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Reviews > Sleep Gear > Quilts and Blankets > Nunatak Back Country Blanket > Owner Review by FemaleI have had an opportunity to test the
Nunatak Back Country Blanket in overnight temps ranging from 25 - 60F.
Unless I am really cold I like to sleep with my arms out from underneath the
covers so I always wear a fleece jacket regardless of the
temperature.
My first night in unexpected below
freezing temps I used the blanket like a blanket and had an uncomfortably cold
shivery time of it when the temperature plummeted in the middle of the
night. The next night it was already below freezing by the time it got
dark so I wore my expedition weight thermal top, 100wt. Polartec fleece jacket
and also cinched the foot of the blanket closed with the drawcord and sealed the
hook and loop closure the length of the side. I was not what could be
called warm but neither was I uncomfortably cold. I think if I had
worn a hat and/or cinched the neck of the bag closed I would have been quite
warm the second night.
It hasn't been cold enough again to
test that theory. On the nights where the temp didn't drop below 35F I was
very comfortable, sleeping under the stars, wearing my fleece and using the
blanket like a blanket.
I really like the weight,
compressibility and quality of this blanket. I have treated it very
roughly over the last month and have yet to see a feather work its way
out. It has been wet, dropped in the mud and trampled by my dog, and
accidentally left hanging partially out the door of the car for eight hundred
miles. It looks as good as new now that I have it home and have had
a chance to clean it up.
For anyone other than a really cold
sleeper this blanket is ideal for three season use. The hook and loop
closure is easy to use and the drawstring at the foot does a reasonable job of
sealing against drafts. One of the nicer features is the ability to shake
the feathers to one side of the blanket so that in colder temps all of the down
will be on top where it can do some good and none of it need be underneath where
it would only be compressed. What I enjoy the most from the blanket is the
ability to wrap myself in it while doing camp chores and taking moonlit
strolls.
In my opinion the truly comfortable
range for this blanket, out of the wind and wearing a 100 wt. Polartec fleece
jacket, is 35F - ?. No way for me to know the upper range because, unlike
a sleeping bag, you can just kick off the blanket in your sleep and grab it
again if you start to get cold. The adequately warm low temp rating would
fall between 20F and 25F when used in conjunction with tent, thermal underwear,
socks, hat and warm jacket. It may be possible to go to lower temps but
that experiment will have to wait until we get lower temps.
I can't recommend this particular
blanket over any other since I haven't used any of the others on the market but
I do recommend that people give this type of sleeping arrangement a
try.
Helen Hillberg
hhloth at msn.com
Update Summer 2002
I have now used this blanket for over a
year. I love it. It is incredibly warm for its weight and packs so
small it doesn't begin to take up any room in my pack. It has held up very
well and has yet to lose a feather. Nunatak makes quality gear and I have
no hesitation recommending
them. Read more reviews of Nunatak gear Read more gear reviews by Helen Hillberg Reviews > Sleep Gear > Quilts and Blankets > Nunatak Back Country Blanket > Owner Review by Female | |||