Insulation for warmer months?

[RockSlide]

You're a cold sleeper and have serious insulation for fall/winter... You know you need something for say, April-September in Ohio and on the AT. What rating stuff do you get? I'm thinking 40 degree under and top quilts. Do you sleep cold? Is that enough? Too much?

[2ply]

I use a Wilderness Logics summer series 3/4 length UQ in the warmer months. It's rated to 45 and packs down pretty small.

[cougarmeat]

I live in High Desert country and I'd think 40 degrees can be a little light in April or September (we sometimes get snow in May). But you can hedge on that by bringing extra sleeping clothes - like a light down jacket (retailers call it a sweater) and a sleeping cap. I'm a fan of a hammock sock two widen out the season. But I do miss the view of the sky when I use it.

[OneClick]

I live in High Desert country and I'd think 40 degrees can be a little light in April or September (we sometimes get snow in May). But you can hedge on that by bringing extra sleeping clothes - like a light down jacket (retailers call it a sweater) and a sleeping cap. I'm a fan of a hammock sock two widen out the season. But I do miss the view of the sky when I use it.

Yes the top insulation would be fine at 40°; easy to supplement with a down or fleece jacket (if you bring one anyway). Or extra clothes.

40° UQ would also be fine if I bet the lows being down to 35°, but of course that's not guaranteed. A 20° UQ would be a safe bet for another 6oz penalty.

[Gideon]

for spring, summer and early fall I go with 40 degrees. On top I use Zpacks 40 degree sleeping bag:
http://www.zpacks.com/quilts.shtml
It's really set up like a top quilt and it's about the lightest weight 40 degree TQ you can buy (for you gram weenies )

For the bottom I use Hammock Gear's 40 degree Phoenix:

http://www.hammockgear.com/phoenix-40/

Even when it's 90 degree's out, I carry these two pieces of gear. I've only found one lighter 40 degree quilt but haven't invested yet. On hot summer nights I slip the UQ out from under me to the side. "If" I get cold enough to wake me up, I slip it on and sometime vent it. I sleep cold so even on hot summer nights I can get too chilly to be comfortable around 2:00 am.

With these two pieces of gear, I'm still able to keep my summer base weight under 7 lbs.

Gideon

[12trysomething]

I use 30 top and bottom in the northeast.

[WebsterJ]

If you're a cold sleeper I'd have a 20 degree UQ and 40 degree top quilt. Extra clothing doesn't help as well with bottom insulation because it compresses when you lay on it.

[hutzelbein]

I'm a cold sleeper. I use a 20° uq and 20° sleeping bag from spring to fall. 40° would not be enough for me, not even in the middle of summer.

[RockSlide]

Thanks, all! I'm thinking the 40* Phoenix and 40* Burrow with a little overstuff for both.

[12trysomething]

Thanks, all! I'm thinking the 40* Phoenix and 40* Burrow with a little overstuff for both.

May I suggest speaking with Adam at Hammock Gear? One thing to remember is the height of the baffles will be different for a 20, 30 and 40. A 40 with overstuff will perform different than a 30 with the "proper" amount of down. You may be at the same price point but end up with a higher performing set of quilts. Again, speaking with Adam may be your best bet as I am certainly not an expert.

Good luck.