Warmer quilt on top or under?

I have a JRB Shenandoah 40* and a Ray'sWay DIY 40* quilt with a sewn-in footbox and so for now, when I get my hammock done, the JRB will be the UQ. Two questions: The Ray's seems like it would be the warmer quilt as it has more loft: Should I consider cutting the footbox out and rigging the Ray's for a UQ?

My next quilt purchase will probably be JRB's Hudson River 30* quilt - to pack down smaller than Ray's - so I'll have a 30* and a 40* quilt: Do you generally put the warmer quilt on the top or under?

I tend to have a warmer quilt under me (when I have the option). Leaves me the option of a lighter TQ and the choice of layering whatever clothing i have as extra warmth.

IMHO: All things being equal, I'd put the thicker insulation on top (heat rises). However, if you go to bed wearing your clothes as part of your sleep system then I'd put it on the bottom. The thought behind this logic is that you already have a significant amount of top insulation from your clothes, but this is negated on the bottome due to the "compression factor". Thus, you would put your thicker insulation as a UQ and thinner insulation as a TQ.

That's what I do and it's been working for me pretty well.

Cheers and good luck,
Kyle

Generally, I go with the warmer on the bottom.
Like Mickey said, you can supplement the top insulation with clothes but not so much on the bottom.
Also, your bottom is exposed to the wind more than the top.

However, in your case I believe the Ray-Way quilt is synthetic. Personally, I have a harder time getting a synthetic underquilt to seal up properly.
Others don't seem to have this short-coming but, you definitely want to try this in your backyard before venturing out on the trail.

I also go warmer on the bottom then I do on top. For example my 3season incubator with my summer burrow is a nice combination. I generally get cold underneath before I get cold on top.

YMMV
LRR

if you really think about it... you want the warmer one on the bottom... heat rises... that means your underside will get colder easier and your top side will stay warm longer due to the hot air at the top(trapped in your TQ)

i found after playing around with quilts and setups that you can get away with a summer TQ if you have a good 3 season UQ for 3 season use .. now i'm not saying this will work for everyone and it's not the end all but it's just something that works for me

also most hangers i notice do the same more on the bottom.

also factor in that your underside will be more exposed since you will have a tarp/bug net and TQ on your top side... air will move under your tarp pulling away warmth from your UQ

+1 on warmer on the bottom.

I've been roasting on top and freezing on the bottom a time or two and it is miserable. I agree with GLP and others that since the heat rises from beneath you, capturing it beneath in a warm under quilt is a good option.

RayWay on bottom but not for the reason already mentioned. Though the reason is valid.

IIRC the rayway is a synthetic quilt which is slightly less susceptible to heat stealing wind than is down. You want this characteristic on the bottom. This is especially true with a more open tarp. Also, if you experience and ground splash from heavy rains, you would rather it be with a synthetic quilt. Again, the tarp could mitigate this.

I just reread your post. Unless you really need to, I wouldn't cut the quilt.

Thanks all. I thought warmer on the bottom because the UQ is the first one most people mention in posts. Then I thought that might be because everyone was assumed to already have a TQ. I'll use the Shenandoah as UQ until I can get the Hudson River for UQ and move the Shenandoah to the top.

[The Ray's was my first DIY and boy was I unbearable during the process, cursing everything that moved or didn't move. Now I want to try to make my own hammock. Doesn't make any sense but someone here mentioned an addiction...]

Another cost-effective option might be to get yourself an IX UQ from Molly Mac. It will take you down approx. another 20* (website claims), potentially extending your Shenandoah to a 20* UQ. Don't get me wrong, I love my Hudson River (I have two of em now)...I'd just hate to see you lose all that effort you put into your DIY.

Don't let me dissuade you though, as I love JRB stuff and I'm constantly buying stuff from them...I also have one of their Old Rag Mountians. I just thought I'd offer another alternative that would allow a decent gain in flexibility over packability.


Cheers,
Mickey