The Top Sleeping Bags, Quilts, and Pads on the Appalachian Trail: 2024 Thru-Hiker Survey

We’re back again with another 2024 Appalachian Trail survey post, and this time we’re covering sleeping systems. We’ll discuss quilts vs sleeping bags, insulation type, and temperature. We take a look at the top sleeping pads on the AT too. As always, we’ll go over the top brands and models of sleeping bags, quilts, and pads that were on the trail this year.

This year we collected 389 responses — a huge thanks to everyone who filled out the survey! The data was collected from October through November of 2024 through our survey, which was marketed using our social media platforms, Backpacker Radio, and TheTrek.co. Some responses from previous years were removed, and obvious mistakes in start and end dates were adjusted. No obvious duplicates were found.

Sleeping Bags and Backpacking Quilts

Sleeping bag vs. quilt is still a divisive choice among hikers. Quilts have become quite popular over the past several years and were once again favored by over half of hikers in 2024.  The percentage of quilt users dipped a bit this year, from 56% to 53%, while sleeping bag usage increased by 1%.

That is only the percentage for those using a single quilt and doesn’t include those who also used underquilts (typically hammockers). 3% of hikers used an underquilt with either a quilt or a sleeping bag. Another 1% chose to use a sleeping bag and an overquilt. Another 6% used another form of sleeping system, like blankets, sheets, or sleeping bag liners.

We’ve been tracking quilt use and how much it’s grown for almost a decade now. Hammockers adopted quilts before most tent users and are remain more likely to use a quilt to this day. But the gap has gotten smaller over time as more and more tent users realize quilts are lighter, less constricting, and for many people, still plenty warm for their needs.

This year 70% of hammockers and 58% of tent users picked a quilt as their sleep system. It is important to note that there are many fewer hammockers than tent users in our survey, which could skew the data. 95% of participants used some type of tent this year, with the remaining 5 percent mostly in hammocks.

Switching and Replacements

In 2024, 43% of hikers replaced or switched their sleeping bag or quilt. 3% replaced their bag/quilt with the same model, with the remaining 40% switching to a different model. The reasons hikers switched are in the table below, with the majority citing seasonal temperature changes.

Reason for SwitchingResponsesPercentage
I intentionally swapped bags/quilts out seasonally13285%
The bag/quilt was too heavy1510%
The bag/quilt was not warm enough64%
The bag/quilt became damaged or wore out32%

The main complaints regarding sleeping bags and quilts had to do with them being either too hot or too cold. Sleeping bag liners were mentioned several times as a good way to add some warmth instead of changing bags entirely.

Insulation and Temperature Ratings

We also asked hikers about the type of insulation they chose for their sleeping bag or quilt. Natural down was the most popular choice as usual, with 66% opting for down. Synthetic fill and water-resistant dri-down were also common choices. Only 1% of hikers used a mix of down and synthetic fill.

Of course we asked hikers about the temperature rating of their quilt or bag. For those who switched their sleep system for any reason, we included the temperature of the bag they started with and the one they ended with. Hikers who used the same system from start to finish are included under “start temperature rating” in the chart above.

The most common temperature rating was in the 20-29℉ range, with 54% of hikers falling within that range at the start of their hikes. For those who swapped bags, it was most common for them to switch to something in the 40-49℉ range. This is likely because most hikers go with lighter and less insulated options as it gets warmer in summer. 

It is worth noting that hikers can experience very different conditions along the trail depending on their hiking direction and start date. We asked hikers about the lowest temperatures they experienced in their sleeping bags and got answers ranging from -10℉ to 50℉. 

For northbound hikers, the median low temperature endured in their starting bag was 22℉ compared to 20℉ for the bag they finished with. For southbound hikers, those numbers were 29.5℉ and 32℉, respectively.

As per usual, inflatable pads were the most popular type of sleeping pad among hikers. Foam pads are the next most popular option at 13%. These are comparable to previous years. 6% of hikers used a combination of foam and inflatable pad, and 3% used none. Of those 3%, all but one were hammockers.

Most Popular Brands and Models

Finally, we asked hikers about their favorite model of sleeping bag or quilt and sleeping pad. Let’s get started with the bags and quilts!

Enlightened Equipment has once again taken the top brand and model, the Revelation, by a huge margin on both accounts. All the top brands and their popular models are listed below, followed by a table summarizing the top models. We asked hikers to rate their satisfaction with their gear on a scale of 1 to 10 this year, and that satisfaction rating is also included in the table below.

Top Sleeping Bag and Quilt Models

RankModelResponsesSatisfaction Rating
Quilts
1Enlightened Equipment Revelation629.56
2Enlightened Equipment Enigma478.91
3Hammock Gear Burrow219.5
4Katabatic Flex149.77
5Enlightened Equipment Convert78.33
Sleeping Bags
1Zpacks Classic Sleeping Bag149.29
2REI Magma139.31
3NEMO Disco58.2

Top Sleeping Bag and Quilt Brands

RankBrand Responses
1Enlightened Equipment136
2REI35
3Katabatic23
3Hammock Gear23
4Zpacks22
5Nemo15
6Big Agnes14
7Therm-a-Rest11
7Sea to Summit11

1) Enlightened Equipment (136)

2) REI (35)

3) Katabatic (23)

4) Hammock Gear (23)

5) Zpacks (22)

6) Nemo (15)

7) Big Agnes (14)

  • The majority of Big Agnes sleeping bag users did not specify which model they had, and no individual model was listed more than once.

8) Therm-a-Rest (11)

9) Sea to Summit (11)

For sleeping pads, Therm-a-Rest was once again the top brand, and their NeoAir X-lite was the top model. The top models are listed below with their popular brands. Following is a table of the top models and their satisfaction ratings.

1) Therm-a-Rest (185)

2) Nemo (104)

*Note: Nemo updated the Tensor sleeping pad line in 2024 and our survey questions failed to capture the new model names. The former Tensor Ultralight Insulated has been discontinued. Specs-wise, that pad fell somewhere between the new Tensor Trail and Tensor All-Season but skewed a bit more toward the All-Season end.

Sea to Summit (20)

Big Agnes (19)

Top Sleeping Pad Models

RankModelResponsesSatisfaction Rating
1Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite (Regular and Women's)1328.16
2NEMO Tensor Ultralight Insulated448.68
3Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XTherm308.63
4NEMO Switchback218.24

Top Sleeping Pad Brands

RankBrandResponses
1Therm-a-Rest185
2Nemo104
3Sea to Summit20
4Big Agnes19

Summary

  • 53% of hikers choose quilts over sleeping bags; this preference has been growing for some time, although it’s down ever so slightly from last year.
  • 43% percent of hikers replaced or swapped their sleeping bags, with the majority making the change due to the seasons. 20–29℉ is the most popular temperature rating for a sleeping bag or quilt.
  • The majority (66%) of hikers opt for natural down insulation, but Dri-Down and Synthetic fill are common as well.
  • Inflatable sleeping pads are the most popular, with 78% of hikers opting for them.
  • Enlightened Equipment remains the most popular brand for sleeping bags or quilts; the top two overall quilt models were the EE Revelation and Enigma.
  • The REI Magma is the most popular sleeping bag model this year.
  • Therm-a-Rest and Nemo Equipment hold all of the top spots for sleeping pads this year, with the NeoAir XLite as the top model again. The Nemo Switchback was the most popular foam pad this year.

Thank you!

Congratulations to all the Appalachian Trail hikers this year — and a huge thank you to all of you who took the time to fill out the survey! Upcoming posts will detail AT hikers’ backpacks, and stoves/filters. To stay up to date on the latest survey posts, make sure to subscribe to our newsletter.

Featured image: Graphic design by Chris Helm.

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