News and Reviews

In The News


November 2018

Winona Camping Quilt-Maker's Success Took its Own Awareness (Star Tribune)

When Tim Marshall began to make outdoor gear for the backpacking trips he led as a youth pastor in Winona, Minn., he had no grand plans to make the hobby a business. But some 15 years later, Enlightened Equipment, the company that evolved from Marshall’s leisure pursuit, makes some of the most sought-after ultralight camping quilts...

June 2018

The Things Jay Duplass Carries While Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail (GQ)

GQ's Best Stuff visited the actor and producer at his LA home to talk trail nicknames, non-dorky Oakley shades, and dried lasagna that'll last until 2052.

Supercar Camping Gear Guide: 12 Must-Have Pieces of Equipment for an Illogical Adventure (The Drive)

Camping out of a supercar, as your humble author found out recently during a cross-California jaunt in a Lamborghini Huracan Performante, isn't the smartest concept in the world—fun though it may be. But equip yourself wisely, and it becomes—well, if not a bright idea, at least a brighter one...

The Ultralight Gear That Will Save Your Summer Backpacking Trip (5280)

If Colorado’s backcountry has felt a little less, well, backcountry in recent years, you’re not crazy. Since 2013, the number of backcountry campers in Colorado’s national parks and monuments has jumped by an average of 110 percent. Part of that growth might be due to the greater availability of super light gear...

May 2018

11 Pro Tips for Packing for Your First Backpacking Trip (Self)

I’d consider myself a pretty experienced backpacker—last summer, I spent more than three months backpacking 1,000 miles. But it was only two years before that I went on my first backpacking trip. It was 10 miles one way, I didn’t prepare properly, and I hadn't really hiked before...

March 2018

My 2018 Appalachian Trail Thru-Hike Gear List (the trek.co)

Below is the list of gear I am currently planning to take on my AT thru-hike beginning in March 2018. This is a living post and will be updated if I make any changes. At this point I don’t suspect I will be making too many changes, but you never know...

February 2018

Ultralight or Ultra-‘Shite?’ What Gear Worked (and What Didn’t) on a Thru-Hike Across the Alps (Adventure Sports Network)

"Ultralight" is a new category of gear centered around carrying the most lightweight and simplest equipment, typically while on a thru-hike. In theory, ultralight sounds delightful. After all, lugging less weight around on the trail allows for speedier travel and longer days in comfort...

September 2017

The Gear Joe McConaughy Used For His AT Speed Record (Outside Magazine)

When ultrarunner and speed hiker Joe McConaughy, trail name Stringbean, set out on the 2,186-mile Appalachian Trail in mid-July, his goal was to break the trail’s unsupported fastest known time (FKT).

July 2017

Enlightened Equipment and DownTek Partner to Create Most Sustainable Treated Down Sleep System in US Market (Gearist)

Sustainable Down Source, the ethical, innovative and sustainable solution for bulk down, and creator of DownTek™ — the revolutionary hydrophobic and quick-drying down technology today announced that Minnesota-based Enlightened Equipment, a leader in the ultralight market, is the first US company to integrate DownTek™ ZeroPFC™ throughout their entire down product line...

June 2017

Elevator Pitch | Enlightened Equipment Revelation Quilt (snews)

You're in the elevator bound for the 77th floor with Tim Marshall, Founder of Enlightened Equipment, who is all fired up about his new DownTek quilt. Here's his rap...

Uncompliccating the Intricate Endeavor That is Backpack Hunting (Go Hunt)

Over the last few years, backpack hunting has steadily increased in popularity with more hunters trying to live out of their packs and hunt the backcountry. Perhaps, it’s because of the appeal of having a truly wild hunt. For me, it’s because backpack hunting offers the ultimate adventure...

February 2017

The Best Budget Thru-Hiking Gear (Backpacker)

Thrifty options that get the job done...

November 2016

Interview: Enlightened Equipment (HikeLighter.com)

I recently had the opportunity to interview Tim Marshall, owner of Enlightened Equipment, based out of Winona, Minnesota (population 27,000), which has been a rising company within the ultralight outdoor industry for the last few years...

October 2016

Winona’s Newest Manufacturing Success (Winona Post)

Using a suction system, Lucas Rother stuffed an Enlightened Equipment quilt with down. The camping gear manufacturer is Winona’s latest basement startup to become a multi-million-dollar company...

How Consumer and Retail Companies Are Embracing Mass Customization (The Motley Fool)

From the shoes on your feet to your daily dose of caffeine, many consumer and retail companies are giving people the opportunity to add a flair of customization to the products they buy, generating growth and brand loyalty in the process...

December 2015

Warm, fed, and rolling with a Minnesota Winter Survival Guide (Star Tribune)

We've rounded up some of our favorite Minnesota products to help you endure another winter...

October 2014

Made in Winona: Enlightened Equipment specializes in lightweight gear (Winona Daily News)

They’re not sleeping bags.

They’re sleeping quilts, and at Enlightened Equipment, they’re made ultralight and custom-fit, so wilderness adventurers don’t carry a single ounce they won’t use...

March 2014

Stories and tips from mamas and papas who manufacture outdoor gear (Tales of a Mountain Mama)

enLIGHTened Equipment just experienced a major milestone. The company that makes lightweight down quilts moved its headquarters out of founder Tim Marshall’s basement into a shop two blocks away...

December 2009

Interview: Tim Marshall from Enlightened Equipment (Hiking in Finland)

Monday morning, interview morning. Coffee ready, looking busy at work while "doing research"? Good. The interview of this week is with Tim Marshall from enLIGHTened equipment. Tim is most famous for producing the “World’s Lightest Quilt” which is made of Cuben...

LONG DISTANCE BACKPACKERS NOW USE QUILTS MORE THAN SLEEPING BAGS, AND IT’S EASY TO SEE WHY.

How do you use a sleeping quilt?1

Sleeping quilts are used as a part of a sleep system that usually includes your tent, your sleeping pad, your sleeping quilt or bag, and base layer cloths. Without each of these pieces accounted for in the conditions you expect to be sleeping in, your system may fail, and your other parts of your sleep system cannot make up for it. For example, your 0° sleeping quilt will not be able to keep you warm if your heat is lost beneath you by having an inadequate sleeping pad..

How do you attach a quilt to a sleeping pad?1

Quilts use strap systems to attach the quilt to your sleeping pad. This usually includes some combination of either flat straps, or loop straps, which loop around the pad, then attach the quilt via clips..

Is a quilt or sleeping bag warmer? 1

Both Sleeping Quilts and Bags use temperature rating to measure their level of warmth, meaning that a 20° sleeping quilt should be equally warm (when used properly) against a 20° sleeping bag. In extreme cold conditions, having your body fully encapsulated by a sleeping bag may create extra layers of failsafe for keeping out moisture and drafts.

Are quilts good for side sleepers? 1

Because of their ability to be opened and moved within more freely, quilts are generally better for side sleepers. Quilts allow you to sleep more naturally while in blanket-mode, and allow you to choose how secure/tight to your body the quilt sits on colder nights.

What’s the difference between a sleeping bag and sleeping quilt?1

Sleeping bags fully encompass the user head-to-toe, while sleeping quilts only cover the most necessary parts of the body. Sleeping quilts lack the hood of a sleeping bag, as well as the insulation underneath your body in exchange for a more highly versatile sleeping experience. Sleeping quilts can be formed as blankets, or closer to full bags, depending on the temperatures and variables the night calls for, while sleeping bags will only wrap around the user fully in the 'mummy bag' fashion.