Do i really need a UQ???

[Shug]

I have not tried an UQ yet, but I find that using the Big Agnes insulated air pad is more comfortable than simply lying in the hammock without it. The air pad creates a near perfectly flat bed-like environment and also offers enough head and neck support that I dont need any extra pillows or neck rolls for comfort. In colder temps, however, I can see the advantage of using a small UQ in addition to the air pad.

I too have one of those and concur on their comfort .... use it with a UQ in really cold sub 0º Minnesota Winter.

[jscalia]

Which UQ do you use with the BA pad?

[Shug]

Whick UQ do you use with the BA pad?

all of 'em .... my full length DIY, My 1/2 DIY and my Winter Yeti .... but only when needed........ 0º or below.

[TinaLouise]

As far as I know the use of underquilts in summer are rare. The only true way of telling whether you need one or not is by going out and trying different temperatures yourself.

It's not rare, lots of people carry an UQ and use one all year round. I'm one of them. My summer UQ went with me and I had it on my hammock but if it was too hot, I slipped it off to the side, keeping it handy for when I'd need it later. Please note that my summer UQ is only about 12 oz (1 layer of the thinest climashield I could find) I can only use it in temps above 45 degrees and I've camped all summer IN THE SOUTH in some really hot temps.

Original question of do I really need an UQ.... well no, you can use a pad or even tie a blanket or a sleeping bag under you. You've just got to have some type of insulation under you and you've got to test it out to see if it'll keep you warm. UQ's are just fine tuned to hammocks, they're made to be really efficient at what they do.

[animalcontrol]

UQ every night...only in the heat of summer does it not go on.
IMO, easier and better comfort than a pad

[cliff355]

It's not rare, lots of people carry an UQ and use one all year round. I'm one of them.

Me too. My butt gets cold in a hammock at 70 degrees, but at that temperature I get all sweaty with a pad. The UQ I got is a Speer Snugfit and it keeps a hammock totally comfortable for me at temps ranging from 75 - 24 degrees. How much higher or lower it will go remains to be seen, but I do not yet have a full year of hammock experience.

The Snugfit velcro model attaches perfectly to the velcro on a Clark NX250, and I can't complain about how it fits with a Doublenest either. It is the only UQ I have ever seen so I can't compare it to a Yeti, but build quality is extremely high.

[Off-road]

Thanks for sharing,

An UQ it will be.

My reason for choosing the Yeti over other quality UQ's such as the popular full coverage Snugfit is simply weight.
I wouldn't consider myself a "weight Weenie" but rather weight conscious as i ofter cover a lot of ground through some rugged country (WV) and the AT.

[Cannibal]

Thanks for sharing,

An UQ it will be.

My reason for choosing the Yeti over other quality UQ's such as the popular full coverage Snugfit is simply weight.
I wouldn't consider myself a "weight Weenie" but rather weight conscious as i ofter cover a lot of ground through some rugged country (WV) and the AT.

It is a fine, fine choice.
You will be a warm weight weenie!

[Mustardman]

Foam pads and thermarests are, IMO, incredibly uncomfortable.

HOWEVER, the Exped Downmat Deluxe might as well have been conceived specifically for hammock camping. It's extra wide, so gives great shoulder and hip coverage, and it has an awesome R-value for keeping your butt toasty warm. It's also really thick, meaning it can be halfway deflated and still have a lot of insulation below you, while also conforming to the hammock's shape very well. I slept in my Warbonnet Blackbird with the Downmat in the double layer all season last year, and honestly the Downmat seems like it requires LESS fiddling than underquilts.

I am making the switch to UQ's this season, but more because I'm a gear junkie than because I need to. The Downmat was absolutely comfortable enough, and the only downside was the extra setup time it took to inflate the mat.



In fact, the downmat, in many ways, felt warmer - when you get into the hammock with the downmat, it's pretty much instantly warm. With a lofty underquilt, it takes a while for the quilt below you to trap enough heat to feel warm, so you don't have that same sensation. A hot water bottle in the hammock a half hour before bed time will fix this, but it was never an issue with the downmat.

[Rain Man]

Two weekends ago, when I did my AT section hike in central VA, the weather report called for possible freezing temps in the mountains the first night. However, the actual coldest it got any night, that I saw, was 52 degrees.

I did not use an UQ or US of any sort. I just used my ExPed 7 insulated sleeping pad, partially inflated, a small (12x24") piece of closed-cell foam (that I could move around as needed), and my 20-degree Sub-Kilo sleeping bag, unzipped and used as a quilt. For the most part, I sweated.

Rain Man

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