About to order my first under-quilt

[MississipVol]

I am getting ready to order my first under-quilt and wondered if I could get some help from the friendly Hammock Forum.

I am not necessarily looking for manufacturer recommendations but really need recommendations on what I should look for in my first underquilt. Let me preface this by saying I have a topquilt from UGQ but have only used pads so far except for one night on a group hang when squidbilly loaned me an extra underquilt.

So here are my questions:

1. I am 5'10" but I am thinking of getting a 7/8 length underquilt or a 65"/66" inch long version. This is to save on weight, bulk, and money but also thinking the full length may not be as helpful anyway since I always make use of the footbox on my WBBB and a full length may not be able to reach over and insulate anyway. Any thoughts you have on that thinking?

2. Any specific design I should be looking for to use with the WBBB? Are all baffles created equal? I noticed Enlightened Equipment uses an interesting design but I don't know if it is "better".

3. Is color choices strictly a preference or are there certain colors I should get, especially for the outside so it doesn't show dirt/grime as easily?

Any other thoughts are welcomed. Thanks!!

[bringerofgame]

I can't offer any help as I'm still sans underquilt myself, but I'll offer congratulations on the step up!

[Wraith6761]

So here are my questions:

1. I am 5'10" but I am thinking of getting a 7/8 length underquilt or a 65"/66" inch long version. This is to save on weight, bulk, and money but also thinking the full length may not be as helpful anyway since I always make use of the footbox on my WBBB and a full length may not be able to reach over and insulate anyway. Any thoughts you have on that thinking?

A 7/8 quilt will be pretty close to a full length for you anyways (most full-length quilts are 75"+ while most 7/8 quilts are in the 66-70" range), so most of your body will be covered by the quilt. As for the footbox, my full-length quilt has no trouble covering the footbox on my WBBB XLC, so I can't see where there would be any trouble with coverage on yours.

2. Any specific design I should be looking for to use with the WBBB? Are all baffles created equal? I noticed Enlightened Equipment uses an interesting design but I don't know if it is "better".

I've heard that some quilts with horizontal baffles can have issues with the down migrating to the lowest point on the baffle which usually leaves your shoulders cold, but as I've never used a quilt with horizontal baffles I can't say if it's really that much of an issue or not. One thing to keep in mind though is how much down is getting put into each baffle...some companies go with a bit less down per baffle than others, which results in a lighter quilt, but also results in a quilt where the down can move around more easily and have more potential for a cold spot.

3. Is color choices strictly a preference or are there certain colors I should get, especially for the outside so it doesn't show dirt/grime as easily?

Generally speaking, yeah, color is just a personal preference. I'd assume darker colors are less likely to show dirt or grime, but beyond that it's just your own thing...I "color-coded" my quilts by temp rating, so I can just grab and go instead of hunting for the tag.