Total Newbie Needing Help with UQ

**Cavey** · 01-22-2013, 20:23

I hate re-posting topics that have been discussed ad nauseum, but I've been all over the forum and can't find a solid answer. So I'll just post the question.

I'm new to hammock camping. Last summer I picked up a Grand Trunk Skeeter Beater for $20. After trying it, I swore I'll never got back to the ground again. This March I'm spending a week on the River-2-River Trail in Southern Illinois. From experience, I know the weather could be pleasantly springlike, or it could be snowing and in the 30's.

I have a gift card to Backcountry.com. The only UQ they carry is the ENO Ember. I can't find a temperature rating anywhere on this, and ENO didn't respond to my email.

Would the Ember with a 15F down bag be too warm? Not warm enough?

Would I need a pad?

What else would I need (other than a fly) to be ready for inclement weather?

Before I got this gift card, I was playing around with a full length pad combined with a shorter cross pad at my shoulders. I slept on the pads in my 15F synthetic mummy. Then I ran the hammock through the bottom zipper of a 55F synthetic mummy bag, and pulled the whole thing up around the hammock, pads, and bag. I kept the zipper oriented at the top to ventilate. It did pretty good on a 33F night, but the bulk leaves hardly any room in my pack.

Thanks for the feedback and help in finding this answer.

**ninjahamockman** · 01-22-2013, 20:46

Getting ENO is a waste of money they do not do their baffels right and there are coldspots. Your best bet is to ebay it and buy from one of these vendors.I would get an spe and a nice warm pad try that with the ember.

**Cavey** · 01-22-2013, 21:08

What's an SPE?

**ninjahamockman** · 01-22-2013, 21:14

It is a segmented Pad Extender. It is what hangers use to get better warmth and no shifting of pads in our hammocks. Check it
http://www.tothewoods.net/HomemadeGearSPE.html

**Athens-m50** · 01-23-2013, 16:44

Originally Posted by ninjahamockman

It is a segmented Pad Extender. It is what hangers use to get better warmth and no shifting of pads in our hammocks. Check it
http://www.tothewoods.net/HomemadeGearSPE.html

Originally Posted by Cavey

Oh, yeah. Jeff's hammock page led me to this forum.

That guy has done a TON on that web page....LOTS of goo info there!!!!

**Cavey** · 01-22-2013, 21:26

Oh, yeah. Jeff's hammock page led me to this forum.

**ninjahamockman** · 01-23-2013, 09:38

That page along with dehoja blog which will be shown bellow and and shugs you tube videos are such great tools. Study up here are all of them.

Dehoja Blog he also written a good book that I refer to as the hammock camping bible.
http://theultimatehang.com/blog/

Shugs channel has a wealth of hammock camping videos and they are entertaining to
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLB8752777861C2AA8

**dakotaross** · 01-23-2013, 09:48

How much is your gift card? Unless its like $150, I'd say you're better off getting a Jarbridge (AHE) and maybe supplement that with a torso pad from JRB. This is probably the most economical UQ system I know of (that is effective). It is more economical, of course, to use a pad with a SPE to ensure you have shoulder/hip insulation. But it sounds to me like you were willing to spend some $$ anyway, and I think you'd be glad you did.

http://www.jacksrbetter.com/shop/torso-pad/
http://www.arrowhead-equipment.com/kick-***-quilts.html

**Cavey** · 01-23-2013, 13:57

Well, the gift card is for $500. I won it from Trailspace.com. I can only use the card at Backcountry.com. BC is only carrying the Ember. So that is my only option.

At this time, I really don't have the money to drop on some of the other UQ found on other sites. I've got to decide whether to gamble on the Ember or not. If I don't, then my only other option is what I mentioned in my first post--slide my 55F bag over the hammock.

**dakotaross** · 01-24-2013, 10:53

Originally Posted by Cavey

Well, the gift card is for $500. I won it from Trailspace.com. I can only use the card at Backcountry.com. BC is only carrying the Ember. So that is my only option.

At this time, I really don't have the money to drop on some of the other UQ found on other sites. I've got to decide whether to gamble on the Ember or not. If I don't, then my only other option is what I mentioned in my first post--slide my 55F bag over the hammock.

Wow, I'm jealous!! Yeah, knowhatumean about it being the only thing BC carries - same for REI. I just think the ENO UQ is overpriced for what you get, but then if its basically free, then its not such a bad idea to try it. At 2+ pounds and bulky, however, it strikes me as an item that might be a throwaway at some point - just kinda knowing how things tend to go along the learning curve.

If I didn't need anything else, I might spend that amount on a real nice sleeping bag and pay a little to have it converted to an UQ. Lots of different options with that kind of dough, so think this one through.