I have one elementary test for gear that seems to hold regardless of it is a knife, a stove, or clothing: If I don’t think about how I am using the equipment, I know I like it.
.My favorite solo shelter sets up in no time flat, and our two-person tent saves Joan and me from many “spirited discussions” out here in Utah. And it has nothing to with price as my favorite hiking pants fit similar criteria and work better than $90 pants I reviewed. I don’t enjoy futzing with gear or clothing. I just want it to work, work well, and enable me to spend time in the outdoors comfortably and efficiently—all without me thinking about how it is performing.
But there’s another test of gear or clothing that’s an endorsement of how well something works: Joan’s “borrowing” it from me constantly! 🙂
For colder weather backpacking or camping, we purchased a pair of M65 liner pants. And for deep winter camping? She now has what we call the mega-puffy pants.
And Joan borrowed my NeoAir Xtherm enough where we thought it might be a good idea to have one of her own perhaps?
A good idea indeed!
And so it came to pass that I know another piece of gear that works very well: The Montbell Down Sleeping Wrap #2 Long.
The Sleeping Wrap has all you’d expect from a Montbell product: Light at 25 ounces, good quality down with a generous 15 oz fill, baffle box construction, packs down small, and lots of attention to detail.
Their strap, drawstring, and snap system proves easy to adjust and can make the quilt an almost sleeping-bag like item or put into a “wide blanket mode” for a more versatile piece of gear for warmer weather.
The first part of the photo from Montbell.
The quilt itself has a rating of 25-35F, and like all quilts, you can layer easily during colder weather.
I did a lot of Montbell clothing testing this past year. Honestly, I did not mean to pose with all the Montbell gear so prominent! From Feb 2020.
How do I know I like this gear so much?
Because I started using this quilt since the weather turned warmer in February or March here in Moab and still use it until now. As in last weekend. And I simply go to sleep, stay comfortable, and wake up refreshed for another day of hiking. What better endorsement do I need than that?
But there’s another reason I know this gear work wells: Joan keeps on borrowing it from me!
In the San Juans a couple of weekends ago.
Joan’s schedule is such that during the summer that she took off Mondays and Tuesday’s solo backpacking in the La Sal or Abajo Mountains. My older, but still very usable Sierra Sniveller circa 2012 proved too warm even at elevations since we stuffed with it some new down and is currently heavier than the Montbell product.
Joan borrowed my Montbell Sleeping Wrap one time…and used it on the solo backpacking trips since then! And even used it one weekend when I tried out a lightweight synthetic quilt that I futzed with too much. If Joan likes it, finds it (crucially!) warm enough without making her too warm, and has no trouble sleeping in it, I know it is a well-designed product.
Update Sept 2020: Joan like it so much she rec’d one for her birthday. PCO Joan.
As you’d expect from the full name of the product, The Montbell Sleeping Wrap #2 Long is well, on the long side, as it can fit someone up to 6’6″ (198 cm) tall. Though I am only 5’6″, I found this longer length awesome for a quilt despite my initial skepticism due to my height. I can wrap it over me for more warmth and still have a space for my face without putting condensation into the quilt. This quilt compares favorably to other quilts in terms of weight that have a similar down fill, length, and width but with a lot of versatility due to the design. Joan is a few inches taller than me at 5’10” but found the extra length a plus for similar reasons.
Now, I like this quilt for prime three-season conditions and can push it a bit into later shoulder-season. The square, almost checker-board like baffle design, gives it much versatility for cool to warm weather. For deep shoulder season and cold weather backpacking, I find the loftier Katabatic Flex 22, with 900FP HyperDRY for when excess condensation is potentially problematic, preferable for my needs.
Joan in the San Juan Mountains.
Joan? She sleeps colder than me, does not like quilts for deep winter backpacking, and uses a Western Mountaineering Versalite 10F bag.
But for prime three-season conditions, I’ve been grabbing the Montbell Sleeping Wrap more often than not. And so has Joan.
At $339, the price is competive with similar offerings from other companies but with the advantage of no lead time when waiting for the product.
So, if you need a versatile and excellent quality quilt for prime three-season conditions and one that you can push into a little colder weather, consider the Montbell Down Sleeping Wrap #2 Long as a viable option. I’ve been enjoying my use of it this past year and will regularly use it after I publish this review.
Disclosure: Montbell provided this product for my review.