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The Right UQ for the AT
My plans to hike the AT are still a few years off, but they are in the works...
How about some recommendations for a full-length UQ for a thru-trip starting around a late-February date?
I'd like to get something that would work the entire trip. I've read about guys adjusting their UQ as the weather gets warmer.
I don't know if you'd say I sleep cold or hot. I slept in my hammock on a pad backyard last night at 23F in my 15-degree bag and was mostly fine--butt got cold, top was warm.
I hike more than I camp. So I want something easy to set up and take down.
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Late Feb, the temps in the gaps can get down into the single digits/teens. Perhaps a 20* UQ with a closed cell pad would work. Besides you'll want a pad just in cause you have to go to ground due to a snapped suspension or torn hammock. A 20* would be easier to vent and stay cooler than a 0* in the summer.
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I plan on using my 3 season Yeti for the whole trip in 2014. I will supplement with a partial foam pad (my pack uses one as support) and a cut down windshield shade. (basically reflectix)
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I guess I'm looking for a suggestion on a specific UQ--taking into account weight, packing size, and versatility.
Right now HG's Incubator, Wilderness Logic, and UnderGround Quilts look to be good options in my price range. Anyone know the weight of UGQ's Zeppelin? I didn't see it listed.
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The 20* full is 25oz I believe..and very nice!
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I'll be taking along the TeWa Antifreeze UQ (it is 3/4) with a ccf pad for my thru this year. I'll check back in with ya when I get further up the trail and let you know how well it worked for me! Only 15oz, I got one oz of overfill.
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I bought my 20* 3/4 UQ from UndergroundQuilts with the AT in mind. I did Springer Mt. to Damascus, VA, last year starting March 15. I used a tent the entire time I was on the trail (didn't buy a hammock until after my hike). Starting with a 15* bag and an Exped Synmat UL7 (rated 25*), I never truly used my bag or pad to their limits. Now, every year will be different in terms of temperatures, as when I started in Georgia in March it was 70*+ highs and I was using my bag unzipped as a quilt every night. Another thing that is important for my is that I am 5'10", so my 55" underquilt covers from my shoulders to my ankles, which means I could afford to save the weight by going with a 3/4 length. I plan on using this underquilt with a top quilt rated ~30* when I go back to thru-hike the AT in a few years.
Last summer I just used a cheap 45* bag with my Z-lite CCF pad, and if my experience on the AT last year is any indicator of future years then I would probably switch to those two once it warmed up. That is, of course, unless I buy a lighter weight top quilt before I make it out to the trail. I don't think a CCF pad can be beat for weight in the summer, but a lighter underquilt would probably be more comfortable.
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I'm bringing the 20* phoenix from h.g. and a cut off pad for this march.
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The good news is that you won't go wrong with any of the three you listed.
Having said that, I LOVE my HG 20* Incubator. Warm, nice features and incredibly well made. I'd highly recommend it.
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Well...it became a mute question, as I jumped on eBay this morning and picked up a 3/4 JacksRBetter UQ for $130. Guess I'll spend some time with this and decide if I want to go full.