Stacking UQs

[psilokan]

I'm curious if anyone has ever tried stacking UQs and how much success they've had with it. I have a 45*F summer UQ and a 20*F spring/fall quilt. I would like to get into winter camping but dont want to invest several hundred more in 0*F quilts just to find out that I don't really like it. So what I'm hoping to do is first put on my 45*F quilt and then my 20*F quilt on top of that.

I think I read before that when it comes to over stuffing 1oz down is equal to an extra 5*F of warmth. Since my SS UQ does not list the amount of down used (overall weight is 10oz though) I will just say lets pretend it's 8oz of down, which would be 40*F worth of extra warmth. However that would imply that the two could take me down to -20*F, which seems like far too much.

[Shug]

I do it....it works. This picture is my friend Timmy using my JRB full length Hudson River 20º and on the outside over thatmy DIY Frankenquilt 3/4 UQ rated around 25º. It was -1º that night and he was toasty. Always put my parka over footend of hammock to ensure warm feet.
Shug

[adkphoto]

I went through that same thought process just recently, and decided to buy a cold weather quilt rather than layer quilts. But to answer your question, stacking quilts is do-able and there is a great cold weather video by Shug that shows how he does it.

You have to be careful not to squeeze the loft out of your inner layer while still sealing the ends. And, it helps if one quilt is smaller than the other. A bit of tweaking is needed.

From my experience in layering sleeping bags, you're right that a 45° + a 20° does not equal a -20°; it's more likely equivalent to a 0°, assuming you seal the drafts well.

Good luck.

David

* Shug is good isn't he! Beat me to the post.

[Cannibal]

Another stacker here.

Many times, I've got one, two, or three others that I have to outfit to some degree. More often than not, I'm left with less than I would like in terms of insulation. A couple of summer quilts pretty easily meet the 3-season needs and a couple of 3-season quilts cover winter needs. Take care to not compress the inner quilt, and you're all good.

[Lost_Biker]

Absolutely - I stack my IX quilt above my down UQ for really cold nights.

[psilokan]

Thanks everyone, I will give it a try and see how low I can go

[MDSH]

The advantage of stacking is that you have a small, lighter one for UL summer use, the warmer, full length one for cold, and the two together for frigid!

Mike

[SteveJJ]

I have a 20* topquilt and a 20* down mummy that is a bit larger, so I'm going to stack them as well as my 20* Zeppelin and 40* Nest and see how cold I can be comfy. I can hang on my deck and take 4 steps to be back indoors should it fail. Maybe I can try the Frozen Butt Hang then if it works out! I just need to keep my face warm....

[Klaussinator]

Absolutely - I stack my IX quilt above my down UQ for really cold nights.

Since I'm getting ready to make a down UQ, I've been think of using my 3-layer IX UQ with it... So the IX goes against the hammock, then the down UQ below? Does the IX really make much additional difference? ANy one else tried this?!?

-Klauss

[ZeroFlight]

I'm planning my first UQ and stacking came to mind as well. How well do they stay put when stacked? Would it be worthwhile to sew in a few frog closures along the sides of the two?