Greetings from the Wet Coast

[$w1n6-5h!ft]

Hey there hangers, boys and girls, pets, part timers, and everyone else. Greetings from the Wet (West) coast. Been hangin for a while now, finally working on a "Proper" set up. I usually use a mummy bag for a TQ, a sleeping pad under my sizable rump, and then I would just wrap it all up in a mil surp bivy sack. Finally got a tarp and I'm researching quilts. I had no idea hammock camping became so popular over the last ten years or so. When I started dragging the hammock along on hunting trips my friends all called me nutz. And then somewhere along the timeline they started seeing things a different way, the trailers and tents were left at home more and more. So I'm still digging through the forums for information but my first real question would have to be about quilts. I live in Oregon where we get nine months of rain, and three months of less rain. I'm sure there's a great thread somewhere here on the forum about lightweight, compact, quilts that work in the rain forest. I'm also planning a thru hike of the A.T. and I hear the smokey's are about like living in Oregon. So I'm really looking for a light weight 0-20 deg set of quilts maybe 3/4 or full sized UQ, most likely synthetic (for weather proofing) unless someone else has good info on alternatives. trying not to break the bank but hey, it's quilting and that is most likely the most expensive part of a hang setup. I'm willing to homebrew something as well. Been looking at all sorts of quilts and I can' help but feel that someone here has most likely traveled down this path before, and that I might benefit from the guru's here. Any ideas as to lightweight weather proof top and bottom quilt set up for the wet coast bog sloggers out here?

[SilvrSurfr]

Welcome from the Jersey Shore. People in high humidity environments often think they should go with synthetic quilts, but now that most quilt vendors use HyperDry or Dri-Down, you don't have as much concern about your down getting wet. You definitely don't want to buy waterproof quilts - you'll have condensation issues. A proper tarp, or a tarp and a UQP, is meant to keep your quilts from weather exposure.

Synthetic will definitely be cheaper, will weigh more, and will compress less. An affordable synthetic UQ that is very popular on the forum is the Jarbidge. It's only $100 and good down to 25 degrees.

[$w1n6-5h!ft]

Thanks much for the info! Living in Oregon yeah I tend to think that synth is the way to stay dry. I"ll dig more into the dri-down and hyperdry. I had been looking at A.H.E.'s new river and owyhee. If you have a good TQ with a nice foot box, might that give you a little wiggle room with the length of your UQ? have been thinking about a nice down UQ and UQP. I know I don't want something that is vapor proof because I don't want to wake up in a frost/ice chrysalis. and yeah wow, the price point seems quite nice on the Jarbidge., any ideas on a comparable down quilt set? for me space is always a concern, weight a little bit less so.

[SilvrSurfr]

Thanks much for the info! Living in Oregon yeah I tend to think that synth is the way to stay dry. I"ll dig more into the dri-down and hyperdry. I had been looking at A.H.E.'s new river and owyhee. If you have a good TQ with a nice foot box, might that give you a little wiggle room with the length of your UQ? have been thinking about a nice down UQ and UQP. I know I don't want something that is vapor proof because I don't want to wake up in a frost/ice chrysalis. and yeah wow, the price point seems quite nice on the Jarbidge., any ideas on a comparable down quilt set? for me space is always a concern, weight a little bit less so.

Under-insulation is the most important insulation for hammocks - you can't compensate for inadequate underinsulation by getting a warmer TQ. It just doesn't work that way.

Down wins the compressibility (and weight) contest. Of course, a down UQ costs a lot more than a Jarbidge. My first quilt set was a 20* Phoenix 3/4 UQ (16 oz. and $199) and 20* Burrow TQ (17.3 oz. and $264 with sewn footbox). I found them to very versatile, in temps from 70* F down to 13* F. The HG quilts do seem to be cheaper and lighter than comparably rated quilts.

That might have been the only quilt set I ever needed, but I got interested in cold weather camping and ended up buying an HG 0* Burrow and Incubator. I also went ahead and bought a 40* quilt set as well, so I'm covered for all seasons.

[$w1n6-5h!ft]

Ended up biting the bullet so to speak and sprang for a HG incubator 20* long camo/black and when I can pony up another chunk I'll pick up a matching burrow long wide.