Gear Review: Therm-a-Rest Alpine Down Blanket

[most versatile]

Therm-a-Rest Alpine Down Blanket

Pairing a quilt-style bag with a sleeping pad is great in theory—you save weight and bulk by eliminating the bag’s bottom side—but we’ve seen a few efforts that were disappointing in practice, because of futzy attachments and drafty gaps on cold nights. The Alpine, however, integrates perfectly with any standard pad. Add on Therm-a-Rest’s fitted sheet (sold separately) and the result is blanket-on-a-bed comfort, from 60°F right down to freezing. “On warm nights, I could just leave the quilt loose around the edges, and get 360-degree ventilation,” says our Vermont tester. “But on cold nights, I could wrap myself up tight, snap the quilt to the sheet to prevent drafts, cinch up the draft collar, and zonk out.” Made from 700-fill down and a 20-denier ripstop nylon shell, the Alpine packs down to volleyball size. “I wouldn’t hesitate to tuck this in my winter daypack for emergency use,” says a mountain guide in New York. The semi-rectangular quilt also works well as a blanket in mild weather. $240;

1 lb. 5 oz.; 35°F