under/over quilt vs sleeping bag.

[OldRagFreeze]

On my first hang with overnight temps about 40* I used my 32* down sleeping bag as a top quilt and an old thermarest self-inflating pad between the layers of a WBBB. Crossways under my upper torso was half a Z-Lite ccf pad, also between the layers. I had problems keeping the Thermarest centered under me and had some cold spots that were fixed by tucking the sleeping bag underneath me. Based on this limited experience, I think getting into and using the sleeping bag as you would in a tent will add some warmth because even compressed insulation has some R value and the bag can hold some body heat that would be lost via convection.

Hop in your hammock with just the sleeping bag, even at room temp, and see if you still think that... I have a 15 F down bag, but if I don't have a pad under me I get cold almost immediately, even at 68 F.

[thebackupninja]

Uber n00b here and must admit to wondering the same thing as OP. Granted We don't see near the cold here in N. TX as the guys up north. I have yet to try my new DIY gear but think I will take heed of those posting here and slap an old ccd pad in between my layers for my first hang and see how it feels. Still going to use a sleeping bag as a tq.

[Drift Woody]

Hop in your hammock with just the sleeping bag, even at room temp, and see if you still think that... I have a 15 F down bag, but if I don't have a pad under me I get cold almost immediately, even at 68 F.

I was not suggesting for one moment that a sleeping bag by itself would be sufficient, merely that being inside the bag could make a slight difference. Tucking the side of the bag under me relieved a borderline cold spot I was experiencing.

[OldRagFreeze]

I was not suggesting for one moment that a sleeping bag by itself would be sufficient, merely that being inside the bag could make a slight difference. Tucking the side of the bag under me relieved a borderline cold spot I was experiencing.

Ya I just meant that in my experience the stuff under you has absolutely zero insulative properties... I do agree that on the sides where it isn't as compressed tucking a little around you can help seal the warm air in... But that would be totally possible with a TQ also so it's really not an advantage of a sleeping bag.

[WesleyGalles]

Getcha a big blue pad from Walmart. They're $15 and keep you surprisingly warm. I have a Hennessy Expedition, Marmot Sawtooth 15* mummy bag, and a pad and I can sleep pretty snug. The lowest I've been able to take it so far has been around 45*, and even then with my bag and the pad I was a little toasty.

[Red Wing]

I was not suggesting for one moment that a sleeping bag by itself would be sufficient, merely that being inside the bag could make a slight difference. Tucking the side of the bag under me relieved a borderline cold spot I was experiencing.

Most comfortable night I had was with a 20deg HG Burrow and a 0deg Inc. Slept 12 hours and it was 10F roughly. I imagine if I'd used a TQ with a pad I'd have had more issues with drafts because of lack of side coverage.

Your bottom and top insulation definitely go hand in hand in my opinion. There's a lot of redundant weight with a SB and UQ but depending on the models it might be negligible but why spend $400 on a SB and $250 on a UQ? To me the cost per ounce shoots way up, most of the time. Some good buyers here probably have worked out good setups for the price.

If it were me, if I went SB I'd use a pad and if I went TQ and use a UQ.

[Drift Woody]

If I was starting from scratch I would definitely go with TQ & UQ, but the $300+ I just dropped on a WBBB 1.1 dbl and MJ tarp was all I could justify (in my own mind) spending on my first set-up right now, especially considering the high quality bags & pads already in my gear kit.

[scryan]

I was not suggesting for one moment that a sleeping bag by itself would be sufficient, merely that being inside the bag could make a slight difference. Tucking the side of the bag under me relieved a borderline cold spot I was experiencing.

You have to realize though that it is dependent on weight too.
Your talking about tucking under shoulders, basically filling in where the body is lifting away from the hammock, or at least where it is loaded very lightly...
Its similar to the feet. Most are fine with a 3/4 underquilt so long as its not below freezing. This is partially because they are not heavy enough to really compress your bag/tq.

But the middle your torso/butt pushes with A LOT more weight on the insulation... and on top of that (PUN!) loosing heat from your core will be felt a lot more then loosing heat from extremities, as a warm core can help keep under-insulated extremities warm.

Again, try in your backyard with just a bag in the evening as the days warmth starts to go away. Once you start to get an uncomfortable chill, check the temp. It will surprise you how warm it will still be.

[Drift Woody]

Again, I was not suggesting that a sleeping bag alone would be sufficient at any temps in which a SB or TQ would be needed.

The question is whether there is any advantage whatsoever to get entirely inside the SB when that's what you have (in conjunction with a pad or UQ, of course).

Does the SB material & compressed insulation under your torso have an R rating of absolute zero? Is the area underneath you where it's unlikely to tuck a TQ so completely & uniformly compressed as to achieve that absolute zero?

I would think it has something, though perhaps it's so negligible as to make no difference whatsoever. However, given the need to tuck (as I experienced in my first hang) there would at least be the advantagage of not waking up to a cold spot and fixing it with a tuck; even if you started out the night tucked in, any movement could undo that.

The experiment I would conduct is to hang overnight with a pad that is borderline sufficient for the temp. Start out with my SB usd as a TQ, then if I get cold crawl in and see if that makes any difference.

[Pringles]

This is what I do with my Kelty 20 degree bag and my Sierra Designs 30 degree bag. Both bags have a zipper in the footbox. That is the only way I can think of to use a sleeping bag with nothing else for insulation.

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-...hread_id=72733