the best quilt possible to get

[@natehikes]

@asher8272 if I had to buy a quilt today, this would be my first option 💯🤘👊

[@johnnomcjohnno1957]

I don't own a Vesper but I do have a S2S sleeping bag which has the same issue. It's meant to be rated at a comfort level of -6 deg C (20 deg F), but it's nowhere near that. Hold it up to the light and you can see plenty of spots with no down. Sure you can fluff it up again, but who wants to do that several times a night?

[@natehikes]

It’s a bummer considering how much these products cost. In fairness, therm-a-rest usually nails it in my opinion. And right, I don’t want to re-fluff my quilt several times per night. Pass.

[@lolobeans]

You gave the quilt a more than fair shake. Some of these products just don't live up to their comfort ratings unfortunately. Thermarest is not known for their insulation products for this reason most likely. Good review, thanks!

[@natehikes]

I would still be inclined towards Therm-a-Rest gear in general. I’ve have a lot of gear from them that is outstanding. The snap coming undone so easily is disappointing. I always love seeing your comments lolobeans 🙂

[@jpnurminen]

The Vesper could use some more down, because the baffles are so big that down migrates and creates cold spots.The pad straps are pure rubbish. They are light but function very poorly. If you put them under a thick and wide pad, they tension the quilt over you and that creates cold spots even more. However I like the quilt for my use case. I use it as a summer quilt (above 0C) for Scandinavian mountains. I chose the large model even if I’m only 178 cm and like the width of it. I also excanged the straps for the ones made by EE, so only the straps go round my sleeping pad and side baffles of quilt stay over it. I agree that at this price you should get a product that doesn’t need fixing. It’s not perfect but still ok on my mind.

[@natehikes]

Cool. Maybe I’ll give new straps a go. I’ll still use the quilt, but not as advertised. My current quilt I got in extra wide, just in case. Cheers and thanks for the insight!

[@RaymondJFalci]

I’ve used a vesper for about 175 nights. I actually find that the warmth rating is generous and am warm down about 25 on an xlite and 30 on an 8th inch. That being said the down shifting is anoying and somehow the down jumped baffles when I washed it leaving some completely empty :(. Pad attachment is objectively terrible. It’s unfortunate for a quilt this expensive and with so much potential to have these issues.

[@natehikes]

Only 175 nights? 😜👊 I’ve seen reviews of people who have washed the vesper and down is now completely gone from some of the baffles. I’m scared to death if I ever need to wash it 😳

[@timmo971]

Just wondering if you’ve washed it? Sometimes any down bag can suffer with clumping for weeks after and needs repeated floofing and unpacked time. Weighing them beforehand and after is the only way to determine it’s moisture content and even then is difficult to be sure

[@natehikes]

I haven’t washed it

[@ewmetzler]

I own one. Used it on the Gila section of the CDT. It’s warmer than the Enlightened Equipment Synthetic I used earlier, but the downless spots are sure there. I want to love this quilt but the bare spots are not what I paid for. Canyon

[@natehikes]

I have the same sentiment. I want to love it, but it’s not reliable enough. Testing a synthetic quilt from ML Designs. If you have any experience with those quilts, please let me know.

[@hooptroopers]

Hey, good video! I'm a novice but it seems wrong that the down have piled up and left gaps like that and that you just ought to lay perfectly still? This definitely makes me reluctant to get a quilt, and I was particularly interested in the Vesper 20 - not as much anymore. Hey, I've been wondering how people say quilts are lighter than sleeping bags because I have yet to see that? My friend says his high end 3-season sleeping bag is just over 500g and he is 6'1 so thats either 150 or 200g lighter than this quilt in Reg. or Large and as far as I understand this is regarded as a go to quilt for ultralighters for warmth to weight ratio. My friend also says, I am going to feel warmer in a sleeping bag and that there's a reason the north pole explorers always bring sleeping bags, never quilts; that, they just can't trap air effectively. Being that his sleeping bag is both lighter than this quilt and probably performs better, it begs the question if quilts are over the peak and in fact on a downtrend? Then some say quilts are cheaper and that they are better to move freely under. But a quilt rated for freezing temperatures that people here regard as a summer item that you have to lay perfectly still under, paying 350-400$ is just not cheap. Or am I missing something?

[@natehikes]

A few things to consider - I wouldn’t rely on one source to base your opinion on this quilt, or all quilts in general. It’s very important to draw conclusions from various sources. Quilts in general give you a more freedom and can feel more like your bed at home. This is critical to a lot of people who don’t feel a sleeping bag can do the same. This quilt comes in a large size as well. I bet the large paired with a regular width pad would perform better. There are suggestions that replacing the straps would help, but it’s annoying you’d have to do that yourself. Take a strong look at Enlightened Equipment or Katabatic Gear quilts if you’re really interested in a quilt. I wouldn’t rule out quilts all together, but they are more difficult for a new hiker/backpacker to use. I’m sure you know, but all bags/quilts have comfort and limit ratings. This is the Vesper 20°, but rated to 32° comfort (F). I still say, overall, it’s under filled. Thanks for your comment and I hope you find something that works for you. Come back soon and I welcome your comments every time - and thanks for subscribing 🤘

[@hooptroopers]

@@natehikes Yes, I fully agree that I shouldn't only rely only on one source and I appreciate this advice from you. I am interested in quilts because I want to feel unrestricted for sure but also carry lighter and be more purposeful. I will try to look up the brands you mentioned. Here in Europe where I am, we are in complete lack of many of the UL brands that you have in America. I am aware the Vesper 20 is a 3-season quilt and should somewhat comfortably go down to around the freezing point. I am heading up in the mountains in September so I need it to be able to go that low. So whenever I have washed duvets at home, it's been a battle to dry and spread out the down again. I wonder if this issue has also started occurring for you after having washed it? Seeing the light gaps in your quilt made me recall I read somewhere that down filling needs to be divided into small sections (what would literally be known as a quilt-pattern) to avoid piling. When seeing the Vesper quilt, the sections are large which for my untrained eye seems to cause the piling effect. If they were in lots of small sections there'd really be nowhere for them to go. But every single stitching is probably a potential tiny cold bridge so it seems Thermarest tried to avoid stitching as much as possible. If it were more filled with down, it would also be heavier so instead of 600g, maybe 700 or 750g. But comparably, a sleeping bag that can go down to around the freezing point (32F/0C) at 750g, is that considered a super ultralight choice?

[@natehikes]

@hooptroopers I personally have never washed the vesper yet. Concerning what is considered a UL quilt - This is a little difficult to answer ONLY bc UL is in the beholders eye. I hope you don’t consider this as me preaching - and please don’t - but I wouldn’t focus too hard on just weight. Going UL often takes lots of experience, trial and error, and time. I’ve had so many UL kits that just sucked when I finally got it out on trail. Weight should be a consideration of course - But I don’t want you to fall into the trap of focusing all energies on weight. Most likely, you’ll end up making big and small changes to your UL kits as you hike more. Focus on going light, affordability, and function. There are sleeping bags (and some quilts) with fused seams (no needle holes) and some don’t have any seams at all. Unfortunately, they are synthetic as you don’t need to worry about migration or baffling the down. The vesper does use boxed baffling, meaning although the seams are stitched, they don’t go all the way thru to the underside of the quilt. But your point stands - lots of holes. I hope these answers help. If you really want to chat more, feel free to reach out to [e-mail]. I am NOT an expert, there are plenty of others who know more than me, but I’d be happy to discuss this further if you’d like 👍

[@hooptroopers]

@@natehikes wow - thanks a lot for your answers. At the moment I might not have any more questions. I want to try to do a lot of research but I will definitely like to consider writing you later on so I will save your email. Thank you Nate. Your kindness is dearly appreciated!

[@natehikes]

Reach out anytime! I’m here 🤘

[@TennesseeSlim]

Its a summer option for cold weather get a dedicated sleeping bag. Or combine your quilt with a sleeping bag for cold weather.

[@natehikes]

Oh I use combos all the time and have bags too. It’s the only way most times in winter around here.

[@gregmortonoutdoors]

Just get a UGQ and save the headaches.

[@natehikes]

And money. Plus way more customization options. Good company.

[@gregmortonoutdoors]

@@natehikes I have two from them and will not buy a quilt from any other company.

[@TennesseeSlim]

Find a rei magma quilt used. I found mine for $120

[@natehikes]

Big fan of several REI products myself. Thanks for the tip Mr Slim!

[@TennesseeSlim]

@@natehikes it probably has the same temperature rating but the baffles are a bit different and the pad strap has a better design and that clip you have coming undone easily is more rigid and harder to come loose. Sometimes rei gets something right. But stay away from that trash air 2 tent

[@Black-March]

Thermarests quilts are absolute shit, there's so many who have bought these only to immediatley return them because they're basically see through with uneven down distribution. Mine was the Corus, not Vesper. Immediately turned around and bought one from another brand which I'm super happy with. It's a shame too because I absolutely love a lot of other Thermarest products but their quilts just bombed in terms of quality.

[@natehikes]

Interesting. Haven’t done much research on the Corus. Yea, I’ve moved in a different direction too. I’ll still use the Vesper, it’s not completely useless at least 😉😆

[@TennesseeSlim]

Your straps look wrong the quilt should go under you not the pad

[@natehikes]

I would advise using them as intended, which would be to go around the pad.

[@TennesseeSlim]

@@natehikes if thats the case then the Design is improper. The strap should go around the pad separately then the quilt should then attach to the quilt strap. Youll have a much better experience cutting out chilly weather. The way you have them currently it is forcing you to heat dead air space.

[@TennesseeSlim]

@@natehikes i just looked at the strap yeah thats garbage. Add your own straps just copy the design of other quilt designs. You'll be much more comfortable i guarantee it. Thermarest dropped the ball on that one. I made some with shock cord and toggles. The same idea would work for this as well but i would go further and add a second strap 8 inches lower. Then add a better snap mechanism.

[@natehikes]

That may work and is actually a great tip. Only issue I see is the attachment points on the quilt, which are quite higher than some like an EE or Katabatic etc. This would cause the strap to pull against the side of the quilt, squashing the down.

[@TennesseeSlim]

@@natehikes i imagine just sewing on more loops.