View Full Version : 0° UQ for warmer weather?
What's the warmest you've comfortably taken a zero degree UQ?
SilvrSurfr
07-27-2014, 21:50
Probably 75 degrees. So easy to vent (though I never do).
fallkniven
07-28-2014, 00:51
Probably 75 degrees. So easy to vent (though I never do).
really? was that on purpose?
I use my 20* for the warmer months, works perfectly. Planning a long trip or looking into your first one?
Drewmon71
07-28-2014, 00:59
Anything where I live, you never know. better safe than sorry
Mid to to upper 50*'s no problem. Properly vented it will shed the excess heat out of the system. It will also reduce the need for TQ insulation, at least in my personal experience.
really? was that on purpose?
I use my 20* for the warmer months, works perfectly. Planning a long trip or looking into your first one?
I've got one being offered to me in part of a trade.. and I'm caught up on the number "0°" like.. how often do I go hanging below freezing?
From the sounds of it.. it'll serve me well in all but the hotter months
SilvrSurfr
07-28-2014, 12:26
really? was that on purpose?
I use my 20* for the warmer months, works perfectly. Planning a long trip or looking into your first one?
Since all I have is a 20* quilt set and a 0* set, I'll loan my kids the 20* and I'll use the 0* UQ with just a fleece blanket on top. If I get hot, I just kick off the blanket.
With that said, I would never deliberately carry a 0* UQ in hotter weather when I'm on my own. A 20* UQ is much more versatile. If I could have only one UQ, it would be a 20 degree.
I do have a 40* quilt set on order, but that's more for weight savings when hiking than the 20* being too hot for me.
No 0*, but I hung my 10* to the side of my hammock when I was out on the river last week. Low of 60-65*. Woke up middle of the night and pulled it under me because my back was getting a little chilly. Slept comfortably with that and a thin flannel sheet on top. No tarp to keep the breeze out.
silentorpheus
07-28-2014, 15:27
Probably 75 degrees. So easy to vent (though I never do).
really? was that on purpose?
Similarly, I've used my 0˚ with overstuff in temps around 70˚. Wasn't at all over warm, though I didn't use a top quilt that night. Just had a fleece throw blanket that I started with on my legs (wearing shorts) and kicked off.
I had nephews over and we were all hanging in the backyard, and let them use my 20˚ and my 0˚ Phoenix, so I used the 0˚ custom incubator. Otherwise I would have used the 20˚. But I'll agree with SS - even in warm temps using a UQ that's way overkill, I haven't seen the need to vent. Just go with nothing on top.
Would I under regular circumstances take a 0˚ out in the field when temps were supposed to be ~70˚? Nope. But I now know that I wouldn't roast alive if I found myself in that situation.
I'll concur - if I wasn't planning on spending much time camping below freezing, I'd consider a 20˚ quilt the most versatile setup and best bang for your buck.
EDIT: forgot to mention - no tarp used for those days, either. :)
mcallaghan
07-28-2014, 16:01
I'll let you know on thursday. I only have a 0'F UQ at this moment and am going to go hang on wednesday night. Daytime highs are in the 80's right now, and the lows (at this altitude) are in the 50's. So it could be in the 40's (going up 1000ft from where I am currently) at night time.
OK.. So the consensus is.. Go for the zero degree :). If I had an option, I would go with a 20.. But he's offering a 0
I use my 0F UQ all the time. I've never overheated in it, I just match my top insulation, less if hot, more if not. Ymmv
CopperJL
07-31-2014, 17:18
I've taken a 10* down to roughly 38*. Fleece sweatshirt and wool socks. Slight chill, but pretty comfortable.
Think of an underquilt and hammock as you would a bed. Do you sleep on a thinner mattress in the summer, since it's warmer? Not usually. You just vary the amount of top insulation to let you cool. If it gets REALLY hot, the hammock gives you the ADVANTAGE of removing that under insulation, which you can't with a bed.
I have a 20 deg UQ, with 2 ozs of over stuff that I've slept in down to 12 deg weather (with a space blanket on top of it, and a UQP outside of it)...and in up to 70 deg weather. The main difference was what I wore while sleeping (long sleeved baselayers with wool socks and a buff in the winter, shorts, wicking t-shirt in the summer) and what I used for top insulation (20 deg TQ with 2 oz overstuff, plus my woobie in the winter, just my woobie in the summer).
I've never bothered to get a 'summer weight' underquilt, since for me it's easy to use the same one year round.
I started with a 0* incubator so I could use it year round. I took it out my first time in 30* temps with sheets for top insulation and some wool socks and slept pretty comfortably. You can take it into the 70* range with no top insulation.
I've since added a 30* incubator for warmer weather.