Award Winning Ultralight Quilts

I took this bivy out for a Colorado trail bikepack/fastpack mission during this very wet summer with heaps of mosquitos. The mesh is such a game changer, and kept the mozzies out along with rain spray coming in under my tarp. I love how roomy it is (I'm a side sleeper, this is important) and the pad ties on the inside worked great to keep my pad from sliding around. And, it's even lighter than my old bivy which is a tighter fit and has no mesh, rolls up great in my bikepacking sleep kit burrito. I definitely recommend it!

After receiving my Flex, I decided to test it in the back yard, without paying enough attention to the weather forecast. I got slightly cool overnight, but never uncomfortably so, which left me somewhat surprised to wake up to a hard frost, and all the condensation that'd formed in the tent frozen solid. While not an experiment I intended to perform, it's given me great confidence in the temperature rating of the quilt.

I usually sleep very cold (like a 30 degree bag for 50 degree nights) and have been on the hunt for an adequate sleeping bag for 2+ years. I’ve tried multiple shaped sleeping bags as I tend to move around a lot and thought I couldn’t be comfortable in a mummy shape. I was pleasantly surprised at how well I could turn around in all directions and not slip off of my sleeping pad - the attachment cords/system works great and is super easy. I was toasty without feeling suffocated even though I used this bag in 40 degree weather. Love that it packs so small and is super light weight. Definitely my new go to bag for backpacking and camping

The craftsmanship on this quilt is amazing. Super warm and comfy. Well done!!

Love my sawatch. I am 2 weeks into my thru hike of the cdt and its keeping me warm snd sleeping well!

This is my second review, since I now have sub-zero experience in this bag. I spent several nights in 2020 in Montana at sub zero temps. Coldest night was -15 Fahrenheit. With exped down mat, down parka, wool socks, pants and heavy long underwear it was . . . Adequate! That’s better than I expected for a lightweight 15 degree bag. My 5 star review remains the same. Extremely versatile bag.

After hiking the Appalachian Trail and Pacific Crest trail back to back, I settled on the Katabatic Flex 15 to Thru hike the CDT this year. First off, I wanted this quilt since I first laid eyes on one. While hiking the AT and staying in the Roan High Knob Shelter, I witnessed a dozen hikers freeze overnight and barely get sleep except one. The one hiker whose quilt seemed larger then life and extremely lofty was using a Katabatic. The temps were low 20’s and the wind chill created ice cycles and a frozen roof on the shelter. The only warm hiker that night was my friend using the Katabatic. Needless to say, I’ve wanted one ever since. Not being able to afford the Flex on my PCT hike this past year, I watched several hikers express their satisfaction and warmth during those few months. I always told myself it was the next quilt I would buy. After purchasing the Flex and in comparison to the Big Agnes 15 degree bag I used last, I’m astonished. I’ve used this bag in lower 20 degree weather with no base layers and still felt warm. The loft and quality are top notch. My partners western mountaineering doesn’t seem as well built or comfortable. Save the money and buy the right gear the first time around. Thank you Katabatic for a beautiful piece of gear.

So pleased by how it takes so little space, and the unique foot box closure saved the day when I had an oops with how I rigged my underquilt, leaving my feet unprotected otherwise. Kept me snug on a windy rainy 38⁰ night in my doorless hammock setup. My stepson was a complaining chilly mess in his less expensive competitor 30⁰who was in a tent.
The flex of it being able to fully open makes even a 30⁰ very versatile for warmer eves, and saves your bones having that warmth available when the weather man is, um, "surprisingly" wrong about the next morning.

tested out my new 900fp hyperdry flex 22 6'6" wide this weekend. temps down to mid 20s. plenty warm in a pair of boxers, and the pad attachment system is an ingenious way to keep the heat in, block the drafts, and provide a ton of room. don't think i'll ever use a traditional sleeping bag again during the spring/summer/fall. well done, katabatic.

fairbanks

I camped at Mt. Rainier National Park in March 2022 in the snow at Paradise (over 5200 feet elevation) and this hood kept me warm and cozy at camp. Temperatures were in the high teens/low 20s and I even slept wearing the hood. My fellow campers were jealous and now they want their own hoods! I highly recommend.

First night out with 26 degree temps I was actually too hot with mid-weight merino thermals - I had to vent some heat multiple times! Second night at 20 with a t-shirt and thermal bottoms, I was very comfortable - my head needed some extra layers, but that can’t be helped (I’d rather not carry a hood). At about 45 deg I had it loosely connected and opened the footbox, and by 60 deg, fully opened - which is why I wanted a quilt for the flexibility.

For sleeping pad, I have the thermarest z-lite foam pad that the quilt connects to and a Thermarest Uberlite small that I put inside the quilt with me - partially inflated for extra comfort. So my r value isn’t super high, and I’m so impressed with how warm this keeps me.

Anyway, huge upgrade for me, and that this is stil ~30oz mark for that kind of warmth is awesome. I got this with an extra 2 oz of overfill. I got the wide/tall - I’m 6’ 200# and active sleeper, so the space is great and clearly not affecting my warmth. Excited to continue using this.

It shipped within the time frame, and the build quality looks amazing. I would recommend this to anyone looking to get a quality quilt!

Took the quilt out on a short two night trip on the AT. First night temps got down to low 30s and I was plenty warm in just the quilt and shorts/t-shirt. The next day was freezing, with snow and high winds all day. Temp got down to 13 with a feel of the negatives. I slept in baselayers and a bag liner and was perfect. I normally do sleep a little hot, but this is a well designed quilt that will be super versatile for you throughout the seasons. WISH I HAD BOUGHT SOONER!

This quilt is awesome!
Besides being made with an actual durable fabric, Pertex Quantum ripstop (0.85oz/yd), rather than the extremely fragile 7D fabrics (Zpacks 0.51 oz/yd) other cottage makers use that will leak down (because they are on the edge of being calendered/downproof), the design/baffle engineering of this quilt is much better than its competitors (including Nunatak). This means it wraps around your body in a 3D fashion much better than the flat made quilts (like Enlightened Equipment) retaining its loft better and making it easier to move within it. This generates a small increase in weight for the shell material but reduces the down fill weight even though Katabatic bags give you an extra 0.25" of loft for a given temperature rating compared to the competitors (2.25" for 30 degrees compared to 2.0").
All this enables Katabatic to mark their quilts with a "comfort" temperature rating rather than the safety or "transition" temperature rating everyone else uses. A Katabatic 30 is the same warmth as everyone else's 20 rating. Additionally, Katabatic does all the details better, the collars, the zippers, snaps, and reinforcements, and the pad attachment system are more functional and durable than the competitors.
I recommend the Flex 30 as your main quilt (with the NeoAir UberLight pad). How often will you be sleeping on snow in the winter? If you don't plan to do that then the Flex 30 will keep you comfortable from 60-25 degrees if you have a jacket/puffy and beanie with you. In mild temps it is really nice to just use it as a blanket. If you are sure the night time lows will be >50 degrees go buy a sub 1 pound sewn through down blanket off of Amazon for

I never thought I would be a bivy type. After hiking with a friend that used one on a trip that had no rain for 45 days, I was very jealous. So I took the leap and got myself the bristlecone. I used it on the Colorado trail which rained practically every night. I am now obsessed with the bivy and its versatility. The bristlecone has more room than other bivys which is its major selling point as bivys can be a bit claustrophobic. I also chose this because of the zipper design that runs down both sides, so when using a tarp you can enter either side of the bivy. All in all I cant say enough about this bivy and its design. Just breathable enough to keep you cool on hot nights and protective enough for cooler nights with great splash protection during heavy rain. I know there are a lot of other options out there but this is going to be my go to bivy. The build quality and performance is just great.

I've been camping intensely for most of my life, but it took one sleep in this quilt for me to say I'll never sleep in a mummy bag again. Wrapped up the AZT 800 with this quilt. It was literally my favourite thing about the trip. Every night was pure joy climbing into this thing. I like it more than my bed! Most nights it dropped below 0 celsius- often to the rating of the quilt and I was always warm. Don't think I can say that is true for any bag I've owned before. But I've never dropped this kind of coin before either. Zero regrets!!!!