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  1. #1
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    Are TQ's a relic of ground sleeping?

    While building an insulation system that will hopefully get me through the winter toasty warm I kept asking myself if TQ's are used because they are the coin of the realm in UL backpacking and camping. I was surprised that our super talented and creative cottage vendors didn't offer full size UQ's that are fully convertable to TQ's. The difference in weight between UQ's and TQ's seems to be less than 2 oz between 0 degree burrow 27oz and incubator 28.5oz. A lot of which appears to be suspension cables that could be removed and left at home. The incubator has tabs that allow me to tie the bottom into a foot box of sorts and a draft drawstring to close the foot box. I have lots of, since I am 1970's vintage camping dinosaur, sleeping bags I could use but what I don't have is lots of UQs. It seemed to make more sense to buy a full size UQ (incubator 0) instead of a 0 degree TQ and use it as a lighter than sleeping bag TQ when needed. It hasn't gotten cold enough to seriously test the incubator as a TQ but an early morning test leads me to believe it will be very toasty as a TQ.

    If I decide I want/need both a full size TQ and UQ I am almost certain I will buy yet another UQ. This time I think I would contact Adam and Jenny at Hammock gear to see what it would cost to build a fully convertible UQ/TQ. It seems like they could come up with a very creative product in this niche.

    Can anyone come up with a reason(s) my Incubator won't work as a great TQ? It seems like it will. Are other people doing something similar instead of buying TQs?

    Has anyone worked on a system of multipurpose items like socks, down boots or a backpack that has insulation in the liner to create a knee high foot box to use 2/3 or 3/4 UQs as TQs?

    It just seems to me that we have accepted TQ's used by ground sleepers as our standard when as hammock campers we should chose gear that is multipurpose and designed specifically for our unique needs.

    Andy
    Friends don't let friends sleep on the ground.

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  2. #2
    Senior Member kayak karl's Avatar
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    i've used JRB top quilts as under quilts without altering.
    "Tenting is equivalent to a bum crawling into a cardboard box, hammocking is an art" KK

  3. #3
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    Thanks for the heads up Karl. I hadn't looked at the JRB economic series of quilts that are convertible. Very neat. JRB is a great company to do business with. Fast shipping and fantastic quality.

    http://www.jacksrbetter.com/shop/hud...ngular-quilts/

    http://www.jacksrbetter.com/shop/old...ngular-quilts/

    These look like what I was looking for and didn't find. I am pretty sure the incubator will work fine. But, a fully convertible system seemed so obvious and much more elegant. I had looked at the Washingtons which aren't advertised as convertible, my bad.

    Andy
    Last edited by Full_timer; 08-26-2012 at 13:00.
    Friends don't let friends sleep on the ground.

    My favorite data mining thread:
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  4. #4
    Senior Member fallkniven's Avatar
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    Yes, go to Jacks 'R' Better website. Their quilts are made to work as both top and under quilts. http://www.jacksrbetter.com/

  5. #5
    Senior Member catalyst's Avatar
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    I use my Enlightened Equipment top quilt as an under quilt. It works quite well.

  6. #6
    Senior Member BillyBob58's Avatar
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    As every one has said already, JRB has been TQ/UQ your choice which way to use it from day one. And they have offered their larger quilts to serve as either a luxurious sized TQ ( Don't know if it works as an UQ?) OR as a a pod approach ( where it def serves as an UQ + TQ) at least for those not of huge girth with huge hammocks. But these quilts are not as large as a Speer PeaPod, so might not work as a pod for all folks.

    However, more recently they have offered quilts which are more UQ specific. The MW series seems primarily meant for UQ use (in fact it is designated as an UQ at their web site) but it can clearly serve double duty. Though at 77X42it won't be the longest and widest TQ in the world, so user girth/height may need to be considered. For example, a Sierra Sniveler is 78(86L) X 52. And an Old Rag Mt is 48 wide. But I bet width wise it would work well in a BMBH as TQ. That hammock just seems to make quilt edges stay in place better.

    But most recently, they have offered their short Greylock series, and I guess those have to be just UQ only.

  7. #7
    Senior Member Rolloff's Avatar
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    I too feel there is something still not quite right. Tarps are asym, and I lay on a wicked diagonal. Almost to the point of needing wider, instead of longer coverage. I'm short as well, so that plays into it, but something still seems to fall short concerning most present designs.

    Anyone else get that feeling?
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  8. #8
    Senior Member DemostiX's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Rolloff View Post
    I too feel there is something still not quite right. Tarps are asym, and I lay on a wicked diagonal. Almost to the point of needing wider, instead of longer coverage. I'm short as well, so that plays into it, but something still seems to fall short concerning most present designs.

    Anyone else get that feeling?
    It isn't given that you must hang an UQ on line with the hammk centerline rather than the line on which you lay your body down. Some suspensions may drift in that direction, but some simple changes -- maybe just a few stitches -- are enough to allow each side of the suto be a different length.

    Lots of laziness, wanting to just clip the ends of UQ loops to the hmmk end accounts for casual thinking about this, too.

    I have the impression that Warbonnetguy designed his Yeti and its suspension to float and align when used with a diagonal lay. I'm sure to be corrected if wrong.

  9. #9
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    tq's are often customized especially for hammocks, our regular tq is 48" wide, you'll be hard pressed to find a ground quilt that narrow, those are usually 55 or so i believe. some folks prefer the round bottom footbox as well in a tq and that rules out using it as an underquilt, so it all depends on preference. like already mentioned the jrb quilts go both ways, other companies make quilts specifically for one purpose. another thing to realize is that you need a wider topquilt than you do an uq, so you have to make the uq wider than necessary if you want to use it as a tq. uq's are often 40-45" wide fro an end gathered hammock, while tq's are often 48-55" wide. so you can make/buy something that will do both but you will have to make comprimises in regard to width/weight to do so.

    demostix, you're correct, the yeti is cut asym to fit the diagonal lay.

  10. #10
    all secure in sector 7 Shug's Avatar
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    Since this thread spread to UQs...here is a video of getting a JRB Hudson River fitting on my BlackBird footbox. Just the way I do it.
    Mostly I use the Hudson River as TQ.
    Shug

    Whooooo Buddy)))) All Secure in Sector Seven

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