Newbie for cold hanging - UQ question

[justHanging]

Hi, my first time on this forum and it looks like a lot of great information. My question is regarding UQ warmth.

background: I live in the SE and typically use a 20 degree down sleeping bag in a tent. I have never been too cold with proper clothes down to the teens. I have discovered with the few times that I have slept out in a hammock that it does not take much at all for me to be cold. Even 'cool' temps have me waking up cold in the night. My search for how to deal with it led me here.

I am looking at under quilts rated 20 degrees and my question is just how warm do these keep you? if it's in the 30s will I need to be covered on top as well? or will I be able to just dress warm and sleep in the hammock without extra protection? For backpacking I was seeing the UQ as a replacement for a sleeping bag.

Being that I live in the SE and the summers are warm, do I need to be concerned with the UQ making me 'hot' if temps are only down in 60s at night? Can I get by with a single UQ for temps of 25-65 degrees?

I know most of these answers have to be found with my own trial and error but with the cost of these UQs I want to avoid as much error as possible.

I think a full length uq fits what i am looking for. I am 6'2''

my current set up is a eno single with whoopie slings replacing the original cord.

UQs I was looking at:
wilderness logic full, (http://www.wildernesslogics.com/FULL...ENGTH-DOWN.htm)
hammock gear incubator 20 (http://www.hammockgear.com/incubator-20/)
enlightenedequipment revolt (http://www.enlightenedequipment.com/revolt/)
Also looking at Arrowhead

Thank you for any opinions or suggestions!

[pgibson]

The under quilt does not replace your top side insulation, it replaces the under side insulation....aka a pad that you use on the ground. You will still need some level of top insulation. It depends on the temps that your at how much that insulation needs to be. Hammocks are different than being on the ground as you also have convective cooling,,,air flow that steals a lot of heat from you. Great on a hot night, bad on a cool one or with even a little breeze added. Under Quilts are made to give your underside insulation that on the ground the pad would offer.

Most folks feel the need for under insulation at any temp below 70°F. At some point in that neighborhood is also when many add something on top....if it's in the 60's then possibly just a cotton sheet from home or a fleece blanket. As it drops cooler then you would add on to that as needed. Top quilt or sleeping bag as you dip into the 40's and below.

Many folks go with a 3 season quilt rated to the mid 20's or low 30's for temps on up into the 60's and just vent it or slide it off to one side for warmer weather.

[SilvrSurfr]

Unfortunately, it is an individual thing whether an underquilt will make you hot. I've personally never experienced it; I've never once vented my UQ. If I get hot, I'll expose appendages to bring my core body temp down, and if necessary, I'll kick the whole TQ off. I've used my HG 20* F 3/4 Phoenix from overnight lows of 70* F down to 13* F and was not cold. However, in sub-20* weather I did have to supplement with additional clothing.

And as pgibson notes, don't even think about going without top insulation. We had a noob come on a Thanksgiving weekend hang last year with overnight lows of 18* F. He was excited to try out his new HG 0* Incubator. I woke up about 4 in the morning and he was shivering by the campfire. I asked him how he slept and he said, "Horrible - I was freezing." Perplexed, I asked him what kind of top insulation he had. He replied, "None. I thought the UQ would keep me warm enough."

Lesson learned!

[Nodust]

I live in south Louisiana. I use a 20 degree UQ, the only one I have. Just don't cover up as much if it's warm.

I have slept to 24 degrees with my 20 UQ and TQ. Was plenty warm. I have since added a underquilt protector so should be able to go a little lower.

[OneClick]

I use a 40° and 20° full length UQ. I've taken the 40° down to about 30°, and the 20° down to 3° last February. I'm not sure how that 3° worked, but I was actually warm all night. I wouldn't recommend this on a regular basis though.

That 25-65° range is pretty wide. I wouldn't feel comfortable stretching a 40° quilt down to 25. The best option to me sounds like a 20° UQ and a 40° top quilt. When you do get into the 20s and 30s, a down jacket or extra clothing can make up the differnece for the TQ.

Remember a cold backside is miserable and harder to resolve in the middle of the night. A cold top side can be remedied all sorts of ways (clothing, simply crossing your arms, heat packs, jacket, hot water bottle)

[justHanging]

Thank you so much for the replies. I am 40 and have camped all my life but always disliked sleeping on the ground. The hammock really hit me as a game changer for sleeping in the woods. However, that first time I got hit with some cold air I froze so learning how to stay warm is exciting for me. I will be shopping UQs and go with the sleeping bag as a tq for now.

I am sure there are plenty of opinions on UQ makers and most seem like quality made products by smaller makers. Most seem in the 250-300 range. Are there any out there that may be sub $200 for full length down? Thanks again!

[2ply]

If you'd like to see a variety of UQ's in action come out to Raven Cliff Falls this weekend or the weekend of Halloween for a Georgia group hang. There will be a variety of brands in use both weekends and you can see what works best for your needs and budget.

[humer91]

Are there any out there that may be sub $200 for full length down? Thanks again!

your best bet for a "budget" down quilt is to watch the for sale forums here, maybe post in the WTB forums also.

[Nodust]

For sale section.

A 3/4 length will save you some money and weight over a full.

[SilvrSurfr]

I am sure there are plenty of opinions on UQ makers and most seem like quality made products by smaller makers. Most seem in the 250-300 range. Are there any out there that may be sub $200 for full length down? Thanks again!

I don't think there's such a thing as a budget down UQ. Even UQs posted in the FS section typically aren't heavily discounted. You might want to look into synthetic if that's your budget.