View Full Version : What provides more warmth TQ or UQ ?
Can't Wait
11-30-2010, 22:58
I was wondering I am going to be ordering a down incubator which with 900 fill will make a - 5 ° UQ now I can't afford to buy a burrow this season but will be using my montbell 650 fill 20 ° bag as a top quilt, would you think I can get to single digits with the the added warmth from the bottom, I eventually want to get a 0 ° TQ whats people thoughts thanks
I'm curious about this, too. Looking forward to the opinions!
angrysparrow
11-30-2010, 23:05
Having the warmer quilt underneath you will definitely help. But extending a 20ºF bag to 0ºF may require you to add more puffy clothing, or a liner of some sort. Perhaps a fleece bag liner would help.
Be sure to cover your head with a hood if not using the bag mummy-style. That makes a big difference.
I'm convinced a UQ is more important, and the warmer the UQ, the less top insulation you will need. You will of course need insulation on top, just not as much if you have a very warm UQ.
It is hard to say if a 20°F bag will get your to single digit temps, but I would say it is possible but pushing it.
GrizzlyAdams
11-30-2010, 23:23
I'd go for the heavy stuff below, and then add layers on top. In the winter I wear insulated clothing to bed and can get by with less on top because of that. YMMV
I'm convinced a UQ is more important, and the warmer the UQ, the less top insulation you will need. You will of course need insulation on top, just not as much if you have a very warm UQ.
I'll give a +1 to this.
In my experience, a 0°F rated top quilt will feel like a 60°F quilt with a poor UQ. Not sure that made sense. Put another way, when my backside is freezing, there isn't much I can do on top to compensate.
I think this is true of ground sleeping as well. Last weekend I had to sleep on the ground and had my very warm top quilt but a sub standard ultralight torso pad and I nearly froze a few times. Hot on top, cold on bottom -- made me feel cold in the middle too.
Can't Wait
11-30-2010, 23:27
I don't sleep inside like a bag it's my TQ until I can afford one was figuring on wearing poly long johns balaclava warm hat and wool socks maybe a fleece top.
I have minimal experience here as I'm still new to this, but based on my experiences so far I would echo what angrysparrow said. The UQ is most important because you're losing so much heat from below in a hammock. You're likely to have cold air moving across your backside which robs heat faster than what you'd lose through the TQ, where you're protected with the tarp.
The sleeping bag may be tricky, their ratings are usually "keeps you alive at X temp" versus "toast down to X temp" like most quilt ratings. You'd really need to do some backyard testing to see what your comfort limits are. If you can't afford a new TQ there are plenty of other options to get yourself down to single digits. A poncho liner or extra blanket added to your TQ, extra clothing, or hot water bottle all come to mind. You could also try an overcover or hammock sock, that has been known to add something like 10° of warmth.
JohnSawyer
12-01-2010, 02:21
Agreed. I've slept COLD at 40 with a 20-degree down mummy as a top quilt, because my UQ wasn't properly adjusted...
Cold Butt Syndrome sucks
MacEntyre
12-01-2010, 07:35
I think the UQ needs to be more insulation than the TQ.
However, if you don't have enough on top, it can make it feel like you don't have enough below. It's an interesting psychological phenomenon.
I agree with the UQ crowd. I find the compression of the hammock against my body makes my back cool even in warmer weather. When I hang in my basement there is a very noticeable difference between the warmth created by even just wearing a T shirt and having the T shirt up against my back when laying in my hammock.
Can't Wait
12-01-2010, 08:49
well hopefully I can try my thin fleece sleeping bag as an extra layer to the mix till I can order a lower rated TQ thanks guys
Rilmoigan
12-01-2010, 10:37
Having the warmer quilt underneath you will definitely help. But extending a 20ºF bag to 0ºF may require you to add more puffy clothing, or a liner of some sort. Perhaps a fleece bag liner would help.
Be sure to cover your head with a hood if not using the bag mummy-style. That makes a big difference.
The liner is a good idea - a silk bag liner (pretty inexpensive from ebay) should boost the "TQ" by about 10-15 degrees or so and is lightweight. It also makes a good standalone TQ for late spring to early fall use, depending on where you are hanging.
Well heat rises, so having an adequate TQ is a must (like wearing a hat). But the coverage needs to be somewhat consistent or you will end up with cold spots. Cold is cold no matter if it is top or bottom.
I think what makes the UQ so important in a hammock is that the way the hammock wraps around you, and therefore the areas it can compress, make the UQ cover the majority of your body and the TQ covers much less - especially in comparison to a pad on the ground.
Can't Wait
12-01-2010, 13:14
Well I will pray for double digit winter camping until next summer when I can order a TQ for winter lol Plus if I use the fleece bag as a throw with the 20 ° bag as a TQ then wear a hat face mask wool sox's etc I think or should I say hope I will be fine lol. don't it suc.k The wants in one hand and what amount of money you have in the other lol
gunner76
12-01-2010, 13:39
Without a good pad and or UQ it will not matter how good your TQ is. Also be sure to try and test your system in a controlled environment like your back yard so if things do not work out as planned you have someplace to escape to. Nothing worse than a night spent freezing.
Definitely for me the UQ plays a larger role in warmth. You can add insulated clothing to supplement your top quilt, but this provides no help on the bottom when it is compressed underneath you. I've taken a No Sniveler down to 14 degrees and stayed toasty warm using a mid weight wool top, and a MW4 below me.
Festus Hagen
12-01-2010, 16:27
Being a SB/UQ user, my opinion is this: Underquilts aren't for boosting your sleeping bag beyond it's rated temp, they are for allowing you to *approach* the rated temp.
I would not want to use my 15 rated Eureka Casper with UQ much lower than 25F. I would not want to use my 0 rated EMS Boreal with UQ much lower than 10F.
I think I would *survive* at each bag's rated temperature, using my UQ... but I don't think I'd get a lot of restful sleep, which for me is what it's all about. I've done it, and shivering all night long just sucks.
I would say an UQ ..... you will be fine with yourbag as a TQ till you can get one....just wear your jacket if you get alittle cold...or lay it acoss the top of you
a fleece SB will def help alot...that should give you at least 15 degrees more in your setup ...i use one while car camping in the winter for extra warmth
Can't Wait
12-02-2010, 11:21
I would say an UQ ..... you will be fine with yourbag as a TQ till you can get one....just wear your jacket if you get alittle cold...or lay it acoss the top of you
a fleece SB will def help alot...that should give you at least 15 degrees more in your setup ...i use one while car camping in the winter for extra warmth
I wasn't trying to make the bag go zero on me alone was going to augment it with the thin fleece bag and clothing . Now in saying all that I do hope it's not that dam cold for the feb Hang lol