GramXpert eLite Ultralight Quilt Review - Why I Switched to an APEX 233 Synthetic Quilt
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- Опубліковано 15 вер 2024
- My review and experience of the GramXpert eLite APEX 233 Synthetic ultralight backpacking quilt which I've had for the past year.
Link to buy the GramXpert eLite Ultralight Quilt:
www.gramxpert....
I've been toying with trying out a synthetic APEX quilt for a while and finally made the purchase last year, and I chose the GramXpert eLite quilt with the APEX 233 insulation. My eLite quilt is slim and long to suit my build and height. The eLite quilt is highly configurable. My configuration came in at 749g, which is only 6 grams out from GramXpert's claimed weight on their website - very impressive!
I ordered my quilt last year and paid for the express delivery after speaking with Kejo from GramXpert on Facebook Messenger who was very helpful. There wasn't any import duties or taxes as expected when it arrived here in the UK.
The eLite APEX 233 quilt has since become my go to quilt that I use for my camping trips. Even though this is not as good a value buy as gear from AliExpress (AegisMax Wind Hard Tiny down quilt), I do not regret my purchase at all and will continue to use it on my adventures in the future.
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Very neat review Richard! I own the 200 APEX eLite Quilt for about a year now and have been using it exclusively for hiking and bicycle touring (except for winter camping). I took it out just below freezing and kept me warm with light base layers and an insulated jacket. I'm 178cm, 68kg and ordered a custom size M+7 cm after advice from Kajo, who was very helpful and friendly. I also wanted a custom footbox and shoulder girth and it works perfectly for me. Truly remarkable customer service from GramXpert! They also threw in a pair of free sleeping pad straps along with it to eliminate drafts in colder temps. Now I'm in the process of ordering a 67 APEX summer quilt from them, the simpLite Quilt this time :) Highly recommended quilts people, don't hesitate to order!
Edit: Forgot to mention the weight, 676 grams! Note that I opted for an extra wide 146cm shoulder girth for room to turn. Only downside is the volume but it compresses quite okay and the insulation doesn't move at all so you don't have to be too careful. I just stuff it all the way down the bottom of my pack in a pack liner.
Thank you for sharing your experiences, and good to hear about the brilliant service you received as well!
This was really helpful, thank you. The side by side comparison with down, in packed form, really summed that issue up nicely. Thanks!
Cheers Patrick, that’s one vital downside of APEX insulation
Thank you for the review. I owe the same 233 Quilt and I am verry happy with it. Never will go back to down quilts.
No worries, I love mine and also Apex too! So convenient
I'm a bit confused by Gramxpert temperature rating. I understand from their website that -3° for the 233 is actually somewhere between comfort and lower limit, IF your wear thermal underwear. Is that accurate in your experience? Do you wear thermal clothing when you use yours?
I wear Rab Flux to sleep and I reckon the -3 is conservative for me personally - I’d be happy to take it below that rating by another 3 degrees or so
@@RichardCheng Thanks! That helps a lot!
@@lethethirteen4072
I wear smartwool underwear only in real cold nights.
For most of my hikes from spring to fall 233 is warm enough for me in light long underwear.
yep, big fan of maj and kajo's quilts. saved up for an elite167, love it😁
Agreed, top quality and great customer service provided
Thanks for the review, was thinking about this one for a while, this gave me the input I needed
They are building mine next week
No worries Rod, I hope you love yours as much as I love mine
Thanks for the review.
The damp resistancy is a great feature especially for hikes with a single layer tent...
Yep definitely, the Lanshan 1 Pro and my APEX quilt is my preferred combination
Useful Richard thanks. Hope you get out soon, maybe after the 28th fingers crossed......
Cheers Mark. Looking forward to when we’re able to enjoy the outdoors safely again
Good review Richard. Been thinking about switching from a bag to a quilt - will keep this in mind
Thanks Alan. It’s a great option and pretty reasonable lead times as well, 100% recommend to anyone looking to purchase a quilt to consider GramXpert
Thanks for the review, Richard. I found it useful. Re cold feet, it could be due to the cinch system as it's not a fully enclosed footbox. You could stuff a sock into the bottom and cinch the cord around it to plug the gap and stop drafts.
Thanks Aodh, I agree it could be due to it not being fully enclosed, but it could also be less trapped air down at the bottom end as it tapers and gets narrower. In any case I thought it was was mentioning the effects on me 🙂
Thanks for your video - I've just made my order 😀👌🏽
Cheers, hope you’ll get yours soon
Thank you for the review!
Thanks Diana!
I was thinking of getting this one in exactly the same colours haha.
I love how mine looks, would recommend the combination
So lovely to see back on here Richard Cheng :-) As always a nice concise review. I have been toying with the idea of a quilt & with your review & coming from the same part of the world I will be sure to keep this in mind.I wonder , will you be using this quilt through all 3 seasons? Sending best & well wishes*
Hi nseight, thank you. Yes, I’ll absolutely be using the quilt through 3 seasons, really lope you’re able to find the perfect quilt for yourself if you decide to go for one
@@RichardCheng Thank you :-) * I have just looked back again at your previous videos. Your Arran trip did look cold & I noted you were wearing more than 1 layer of clothes when sleeping.Ideally I would only like to sleep in 1 light layer in bed.I am a cold sleeper & with costs I can only afford 1 quilt to serve all my camping trips. Thanks again. I love your reviews & videos :-) *
I remember that very cold night on Arran with frost very clearly! It’s a shame that ultralight quilts tend to be quite expensive, although I’m expecting this one to last for years
@@RichardCheng :-) * I am of the same thinking. Spend once & hopefully it will see you through for many years. Wishing you & everyone well wishes *
Hey Richard, do you still have issues with cold feet in this quilt? Would you prefer to get a closed footbox modification if you could do it again or do you prefer the ability to open it? I'm deciding between the two
Hey, I still get cold feet, but since have bought down booties which has helped a lot!
Great review thanks. I'm trying to decide between the Aliexpress Icefall quilt and a Valley and Peak (UK company) apex quilt.... The Ice fall is half the price, 300g lighter and gets great reviews, but I have the feeling I would be cold sleeping it in on the summits of Munros etc. I've read a few reviews which say Apex quilts don't tend to last long before they loose their insulation value, which is also a bit concerning!
I’ve had mine for 2 years now and it still feels as warm as when I got it. If you’re on the fence would you consider making an APEX quilt yourself? It’s relatively simple and the materials are pretty cheap
@@RichardCheng That is a good idea, but I'd probably leave it to the professional to be honest 😉 Its a shame there's 20% + import duty on EU items like Gramxpert now, makes a huge difference in price. Same with Cumulus items.
Yes for sure, maybe that would also mean an opportunity for more UK cottage ultralight gear manufacturers to pop up
Yeah boyyyyyyy
Thanks a million for the review! Are you able to turn around inside the quilt? From the looks of it, you don't attach it to a sleeping pad? I like my sleeping bags slim as I'm quite thin, but I also switch between sleeping positions during the night and want to avoid the scenario where the quilt turns with me :)
Yes, I am able to turn inside the quilt. I toss and turn a bit in my sleep too and I don’t notice having a cold back usually
Hi Richard. Great review, thank you. Could you please tell me if there are loops or a snap button with loops at the foot end of the quilt? So if I wanted to tie a bungee cord to each side of the foot, and loop it around behind a sleeping pad (not use it zipped up). Or is there only the zipper and then the cinch cord? Thanks.
Hey, there is a zip, cinch, and snappers all along the quilt
@@RichardCheng Thank you :)
@@RichardCheng PS: I think you chose the best colour combination. Yellow and green. Do you ever find the 233 is too warm for UK conditions? Or you're happy you chose that instead of the 200?
@_Chris390 I find 233 perfect for 3 season UK conditions, especially camping on exposed ridges and summits in Scotland
@@RichardChengThank you. I guess they have quite a wide temp range depending on clothing, footwear, headgear, tent etc.
Thanks so much for sharing! I've been toying with this, I was looking at the 267 but have you found the 233 okay for three season camping? I also wonder what capacity your pack is, I'm wondering how much room it would leave to spare in my 40-litre bag.
Yep - I’m happy with mine below 0 degrees, and it’s warm enough for three season use. My backpack is around 40L too. For three season gear and 5 days of food I don’t have much spare space
@@RichardCheng thanks for your reply! That's good to know, definitely helpful when I come to make my decision. Good quality, lightweight synthetic bags / quilts are so hard to find
No worries, happy to help. It a trade off on space vs warmth much more than down unfortunately
Great review! How do you find the slim, whats your shoulder width? if you could do it again would you go wih regular or slim. Thanks!
Hey Dan, my top size is usually XS or S if that’s useful for context. I would go with the slim for my build
@@RichardCheng thanks Richard 🙏
Great review...thx
No worries, thanks for watching John
The down quilt in the green stuffsack is the Aegismax WindHard (300g goose down I guess)? The Wind hard is warmer and more comfortable than the Apex quilt? But more humidity sensitive?
That’s correct Michael. The quilts are roughly equal in terms of warmth, with eLite Apex 233 being a touch warmer
Hi Richard I really appreciate your channel - it's great to have gear reviews with UK conditions in mind.
I have never used a quilt before and currently use the Thermarest Z-lite Sol sleeping pad (with a down sleeping bag) would it be too cold from underneath using a quilt with this pad in cold conditions?? Would I really require a thicker more insulated pad? Many thanks.
Hi Joe, unfortunately I’ve not used the Z-Lite so won’t be able to comment from experience on how cold it’ll get. Some of my backpacking friends use foam mats for 3 season use and find it more than adequate if that’s any help
Thanks for this video. Have you noticed any sagging or degradation of the apex since your purchase? Did you use it a lot? I'm considering this quilt but this point makes me doubt...
I'm French so sorry if the translation is bad :)
Hey Léo, I’ve not noticed any sagging or degradation to the Apex. It’s my go to quilt so it’s been used quite a lot. I stuff it during my trips, and roll it up to be stored
@@RichardCheng Great ! I'm waiting for black friday and I order one :). Thanks again because there are not many videos on this product
No problem, I hope you enjoy yours
Thank you for this review, but I am lost why you shown this quilt used solely as sleeping bag. Are there problems in using this quilt as a quilt -- i.e. with sides around the sleeping pad and not you? How easy is to clip the quilt to the straps around pad (assuming it is possible)? And so on.
Hi Maciej, the eLite quilt can also be used the way you described. I think the beauty of backpacking quilts are how flexible they are
@@RichardCheng Thank you for the reply. It would be great if you could make a follow-up with the quilt demoing it how you can use it as quilt -- without straps (if possible) and with straps around pad. IMHO after all guys looking for quilts are looking as opposite to sleeping bags :-).
Hi Richard
Thank you sharing. Great videos. May I ask what pad you use and why?
Regards
Imran (U.K)
Thanks Imran. I use the OEX fulcrum EV insulated pad from GoOutdoors. I think mine is the 2018 version, hope that helps
Thanks Richard
Observing you are an U.L. enthusiast, I'm keen why have you not gone for the therma rest pads. They are lighter with higher R values...but, yes, the price range is very painful. 😢😢
I bought the OEX when I was on a very tight budget and since it’s still working, I’ve just carried on using it
Great review Richard. Do you find any need for a neck baffle? Does the cinch feel uncomfortable round your neck?
Hi Adam. I’ve not worn anything around my neck when I sleep with the eLite quilt, the cinch is very snug and comfortable for me. It cinches down to capture the warm air, but it doesn’t suffocate nor does it cause any discomfort
@@RichardCheng thanks. I want to make a 3 season MYOG Apex quilt for my daughter so just gathering thoughts on design.
In colder temps I find Smartwool winter hiking socks do the job and serve two functions compared to dedicated booties. A rucksack over the foot end also helps in a pinch, or as standard procedure!
Thank sounds like a great project, best of luck with your design! I normally wear merino wool socks to sleep whilst camping, and still I observed feeling colder in the feet with this quilt. It doesn’t bother me that much, but just thought it was something worth sharing to those who are more sensitive
Hi, concerning pad straps, is it possible to move the straps on the string or can we juste adjust the lenght of the string ?
Not possible to move the ‘snap on’ straps, but you can tighten and loosen the drawstrings at the top and the bottom
Tanks à lot ! Does it mean tje distance between the 2 snaps, on the top, can be changed ?
No, none of the snaps can be changed. The drawstrings can be tightened or loosened to your liking
OK, thanks à lot
You’re very welcome
Hi Richard, Great review. May i check something with you please; you said you ordered a Large size and that if you wanted to pull the quilt all the way up it would cover till half of your face. Now the specs on the website state lenght 208 cm for the large size, which teorically it should completely cover a person tall 180 cm like you, with some extra space too. So just wanted understand if i'm seeing this right or not as i'm thinking to buy this quilt too, and i'm 183 cm and i like to have the quilt completely cover myself, perhaps i should go for a Xlarge then?!
Thank you very much :)
Hi, I believe the length is if it’s laid out flat, so with the foot box and some natural contouring a 208cm long quilt won’t cover someone who’s 208cm tall. I think GeamXpert’s charts are very accurate, but if you’re not sure Kajo is very helpful if you contact them
@@RichardCheng Well i'm not 208 cm, but according to what you said in the video the quilt doesn't even completely cover you who are 180 cm, so that was my point.
I would go off GramXpert’s sizing chart and not pay too much attention to the nominal length. Mine was pretty much as I expected, but GramXpert also recommends if in doubt, size up :)
@@RichardCheng thank you :)
Can you do a review of all your gear.
Hi I try to prioritise reviews on pieces where there isn’t so much information on. A lot of my gear is quite common and have lots of in depth information already!
Hey Richard, did u notice any loss of loft yet?
Hi, nothing noticeable if at all for me
Is the 233 is too much for 3 seasons ?
I find it perfect for 3 seasons in Scotland, although it is a little bulkier than 200
Hey Richard, how are you finding the quilt?
Hi Peter, it’s still my go to quilt
@Richard I ordered the 5 degree quilt from Gramxpert and it arrived yesterday! Looking forward to testing it in the Brecon Beacons soon. Thanks mate
No worries Peter, it’s brilliantly made. I hope you enjoy your trip!