In the picture above I had frost all over the inside of the BBO from my breath. Me, the UQ and TQ were bone dry.
Printable View
2Q here....ZQ doesn't have the full picture and I thought I should clarify. I use my breathable all the time that's true. What needs to be clarified is that I also use my Advanced medical Bivy sheet that was made into a vapor barrier for my hammock. This item gets used when the outside temp drops below about 35°. It is a good vapor barier and also reflects heat. I know it works to keep condensation out of the underquilt because in the morning the hammock fabric is damp. This moisture would have been in the underquilt down if it wasn't there. Above 35° I don't use the vapor barrier. I've not experienced any condensation problems to date. The breathable UQP does a good job of keeping the wind from finding its way between the UQP and hammock...therefore more warmth, especially when I move from my back to a side sleeping position. Hope that helps some.
ten characters, should've read the whole thread, doing so now...
So if I'm following this the layers go:
Hammock
Bivy sheet
Down UQ
UQP
Correct?
Don't want to hijack the thread, but here's a related question for UQP owners:
I bought tarp doors for my Edge tarp for those times the wind blows in the ends of the tarp set-up and chills me. Usually it's just my back that gets cold (40* F HG UQ) at temps between 40--47 F (4-8 C) when it's windy.
Do you think a breathable UQ Protector would provide enough windblockage to permit me to dispense with the heavy doors?
I'll take a stab at this....
It is the wind associated with cold ambient temperature that robs the heat out of your underquilt...(hot goes to cold) Therefore whatever you can do to minimize the heat transfer from your UQ is beneficial. The doors will block some wind for sure but also mitigate rain and snow. Most tarps and doors do not come all the way to the ground so air movement is present.
I'd agree that the UQP is more directly responsible for minimizing heat loss, but I'm not willing to say to use the UQP only.... forgetting the doors. It's not an apples to apples comparison. There are times when my doors are needed to keep me comfortable, but there are times when the UQP is also required. I winter camp a good bit and often I use just the UQP without the doors...matter of fact I pitch the tarp in the porch mode ready to be pulled down if needed. The trick is to have a solution to whatever the weather throws at you balanced against the abiltiy to carry it. I lean towards my old BSA motto "Be prepared" and carry a bit more rather than other philosophies of go light and be willing to suffer through it. But to each his own.
2Q