Why a Full Length UQ?

[Peter_pan]

Having been in the under quilt business from the first UQ It is fair to say that there are literally thousands of full length UQs out there.

The fractional UQs are a phenomon of the last 18 - 24 months, or so...While they, themselves may be lighter the chosen pad used to provide the supplement for feet and legs often pushes the combined weight above that of a full length UQ.

Full lengths also have the pure luxury and convienence of absolutely nothing else in the hammock necessary than you and your chosen TQ.

And as Knotty notes above, if you carry a small sit pad, typically one ounce, it can be used for a cold spot if conditions deteriate and a cold spot develops.

Finally, It should be understood that hammockforums.net has cycles where people, active participants, come and go on something generally approximating two years.... When combined with the growth of new cottages who actively promote the chatter on HF and whose customers support them and add to the chatter there can become a perception that there is one best/preferred approach. Not so, Like an iceburg, the chatter may represent only the current visible tip or less than 10 percent.

As the cottages grow and approach full business status their chatter and participation on HF wanes... A natural response to increased demands on time for management, production, order fulfillment, national advertisement, retail and customer service...Typically, the early supportors are less active and/or have moved on to other foci...Those that remain become less frequent posters, allowing newer folk to answer the questions they have answered many times before and not feeling the need to post support for the cottages and approaches that have become mainstream.

FWIW, full length UQ users far exceed fractional UQ users.

Pan

[tjm]

+ 1 to all of Roadtorque's reasons

A 3/4" UQ is primarily a method of reducing your pack weight [and bulk].

IMO a better strategy is to incorporate your clothing layers into your sleep system, thereby allowing you to bring a lighter full length UQ.

YMMV - HYOH - BYOB

[Tendertoe]

Anyone have pics of the side by side comparison of the two different quilts pack size?

Not a great comparison considering I have a 3 season Crow's Nest and a Winter Incubator but I did swap stuffsacks to see if it would work (meaning that each can be made to take up the came cu in). The black one is the full-length Incubator and the camo one is the Crow's Nest; both 900fp.


IMHO I feel that the full UQ is priceless in colder temps for us tall guys. I'm 6"2'' and when the temps dip to the low 30's, I end up getting cold with the Nest even though it is rated to 15 degrees with the 900fp. The reason - the Nest stops right below my knees and my Thermarest sitpad that I have under my feet doesn't start till just above my ankles. That "exposed" calf doesn't cause problems in temps of 40+ because even the crushed down in my TQ is enough to insulate that small spot of my body. In colder temps, however, it is a big issue and ends up making the comfort rating of any nest for me 40 degrees.

This is not a design flaw, just a consideration for taller guys to keep in mind as a height limitation for the product (I love my winter Incubator!!! [and my 3 season Nest above 40 degrees]).

[Festus Hagen]

This is pretty much my post from the other thread but it seems appropriate here.

I use a full-length UQ in winter and love it. I also use it to supplement a sleeping bag which I zip all the way into, so I'm really not at the cutting edge of technology around here. However my current setup has taken me very comfortably down to -13F, hankerin' for more but mother nature has to cooperate!

The DD Underblanket was a little mystifying when I opened it up as far as how to deploy it- "what am I supposed to do with all these shock cords?" but a little time with google and a couple light carabiners and I had it down (added a length of paracord on each end when I went to whoopies and lost an attachment point that I had used with slap-straps). No issues with fit and it's very easy to adjust, the only thing I have to guard against is overtightening it which can cause CBS.

It's as bulky as my synthetic 15 bag and almost as heavy so it's not really suitable for lightweight backpacking... I think that's more due to the synthetic construction than anything though. Bang for the buck though is good, just checked and they sell for $119 shipped to my door here in NY.

I guess I'm also an oddity in that I can get by with my 15 bag and a trimmed Wal-mart blue pad down to the mid-20's, so I'm not sure if or when I'll get a lightweight UQ.

[dakotaross]

Mmmm, I sort of disagree with the sentiment of Pan's post that there may be a "fad" element at work with regard to short UQ's. I think the hype surrounding the Warbonnet Blackbird has something to do with that (and I'm not calling that hype a bad thing). And while I know that everyone is focused on weight and bulk savings, its really pretty minimal there, but of course that never seems to keep people from focusing on it.

I think its more about price, fit, and flexibility. For me, it allowed me to get in to real hanging (with an UQ instead of pad) at a lower price point. I think there is probably a new-user quotient at work with regard to the popularity of the shorter UQs for that reason. Others can correct me if I'm wrong about this, but didn't the short UQs originate with the Yeti, or at least started becoming popular then? And wasn't the Yeti a response to the footbox on the Blackbird where getting a full-length UQ to fit well can be a little squirrelly? So, I think the shorter UQ is also a response to getting a better fit where it counts and reducing CBS. I have not used a full-length UQ, but I know that there have been many times where I was almost too warm on my torso and glad that I didn't have insulation under my legs. There is greater flexibility in adding a pad when its cold, as opposed to having insulation under your legs and feet when its warm. I suspect that older users who may have already stocked themselves with full-length UQs may have added to sales of shorter UQs in search of this flexibility quotient.

All that said, why use a full-length UQ? The price difference is pretty minimal and can be justified in terms of value. For most applications, fit probably isn't an issue (because it does fit). And while I'm in the south and appreciate the aforementioned flexibility, that just isn't a concern for many who are out in consistently cooler/colder weather.

[Harpo63]

Interesting perspective you bring to the table, Pan, as someone who has been here for a long time. Being on HF for over a year now, I can see the truth in the cycles he describes. That is my main resistance to buying every next new thing that comes out.

I started with a full UQ primarily because at that time it was already a proven winner on HF and I figured if I could only have one (or two) quilts, I might as well get one that will take care of the colder situations I might be in. I already had a summer hanging system worked out. Partial UQs were in the early stages and I was waiting to see how they evolve and get to the point where most of the bugs were figured out- much like the IX experiments are still going on right now.

I now do more camping from vehicles (motorcycle primarily) than backpacking. However, If I was still doing alot of backpack trips like I was when I was younger, I would probably at least get one partial for weight savings if I found it worked for me. Then again, I still might get one as I might find (being a warm sleeper) that a partial UQ will allow me to sleep more comfortably in certain temperature ranges.

[Beast 71]

I have a Mount Washington 3 convertible from Jacks-R-Better. I really like the versatility but I find myself using it in full mode more often than not. I tend to do most of my camping in the spring and fall though, if I camped more in the heat of summer I'd use it in the 2/3 mode more often. I like it because with one underquilt I'm good to at least 20F, when I add a pad I'm good to below 0F.

[Mountain Gout]

Thankyou tendertoe.... Really doesn't look all that bad at all in comparison..
I could see if we were talkin lead here but it's down...lol Downy goodness... I think it's worth it fo sure...

[canoebie]

Having been in the under quilt business from the first UQ It is fair to say that there are literally thousands of full length UQs out there.

The fractional UQs are a phenomon of the last 18 - 24 months, or so...While they, themselves may be lighter the chosen pad used to provide the supplement for feet and legs often pushes the combined weight above that of a full length UQ.

Full lengths also have the pure luxury and convienence of absolutely nothing else in the hammock necessary than you and your chosen TQ.

And as Knotty notes above, if you carry a small sit pad, typically one ounce, it can be used for a cold spot if conditions deteriate and a cold spot develops.

Finally, It should be understood that hammockforums.net has cycles where people, active participants, come and go on something generally approximating two years.... When combined with the growth of new cottages who actively promote the chatter on HF and whose customers support them and add to the chatter there can become a perception that there is one best/preferred approach. Not so, Like an iceburg, the chatter may represent only the current visible tip or less than 10 percent.

As the cottages grow and approach full business status their chatter and participation on HF wanes... A natural response to increased demands on time for management, production, order fulfillment, national advertisement, retail and customer service...Typically, the early supportors are less active and/or have moved on to other foci...Those that remain become less frequent posters, allowing newer folk to answer the questions they have answered many times before and not feeling the need to post support for the cottages and approaches that have become mainstream.

FWIW, full length UQ users far exceed fractional UQ users.

Pan

I think this is incredibly insightful. Organizations, even HF, evolve, change and are dynamic. Most members have only the current references from which to assess the "culture" of the forum. Even in my stint of 2+ years, I have witnessed such.

I think recognizing this dynamic for me at least, brings me back to doing what works best for me regardless of the "latest and greatest." When I pull the trigger on an UQ, I will want full length, just cuz I wanna be all snuggy in my comfy bed. In the meantime, I work with my DIY stuff and experiment, though I may not have the latest cool stuff that is out there.

I really don't care about weight because the bulk of my packing is in a canoe. For those who do, go for what works best for you. The real joy of this place to me is that there is room for all of us, long time folks like Pan and every newb out there. I appreciate the perspective of the long time folks.

[Law Dawg (ret)]

At 6-3 and 250 I like an industrial sized UQ that does not have insulation shift (inside the UQ and under the hammock). I have the Arrowhead Equip NR with the Deep Winter upgrade and this is a big bulky UQ (not exagerating here). Once adjusted correctly (which I am still working on), it will offer mega warm in any conditions I will be camping in and all around coverage. It will be used for moto and cage (what we call cars) camping so weight and to some extent bulk is not an issue. When I bust out the 'Zuki DR 650 (instead of the BMW F800GS) the loads will need to be more like lightweight backpacking and for that I will get a 3/4 down UQ...just as I would if backpacking. Sort of like Burro packing compared to backpacking I guess.