It’s time to revolutionise your sleeping set-up with the best camping quilt for UK adventures!
After years of sleeping bags dominating the camping scene, there’s a change underway. Camping quilts are growing in popularity as hikers take notice of their value. But what exactly is a camping quilt? It’s essentially a well-insulated blanket that offers a strong alternative to a traditional sleeping bag.
Camping quilts are half the size of sleeping bags but made from the same material. They don’t have hoods, but they do allow for more freedom of movement. Plus, they’re easy to clean and some quilts have a pouch at the base to put your feet in and keep your toes nice and cosy!
These quilts have a handful of benefits. Firstly, they allow for greater temp regulation. If you’re camping in warmer weather or in a country that is often above zero degrees, you don’t necessarily need a 4-season Arctic sleeping bag. An item like this is going to be costly, will add extra weight, and will be too hot to actually sleep in most of the time.
In the UK, where temperatures a mostly mild, a cooler sleeping alternative such as a camping quilt can fix this problem. While a quilt won’t wrap around your back like a sleeping bag does, a good quality sleeping mat forms the foundation of this insulating layer anyway.
This sacrifice of insulation means that a sleeping quilt is often much lighter than a sleeping bag. Therefore, it’s a great option to take on long-distance hikes when the aim is to save weight. Without the mummy-like grip of a sleeping bag or the restricted space of a double sleeping bag, you can have a more ventilated and less-cramped sleeping set-up. Starting to sound pretty good, right? Let’s take a look at some contenders for the best camping quilt for your adventures.
Our opening option provides a great introduction to camping quilts due to its excellent price point and ease of functionality. The KingCamp Camping Blanket wins over any budget camper due to its cheap pricing.
The quilt packs down to a featherlight 0.44 kg which is at least half the weight of a good quality sleeping bag. The blanket comes in black, red, or olive, and multiple quilts can be clipped together for extra warmth. This is a bonus for campers who want to sleep with a partner or share the tent with their kids.
The quilt is perfect for summer camping and is made from 20D ripstop nylon to prevent any tears from damaging the material. The quilt also has a water-repellent shell.
With 250g of synthetic clusterloft fibres inside this blanket, you’ll sleep soundly even in cool autumnal weather conditions. Unfortunately, this quilt doesn’t tuck under your sleeping mat, and this can cause heat to leak out from gaps that a sleeping bag wouldn’t have.
For such excellent value, it’s hard to go wrong with the KingCamp Camping Blanket. It’s lightweight, cosy, and easy to pack down for UK adventures in the summer.
With more than 30+ stunning designs available, there’s really no contest for the most stylish camping quilt.
With a mission to create unique, eco-friendly products – VOITED are one of our favourite sustainable outdoor brands. Their camping blankets and changewear and some of our favourites. But their dedication to lessen the impact that manufacturing has on the environment is the real selling point.
The VOITED Original 4-in-1 Ripstop Blanket is an insulated camping quilt with tricks up its sleeve. Yes, it’s a blanket, but it’s also much more. A pillow, a cape and a sleeping bag can be made thanks to the handy press-studs.
If you’re lucky enough to two own two of the VOITED blankets, you can combine the two to make a double sleeping bag. It’s the perfect solution for those warm summer nights.
We’ve had the pleasure of testing out one of the blankets over the summer months (in the handsome Green Gable colourway) and it now comes with us everywhere we go. Whether we’re car camping in the Lake District, caravanning in North Yorkshire or just lounging around at home – Ann can usually be found wrapped in the blanket!
With more than 30 great designs, the VOITED 4-in-1 Ripstop Blanket is the most stylish camping quilt available.
For those cold camping nights, you want to look for a quilt that offers more insulation than a standard blanket. If the temperature is still above zero, you can avoid shelling out for a down sleeping bag as this Snugpak Jungle Blanket has a warmer fill than your standard quilt.
The polyester Travelsoft filling has strong insulation properties that will keep you cosy down to 7 degrees. This material has a good loft fill to retain your body heat which insulates you naturally. Effectively, you act as your own heater!
Unfortunately, this extra warmth does come at a price as this quilt weighs close to 900 grams. Having said this, two sizes are available and the standard version is lighter – weighing in at 700 grams.
The quilt comes in three colours – olive, black, and terrain. It also has a compression sack which allows you to store the quilt in a small bag perfect for long camping and hiking trips.
The Jungle Blanket is specialised for outdoor adventures which is shown in its water repellent and windproof Micro Diamond outer shell. Essentially, this blanket is just as warm and durable as a three-season sleeping bag, but much lighter!
If you’re looking for the same comfort and warmth as a sleeping bag but don’t want to break the bank or add extra weight to your backpack, the Snugpak Jungle Blanket is the perfect option for you.
Where do you go if you want a quilt that is both lightweight and warm? That’s exactly what Get Out Gear strove to achieve when they created the Down Puffy Blanket. They designed a quilt that is only 482 grams, yet it can keep you warm on any 3-season camping trip in the UK.
Their quilt has a 20D nylon shell that prevents wind from penetrating the outer layer and 650 down fill power insulation to keep you warm all night long. Get Out Down also went a step further by including a DWR (durable water repellent) coating to make sure small spills and light water contact doesn’t ruin your trip.
The quilt comes in multiple colours and is accompanied by a convenient stuff sack to compress the blanket as much as possible. This Get Out Gear product is more expensive than its competitors, but is still cheaper than a sleeping bag (with plenty of added value).
The Down Puffy Blanket offers a well-ventilated sleep and good airflow for those hot summer nights. However, when the mercury dips, the down will trap pockets of air to keep you warm just like a sleeping bag would.
This mid-range quilt offers campers the best of both worlds. It is lightweight and reliable for camping adventures whilst still being warm enough to take on cold-weather hikes.
If you’re looking for the ultimate budget camping accessory, look no further. The Milestone Camping Thermal Fleece Blanket is the perfect kit item to accompany your sleeping set-up on a camping trip.
Although this fleece is not warm enough to use solely as a sleeping quilt, it can certainly be paired with other quilts and sleeping bags to keep you warm. At only 200 grams, this is a super lightweight addition to include in your backpack.
It can be used as a blanket for mild summer evenings, as a spare layer for RV camping, or as an extra layer for your sleeping set-up on cooler nights. This 200-gsm thermal fleece still has strong insulation properties for car camping and fireside bivvy nights though it doesn’t have the same loft as a down or synthetic fill.
Unfortunately, this blanket has no stuff sack or shell layer. It isn’t as equipped for outdoor adventures as other quilts on the market. It’s also slightly more challenging to pack down into a backpack, but it’s a good option for an extra warm layer.
A warm and lightweight blanket that can be incorporated into your sleeping set-up for a low price.
If you’re hoping to sleep in your sleeping bag but want a little something extra to keep you extra toasty on those cold nights – an insulated throw is a fantastic choice.
The Craghoppers Compresslite Eco Insulated Throw is our top pick and offers great versatility. The packable throw can be rolled into a pouch to create a pillow, can be used as a wearable poncho thanks to a series of press studs and, of course, can be used as a simple camping quilt with a foot pouch.
With a lifetime guarantee, it’s hard to beat the Craghoppers multi-use throw.
For those cold nights that need a little more than just a sleeping bag. The Craghoppers insulated throw is not only a fantastic sleep companion, but a wearable blanket, packable pillow and so much more!
Camping quilts are more specialised than you might first suspect. They are designed for outdoor use with a hiker’s mentality in mind. They will be made from material that is durable in outdoor conditions. Warmth and comfort are at the forefront of a manufacturer’s designs.
However, cost and weight will also be taken into consideration. Many campers will be on a mid-range budget where spending hundreds on a sleeping bag is too indulgent. Moreover, one of the most common hiker’s gripes is about pack weight.
What a camping quilt aims to do is take the best features of a sleeping bag whilst simultaneously shaving off weight and lowering prices for hikers. This is a particularly appealing set-up for UK adventurers. Due to a mild climate, the sub-zero temperatures you might face in the US or Canada are less of an issue.
That means there’s not as much need to buy specialised and expensive sleeping bags. A camping quilt can offer you everything you need at a pinch of the price. Seems like the perfect deal whichever way you look at it!
A camping quilt is designed to loosely drape over you as you sleep – much like a duvet or blanket. It can sometimes be attached to your sleeping pad or secured in place, but it is generally free to move. A sleeping bag is designed to fully encase your body. Often shaped like an Egyptian mummy, these sleeping bags completely conceal you with a hood that can be tightened over your face.
The big difference between a camping quilt and a sleeping bag is the warmth ratings. Obviously being wrapped up will eliminate places for heat to escape. However, it’s worth bearing in mind that the least insulating part of a sleeping bag is beneath your body.
Your weight will compress the loft of the sleeping bag which will reduce the insulating properties of the material. Most of your warmth will be insulated from the sleeping pad/mat anyway. So, when you have a camping quilt, you are still covering the most exposed part of your body.
Both quilts and sleeping bags can be made from the same material – down or synthetic. Sometimes you can buy a fleece quilt which is not available in sleeping bags due to its lowered functionality in outdoor conditions.
Camping quilts are lighter than most sleeping bags. Specialised down sleeping bags can be a similar weight but they will cost significantly more. Camping quilts may also pack down smaller than sleeping bags due to less material being used. This is a benefit as it can help to save extra space in your backpack when camping!
Searching for the answer to a camping quilt-related question? Check out our FAQ below where we look at some of the most commonly asked questions about the sleeping bag alternatives.
A camping quilt is an insulated blanket designed for outdoor use.
A camping quilt should always be combined with a sleeping mat for maximum warmth. Use only in mild weather conditions.
A camping quilt is lighter and cheaper than a sleeping bag but not as warm.
We recommend the KingCamp Camping Blanket as our top-value camping quilt.
If you’re still struggling with finding the answer to your question, don’t hesitate to reach out! We’re always happy to help with tailored gear advice over on our socials.
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