​How to Use Enlightened Equipment Pad Straps


Introduction

Pad straps are essential accessories for our backpacking sleeping quilts. They help to keep the quilt in place on top of your sleeping pad, preventing it from shifting around and leaving you exposed to the cold. Here's everything you need to know about using pad straps for backpacking sleeping quilts.


What are pad straps?

Pad straps are simple devices that are designed to secure your sleeping quilt to your sleeping pad. They typically consist of two straps that attach via buckles to your quilt, keeping it anchored to your sleeping pad. Pad straps are lightweight, easy to use, and highly effective at keeping your quilt in place while you sleep.


Why are pad straps important?

A potential downside of using a quilt instead of a traditional sleeping bag is that quilts are more prone to shifting around during the night. This can expose you to the cold, which can be uncomfortable and even dangerous in extreme conditions.

That's where pad straps come in. By securing your quilt to your sleeping pad, you can prevent it from shifting around, ensuring that you stay warm and comfortable throughout the night. Pad straps are an essential accessory for backpacking sleeping quilts, and learning to use them can make a big difference in your overall camping experience.


How do you use our pad straps?



Using pad straps for backpacking sleeping quilts is easy. Here's a step-by-step guide to help you get started:

Attach the straps to your sleeping pad: Our pad straps come with two straps, one straight and one loop. The loop strap is meant to fit on the bottom half of the pad, while the straight strap goes on the top. Make sure the straps are tightened securely to prevent your quilt from shifting around.

Adjust the tension: Once your quilt is attached to your sleeping pad, you can adjust the tension on the straps to ensure a snug and secure fit.

Clip in and settle in for the night: Clip your buckles into the top and bottom of the pad straps and get cozy for a warm night in your quilt.


Different types of Pad Straps

Loop Strap: Comes standard with our quilts. Fully encircles the sleeping pad to provide secure fastening.

Flat Strap: The companion to our loop strap that does not fully enclose the quilt. We recommend using this as the top strap as it allows easy entry and exit to the quilt.

XWide Pad Strap: The extra wide version of the standard straps listed above. Built to it a wide (25”) sleeping pad and including a loop and flat strap

Accomplice Pad Straps: Comes standard with the accomplice. These straps connect to two separate sleeping pads and provide extra length to match the additional width of the accomplice. Available in XWide or double-wide to accommodate larger sleeping pads.

Two Quilt Double Wide Pad Strap: A unique strap meant to fit two solo quilts on a double-wide sleeping pad.

Quilt Layering Adapter: Our quilt layering adapter is built to add another set of buckles to standard pad straps. This helps accommodate the layering of additional quilts for winter backpacking. Learn more about this process in our layering sleeping quilts article.