The Enlightened Equipment Revelation Sleeping Quilt is the ultra-lightweight, down-filled quilt of your dreams. The versatility is a game changer for long-distance hikers. As months go by and seasons change, the Revelation Quilt is designed to adapt to the different temperatures.
Product Overview
Enlightened Equipment Revelation Quilt
Price: $335-$360
✅ Ultra-lightweight
✅ Cozy down filling
✅ Adjustable design perfect for active sleepers
❌ Expensive
KEY SPECS
- Weight: 19.18 ounces
- Fill: 850fp Grey Duck Down or 950fp Grey Goose Down
- Fabric: 10D nylon, DWR finish
- Footbox: 20” zipper and shock cord combination
- Temperature: 50℉ - 0℉
- Sizes: Short/Regular to Long/Wide
- Draft collar option?: Yes
The Revelation Quilt was one of my favorite pieces of gear I bought for my AT thru-hike. Although it is on the expensive side, I think it’s well worth the price. So, what made me buy the Enlightened Equipment Revelation Quilt? Believe it or not, it was a review much like the one I’m writing right now.
As a day hiker with no backpacking experience or camping experience beyond the gates of my backyard, researching was a necessity. And I did not see the employees at REI as a trusted source.
Also, as a novice, I wasn't exactly sure what I was looking for, and I was simply intimidated talking about this world of backpacking I knew nothing about. So gear reviews and packing lists made by former AT thru-hikers who did exactly the journey I was about to embark on felt like the best place to go for reliable information.
The Enlightened Equipment Revelation Quilt has the capability of lying flat like a blanket for summer nights, cinching up tight like a cocoon for colder nights, and an adjustable footbox allowing customizable coziness for every night in between. An advantage of the quilt design is that, unlike sleeping bags, there’s no need for a full-length zipper or built-in hood, effectively cutting out weight, but never compromising on comfort.
To see reviews on other backpacking quilts, see our post on the best backpacking quilts.
Performance Test Results
What We Tested:
How We Tested:
I completed a thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail in 2022, so my Enlightened Equipment (EE) Revelation Quilt has been tested from Georgia to Maine, from May to October, and I think it held up very well. Especially since a long-distance hike is tough on gear, to say the least. Even though there are exceptions to the climates and temperatures I’ve personally tested in my EE Quilt, it has still been put through a lot. I’ve cowboy camped on the beaches of the Potomac and withstood the Vermont hail without a shiver.
Comfortability
I was the only one in my family to have a quilt instead of a sleeping bag, which concerned me at first. As a newbie, I figured everyone knew more than me and made better gear choices than me. But then I soon learned the Revelation Quilt was the exact right fit for me.
My trail friend Tuna had a 10°F rated mummy bag and always complained of being too hot when we were down south during the summer months. My other trail friend, BearRun also had a mummy bag, and he was the most static sleeper I'd ever seen, he quite literally slept like a mummy.
But I’m a very active sleeper, constantly tossing and turning, so I found the quilt’s versatile design less constricting than a traditional sleeping bag and more adaptable to the different types of weather we’d experience over 5 months.
The quilt's design is more flexible than a traditional sleeping bag, making it suitable for active sleepers who frequently toss and turn.
Temperature
Although I truly did love my EE Quilt, by the time I got to Maine in late September I was beginning to think I got the wrong temperature rating. I bought the 30℉ rated quilt, thinking that it would be summer the majority of the time I’d be hiking so 30℉ is more than enough. Plus, I’m from Connecticut, I know cold; I can handle fall in New Hampshire and Maine.
It was quickly becoming more and more evident that I could not. So around Carrabassett Valley, Maine, I finally gave in and got a sleeping bag liner, and it was the perfect companion to my Revelation Quilt.
My Revelation Quilt went great with the sleeping bag liner I purchased.
Features
The best attribute of the Revelation Quilt is its adaptability. The ‘snuggle-ability’ is definitely a close second, but the two kinds go hand in hand. Enlightened Equipment designed this quilt with all types of climates and sleepers in mind.
There’s a drawcord on both the head and foot ends of the quilt that you can cinch to keep out the cold or open up to allow some airflow. I love that I can uncinch the footbox on warmer nights and pop my feet out or lay the quilt out flat and easily stick a leg out.
But what I love even more than that is the fact that this sleeping quilt isn’t just for sleeping. I used it all the time. As an extra layer, I'd put my head through the foot box, cinch it up, and wear it; as a blanket to wrap around by the campfire; or as a picnic blanket to lay on with some snacks and soak up the sun.
It only recently came to my attention that I’d been using my Revelation Quilt “wrong”, To be fair I don't think there is a wrong way to use a quilt as long as you are comfy. So, let's just say my entire thru-hike of the AT, I was using it “not as intended.”
I assumed the 2 straps were supposed to go under the sleeping pad holding you in place. But apparently, it was designed so your sleeping pad goes through the loopy strap and the flat strap lays on top of the pad which you adjust as you see fit. So, in the name of science, I tested my quilt straps in the configuration in which they were meant and, I have to say, I didn't enjoy it.
I didn’t like the feeling of the straps under me, the flat strap was especially bothersome to me. So, in the middle of the night, I had to put the straps back to the way I usually have them and sleep like a lamb. But the EE Revelation Quilt is all about flexibility and versatility, so play around with the straps and see what works best for you.
The Revelation Quilt is designed for flexibility and adaptability. Try experimenting with straps to find the best fit for you.
Care
As far as cleaning and care it’s pretty simple but, I think this goes for all sleeping quilts and bags, it took forever to dry. It was a multi-day operation and a cord lock was lost in the process. But after 151 days in the wilderness, cleaning was definitely a necessity although I will say it was quite the undertaking.
I like that along with the stuff sack the quilt comes with a larger cotton bag for storage to keep the down loose and retain fluffiness when not in use.
650-Calorie Fuel
