SectionHiker.com Backpacking Gear Reviews and FAQs 
The Paria Outdoors Thermodown 30 Quilt ($160) is an affordable down camping and backpacking quilt insulated with 700 fill power goose down that costs 50% less than the premium ultralight quilts sold by companies like Enlightened Equipment or Katabatic Gear. Featuring a 1/4 length zipper, ventable foot box, and pad attachment straps, the Thermodown 30 is a low-cost way to switch from a claustrophobic down or synthetic mummy sleeping bag without breaking the bank.
- Weight: 32 ounces
- Insulation: 700 fill power white goose down 90/10
- Fill weight: 16 oz
- Actual Dimensions: 72″ long by 53″ wide, tapering to 39″ (fits 5′ 10″)
- Mfg Dimensions (pre-manufacture) 78″ x 56″ x 42″
- Zipper: Quarter-length
- Adjustable/ventable footbox: Yes
- Draft collar: No
- Pad attachment straps: 2
- Liner: 20D ripstop nylon
- Shell: 320T polyester pongee
- Construction: Sewn-Thru
- Packed size: 9″ long by 6.5″ in diameter
- Includes: compression sack and mesh storage bag
- Pros: Zippered and ventable footbox, Wafer-style pad attachment straps, draw-cord neck
- Cons: 35% heavier compared to premium quilts
Premium backpacking quilts have gotten very expensive, and it’s arguably crazy for backpackers to spend more on a down quilt they only use a few nights each year than the bedding they use at home every day. That’s why I wanted to test a lower-cost quilt like the Paria Outdoor Thermodown 30 quilt to see how it compares to quilts costing twice as much. While it is significantly heavier than a 21-oz to 26-oz premium quilt, I was pleasantly surprised by the value it provides.
The Paria Thermodown 30 is a down quilt insulated with 700 fill power down with longitudinal baffles over the body and horizontal baffles over the legs to prevent down shift. The quilt has a quarter-length zipper at the foot-end, so you can open it up like a blanket if you’re too warm or open up the drawstring footbox to vent your feet. The construction is sewn-thru, which is the norm with warmer weather quilts where some heat leakage is acceptable to keep the cost of manufacture low.
The quilt has a snap that closes behind the neck with an easy-to-reach drawstring closure and cordlock in front so you can cinch the top around your neck. While a draft collar is unavailable, it’s easy enough to simulate by wearing a down hoody to bed to seal out drafts at the neck. The quilt also has an interior liner with a soft, silky hand that is very comfortable to sleep under. Functionally, it’s indistinguishable from premium quilts insulated with 850-fill power down and perfectly comfortable to sleep under.
The quilt attaches to an inflatable sleeping pad with two elastic straps with wafer-based clips, which the premium quilt makers also use and are unobtrusive if you lie on them. You can arrange these in several different configurations – running the pad through them, under the pad, or over it, depending on the size of your torso and how much side coverage you prefer to block drafts. The quilt’s 56″ width is perfectly suitable for ground sleeping for people up to 5’10”, although a longer 57″ wide quilt is also available if you’re taller or need more width.
So, what’s it like to sleep under? It’s a perfectly nice quilt that performs well in cooler weather, provided you use an appropriately insulated inflatable sleeping pad, wear long underwear, and adjust the pad attachment straps properly. I’ve never been cold using it and can’t tell the difference between it and the other ultralight quilts I own. The Thermodown quilt also compresses nicely when packed (and fits horizontally in the base of my ultralight backpacks), although it is not as small as a down quilt insulated with higher fill-power down and made with lighter-weight fabric.
Recommendation
The Paria Outdoors Thermodown 30 Down Quilt is an affordable backpacking and camping quilt that is substantially less expensive than most premium ultralight backpacking quilts made today. While it is made with heavy fabrics and 700 fill-power down, it’s a fully featured quilt with a wide range of temperature regulation options, including premium pad attachment straps, a quarter-length zipper, and a drawstring footbox. While it’s not the lightest weight quilt available, it’s a good value if you want to switch from a claustrophobic down or synthetic sleeping bag for increased comfort while reducing the amount of pack space required for your sleep insulation.
Disclosure: Paria Outdoors donated a quilt for review.
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Question maybe not specific to this quilt but the measurements of quilts in general. You list the length above at 78″ (6’6″) but this is “only” suitable to 5’10”? I would have otherwise interpreted that someone 5’10” with about 8″ of head sticking out the top should have over a foot left at the bottom of a 78″ quilt.
The actual length is 72″ and the quilt is really sized for someone who’s 5’10”. The reason the length in the specs is 78″ is that Paria does what a lot of other manufacturers do (which is idiotic and not customer friendly) in that they list the length of the fabric as cut before the manufacturing process.
Thank you for clarifying – yes, that is really dumb and why it can be challenging to buy stuff online. As someone who is 6’+ I could have bought that quilt thinking “great, it’ll fit fine or with room to spare” only to find that it won’t come up over my shoulders.
Thank you for reviewing a good piece of gear at a price that most can afford. I hope you continue to do so as equipment becomes available.
We know how absurdly expensive backpacking gear can be and feel that its only bought by a handful of people, not the majority.
Philip, I wish there were a “thumbs up” emoji I could click for your comment. You’re helping hikers find very good gear for affordable prices, a well as the premium gear ultralight want. You can get good gear at decent prices without wasting throwaway money at the big box discount stores.
You really can. A lot of the big box stuff is terrible crap, but smaller companies like Paria do a good job and making affordable gear and providing excellent customer service to back it up with.
I opted for the 15-degree version given that it’s just a couple of ounces and a couple of dollars more. . . . and I’m not convinced of the temperature rating.
Anyway, I’m basically using it in nice weather, and it’s fine–over me, under me, beside me. That’s the nice thing about a quilt–you don’t have to commit to the full experience.
I’d like to be a bit lighter, but two ounces didn’t seem like much compared with the problem of my tent, which is the real dead weight to be dealt with. I bought their trekking pole 2-person and it’s OK, but a lot heavier than it needs to be. But the price was right on that, too. As you imply, the quality of both is fine, and the prices are certainly right!