Blood (plasma) money and suggestions needed

**Vikingmedic** · 10-15-2018, 00:24

Originally Posted by Vanhalo

I slept outside from October-March before I ever did my first section hike (NOC to Fontana Dam in March).

My 25°-30° Partial UQ never changed. (I do have an extra ounce of fill)

I used a 40° TQ when temps were >40°
and a 25°-30° TQ <40°

There were 3 or 4 nights (<20°) were I had to use a 5°-10° TQ.

10° buffer seems to be good rule on the TQ if you are only using the quilt.

The 25°-30° Partial UQ seemed to have a wide range 10°-70°

I am in SE TN right on the TN/GA border.

Attachment 169237

I always use an Argon 90 UQP as well.

When using a partial UQ how did you make sure that your feet didn't get too cold when in the colder temperatures? I like the idea of going with a partial for 3 season (I'd definitely use a full in the winter personally haha) but I don't want chance getting caught out when it's colder than expected and have issues like that.

**SilvrSurfr** · 10-15-2018, 01:17

Originally Posted by Vikingmedic

When using a partial UQ how did you make sure that your feet didn't get too cold when in the colder temperatures? I like the idea of going with a partial for 3 season (I'd definitely use a full in the winter personally haha) but I don't want chance getting caught out when it's colder than expected and have issues like that.

Since I subscribe to the 10* buffer rule, I rarely use my 20* quilts below 30* F. And at 30* F, I don't need anything in the footbox - my feet are warm. However, when it gets below 30* F, my feet get cold. I've tried using a sit pad, and it just doesn't cut it. This winter I went out camping and the low was supposed to be 30* F. Yeah, right! Of course it got down to 22* F and my feet were freezing using my 20* quilts with a sit pad in the footbox. I tried to get to sleep for an hour and just couldn't get my feet warm. Luckily, I had a wool anorak that I put in the footbox. My feet warmed up instantly.

So while I'll still stick with the 10* buffer rule, I'll be sure to stick my down jacket in the footbox (or wool anorak if I'm car camping - I love wool but don't hike much with it due to weight) if the temps drift into the 20s (or God forbid, even lower).

To tell you the truth, I like wool a lot more than down (though down weighs less). Wool keeps you warm even if it gets wet, while down (even hydrophobic down) will lose some of its insulative qualities when wet. I'm thinking of sewing up a wool footbox out of an old sweater. I can stick that in the footbox of my topquilt and I'm sure my feet will be toasty warm. I'm going to first try a merino wool pocket (maybe 18" x 14"), and if that doesn't work, I'll opt for thicker wool (or a double layer of merino).

For some reason, my feet sweat a lot when I sleep. At home, in a bed, I don't even notice it. However, camping in cold weather is a different story. I've tried down booties and wool socks, but I can't stop the sweat and my feet get cold. With the wool anorak (and I assume with the wool footbox), the wool will wick the moisture away and I can sleep without wool socks or down booties (which I do anyway since my feet just sweat too much in wool socks and down booties). The night I used the wool anorak, my feet warmed up in five minutes and I was asleep in 10 minutes.

**Vikingmedic** · 10-15-2018, 02:28

Originally Posted by SilvrSurfr

Since I subscribe to the 10* buffer rule, I rarely use my 20* quilts below 30* F. And at 30* F, I don't need anything in the footbox - my feet are warm. However, when it gets below 30* F, my feet get cold. I've tried using a sit pad, and it just doesn't cut it. This winter I went out camping and the low was supposed to be 30* F. Yeah, right! Of course it got down to 22* F and my feet were freezing using my 20* quilts with a sit pad in the footbox. I tried to get to sleep for an hour and just couldn't get my feet warm. Luckily, I had a wool anorak that I put in the footbox. My feet warmed up instantly.

So while I'll still stick with the 10* buffer rule, I'll be sure to stick my down jacket in the footbox (or wool anorak if I'm car camping - I love wool but don't hike much with it due to weight) if the temps drift into the 20s (or God forbid, even lower).

To tell you the truth, I like wool a lot more than down (though down weighs less). Wool keeps you warm even if it gets wet, while down (even hydrophobic down) will lose some of its insulative qualities when wet. I'm thinking of sewing up a wool footbox out of an old sweater. I can stick that in the footbox of my topquilt and I'm sure my feet will be toasty warm. I'm going to first try a merino wool pocket (maybe 18" x 14"), and if that doesn't work, I'll opt for thicker wool (or a double layer of merino).

For some reason, my feet sweat a lot when I sleep. At home, in a bed, I don't even notice it. However, camping in cold weather is a different story. I've tried down booties and wool socks, but I can't stop the sweat and my feet get cold. With the wool anorak (and I assume with the wool footbox), the wool will wick the moisture away and I can sleep without wool socks or down booties (which I do anyway since my feet just sweat too much in wool socks and down booties). The night I used the wool anorak, my feet warmed up in five minutes and I was asleep in 10 minutes.

I'm torn between getting a 30 degree set and a 10 degree set. Maybe a 3/4 for the 30 as I'd use it more for 3ish season. I'm mainly going to be using it late spring through early fall so I think the 30 degree set like this would be ok. Most of my section hiking will probably be in summer with some shoulder season time. I won't have everything together and ready until late April by my estimates for my first section so I wouldn't think it would get much colder than 40 degrees. What is everyone's thought on that? Or should I go ahead and rock a 20 degree set with a full UQ? I forgot to mention I'm a warm sleeper. As in I set the thermostat at 66* and sleep with a light blanket and I'm comfortable.

**SilvrSurfr** · 10-15-2018, 02:49

Well, if you're a spring through fall hiker, I think the 10* set is a bit excessive. Like I said before, I think a 20* quilt set with 3/4 UQ is a great way to start off and what I used for my first two years of hiking and hammock camping. I used my 20* HG quilts from a low of 13* F (pretty miserable) to a high of 75 (kick off the TQ!) and felt that they were fine.

I subscribe to the more common quilt insulation ratings: 40*, 20* and 0*. I always felt that going with off-ratings like 50*, 30* and 10* would just throw me off. I knew I would eventually get more quilts so I didn't want to have huge variances between quilt ratings - like if you bought a 30* set, then a 20* set seems kinda stupid. Or if you bought a 30* set then a 40* set seems kinda stupid.

By the way, 40* quilts are kind of wispy and flimsy, like they're not even there. I could never buy a 50* set because of their limited usefulness. At least I can use my 40s from 75* down to 40* F.

**Vikingmedic** · 10-15-2018, 03:10

I think I'm going to go with this setup. It sounds like a good solid setup. Thank you so much!!!

**XJ35S** · 10-15-2018, 05:22

Wait. You mean I've been giving my blood away for free?!?

**dkurfiss** · 10-15-2018, 06:27

If it helps, I am also in VA and I use JrB Old Rag (5-10F) for TQ and UQ in all but the hottest summer nights. Then I switch to The Nest and a 50F TQ and just vent The Nest. For me it is better to vent the UQ than to be cold at night.

Since I am so short 5'2" I have considered using a 3/4 bottom but ...I like the idea of full coverage and do mostly base camping so weight is not the issue.

Just additional food for thought

**OneClick** · 10-15-2018, 06:49

Originally Posted by XJ35S

Wait. You mean I've been giving my blood away for free?!?

I always considered this but chickened out every time. BioLife had a $300 deal going on (I think they always do for new donors) so I finally gave it a shot over the weekend. Not bad at all, just boring since I forgot my phone at home! So I sat there for 45 minutes staring at whatever, awkwardly. Now that all the paperwork and setup stuff is done, my next appointments will be quick.

**Vikingmedic** · 10-15-2018, 07:21

Originally Posted by OneClick

I always considered this but chickened out every time. BioLife had a $300 deal going on (I think they always do for new donors) so I finally gave it a shot over the weekend. Not bad at all, just boring since I forgot my phone at home! So I sat there for 45 minutes staring at whatever, awkwardly. Now that all the paperwork and setup stuff is done, my next appointments will be quick.

It’s not a bad deal at all. Almost $300 a month that I get to throw towards getting my ultralight kit together and my other hobbies so I can’t complain haha.

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**dkurfiss** · 10-15-2018, 09:15

Gentle reminder. Please keep this on the topic of hammocks and not on the blood donation part. If it gets too far off the hammock piece it will get moved to the Donating Member area. Thank you and the OP thanks you since they can't access the the DM area