Known as a budget-friendly ultralight quilt, the Economy Burrow offers the weight-saving benefit of a quilt at a lower cost. When paired with a good mat, this quilt is incredibly warm. In fact, it boasts the highest warmth-to-cost ratio on the market. The Economy Burrow is available as completely customizable with various choices for temperature rating, down fill, colors, and footbox features. A favorite of many thru-hikers for being an affordable option that still gets you high quality.
Product Overview
Hammock Gear Economy Burrow Quilt
Price: $249.95-$454.94
✅ Affordable
✅ Warm
✅ Ultralight
✅ Customizable
❌ Not as packable as other quilts
❌ Not the lightest quilt out there
KEY SPECS
- Packed size: 8.5L (20°F)
- Weight: 24.79oz (Short/Wide configuration)
- Fill weight: 15.14 ounces
- Dimensions: 69” (length) x 55” (head width) x 40” (foot circumference) on Short/Wide configuration
- Temperature: 40℉ - 0℉
- Sizes: Short/Standard to Long/Wide
- Materials: outer 20 denier nylon taffeta fabric with DWR coating for water resistance
- Fill: ethically sourced 850 fill power down
- Customizable footbox styles: Zipper or Sewn
To see reviews on other backpacking quilts, see our post on the best backpacking quilts.
Similar Products: Katabatic Gear Flex, Enlightened Equipment Revelation, UGQ Bandit XL, Therm-a-Rest Vesper Down Quilt 20
Performance Test Results
What We Tested:
How We Tested:
My partner, ‘Dumpster’, and I thru-hiked the Pacific Crest Trail in 2023, which was an unusual year for weather. Typically it is known as a dry, temperate trail, however, we experienced many days and nights with cold, wind, rain, hail, snow, and sleet - you name it, we got hammered with it. We also camped directly on snow at times.
Suffice it to say, our quilts were definitely put to the test for our 5 months on trail. I started with a different sleeping bag which wasn’t up to scratch. Dumpster already had an Economy Burrow and loved it, so I got one too. Best gear choice I made on trail. I really do rate this quilt highly and I’ll go into detail as to how it performed below.
Warmth
Our 20-degree quilts kept us toasty warm the entire trail. And keep in mind, there were many nights in the Sierra that were well below freezing, and we didn’t notice at all. For the majority of the trail, we also only slept in underwear, not even base layers because the quilts were so warm.
The retail price for the Burrow quilt starts at $249.95.
It should be noted that a quilt needs to be paired with a good, insulative mat. Otherwise, the warmth kept in from the quilt will be primarily lost through to the ground. A big reason we had such success with our Economy Burrows is because we had sleeping mats with high R-values.
Near the end of our thru-hike, we did have a bit of down migration so there were some spots in the main baffles that felt not as warm as they used to. We addressed this by moving the down around by hand - a tedious task but worked okay for the time being. Since being home, we have washed and dried our quilts and they have come up beautifully and evenly lofted.
Weight
While the Economy Burrow is still considered ultralight, there are other quilts out there that weigh less on the scales. My short/wide version would be about 4 ounces heavier than the equivalent lightest quilt on the market. For some gram weenies, this may be a deal breaker, but for me, it definitely wasn’t. My base weight was already pretty low, and the weight savings of having no hood and top-style insulation are still worth it, in my opinion.
The Burrow's weight might be a deal breaker to some gram weenies, but it wasn't for me.
Price
The Economy Burrow is an affordable price for a premium product. I don’t think there is a competing quilt on the market for a similar cost. We were very happy to save some dollars with these quilts and basically didn’t sacrifice anything for it. Even if I were to buy a quilt again and money wasn’t a factor, I think I would still go with an Economy Burrow. It is just too good to go back to anything else!
Packability
The 8.5L stuff sack that comes with the quilt doesn’t compress it very well. We both opted to get a separate compression stuff sack for our quilts which worked much better. Even still, the quilts were quite bulky, being one of the bulkiest items in our packs. It still fits within the base of a backpack well and is easily molded around other items.
Some hikers choose to have their sleeping quilt packed around the other items in the pack, which can also work well, but given the days of precipitation on trail, we wanted our quilts to be in dry bags. There is nothing worse than getting into camp and having a wet sleeping system.
Packing the quilt and compressing it each day we think partially caused some down migration near the end of trail for us. That and we didn’t wash our quilts the entire time on trail - dirt, and oils can accumulate and affect the loft. So, when you are in town, ensuring to take out your quilt and let it loft can be a big factor in its longevity. If you can get away with washing and drying your quilt once or twice on the trail, definitely do it! But it needs to be done properly.
Ease of use
For me, switching from a sleeping bag to a quilt was so easy. The 3-pad attachment straps are super easy to use, simply clip them under the mat while you are setting it up. Being a mobile sleeper, I loved the freedom of being able to move so easily under a quilt.
My Economy Burrow had a zipper foot box which was an amazing feature. On warm nights, the quilt can be completely open and used as a blanket. On cold nights, zip the foot box, cinch it up, and snap it closed to keep everything nice and warm. The versatility was a huge plus for me.
Features
Hammock Gear allows you to completely customize your quilt to suit your needs. The temperature rating is for comfort, not safety, like some other companies. The various options allow you to make a quilt that has a wider temperature range. For example, my 20-degree quilt can be great for warmer weather by using it as a blanket but still performs in colder conditions.
The elastic cinch strings at the foot and head allow you to really seal in body warmth and have virtually no drafts. I personally didn’t have an issue with drafts in the footbox as I found the snap held pretty tight, but Hammock Gear does sell draft plugs for people with extra cold feet.
The head and foot elastic cinch strings reduce drafts and effectively provide body warmth.
Final Thoughts
In summary, I will continue to sing praises for the Economy Burrow. It is a great quilt that can be tailored to your needs and keep you toasty warm in the harshest of conditions, while being easier on the wallet. If you are looking for an ultralight quilt, this will not disappoint!
What’s included when buying:
- Customized Top Quilt
- Stuff Sack for hiking
- Cotton Storage Bag for storage
650-Calorie Fuel
