Waratah Quilt

I recently had a chance to try out this very nice Waratah Quilt from Neve Gear. They are priced from A$419 (May 2024). I have had it for some time actually, but the weather has been too warm so I had to wait until I could go somewhere it was going to drop below freezing to try it out. They also make the Wallaroo Pack I posted about earlier.

Two possibilities arose in the last month but a trip to Mt Darling had to be called off because it was too dry so that I might have found myself out of water. Then our overnight hikes in Tasmania suffered from lack of time.

Last week my friend, Brett asked me to accompany him on a walk out to Mt Feathertop which promised overnight temperatures at zero or below which was ideal to test out the new quilt.

I also had a new Thermarest XTherm Nxt Pad to try out (and a new $2 pillow) , so a complete new sleep system really. More about the other items (and the trip) later.

You can see all three items here together. The pillow is very small (only 40 grams). Just a neck pillow – all you need really and will fit inside a sleeping bag hood.

The quilt comes with an elastic pad attachment system which adds around 80 grams to the 685 gram quilt weight. The quilt itself has over a pound (470 grams ) of 800 fill power down which the makers specify should be good to -2C (comfort), but I think they are being extraordinarily modest with that rating as any other manufacturer would reckon that weight (etc) of down to be good to -10C at least – anyway if it were a bag.

A quilt ‘might’ be expected to let in a few more drafts but not if it is ‘tucked in’ well which is the purpose of the elastic strap system which it comes with.

I have spent months in a row sleeping in a hammock with just a home-made quilt which is easier than a bag (waiting for a back operation) with no such ‘attachment’ system so I thought I would forego it – though I was not going to be in a hammock .

I ‘substituted’ a 2 gram piece of gross-grain ribbon for the bottom strap (to keep the quilt closed) and thought I could rely on the cam snap (at the back of my neck) at the top to keep the ‘flaps’ near my shoulders closed enough to keep out (most) drafts so long as I didn’t toss and turn too much. This proved correct. It also meant I could very easily slip in (and out of) it.

Like this:

Before I had a bad back (how long ago that was ~10 years) I used to always just sleep on my back, so (then) I would not have needed anything to keep a quilt in place. I suggest if you are the same you will be able to save some weight (anyway 80 grams) .

If you wanted to save a little more weight you could spend just a little more cash and go for their Feathertail Quilt (570  grams  & A$470) or at least option this one into 950 fill power down to save 50 grams, ie 635 grams.

In either (or all) cases the weight to warmth ratio is quite acceptable and comparable to or better than other brands while the price is very pleasing. Many comparable quilts/sleeping bags (they make one of these too – the Bandicoot) are twice this price but no better quality – if that.

In the event the temperature at Federation Hut very definitely did fall below freezing. Other campers (including Brett in a -3C arrangement) complained about the cold. There was at least 1/4″ of frost (still at 10:00am) on the ground in the morning and a bitterly cold wind all night. Great ‘trial’ conditions for this Neve Gear quilt.

I had on (just) a pair of down socks plus wool thermals as pyjamas and I was quite toasty warm all night. (If I wasn’t so old and stiff I would have kicked off the socks quite early on too).

As I tossed and turned (which I do now because of my sore back) I sometimes rolled on one side of the quilt which would pull the other edge up a bit so I could feel a chill on my back. A simple tug freed it and I was instantly quite warm again.

If you toss around a little less you too will be able to do without their pad attachment system which I’m sure would otherwise work very well – though making it a little more difficult to get in and out of bed than I would like, something which becomes more and more of a problem as you get old – like me, (as you will find out too when you are over 70). The elastic straps connectors and adjusters are all intelligently placed – though I must say I do not like elastic straps.

I am looking forward to ‘perfecting’ a sleep system which makes it much easier to get in and out of bed. I think this quilt might be a good start.

I have a modification of their attachment system in mind which might work very well but it will necessitate modifying the Thermarest pad (and maybe the quilt as well) which might be beyond your technical capacity – though it ought not to be. Sewing is easy.

I will say more about that later, but it will involve sewing tabs onto the pad and attaching the quilt (probably with cam snaps) in such a way that it remains attached on one side whilst being able to be opened very simply on the other – to exit and enter. (Something like the ‘Zen Bivy‘ system, which Brett has, but simpler – no tiny hooks for a start). I will try it out first.

I daresay I would have been fine if it had been another 5-10C colder than it was, though I am (maybe) a warmer sleeper than you – certainly than my wife, Della anyway, who always needs a bag which is rated 5C warmer than mine. The quilt certainly seemed plenty warm enough to me, if not too warm for the maybe -3 or -4C it clearly was,

So to conclude, the Waratah Quilt was more than satisfactory. It was excellent. It is roomy, soft, warm and comfortable. It definitely sleeps many degrees warmer than its rating. It appears to be robust and well-made. A most attractive and useful product, and good value.

BTW: The quilt can be cinched around the neck/head (with a drawstring) if it is really cold. The quilt can be opened up partially or completely (it is closed at the footbox with a short zipper) and could just about be used as a (bed) quilt for two when it is in the fully open position as it measures 147cm (top – 105 bottom) and 205 long!

Indeed this length is much more than I need, probably close to a foot – but most manufacturers err towards too long rather than too short. If I was making a quilt myself I could save quite a bit of weight (ie 1/6th or over 100 grams in this case) by making it the right length for me.

Room for a couple of dogs too, if you want! They want to anyway.

My sleeping bag actually keeps my elbows off the ground (unlike here) but if I was to use a quilt I might have to revert to some of my pad-widening stratagems to obviate this problem such as pieces of closed cell foam and etc if I generally still slept on my back – which I don’t.

Once I am on my side the problem goes away – as you can see.

I could easily cut 6″ off the new mat too (as you can see), and save another 50 grams or so. I just don’t need 6′ – but at over $300 I am very wary of doing so in case I destroy it. I would consider shortening the quilt though – a much easier job.

The quilt is not quite wide enough (for me) to turn it into a centre zip sleeping bag (I considered this)  – but it would be for my wife, Della.

One deficiency I have with a quilt is that I do like a hood on really cold nights. I see that Zenbivy has got around this problem but really by using a large hammer to crack a nut. A centre zip sleeping bag (such as I posted about here gets around both the problem of not having a hood and that of getting in and out of bed easily whilst still remaining light and hassle free. No doubt there is no such thing as a perfect sleep system especially given that we are all different.

See Also:

Wallaroo Pack