UQ Compression Issues?

[8Crow]

Hello All...looking for a little advice here. Made myself some whoopies the other night and put them on, so I had to set it all up in the yard today to see how they work. I will never go back to the stock suspension! But that's not why I need advice.

I got some stuff for cold weather trips--two JRB Old Rag Mtn quilts...one for the top & one for the bottom. I'm using a HH Explorer Ultralite and JRB UQ shock cords to hold the quilt up. While I had it all set up, I monkeyed quite a bit with where I had the shock cords wrapped around the hammock suspension, and monkeyed with how much the draw cords on the UQ were cinched down. But when I crawl in and poke my arm out to reach under the hammock and push up on the UQ to try to gauge loft, it really feels like I have 1.5 - 2" (yes, very scientific method, I know). This quilt has 3.5"+ when laying out flat, and that's what I bought it for...to get me down in that 0-10 deg range. But I'm worried with all that compression it just isn't going to cut it.

Has anyone else noticed this problem? If I slide the UQ suspension too far in, I just create coverage issues, but it seems like there ought to be a "happy place" where it's hanging there just barely touching the bottom of the hammock?

[FLRider]

You've just hit the nail on the head with underquilt difficulties. It can be hard to get your quilt snug without crushing the insulation.

My advice: play with it with some weight in the hammock (I like using pillows from the couch 'cause they compress some) to see how it fits. It won't get it perfect for the first few tries, but it's definitely a help.

Also, which version of the Explorer Ultralight do you have? If it's the zip model, it might be worth adding a couple of Prusik loops to your ridgeline to suspend the underquilt from. It's made a difference for me with my PLUQ, for certain.

[Shug]

Try a night or afternoon in it and see if your warm.....Up tight is way better than loose and gappy.
Carry on and best to your testing.
Shug

[hangnout]

That quilt may not be diff cut since it is primarily a top quilt. If so you will not be able to pull it up tight like a dedicated diff cut UQ. It will work as a UQ but the adjustments may have to be fine tuned. The guys at JRB can give you the advice needed. I would PM them.

[Cranky Bear]

That quilt may not be diff cut since it is primarily a top quilt. If so you will not be able to pull it up tight like a dedicated diff cut UQ. It will work as a UQ but the adjustments may have to be fine tuned. The guys at JRB can give you the advice needed. I would PM them.

Very sound advise, +++++1 !!

[MAD777]

Don't panic too much. It has been dicovered in lab tests that down ca be compressed by half and still hold it's insulaion value. This differs with the old school thought.

I also agree with the above posts that a non- differential cut UQ presents more ofa challenge.

[8Crow]

So that makes me feel a little better to know other folks have had to experiment with this too. I do have the zipper version of the ultralite, but it already has prusik's on either end with plastic clips on them. I've been clipping the overcover to those, but I guess I could run the UQ suspension through there too? Sorry, I am brand new to all this, soaking wet behind the ears.

As for "differential cut"...I'm not sure what that is, but from a few posts I've read, it seems like maybe one piece of cloth is cut wider than the other so there's a sort of "gathered" effect sewn in?

The guys at JRB put a little mod kit in with my order, so my UQ now has an extra long cinch cord on the foot end. I cut a little slit in the draw cord sleeve right in the middle, pulled a loop of the draw cord out and added a biner to it so now it clips to the suspension on the outsides and in the middle. Probably not exactly the same, but is that what the differential cut accomplishes, just without the extra contact point?

I agree about talking to the guys at JRB...I spent probably 2+ hours talking to them over the course of several calls before I ever placed my order. They were more than generous with their time, I'm just trying not to wear out my welcome so thought I'd pester you guys instead.

They actually told me exactly what MAD777 just said...that you can compress it some and still retain the insulating qualities. I believe this, but it seems like if you could figure out how to keep it from compressing that might be better?

[BillyBob58]

That quilt may not be diff cut since it is primarily a top quilt. If so you will not be able to pull it up tight like a dedicated diff cut UQ. It will work as a UQ but the adjustments may have to be fine tuned. The guys at JRB can give you the advice needed. I would PM them.

Very sound advise, +++++1 !!

Don't panic too much. It has been dicovered in lab tests that down ca be compressed by half and still hold it's insulaion value. This differs with the old school thought.

I also agree with the above posts that a non- differential cut UQ presents more ofa challenge.

+3. Needs to be just right, as I don't believe those are dif cut. But a little too tight is probably better than too loose. Because you can get away with a certain amount of down compression, but you won't get away with a small gap which allows the cold air to sink down between you and the quilt.

Can you have some one work with you? You have an adult lay in the hammock while you(or vice versa) adjust the quilt just right, so that it is in contact with your back, but not tight enough to significantly compress loft. When you find the sweet spot, leave it on the hammock until summer.

And don't forget that the down can be moved around. You may need to force it down towards the bottom.

Here is a related issue that I have run into. The Speer PeaPod is also not dif cut. And the down can be moved all around to get a lot of extra thickness just where you want it. But when I first used it with the Speer hammock, I always had a hard time maintaining maximum loft on the bottom, without also having at least a small gap. It was hard to find the exact right amount of tension, even though I was always warm enough any way. Probably because I have found gaps to be less of a warmth killer in the "sealed" up PeaPod. But when I first tried it on a Claytor No Net ( a more longer but more narrow hammock), it was immediately easier to adjust it so that there was little or no gap, AND still maintain loft. And thus it has always been since then, for unknown reasons.

IOW, you may find that to maintain full contact with no gap, you have to give up a little loft. But hopefully it will still be warm enough.

[FLRider]

I do have the zipper version of the ultralite, but it already has prusik's on either end with plastic clips on them. I've been clipping the overcover to those, but I guess I could run the UQ suspension through there too? Sorry, I am brand new to all this, soaking wet behind the ears.

Yep, those are for the stock tarp. They're designed to hold it in place on the suspension. I can see how they'd might confuse you.

I was talking about putting a pair of Prusik loops on the ridgeline--inside the hammock. Which requires you to draw the netting back and velcro it to the little tab on the other side that's there for that purpose.

Here is a post that explains why I did what I did, and contains a video for easy visual reference.

Let me know if you have any questions about it.

[8Crow]

Yep, those are for the stock tarp. They're designed to hold it in place on the suspension. I can see how they'd might confuse you.

I was talking about putting a pair of Prusik loops on the ridgeline--inside the hammock. Which requires you to draw the netting back and velcro it to the little tab on the other side that's there for that purpose.

Here is a post that explains why I did what I did, and contains a video for easy visual reference.

Let me know if you have any questions about it.

Got it. I did actually slide the UQ suspension down onto the ends of the hammock in all my experimenting, but not as far as you did.

Did a little research on "differential" cuts and I can definitely see the value there. Do you guys think it would be worth it to sell the UQ and get something like the HammockGear Incubator? I could hopefully get out of the Old Rag Mtn what I have in it, so then the difference for the Incubator would be minimized.