Katabatic Flex 22 Quilt vs Katabatic Alsek 22 Quilt
In short: The Katabatic Alsek 22 Quilt saves 0.6 oz.
| Spec | Katabatic Flex 22 Quilt | Katabatic Alsek 22 Quilt |
|---|---|---|
| Approx. price | ~$409 | ~$409 |
| ISO comfort | not published | not published |
| ISO limit | not published | not published |
| Rating on the label | 22 °F | 22 °F |
| Honesty gap | — | — |
| Rating standard | manufacturer | manufacturer |
| Weight | 1 lb 7.9 oz | 1 lb 7.3 oz |
| Warmth per ounce | — | — |
| Fill | 850 fill power down | 850 fill power down |
| Fill weight | 15.4 oz | 15.2 oz |
| Loft budget | 13.1k in³ | 12.9k in³ |
| Shape | quilt | quilt |
| Shoulder girth | 54 in | 54 in |
| Zipper | half | none |
| Shell fabric | Pertex Quantum 10D nylon | Pertex Quantum 10D nylon |
| Hydrophobic down | Yes | Yes |
| Packed size | 7 × 12 in | 6.5 × 11.5 in |
Shaded cells mark the row where one has a measurable advantage. Weight, thickness, girth and shape are left unshaded on purpose: heavier is sometimes tougher, wider is sometimes warmer, and calling a winner on those would be an opinion dressed as a measurement.
What each one does well, and costs you
Katabatic Flex 22 Quilt
- The cord-and-clip attachment is the best draft management on any quilt here; the quilt moves with you instead of being flattened onto the pad.
- Zippered footbox opens the whole quilt flat, so a 22-degree quilt is also a 50-degree blanket.
- Six size and width combinations, each with published fill weight and total weight in both 850 and 900 fill.
- Overfill is an order option, so you can buy a colder quilt without buying a different model.
- Built in Colorado, and single-side loft is published in inches so the rating can be sanity-checked.
- No ISO or EN rating; 22 °F is Katabatic's own number, though the loft spec makes it checkable.
- $409 before options, and the 900-fill upgrade is another $90.
- 23.9 ounces is heavier than the lightest 20-degree quilts here — the attachment hardware and the zip cost something.
- Built to order, so lead times run weeks rather than days.
Katabatic Alsek 22 Quilt
- Packs a litre and a half smaller than the zippered Flex at the same rating.
- Sewn differential-cut footbox: warmer at the feet than a zip, and there is nothing to snag or fail.
- Published per-size fill and total weights in both 850 and 900 fill, plus single-side loft.
- Same attachment system as the rest of the line — the reason Katabatic quilts have the reputation they do.
- No lab rating behind the 22 °F number.
- Cannot be vented at the foot on a warm night, which is the Flex's entire reason to exist.
- $409 before the 900-fill upgrade or overfill.
- Made to order, with the lead time that implies.