Fill: Duck
Fill power: 850-fill
Fill weight: 430 grams
Shell: 10D Nylon Taffeta
Total Weight: 645 grams
Temperature Rating: 28°F (-2 C)
Length: 75 inches
Width: 59 inches
Price: $260
Pros: Screaming deal for some premium features
Cons: N/A
Neve Gear is a newer brand to the United States and their Waratah ultralight quilt delivers incredible value at only $260. The Australian-designed quilt uses 850-fill RDS duck down (note: not muscovy) and weighs 645 grams, which is slightly heavier but pretty on par with other quilts on this list. It has a versatile design that can be fully opened and a thin 10D taffeta nylon shell.
The Waratah uses a combination of vertical and horizontal box baffles to optimize down distribution. Sewn-through baffling can create cold spots at the seams, so the box baffles ensure a layer of continuous insulation. It also has a comfortable draft collar, which is a feature you often have to pay extra for at other brands. The overall effect is quite warm—I’m often cold well above the comfort ratings, and felt fine in the mid-30s in the Waratah. Other reviewers have noted feeling warm even below 28°F, though, so it has a reputation for providing a ton of warmth for the price.
The Waratah has an open, cinchable foot box with a zipper at the bottom and snap closures at the top. Those with cold feet may find the open footbox a bit chilly even when cinched, but it also makes room for those with larger feet or those who need room to stretch their legs. It’s also highly versatile if you want to expand it for two people when car camping and easier to dry if it gets wet, since you can expose every part to the sun.
Price aside, the major selling point is Neve's Draft-Guard attachment system, which is similar to Katabatic’s and positions the pad straps farther from the quilt's edge on external baffles rather than directly along the edges as in traditional quilts. This pulls extra fabric underneath your sides when clipped, creating a seal that blocks drafts without requiring complicated edge tension systems or sheets. I only use 20-inch sleeping pads, but it expands enough to work with wider pads, too.
The Draft-Guard likely won’t fully stop drafts for those who move significantly throughout the night, but as a pretty shifty sleeper, I didn't notice any cold spots. The fact that I’m a relatively slim woman likely helps, however, since the quilt’s width felt generous and not restricting to me. Those who move substantially should probably consider sticking with a mummy bag or looking into fully zippered or zipperless designs.
Another thing I really appreciated about the Waratah is that the price you see is the price you pay. Other popular quilts are known for being a great value, like the Hammock Gear Burrow, but the price changes dramatically once you put together all of your desired specs. By the time you’re done, you could just buy a higher quality Katabatic Gear quilt for marginally more, unless custom color options are very important to you.
The Waratah isn’t the loftiest quilt (duck down is smaller and therefore lower quality than goose) and it could be lighter if they used a higher fill power, but its current specs are what allow it to be such a screaming deal. Overall, the Neve Gear Waratah is an impressive quilt with a lot of features previously found only on the most expensive quilts. The unique baffling design is effective and the attachment system is one of the best in the business, easily surpassing more premium brands. And lest you be afraid of purchasing from a foreign brand due to tariffs, Neve Gear has a distribution center in Texas. I would recommend the Waratah to almost anyone, especially those interested in dipping their toes into ultralight quilts at an extremely affordable price.
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How to Choose a Quilt for Backpacking
Historically, cottage companies have dominated the quilt game, but as their popularity has grown, larger brands have caught on. There are a ton of great, small brands to choose from but a few larger brands like Nemo and Big Agnes who are known for their quality camping gear are worth considering too. Larger brands will often offer better sales or deals than the smaller brands can, and if you’re just getting into quilts, it’s not a bad idea to test a more affordable one to see if the weight savings are worth the trade offs.
Choosing the right quilt requires understanding more than just weight and price. It’s crucial to pair your quilt with a warm sleeping pad, and it helps to understand the different fill powers and weights, which I’ll get into below.
Down vs Synthetic
Down sleeping bags offer superior warmth-to-weight ratios, compressibility, and longevity compared to synthetic options. A quality down bag packs down significantly smaller than synthetic bags and can last decades with proper care. The same properties apply to quilts.
That said, down loses its insulating properties when wet, takes longer to dry, costs considerably more, and requires careful maintenance to preserve loft. It can be an unethical and harmful choice for the birds as well, though there are certified suppliers like Responsible Down Standard that ensure fair treatment of the animals. Allied Feather and Down, the company that set the standard for ethical down, states that down is almost always the byproduct of the food industry, so the ethics are more about the treatment of the birds, not the number of birds being bred.
Recently, Muscovy duck down fill has emerged as an alternative to traditional goose down. Muscovy is a great alternative that's often slightly cheaper and slightly more durable over time than down. The feathers are clingier than goose down, which makes them more stable within baffles, but also more prone to clumping over time, requiring a manual shake to disperse them. The only notable defect is the smell, which may or may not be noticeable, it depends on the specific product.
Synthetic bags excel in consistently wet conditions since they retain warmth when damp, cost less, and require minimal care. They're also significantly heavier, pack down to larger sizes, and lose loft over time as the fibers break down.
Down is the best choice if you're prioritizing weight savings for long-distance hiking, camping in dry or cold climates, and can afford the investment and careful handling it requires. Synthetic bags are a good option if you regularly camp in wet environments like the Pacific Northwest, want a lower-cost entry into backpacking, or need a more forgiving option that may not last as long but tolerates rougher handling.
