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Thread: UQ basics

  1. #1
    Senior Member Atlas918's Avatar
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    UQ basics

    I had never hammock camped in cold weather before, but attended the fall MAHHA for one night. The wind kicked up and I learned that my pad will not keep me warm outside of summer camping. I froze my butt off (well more literally my shoulders and butt) and drove home that morning thinking...I really need to save up for an under quilt.

    The thing is...I don't know much about them, so here goes the first of many questions to come:

    What is the difference between full length and 3/4? How are the coverages different? What are the advantages and disadvantages to both?

    Feel free to point me in the direction of either literature, or quilts I should look at. I am hoping to stay under $200, but we'll see about that :P

    Thanks!
    The more I learn about people, the more I like my dog.

  2. #2
    Senior Member entropy's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Latitude918 View Post
    I had never hammock camped in cold weather before, but attended the fall MAHHA for one night. The wind kicked up and I learned that my pad will not keep me warm outside of summer camping. I froze my butt off (well more literally my shoulders and butt) and drove home that morning thinking...I really need to save up for an under quilt.

    The thing is...I don't know much about them, so here goes the first of many questions to come:

    What is the difference between full length and 3/4? How are the coverages different? What are the advantages and disadvantages to both?

    Feel free to point me in the direction of either literature, or quilts I should look at. I am hoping to stay under $200, but we'll see about that :P

    Thanks!
    If it was just your shoulders that were cold look into a "segmented pad extender" it wraps pieces of pad around your shoulder so your're not cold where the hammock crushes your sleeping bag.

    As for "3/4" vs "Full" its the length of the underquilt. "Full" goes from your head to your toes, "3/4" goes head to knees or so. It makes a bit of difference in the weight of the quilt and how much down you have to put in. With my 3/4 I insulate my feet with with a thermarest sitpad that is inserted into the footbox of my topquilt. The footbox keeps my feet together so they're always on the pad. And the footpad has dual use around camp.

    If you want to take on the DIY challenge you can put together a top and bottom quilt for 200-300 dollars depending on the down quality and type of fabric. There are cheaper options out there as well like modifying a sleeping bag.

  3. #3
    all secure in sector 7 Shug's Avatar
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    Here is my contribution to your query........
    Backpackers often use 3/4s due to it taking up a bit less real-estate in the pack.
    Shug

    Last edited by Shug; 10-21-2012 at 13:34.
    Whooooo Buddy)))) All Secure in Sector Seven

  4. #4
    gunner76's Avatar
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    What is the difference between full length and 3/4?
    A FL UQ is going to give more coverage than a 3/4

    Of course it also depends on how tall you are. For my wife at 5ft 3; a 3/4 UQ is a FL for her while for me at 6ft2 the same UQ is a 3/4.

    I use a 3/4 most times and save my FL for when its below 30

    What are the advantages and disadvantages to both?
    FL better coverage...weighs more, cost more, takes up more pack space

    3/4..less coverage, weighs less, cost less, takes up less pack space

    Many hangers will use a pad at the foot end to add insulation when using a 3/4 UQ

    Are you car camping or backpacking. If car camping then weight is not an issue. If backpacking then weight is an issue.
    I am still 18 but with 52 years of experience !

  5. #5
    Senior Member BillyBob58's Avatar
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    Curious,
    What sort of pad left you freezing?

  6. #6
    Senior Member Atlas918's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by BillyBob58 View Post
    Curious,
    What sort of pad left you freezing?
    It was a combination of things. I had a ridgerest so-lite; The parts of the body on the pad were not cold, it was just what wasn't on the pad. My shoulders and head specifically were cold.

    Also, I was only using a small a-sym diamond tarp. When the wind kicked up I was feeling it, where as a hex tarp would have cut some of it down for me.
    The more I learn about people, the more I like my dog.

  7. #7
    Senior Member titanium_hiker's Avatar
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    Check out the Speer segmented pad extender (sadly no longer available, but DIY is easy) for a cheaper way to extend that, if you can't get into the quilts.

    Poncho Liner Under Quilt (PLUQ) is also a budget friendly (but bulkier and heavier) UQ option.

    Arrowhead equipment does synthetic quilts, cheaper, but again, bulkier and a smidge heavier.

    There are also IX options...

    Enjoy your research! - I think a SPE would be your quickest route to being back out there, hanging in the cooler weather.

    TH
    my hammock gear weights total: 2430g (~86oz)
    Winter: total 2521 (~89oz)
    (see my profile for detailed weights)

    gram counter, not gram weenie!

  8. #8
    Senior Member DuctTape's Avatar
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    The problem isn't a pad. The same issue would arise with any bottom insulation, it needs to be where it needs to be. An UQ isn't the solution to a wrong-sized pad anymore than a pad is the solution for a poorly hung UQ.

    A ground sleepers pad does not work all by itself. You need a wider pad, or a second one crisscrossed. If you choose to go UQ, you will need to dial it in, so that you eliminate gaps and/or shifted insulation.

    I use a 2/3 UQ in 3 seasons and switch to pads for the really cold (subzero).

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by titanium_hiker View Post
    Check out the Speer segmented pad extender (sadly no longer available, but DIY is easy)...
    Re-born as an ENO HotSpot.

  10. #10
    Senior Member Atlas918's Avatar
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    As an alternative to the SPE; I was placing my pad between my double layers; I have another CCF pad I was thinking of cutting into segments one to go behind my head/shoulders, one for under my foot area and one to keep just in case
    The more I learn about people, the more I like my dog.

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