Questions on DIY draft collars

**HappyCamper** · 02-16-2012, 06:50

For those people who have made DIY draft collars for their underquilts, I have some questions.

1. Does a draft collar have to be the full width of the UQ? Some friends and I have been debating if a draft collar could be centered (because this is where air gaps normally show up) and only be about 12 to 20 inches long. Or is it better to do full width of UQ?

2. How wide is your tube once it's sewn? 2, 3, 4 inches?

3. Did you put yours at both ends or just at foot end, or just head end?

4. Did you do any other tweaks to the draft collar that may be of interest to other hangers. (Example: Scum's tweak to make DC stand up to close out air gaps as much as possible.)

5. Can you tell if the draft collars makes a difference or not?

Thanks.

**inspectorguy** · 02-16-2012, 08:43

Watching this thread.

**HappyCamper** · 02-16-2012, 14:01

bumping this.

**Knotty** · 02-16-2012, 15:51

1) My plan is to make them full width. I find the gap is created on the side opposite of where your feet are. So if you're laying head left / feet right, the gap will be on the left at the foot end. Since I'm a switch hitter in terms of hammock lay, I'll need the draft collar to work on both sides.

2) Will have someone measure the gap while I'm laying in the hammock. Thinking 2-3" should do it.

3) If you're not a side sleeper, then you may be able to do w/o a draft collar at the head end but I find that side sleeping produces a big gap. Again, it's on the opposite side of where your body is.

**joemcc** · 02-16-2012, 22:37

Something i have done in the mean time to fight this draft is use a pillow or extra clothes as a pillow. My particular set up just gets cold at the top of my shoulders and head so the clothes or pillow do the trick for me.

Curious to see some pictures of this though.

**Knotty** · 02-17-2012, 13:57

Took some pics of the gap between a partial length underquilt and the hammock. Same pretty much applies for a full length UQ too.

Didn't have anyone to help me measure the gap but it looks bigger than I thought, so a very puffy draft tube is needed. Also the draft tube may not need to go all the way to the edges of the UQ. Probably be best to have someone watch for the gap as I try different sleep positions before deciding on that.

**HappyHiker** · 02-17-2012, 15:30

1. I did mine full width, one to make sure I covered any gaps and two because I switch sides every now and then. (Also related to your #4)

2. 2" Bigger may be better depending on how your UQ hugs the hammock. Also may depend on if you use a short ccf pad or your pack for your feet, thus smoothing the fabric a bit more.

3. Just at the foot end. I seem to get a good enough seal across my shoulders - the fabric is much smoother in that area. It may depend on how wide your UQ is as well. Mine is around 34" at the shoulders so it's pretty form fitting.

4. Nope. Really simple tube of down. I just "flip it up" once the UQ is attached to the hammock, and with the draft tube being full width the side tension of the hammock holds it in place really well once I have gotten into the hammock.

5. Makes a huge difference for me.

See page 2:
http://www.hammockforums.net/forum/s...ad.php?t=40624

**Knotty** · 02-17-2012, 16:25

Great info HappyHiker. Here's a direct link to your referenced post.

I had my wife measure the gap as I lay in different positions. Side sleeping, with face facing towards center of hammock, produced the deepest gap, just shy of 3", but it wasn't as wide as the gaps in the pics above.

Side sleeping facing the side of hammock reduced or eliminated the gap.

**HappyCamper** · 02-19-2012, 19:52

Thanks HappyHiker and Knotty. Just the type of info I am looking for!

**HappyCamper** · 02-27-2012, 12:17

Here's a picture of the draft tubes I put on my Winter Tewa 2/3 underquilt. A little hard to see since it's black on black. Nothing fancy. Just sewed to a seam that was already there. I made them the full width of the underquilt and made the tubes 3 inches wide. The tubes on my 3-season Warbonnet are 2 inches and the tubes on Stormcrow's HammockGear quilts look to be much bigger than 3 from the pictures I've seen. I've also attached a picture of the Warbonnet on top of the Tewa just for comparison of tubes. Again a little hard to see with black on black on black on black but I swear there are tubes there on both.

I put 1/2 ounce of down in each tube. I could have gone with less, but the down was packed in 1/2 oz. bags so easier just to use it all up. I'll post sometime in the future with any results I notice. I'm very optimistic with all the good comments that have been posted on HF about how well they work. Plus this was another very easy tweak.