---
title: "Cumulus Lite Line 400 and Quilt 450 on a crossing of Iceland"
description: "We tested the Cumulus models - the Lite Line 400 down sleeping bag and the Quilt 450 - on the 400 km crossing of Iceland. Read our findings from the testing."
canonical_url: "https://gramino.com/blog/cumulus-lite-line-400-and-quilt-450-in-iceland"
last_updated: "2017-10-07"
---

# Cumulus Lite Line 400 and Quilt 450 on a crossing of Iceland

Authors: David Czempka

Date: 2017-10-07

We tested the Cumulus models - the Lite Line 400 down sleeping bag and the Quilt 450 - on the 400 km crossing of Iceland. Read our findings from the testing.

You know how it is – every once in a while the time comes to replace old gear with new. Progress doesn't stop, and everything has moved on to a completely different level since your last purchase. Of course you always want to get the best option, so you need to get familiar with what's currently on the market.

For us, that moment came before our trip to Iceland, known for its strong winds and unpredictable weather. Near the glaciers, night temperatures drop below zero even in summer, and we were planning to cross the interior, where conditions are even more extreme. Our old sleeping bags were either heavy and bulky, or didn't offer the thermal comfort we needed. We decided to invest and took real care over the choice, because a good night's sleep is simply essential!

Our top priorities were packed size, weight, and performance. After a bit of research into the sleeping bag brands available to us, Cumulus came out on top, meeting most of our requirements. High-quality goose down and lightweight materials deliver great performance while keeping weight and bulk to a minimum. Compared to some manufacturers, the price stays genuinely reasonable. In the end we settled on the [Lite Line 400](/p/cumulus-lite-line-400) and [Quilt 450](/p/cumulus-quilt-450), both with an all-around comfort rating around zero – perfect for Iceland.

The sleeping bags arrived in a large mesh sack meant for storage at home. A sleeping bag shouldn't be stored compressed unnecessarily – it's better to let it at least partially loft up, which extends its lifespan. As soon as we unpacked them, we were struck by the high loft of the Polish goose down with 850 cuin fill power used in both models. Both are built from lightweight yet durable Pertex Quantum fabric with a DWR treatment (a permanent water-repellent layer). We got to test that the very first night, sleeping under the stars. In the morning we were surprised by a decent amount of dew, but all the water stayed on the surface and the DWR treatment worked brilliantly. We just had to shake it off and dry the bags briefly in the sun.

For the first few days, we struggled quite a bit to squeeze our sleeping bags into their storage sacks – we were almost worried something might give out. After a few nights, the down got used to the volume changes and everything went smoothly.

As is typical with down products, some down works its way out. Our sleeping bags occasionally shed a feather or two as well. It can make you feel like your bag is losing thermal comfort, but that's not actually a concern. One gram of down contains between 500 and 1,000 tiny feathers (depending on their size), and our sleeping bags are filled with 400 and 450 grams of down. So each one contains at least 200,000 individual feathers.

## Cumulus sleeping bags

- [Cumulus Lite Line 400](/p/cumulus-lite-line-400.md)
- [Cumulus Lite Line 300](/p/cumulus-lite-line-300.md)
- [Cumulus Lite Line 200](/p/cumulus-lite-line-200.md)
- [Cumulus Panyam 450](/p/cumulus-panyam-450.md)
- [Cumulus Panyam 600](/p/cumulus-panyam-600.md)
- [Cumulus X-Lite 400](/p/cumulus-x-lite-400.md)
- [Cumulus X-Lite 300](/p/cumulus-x-lite-300.md)
- [Cumulus X-Lite 200](/p/cumulus-x-lite-200.md)

## Lite Line 400

David's experience using it: "I'd wanted a new sleeping bag for a long time, and eventually I got my hands on one from the Polish company Cumulus, specifically the Lite Line 400. My priorities had shifted over the years, and right before the trip to Iceland was the perfect moment to replace my old bag (a Husky Dinis) with a new one.

The sleeping bag weighs 755 g and is compact enough to fit even in a smaller backpack. In its stuff sack it measures 25 x 17 cm with a volume of 5.7 liters. The Pertex Quantum fabric (35 g/m²) used for both the inner and outer shell is genuinely lightweight and very pleasant to the touch. The surface has a DWR water-repellent treatment and is windproof.

As the name suggests, the bag is filled with 400 grams of down. On the crossing I mostly slept in a base layer and a merino wool T-shirt, and I never felt cold once. The baffles use a trapezoidal construction that's meant to prevent cold spots where two chambers meet. Fill distribution is 60% on top and 40% on the bottom. That combination suited me quite well, since I toss and turn a lot at night. I suspect that with a bit less fill on my back, I wouldn't stay as warm. With my previous sleeping bag, whenever I turned over, the flattened, less-filled chambers would end up on top. Half-asleep, I wouldn't notice at all, but after a while the cold would wake me up.

The sleeping bag has a 170 cm YKK zipper that's easy to operate from both inside and outside. It has a wider design so the fabric doesn't annoyingly snag in the zipper slider. The zipper worked really well. If you travel with your significant other, you'll definitely appreciate being able to zip two bags together – you just need to get bags with opposite zippers (right/left).

At first I was a little worried that, given the bag's weight, the manufacturer had to go with a very narrow cut. The very first night proved me wrong. I'm 183 cm tall and weigh 77 kg, and I could wriggle, turn over, and shift around in the bag very comfortably. The bag is 202 cm long and fits people up to 185 cm (on request, the manufacturer can also make a longer or wider version).

To sleep soundly, I really need to shut out the world around me, so I always bring a pair of earplugs. There's a small pocket sewn inside the bag that's perfect for exactly that. It also fits a phone, a wallet, or a Sawyer water filter, which we sometimes tucked in there to keep it from freezing.

I like being able to cocoon myself in a sleeping bag like a caterpillar, and that's exactly what the LiteLine 400 gave me. The top of the hood cinches down, leaving an opening just for your nose and mouth. Around the neck, the bag has a draft collar that keeps warm air from escaping. I stuffed a fleece into the hood as a pillow and still had no trouble cinching the hood until it felt comfortable. I also pulled a neck gaiter over my eyes, which made for perfect sleeping conditions.

A good [sleeping bag](/c/sleep/sleeping-bags) is certainly not among the cheapest purchases, but it's something that guarantees quality sleep and, with proper care, will last for years. I believe that for anyone who spends more than just a few nights outdoors each summer, a good sleeping bag is a great investment. In Iceland, with its high humidity, strong wind, and proper cold even in summer, the Lite Line 400 really proved itself. Together with my [Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite](/p/therm-a-rest-neoair-xlite-nxt), it makes for a genuinely light and packable setup that keeps me sleeping comfortably outdoors down to around -8 °C."

## Quilt 450

A quilt is another way to shave off a few extra grams and some bulk compared to a classic sleeping bag. It's probably only for those who really count every gram. It has no hood, and the back is open from mid-thigh upward (there's simply a gap there). It ditches the inefficiently used down that, once flattened, stops doing its job and doesn't insulate as well. With a quilt, it's important to have a good sleeping pad that keeps the cold from the ground away. Instead of a hood, you simply wear a hat.

I liked the concept of a quilt, so I decided to try it out in practice. Another reason I chose it over the Lite Line 400 is that it has 50 grams more down while being 70 grams lighter overall. Thanks to the larger amount of down in the top chambers, it offers better thermal comfort. I weighed the total at 696 g (13 g stuff sack, 683 g quilt); the manufacturer states 686 g (probably without the stuff sack).

With a quilt, there's a lot to get used to. Probably the biggest novelty is figuring out the web of elastic straps used to attach the quilt to your sleeping pad. The straps are meant to keep the quilt in its basic position (with the back opening facing down) as you turn over. Most people attach them in an X shape.

Another big difference from a classic sleeping bag is how you get into it. With a quilt, you need to wriggle in and pull it over yourself.

After a few nights, though, I got used to the new routine and later didn't even notice it. You can try several ways of fastening it – so far the one that's worked best for me is a short strap at the bottom with the other two in an X shape.

The quilt fit me great, and even at 185 cm and almost 90 kg, it never felt uncomfortably tight. At the neck it can be buttoned and cinched down so heat doesn't escape.

At night I toss and turn quite a bit, switching between my side and my back. A few times, when I turned over, the quilt's open back ended up facing up, which was uncomfortable. So when turning, I had to hold the quilt in place and only turn inside it.

To protect the quilt from rain and moisture, I kept it in a waterproof dry bag. I used the eight-liter version of the [Ultra-Sil Dry Bag](/p/sea-to-summit-ultra-sil-dry-bag) from Sea To Summit, which worked great. The quilt fit it perfectly, with room to spare for a sleeping pad or sleep clothes.

## Cumulus quilts

- [Cumulus neo Quilt 450](/p/cumulus-neo-quilt-450.md)
- [Cumulus neo Quilt 300](/p/cumulus-neo-quilt-300.md)
- [Cumulus neo Quilt 150](/p/cumulus-neo-quilt-150.md)
- [Cumulus neo Quilt 600](/p/cumulus-neo-quilt-600.md)
- [Cumulus the Quilt 450](/p/cumulus-the-quilt-450.md)
- [Cumulus the Quilt 300](/p/cumulus-the-quilt-300.md)
- [Cumulus the Quilt 150](/p/cumulus-the-quilt-150.md)
- [Cumulus the Quilt 600](/p/cumulus-the-quilt-600.md)

Most nighttime temperatures hovered around zero, with occasional light frost. That's close to the quilt's comfort rating of -2 °C. I was never cold, even though I usually slept in just my underwear. I wore a hat on my head and a buff around my neck and face, since the quilt itself has no hood. On the first nights I tried sleeping in base layers (long underwear, socks, a T-shirt) to protect the new quilt from the oils and sweat the body gives off, but it turned out to be too warm. Personally, I wouldn't hesitate to take it down to around -7 °C together with a light down jacket and a good sleeping pad.

Before buying a [quilt](/c/sleep/quilts), you need to be clear on your priorities and what trade-offs you're willing to make. A quilt saves several dozen grams and some bulk, but it comes with new habits to learn and, overall, slower and less comfortable handling than a classic sleeping bag. Everyone has to figure out what works for them.

With a fluffy pillow made from my clothes, sleeping under the quilt feels just like being at home under a duvet, and sleep comes more naturally to me this way. It proved itself in Iceland, and I'm glad I chose it. I'm planning many more long-distance treks in the future, so saving a few grams and some space will always be a priority for me.

After such a great experience using the Quilt 450 and the Lite Line 400, we decided to partner up with the Polish brand [Cumulus](/b/cumulus). You can now find their super-light sleeping bags and quilts right here in our [shop](/c/sleep).

This post is also available as [HTML](/blog/cumulus-lite-line-400-and-quilt-450-in-iceland).

## Sitemap

See the full [sitemap](/sitemap.md) for all pages.