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After a couple of days spent in the Lake District, I was able to gain my first impressions of Enlightened Equipment’s Enigma Quilt (20F).

My first impressions were that it seemed well-made with an interesting angular U-shaped baffle design and fully sewn in footbox. The 850 fill allowed the bag to loft with ease and the bag packed down smaller than expected. Whilst it comes with a stuff sack, I opted to use my own dry bag due to the frosty weather and wanted to avoid any potential of getting the quilt wet before first use. 

The first thing to experiment with was the elastic attachment straps to be used with your sleeping mat. Each quilt comes with two straps, one looped to go around the upper and one straight-line strap to go under the mid-way section of your sleeping mat. These were easy to use and found no problems in doing this in winter gloves as the light started to fade. The lower strap needs to be secure to the quilt from the off, whereas you can leave the top looped strap until you're putting your head down to rest. I found by securing all but one of the upper attachment points, I could fix the position of the quilt and easily move in and out of your sleeping position with minimal fuss.

*The sleeping mat used and shown in images is the Thermarest NeoAir XLite NXT - size Regular (R-Value 4.5)

As conditions were particularly cold at our high camp near Hay Stacks, I teamed the quilt with a light sleeping bag, the extra warmth provided by the quilt was brilliant! Snug as a bug at an air temperature of -8C. Although hampered by the movement of the sleeping bag underneath the quilt, the straps and shape of the Enigma quilt kept me covered throughout the night, trapping in warmth to my great delight.

The next day we camped lower in the valley, allowing me to try the quilt on its own. The freedom of movement the quilt offers is one of the main reasons people opt for one over a sleeping bag, however the tendency for quilts to move during the night can be infuriating. No such problems with the Enigma, the attachment straps kept the quilt secure, and I had no issues with limbs popping outside the quilt whilst tossing and turning throughout the night. In terms of warmth, the 20F option was snug and at no point did I feel the chill with the air temperature around -2C. Waking up, I felt refreshed and well rested.

I feel I’d still opt towards a sleeping bag if colder than -4C for the peace of mind the extra layer above the sleep mat provides, along with the hood. However, we do stock the Enlightened Equipment Torrid Hood as an optional extra. That being said, the smaller pack size, freedom of movement, and the versatility that a quilt provides by easily venting/regulating airflow seem much more user-friendly. Therefore, a quilt, particularly the Enigma from  Enlightened Equipment, will be my choice for 80% wild camp adventures.

Chris Futers
About the author: Chris fully immerses himself in many outdoor sports and challenges. Whether it's Multi-day hikes, Rock Climbing, Kayaking, Trail Running or Bikepacking, the allure of the outdoors is his true passion. Chris likes to test himself against the wilds, taking on multiple challenges/events such as the Lakes Travers Trail Race, TGO Challenge and Cycling the Coast to Cost (C2C) to name a few. Having worked and volunteered as a coach/instructor for multiple outdoor sports and pursuits, Chris likes to help others achieve and connect with the outdoors, always eager to pass on his knowledge and experience. Chris is our Customer Service Team Leader, joining the UOG team in 2020. Read more from Chis Futers