A Lightweight Backpacking Sleep System for Couples
A sleep system, together with tent and pack, is one of the best places to lighten loads and is worth considering if you haven’t updated your system.
New materials mean down sleeping bags are lighter than ever, as well as innovations such as quilts, and especially twin quilts. Are you happy with your current system?
Our warm, dry and cosy nest, Overland Track, Tasmania
Over the years we’ve tried many different sleep systems and our current one is the most comfortable, and very light. Our system is one that is probably too cosy for two friends, but perfect for couples! Of course, if you are happy with your current system, no need to fix what ain’t broke. Spend those dollars on travel to exciting places instead! This article is only for those couples who are dissatisfied with their current system.
So, a few caveats.
A twin quilt system like ours means you do have to be comfortable *sleeping* together. After about 43 years in a double (not queen-sized) bed, Geoff and I automatically tend to roll and switch sides to accommodate each other's movements, as most established couples do. This system might not work as well for new couples!
Lighter systems for gram weenies are available, but closed cell foam is neither as comfortable nor as insulating.
We’ve used our system successfully in huts, but European rifugias with bunks could be tricky if there are no blankets – you’ll have to squash up onto a single!
When one or both partners are very restless sleepers — does one of you hog the covers? If so, maybe a twin quilt is not the way to go! — you may be better off with bags, or choose a quilt that clips to straps on the mattress.
No problem in huts with sleeping platforms.
Can be squeezy in rifugias or huts that have bunk accommodation.
But they normally come with blankets and you just use your inner bag and sleep in separate beds, so it hasn’t been a problem thus far for us.
And if you’re hiking with a friend, a twin quilt is likely to be too friendly for comfort, and you’ll be better off with individual quilts or bags.
However, for standard backpacking in all but extreme cold, we think this system works a treat.
Our sleep system:
Summer (765g/26.6oz pp, or under 880g with/31oz liners)
Neoair xtralites original regular x 2 680g/24oz total (slightly more with a pump sack)
Mat straps x 2 31g/12.1oz
Twin quilt -7C 820/920ozg
Individual lightweight Liners x 2 186g/6.6oz (silk approx. 30g/1.1oz more)
Total: 1,717g/60.6oz (1531g/54oz without liners)
Winter, alpine ( 980g/349oz pp, or 1100g/39oz pp with liners)
Neoair xtratherms x 2 860g/30.3oz
Mat straps x 2 31g/12.1oz
Twin quilt -15C 1070g/37.7oz (the extra wide zpacks model we have has been discontinued)
Individual lightweight liners x 2 186g/6.6oz (silk approx. 30g/1.1oz more)
Total: 2147g/75.7oz (1961g/69.2oz without liners)
Our winter system with -15C quilt, Xtratherms and liners.
Sleeping mats
When buying mats, check the R-value. The R-value is a measure of how well the mat resists the transfer of heat. You can have the warmest sleeping bag in existence but, if there is no insulation between you and the ground, where the bag’s loft squashes flat, you’ll be cold. Look for a mat with an R-value of at least 2 for warm conditions, and above 6 for snow/alpine conditions. Between 4-5 is a good Jack of All-trades for Australia, higher for cold sleepers.
Neoairs are incredibly warm for their weight with R values of 4.2 for the Xlite and an incredible 6.9 for the xtherm. Neoairs have set lightweight industry standards for years, and have won numerous awards. A ultralight model, the Uberlight at just 250g/8.8oz was available for a time but is now discontinued due to durability issues. However, with an R value of only 2.3, its versatility was limited, and you can find cheaper models with similar R-ratings (see below).
You can increase R-value by stacking mats. For example, you can add a couple of Thinlight pads, just 120g/4.2oz, to neoair xlites for a little additional warmth (R 0.5-1.0 each), without having to buy xtratherms. We sometimes also use our 36g/1.3oz sitpads (100cm x 50cm 3mm closed cell foam) under the torso part of our inflatable mat in unexpected chill. The sit pads are usually in the vestibules so it’s easy to pop them under Thermarests even in the middle of the night.
Our blue sitpads can be transferred from the vestibule to under our sleeping mats.
Ultralight Thermarest Neoairs are the right fit for us, but some people find them too noisy, and they are not as plush and comfortable as thicker, differently-baffled pads such as the very warm STS Etherlight that are only a little heavier. Outdoor Gearlab compares contenders here.
Others – especially back sleepers – find Neoairs too narrow at 51cm/20’in. Wider models include the large, for tall people, and the regular wide, both at 64cm/25in, and others prefer a rectangular rather than tapered shape. Check the width of your tent, because many two person tents (including our Duplex and Stratospire Li) are too narrow to fit two wide models. However, many newer tent models such as the Durston Pro2+, the Zpacks Pivot Duo, and several offerings from Tarptent plus many freestanding tents reflect the changing demand, and now do fit two wide sleeping pads.
Neoairs are also expensive – watch for sales, though, as we bought our xtratherms at almost half price.
We use straps to hold them together; this works very well.
Xtralites held together with straps.
In cold conditions in areas with sharp, stony substrates, where a leak in an inflatable mattress would be pretty uncomfortable, consider adding Gossamer Gear’s thinlight pads (120g/4.2oz each), but any 3mm/0.12in closed cell foam will do – our cheap sitpads from Clark Rubber also work well for minimising punctures.
We’ve had several pinprick punctures (requiring reinflation several times at night) when on sharp Australian limestone with polycro rather than Tyvek footprints, and no pads under our inflatables. The permanent home repair kit is straightforward, but the field repair kit is fiddly whilst hiking. Pinprick holes are almost impossible to find without submerging inflated mats in water and looking for bubbles. Bathtubs and clear deep water are equally hard to find on hikes in many parts of Australia! Mats must then be dried and the spot cleaned before patches are applied and, although patches are “instant” ie ready in 10 minutes, you’re meant to let the inflated mattress sit “overnight” which seems oxymoronic for an instant field patch. Some people won’t use inflatable mats in cold regions for this reason.
Concerned about volcanic glass shard substrates in Iceland, we took a Tyvek footprint and grey thinlight pads in addition to our blue sitpads. We placed the thinlight pads under our Thermarests every night as insurance.
Some people – especially back sleepers – are comfortable on closed cell foam pads such as the Z-Lite SOL. Side sleepers will find them less comfortable but these mats are wider, relatively light (410g) and require no inflation. However, with an R value of just 2, they will be too cold for many conditions, and they are bulky.
Twin Quilt
For those unfamiliar with camping quilts, they really are nothing like those on your bed. They are like a giant double sleeping bag with a split underneath where down would be compressed anyway and not providing insulation. They tuck at the sides around you, and foot ends are enclosed. Our quilts don’t come untucked, nor are there drafts.
The absence of a zip, and down underneath you, make for significant weight savings. A twin quilt creates even more weight savings. With two people sharing one quilt, you’ll be much warmer than in individual quilts, and you can spoon for added warmth. We have enough room to sleep one on the back and one on the side, or both on our backs. We're average sized people: more generously proportioned folk, or those with wide shoulders, should carefully check specifications. Back to back is possible too. Twin quilts work even for couples like us where I sleep cold and Geoff sleeps hot: we can stick a leg out or tuck in more tightly. Geoff often wears a merino tee and boxers while I’m in long-sleeved thermals and long merino bottoms! Quilts don’t have hoods, so you’ll need to wear a beanie or balaclava in cold weather.
The newer model has an extra wide foot box and neck baffle (Image Credit: Enlightened Equipment)
Couples of about the same height will find twin quilts ideal. If one of you is much taller, individual quilts or bags may be a better fit.
I was initially concerned that the slight gap at the narrower foot end of our tapered mats where they’re strapped together might be chilly, but this hasn’t eventuated because the quilt’s enclosed foot end puffs into the gap and provides insulation.
Most importantly, a twin quilt most closely reflects the way you likely sleep at home with a partner. We find it the most comfortable option out of all the ones we’ve tried.
Choosing a Twin Quilt
Down or Synthetic?
Down quilts are warmest for weight, but synthetic quilts are usually better for extended trips in wet weather. Synthetic quilts are also much cheaper, but are both heavier and bulkier. However, that mightn’t matter when you’re hiking with a partner with more space in two packs for bulkier items, and weight spread across two.
Down fill power (fp) number – up to 950 - refers to loft, with higher numbers referring to a higher quality, and more loft per gram than lower quality down. Higher fill powers often comprise goose down rather than duck down. However, check how much down is in the quilt – some manufacturers add more than others, or allow you to order custom over-fill. Quilts with lower quality down can be equally warm, just heavier: if you’re on a budget, consider such quilts, checking specifications. Some manufacturers also rate quilts using a loft measurement – how high the quilt rises, determined by baffle height and amount of down. Be suspicious of cheap down quilts without details of fill power, down weight or temperature rating. Take claims of cheap quilts with a grain of salt. Cheap, good knockoffs of lightweight tents and stoves exist, but few of down quilts. Do your research on hiking forums and groups.
Plenty of loft in our zpacks twin quilt. This is an extra-wide -15C/5F, extra wide one that is no longer available.
Ordinary down or Hydrophobic Down?
Ordinary down lasts for decades when handled and stored correctly, but loses its loft quickly in continuously damp or rainy conditions. Hydrophobic down is treated at a nanoscale level with water-repellent substances that help individual feather fibres stay drier and separated, so they maintain their loft for longer. Quilts also dry faster. However, hydrophobic down has been on the market for less than a decade, so it remains to be seen whether its longevity matches that of untreated down.
Responsibly Sourced Down
This voluntary code allows suppliers to certify that their down is cruelty free: no horrible live plucking. Enlightened Equipment and Zpacks both use 100% RSD.
Temperature Ratings
These are fraught. Temperature rating on most bags is survival rating: you’ll stay alive but will have a pretty shitty night. Read labels and websites carefully. Our summer quilt is rated to -7C/20F, but we wouldn’t use it below +5C/40F. Our -15C/5F quilt is good to below zero but we haven’t had it anywhere much past a few degrees below. Add 10 degrees (15-20 degrees for most women) to a quilt rating to get comfort rating - a cold night is one without sleep. For extreme cold – the kind we rarely see in Australia other than in alpine winters – bags are generally considered preferable. And a warm mat is at least as important as a warm quilt.
Price
Buying one twin quilt is much cheaper than buying two individual bags or quilts. Instead, for only slightly more, perhaps later, you could buy a summer twin quilt to complement your winter one, or vice-versa.
Important Twin Quilt Features
These are the things we found made the biggest difference after swapping out an early model quilt for a later one.
A wide footbox – if your feet are too close together you’ll feel like sardines in a can regardless how wide the rest of the quilt. The Enlightened Equipment quilt has a particularly wide footbox that will significantly improve comfort.
Plenty of width – sardines again: it must be wide enough to naturally tuck around you at the sides even when you’re not squished together.
Vertical baffles along the body and thigh area so down doesn’t slide to the outsides leaving cold spots at the top.
A wide, thick neck baffle in the centre between you to prevent drafts – this is absolutely vital. Without this baffle, the contours of your two bodies form a triangular gap that prevents the space underneath from sealing, and every slight movement sucks in cold air. A wide baffle is better because a narrow one or a single clip forces your heads together (sardines again). The Enlightened Equipment model has an especially wide baffle.
Ability to cinch individually around the neck – I’ll often have mine done up while Geoff has his open.
Correct length – too short and your shoulders are exposed, too long and there’s excess material at the foot end prone to condensation against tent walls.
An "understrap" to hold the quilt tucked at the sides is helpful for restless sleepers, though we rarely use them.
Our summer zpacks twin quilt showing the neck baffle. This fills the middle space between our neck and shoulders, even when one or both of us are on our sides, and prevents drafts. The EE baffle is wider.
Enlightened equipment and zpacks have twin quilts that meet these specifications, unless you have very wide shoulders or are generously proportioned. The EE quilt has a more generous neck baffle, plus a wider footbox. I wish that Australia’s Tier Gear made twin quilts with neck baffles – their products are otherwise excellent and if they made a baffled twin it would be an excellent choice for Aussies.
Most people find double sleeping bags a little too claustrophobic, but they are available. Alternatively, most bags with double ended zips will join together if the zips are the same size.
Sleeping bag Liners
Individual liner bags keep quilts clean, and are also more comfortable on mats. Silk liners weigh between 100-140g; our homemade argon 67 ones weigh just 93g each but get clammy. We made the argon ones wider to mitigate clinginess. Silk is far more comfortable, especially in hot weather, so we usually prefer silk liners. Some people elasticize their liner bags and place mats inside them (but this won’t keep your quilt clean).
Travel (YHA or Youth Hostel Approved) liners have a pocket for a pillow; plain ones are lighter.
Although pure silk liners were once widely available, many liners are now in silk blends with tencel or, disconcertingly, cotton (suitable only for reliably warm, dry environments). Many of the cheaper silk bags tear quickly, or are so small as to be uncomfortable as the manufacturer cuts corners. We have found the strongest by far are the Mont ones; the regular size is also bigger than that of other brands. They are expensive but they are very obviously thicker with better stitching than others we’ve recently tried; we expect them to last like our originals from decades ago.
You may prefer double silk liners at about 225g but I find that, after a few nights, my own skin feels clammy enough without adding Geoff’s sweat to it!
Geoff stuffing his silk liner into its stuff sack: manufacturer ones are invariably too small.
I no longer bother, I just put my liner into the same compression sack as my sleep clothes!
Insulating liner bags are also available. They include the Thermolite Reactor (248g/8.8oz +8C/46F), Thermolite Reactor Xtreme (422g/15oz, +15C/60F), or wool ones such as Dreamliner Merino (475g/16.8oz, +7C/45F) and Big Agnes Merino Wool Sleeping Bag Liner (454g/16oz + 5-10C/40-50F).
If you have only one summer sleeping quilt, these supposedly increase your range into cooler (but not cold) weather, but you need only look at weights to see that, for two people, warm thermal liners weigh more than our summer quilt and almost as much as our -15C/5F twin quilt! That is, they add warmth, but at a significant weight penalty. I bought and used a Thermolite Xtreme Reactor but in my experience the claimed warmth is greatly overstated. We haven’t used merino ones but, if you’re trying to keep your system light, you’ll be better off wearing a merino base layer, fleece and/or puffy rather than adding two heavy liners to your sleep system.
Rugging up with wool baselayers.
A fleece or puffy is warmer and more versatile for weight than separate “insulating” liner bags.
Pillows
We have both tried clothes in stuff sacks, but sleep vastly better with dedicated pillows. We originally used Sea to Summit ultralight inflatable pillows and Princess Helen has a custom mini silk pillowcase (when you have biracial hair, though, it’s hardly a luxury!). My next goldilocks pillow was a STS inflatable inside a silk pillowcase, with my down puffy stuffed inside the silk above the inflatable. Most recently, we’ve both upgraded to Fillo pillows, which are a beaut combo of inflatable bag plus padding in a huge range of sizes, shapes and padding options. They are extremely comfortable.
You can buy dcf stuff sacks with one felted dcf panel that double as pillow cases, but we found them sweaty.
Sea to Summit Inflatable pillow on Neoair Xtralite.
Try different types before you go… a good night’s sleep helps the body and mind recover.
Other Sleep Systems for Couples
Zenbivy Sleep System
Many quilts now come with clips that attach to straps on mattresses, but the Zenbivy system takes sleeping in the outdoors to the next level. For people who are prepared to carry a little extra weight (their lightest individual system is 20% heavier than our winter system, though at-home tweaks could reduce the weight), they are the closest you will get to sleeping in your bed at home.
The innovative modular Zenbivy System (Image Credit: Zenbivy).
TheZenbivy system uses a fitted sheet around your sleeping mat(s) onto which you place (or clip) your pillow, with a sheet and/or quilt on top, just as you do at home in bed. The bottom sheet comes with an optional down insulated hood which replaces the hood on your sleeping bag, and solves the lack of hoods on quilts.
Those people who use this sleep system almost unanimously attest that it is the most comfortable sleep system that they have ever used, without the constriction of a bag or the drafts of some quilts (although we have never found our quilt drafty). Zenbivy is not at cheap but, for couples with one partner reluctant or nervous about sleeping in a tent in a bag on a mat, the individual Zenbivy may persuade them to give it a go.
Although Zenbivy have ultralight individual systems, their couples systems only come in lightweight and car-camping weights. Even their lightweight couples bed is heavy at about 2.9kg/6.4lbs (1.45kg/3.2lbs pp) without pillows, for only a -4C/25F limit (not comfort) set, with no warmer options. This is a shame because an ultralight sleep system for two would save more weight than two separate ultralight systems.
If you already own a twin quilt that works okay but not brilliantly, you could try pimping your existing system by buying only the light double insulated sheet to add a hood to your quilt, and to make it more like your bed at home, especially if your quilt already has clip attachments.
Twin Hammocks
These exist, but the consensus from most hikers is: don’t bother. Twin hammocks are loathed almost as much as Zenbivy is loved by those who try them. Some couples use a special bar (Enofuse) to hang two hammocks side-by-side and share a tarp and bugnet to save weight, and this seems to be an acceptable alternative.
Lie side by side in hammocks and use just two trees and slings: (Image Credit: Enofuse).
What Sleep System Works Best for You?
As always, there is no one right answer. We’ve shared what works for us, pluds the rationale and technical information to help you decide, as well as two other quite different options. Only you know what might work best for you. If you regularly hike with your Significant Other and the standard two-sleeping-bag-two-pad option isn’t your happy place, our system or one of the alternatives above is worth a try!
Another cosy nest in Tasmania.