Phoenix or Yeti: which vents better?

[Ecowoman]

A lot has already been written about the Yeti and the Phoenix and both seem excellent, but for a newbies like us it's still difficult to choose. The Yeti is very tempting because of packability, but am I correct in thinking that the Phoenix has more options to vent? My boyfriend is a very very warm sleeper. Due to a skin condition it is important for him to avoid sweating and getting hot, so venting options outweigh packability.

If I understand correctly, the only way to vent the Yeti is to slide it up or down,

Yeah - it's one continuous loop. It's different than other UQs in a few ways, though. One is that it's differential so it doesn't matter how tight it is pulled to the hammock, the insulation won't compress. So to change the temps, you don't introduce more sag, you just slide it down towards your feet. This creates an air gap under your back that lets the cool breezes in. It's not quite as effective as being able to "open the windows" like on JRB's system (and the similar UQs with adjustable ends), but it's also much lighter and requires less fidgeting to get a solid fit. It's just a different product.

and according to Raul Perez' review this isn't effective enough from 65F up, even for a cold sleeper!

In hot muggy conditions these items are too hot. Any lows in 65*F or above becomes a bit uncomfortable. First off you WILL throw off your mamba and not use it above those temps. Also, you will get some back sweat in the beginning of trying to get some rest. Moving the yeti above your head to “vent” does help somewhat but you are still going to be a bit warm. Unfortunately, at those temps for me, I still needed some bottom insulation and not using the yeti proved unwise.

Have I understood correctly that you can vent the Phoenix by sliding it up or down too, but you can vent it as well by introducing more sag?
Can you vent the Phoenix from inside your hammock with one hand, like you can with the Yeti, or would you have to get out of the hammock to be able to vent the Phoenix?

Would a very very warm sleeper need a 3S Phoenix at temperatures from 28 to 70 or would the Summer Phoenix with 900 fill be sufficient? As a top quilt he wants to use a Summer Burrow with a silk liner (which adds warmth but he needs it because he can't have anything but bamboo, silk or cotton against his skin), preferably with as little clothes on as possible.

Since I am a cold sleeper, for me the venting options are of less importance, but on our next trip to Madagascar we will be sleeping in night temperatures ranging from about 28F to around 70F, so if Raul Perez is a cold sleeper too and the Yeti became uncomfortably warm for him at 65F, the Yeti could even be too hot for me over there too. And if I turn out to be a side sleeper in a hammock (which I am with other sleep systems), the Phoenix could completely cover me as I am 5'07, which should be nice. I am not sure if this outweighs the pro of the packability of the Yeti, though. These luxury decisions are tough

[rip waverly]

both boast similar features generally.

full length shockcord suspension to slide the quilt up and down for venting - or - loosening the suspension to adapt more sag.

but the phoenix may be better suited due to its end channel shock cord cinch-ability. this allows the user to completely loosen head and foot ends and create a "tunnel" between the quilt and hmmk.

[BillyBob58]

I don't have experience with the Phoenix. But with the Yeti- or at least my synthetic version- it takes little effort for me to have virtually a wide open gap under me, amounting to little to no insulation under the center of my back. Just move it up above my head and I am there. But who knows, even though they appear identical on the outside, maybe the down version behaves differently?

[OutandBack]

trip to Madagascar we will be sleeping in night temperatures ranging from about 28F to around 70F

That a pretty wide temp range. Asking one UQ to cover it, IMO, is asking a bit much.
Getting the right amount of venting is tough and adjusting that vending as the nite cools is even tougher.

If I was buying gear for that temp range I would have two options.

Get double layer hammocks so you can stuff a light syn blanket between the layers for the warmer nites.
On down UQ's, a 3/4 length 3 season should work fine for both of you to 28F.
As to which UQ to buy. For me it would depend on your shoulder width.
If you or you BF have wide shoulders I'd get the Phoenix because it is a little wider and will cover your shoulders better.
The workmanship of both UQ's are the best in the industry you can't go wrong with either.

hth
hope you will post picts on your return.

[lazy river road]

I have not used the Yeti but as for the Phoenix it is very easy to vent with the end shock cords running vertical to the feet and shoulders. IT makes it very easy to drop while in the hammock.

[Peter_pan]

Consider UQ that use corner suspensions when better venting is needed...JRB Mt Washington 3 short ... http://www.jacksrbetter.com/Mt%20Washington.htm

Pan

[PuckerFactor]

Also, for most people, above 65 or so, especially if you're a warm sleeper, you don't need a UQ. So for those warm nights, he can just slide it off to either side. That would work for either UQ. I would go for the partial UQ from what you've told us.

PF

[Ecowoman]

Thanks for all the advice!
The Yeti, MW3 Short and the Phoenix all seem to have their own advantages and are obviously all excellent products. To me it seems with the full length shockcord suspension to slide the quilt up and down and the end channel shock cord cinch-ability as well, the Phoenix provides most versatility. So a 3S Phoenix it will be!

Also, for most people, above 65 or so, especially if you're a warm sleeper, you don't need a UQ.

I've read mostly that 71 is considered the limit, but you're probably right for a very very warm sleeper. But if Raul Perez as a cold sleeper got uncomfortably warm at 65 with the Yeti, I expect a very very warm sleeper to become uncomfortably warm way before 65... So he would have to have some other insulation from the point he gets to hot till up to 65 if he would have chosen the Yeti, I guess?

...Get double layer hammocks so you can stuff a light syn blanket between the layers for the warmer nites.
On down UQ's, a 3/4 length 3 season should work fine for both of you to 28F.
...If you or you BF have wide shoulders I'd get the Phoenix because it is a little wider and will cover your shoulders better.

No broad shoulders for either of us (hope this doesn't cause an argument at home ), but we do both toss and turn quite a bit, so extra width could come in handy.
As for the syn blanket: I really prefer the idea of having to carry just the UQ and vent it and not having to carry any more bulk (since the Phoenix will be just a bit bulkier than the Yeti already), but just in case: would you have any suggestions on what syn blanket to take along that packs small?

[Raul Perez]

Hello I see my name tossed around so I figured I would chime in:

I'm not a super cold sleeper as it may be implied. Maybe a cool sleeper. I tend to feel the rating on the cottage industry's products are spot on as far as comfort. So if the yeti is designed for 30*F I am comfortable at that exact temperature. When the temps dip below that mark I do tend to feel cool but not enough to shiver or anything like that.

For example I got the 3 season yeti down to 27*F in November due to an unexpected dip in the weather (forecast had 32*F). I was fine but at that temp I was not as toasty as I was at 30*F but I was still comfortable enough to sleep fine.

To be honest a lot of the summer testing was done during the heat wave we had (again unexpected) in 2010 and it was a bit muggy at night to begin with. By the middle of the night (3am ish) I did put the mamba on top of me and slide the yeti back in position.

Hope that clarifies things.

Raul

[Ecowoman]

Thanks for the input, Raul!

Hope you don't mind me quoting your review in this thread. Due to the skin condition of my boyfriend, ventilation was our main concern and therefore your review of the Yeti becoming too warm was of real importance too us (I had read a report by someone else that the Yeti became uncomfortably warm too, by the way).

Cold or cool sleeper is still a long way from the very very warm sleeper my boyfriend is. We will be sleeping in hot and muggy conditions most of the time with night temperatures up to around 70F, so above the point where you got uncomfortably warm as a cool sleeper so that's why we wanted some more info on the ventilation of the Yeti vs. the Phoenix before deciding which to buy. We will be sleeping in cooler places up to 28F a few times as well, by the way.

Your video's were very useful for us too, by the way! Made us decide to go with the WBBB, so Warbonnet will get another happy customer as well as Stormcrow .