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  1. #1
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    lightest underquilt suspension...

    Anybody found the lightest way to attach multiple quilts? I've been thinking about this lately as I layer up the insulation for winter camping and watching the pounds add up...

    Obviously the lightest underquilt would be one that is sewn directly to the hammock. The downside is the quilt would wear out when the hammock does, so maybe the best version would be a very light double layer which could be replaced if it ever got worn through. So that's the lightest - no additional elastic/buckles etc. Slight weight penalty if going the double layer route.

    Okay, then there is the "standard" underquilt hang: a structural suspension elastic and the pull out buckle/elastic and the double ended ridgeline clip. Anybody ever weight how much this is? I suspect it's a half-pound or so.

    For me, I never get a good seal, so I added four of these toggles by my head and foot, along with matching loops on the hammock. https://ripstopbytheroll.com/products/toggle It fits great now, but obviously is more weight.

    When I layer a short quilt underneath, that's a whole additional set of (redundant?) suspensions... makes me wonder if it would be lighter to either snap or toggle the short quilt inside and use only one suspension. As it is, I typically put the short quilt on the outside, which requires a additional little rope loop to add more length so that it can hang underneath without overly compressing the first quilt.

    I suppose the nice thing about winter is eventually there is enough snow to pull a sled, so weight becomes less important.

  2. #2
    all secure in sector 7 Shug's Avatar
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    Most all of my UQ suspensions are just shockcord double the length of the UQ plus and two mini-biners. No way that is even close half a pound!
    Though I still also use the shockcord off of just the 4 UQ corners sometimes too.
    Though of late I have been using the Superior Gear hammock https://superiorgear.com/product/superior-hammock with built in UQ and love it. Especially for cool/cold weather backpacking.
    UQ playlist.....https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL...mBYSPGHjdyGqsL
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  3. #3
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    I have a 40 degree HG down underquilt that I’ll use year-round and a 20 degree synthetic UQ/Protector from Simply Light Designs that I use in wet or colder weather. The idea being that I use one, the other, or both based on expected conditions. The nice part is that the SLD UQP easily slips over and “cups” the down. I haven’t yet tried reversing the layers with the down outside.

    I rarely camp in anything less than 30 degrees, but I like to be super warm and maintain a 10 degree buffer. I most often just use the SLD quilt since my typical winter camping is mid to upper 30s with bone chilling rain and moisture. It has worked well for that - does not get moist in the least from ambient humidity. I take the lightweight down quilt, but don’t typically use it, it’s there for if I happen to get cold or the weatherman is wrong which often happens here.

  4. #4
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    I see an opportunity for a cottage vendor here. I'm imagining a stackable system that could allow the user to easily add insulation as needed. Maybe like a 40 degree Fahrenheit situation that would accommodate an additional layer to take the system down to 0 degrees without adding too much additional weight beyond the fabric and insulation needed.
    Iceman857

    "An optimist is a man who plants two acorns and buys a hammock" - Jean de Lattre de Tassigny (French Army General in WWII)

  5. #5
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    Yeah Iceman, that's kinda where my mind is going, too.

    Or imagine something like a single suspension system that can "clip on" the additional layers as you need it. Like a MOLLE system (that military modular lashing-on system) for underquilts.

  6. #6
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    I did the math on this a while back when i was researching spandex suspensions

    Here's the lowdown:

    Lightest: Wookie, Clew, 4-Corner
    Midweight: Shockcord Side-Channel (standard suspension)
    Heaviest: Spandex

    It should be noted that the difference between them is only a couple of ounces, so don't focus too hard on it.

    For winter stuff, the lightest method of bulking up is to get one big quilt as opposed to stacking them. If you are stacking them, then just adding a booster blanket with no suspension between your main quilt and hammock is a fine way to go.

    I also designed a snap-together two-piece costco blanket underquilt that you can perhaps get some ideas from.

  7. #7
    cougarmeat's Avatar
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    Seems to me the only weight you can control - besides choosing a lighter UQ or one that is ¾ length - is the “weight of less than 20 ft of light shock-cord. My UQ suspension - considering how it's related to keeping me warm - is not the first, second, or third place I’d look to loose weight in my kit. I’m guessing your UQ fabric choice might even have more of a weight impact than 20 ft of ⅜ vs ⅛ shock-cord.
    In order to see what few have seen, you must go where few have gone. And DO what few have done.

  8. #8
    all secure in sector 7 Shug's Avatar
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    Another thing is to get 900 goose down and light UL fabrics. That would save some weight.
    Shug
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  9. #9
    Senior Member cmoulder's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by iceman857 View Post
    I see an opportunity for a cottage vendor here. I'm imagining a stackable system that could allow the user to easily add insulation as needed. Maybe like a 40 degree Fahrenheit situation that would accommodate an additional layer to take the system down to 0 degrees without adding too much additional weight beyond the fabric and insulation needed.
    The kicker there is that you still end up with nearly TWICE as much fabric as necessary. And if you're using the relatively inexpensive quilts made with 20D material, that's quite a bit of bulk and weight. Not a big issue for pulking short distances and car camping, but a deal breaker for most backpackers.
    Five Basic Principles of Going Lighter (not me... the great Cam Honan of OZ)
    “If everybody is thinking alike, then somebody isn't thinking.” ~ Gen. George S Patton

  10. #10
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    Good point, the lightest weight option is clearly: thinnest shell material and exactly the right amount of insulation in a single quilt.

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