Katabatic Palisade 30 Quilt vs Sea to Summit Ember 30 Quilt
In short: The Katabatic Palisade 30 Quilt costs $25 less; the Katabatic Palisade 30 Quilt is rated 9 °F colder on the figure each maker publishes; the Sea to Summit Ember 30 Quilt saves 0.6 oz; only the Sea to Summit Ember 30 Quilt publishes a lab temperature rating at all.
| Spec | Katabatic Palisade 30 Quilt | Sea to Summit Ember 30 Quilt |
|---|---|---|
| Approx. price | ~$389 | ~$414 |
| ISO comfort | not published | 39 °F |
| ISO limit | not published | 30 °F |
| Rating on the label | 30 °F | 30 °F |
| Honesty gap | — | 9 °F |
| Rating standard | manufacturer | ISO 23537 |
| Weight | 1 lb 3.8 oz | 1 lb 3.2 oz |
| Warmth per ounce | — | 1.09 °F/oz |
| Fill | 850 fill power down | 850 fill power down |
| Fill weight | 12 oz | not published |
| Loft budget | 10.2k in³ | — |
| Shape | quilt | quilt |
| Shoulder girth | 54 in | not published |
| Zipper | none | half |
| Shell fabric | Pertex Quantum 10D nylon | 10D nylon |
| Hydrophobic down | Yes | Yes |
| Packed size | 6 × 10 in | 5.1 L |
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 Palisade 30 Quilt
- Packs to 4.5 litres — small enough that it changes what size pack a summer kit needs.
- 19.8 ounces with the same attachment system as the heavier Flex.
- Sewn differential-cut footbox is warmer and lighter than a zippered one and has nothing to fail.
- Overfill is an order option if 30 °F is a degree or two optimistic for you.
- 30 °F from a maker that doesn't lab-test means planning for high-30s nights rather than freezing ones.
- The closed footbox cannot be opened, so there is no venting on a warm night beyond sticking a foot out the top.
- $389 before options for a 30-degree quilt.
- Made to order; lead times are weeks.
Sea to Summit Ember 30 Quilt
- Publishes both ISO figures — 30 °F limit, 39 °F comfort — which almost no quilt on the market does.
- Zips into a closed footbox or opens completely flat, so it covers a wider temperature range than a sewn-box quilt.
- 19.2 ounces with 850-fill non-PFAS-treated down.
- 5.1 litres compressed, small enough for a summer kit in a 40-litre pack.
- $414 puts it against the custom cottage quilts, which will build to your width and overfill.
- Only two lengths and no width options.
- 10-denier shell needs care.
- The 39 °F comfort figure means this is a warm-weather quilt despite the 30 in the name.