Bottom insulation suitable for rainforest...

**Karl** · 03-13-2012, 16:33

might still be a down UQ.
But is it when the the rainforest is a jungle where the weather remains hot and humid?
Which is where I'll be in a months time.

So, what do you say, still go for the down UQ?
Or something else?

**Cannibal** · 03-13-2012, 16:35

Hot and humid doesn't sound much like underquilt weather to me. I'd probably take a weathershield of sorts for nights when it cooled off a bit, or just take a pad for use on those nights.

**pgibson** · 03-13-2012, 16:42

We have sent several 1 season versions of our KAQ line to South and Central America including a Lost River that went on a hike from one end of Panama to the other. Link to the coolest of trip reports.

**Bannerstone** · 03-13-2012, 16:53

I'm particularly interested in the responses on this thread as I was recently asked about bottom insulation by someone who regularly travels to Brazil on missions and generally sleeps in a hammock/hedgie onboard a boat.

David

**Karl** · 03-13-2012, 17:14

Wow, that's some fast answering going on here.

Well, personally I'm also doubting that a down UQ is the right thing to bring.
Maybe a synthetic UQ could work (thanks for the link, pgibson)
Pads work, but compared to an UQ, I find them a bit of a hassle + take more room in the pack.
On the flip side, a pad wont break or lose insulation when getting wet.

Tricky business, bottom insulation in the jungle is...

**Jsaults** · 03-13-2012, 17:22

but humid summers in WV find me using little or no under-insulation. At most, a fleece UQ would seem to fill the bill.

I recently read "River of Doubt" about Teddy Roosevelt's Amazon basin expedition where the leaders slept on cots and the grunts slept in hammocks. From what I gathered the jungle environment does its best to decompose any organic material into compost, so a synthetic fleece UQ and TQ might be the ticket for you.

Have a great time and good luck!

Jim

**FLRider** · 03-13-2012, 17:28

What temperature range are we looking at here? And how pampered can the gear be--how likely is it to be snagged on underbrush, or soaked in a river crossing?

If it's going to be consistently above 70 F at night, and never less than 55 to 60, I'd recommend taking a synthetic top quilt rated to 45 or 50 and a sit-pad-sized piece of CCF. When the temperatures drop below 70, wrap up in the quilt, place your empty pack under your legs, and put the CCF under your torso. I've done well down to about 60 with this combination down here in FL for testing purposes. Your shoulders and hips get a little cold, but the lack of compressability in the synthetic insulation is actually a benefit here, and your core stays warm.

If temperatures are going to be below 60 F fairly consistently, then probably a synthetic fill underquilt would be the best choice.

Finally, if soaking in river crossings and durability versus underbrush are a concern, I'd probably recommend an SPE. The pads don't tear, and they laugh at getting wet.

Anyway, my two cupronickel disks. Never spent time in a rainforest, but Florida definitely qualifies as "hot and humid" during the summer...

**Acer** · 03-13-2012, 17:29

If I were going back to a jungle,,and I will never go back again,,I would use synthetic,,Paul of Arrowhead Equipment can make you a 50 degree Under Quilt and its only going to weigh about 16 or so ozs,,and your good to go. All you have to do is vent it when its hot and humid. And when you get in the monsoonial type rains,,your good to go. Just take your malaria pills with you and make sure you have all your shots. I have 2 of his Jarbridges,,one a 50 degree, other is 30 degree,,and they are best in the west.

**Hetairoi** · 03-13-2012, 17:30

I agree with Cannibal, probably don't need much, do you know what kind of temps you'll get at night?

I'm in LA (Lower Alabama) and with summer temps and humidity down here I usually end up using only my MollyMac 5x1 Jerry Chair as an uq (if anything). I could see that working well in a rain forest, pretty much for the same reasons it works well everywhere else, it's very flexible and I find new uses for it all the time.

I love my down quilts, but in this particular situation, if it's humid and wet at all times and no way to dry out, I'd go with a KAQ or the 5x1 or similar.

**jameyt** · 03-13-2012, 17:31

From my experience in Africa and South America you likely won't need an UQ. Something lite to cover you once it dews out later at night but I never needed anything underneath.