Well that didn't work - 30F UQ left me cold

[wfmoore]

My set up is a Dutch 11' netless hammock with a 20F EE Revelation TQ and a 30F EE Revolt UQ. I sleep really cold. This night I was also using a 8.5 x 11 Zpacks CF tarp with the doors closed, but about 18" off the ground. A gentle breeze was blowing, but only just. Snow around on the ground, but not under my hang. The temps were sub freezing evidenced by the ice in my water bottle in the morning. While I stayed warm on top, whatever was facing down was cold. Several times I checked that both ends of the UQ were closed tight and the fit to my underside was good. I'd guess the temps may have dropped to 25-26F, but no lower. I spent a miserable night and got little or no sleep, even though my hands and feet were okay and my top stayed comfortable. I was wearing all my clothing including my puffy. I came home determined to sell the almost new UQ, but see that I need 50 posts to access For Sale. So here's my first. I've only slept in this UQ maybe 10 times, and never below 45F. It's always been sufficient, but never too warm. Any super lightweight suggestions for extending the range of the 30F UQ? Or maybe I'm missing something? I think I'll likely just to sell this UQ and order the same (EE Revolt) in a 10F version. The 10F would be about 5.23oz heavier than the 30F, which I am willing to accept to get a good sleep. I don't winter camp, but do push the early season a bit. Suggestions are appreciated.

[SteveE]

Were you cold all over underneath or was it just in a few spots? I just tried my new 0 degree Zeppelin in sub-freezing temps and I was toasty warm expect for my butt and shoulder. I tweaked it for 4 nights and it got better but still felt the cold. I think it was user error though as I don't think my hang was right and I was only 4 inches off the ground. I was frustrated as well but plan on dialing it in more at home. From all I've read it seems that the colder you go the easier it is to feel that tiny little draft sneak in (makes sense). Don't give up yet I think with some tweaking you might be ok....Might also be that you've kind of gone beyond the temp range of the UQ especially as a cold sleeper (as I am too).

[michigandave]

An underquilt protector like the one from 2QZQ will do wonders in blocking the breeze and giving you a few more degrees of warmth. Also, when you wear multiple layers, it can work against you in keeping you warm. Try it with less layers and let the down do the work.

[Shug]

Could have been wearing too many clothing to sleep?
Were you warm when you crawled in for the night?
Maybe need to migrate the down in the UQ?......
Some thought.
Shug

[OneClick]

I've been there...after the first week and after nearly 6 years of hanging. Every now and then the ugly cold night will come back to haunt me. Most times I think I have it figured out, but never 100% certain why it failed.

Getting that UQ set up just right is crucial. Most of the time I'll just clip it on, forget it, and it works. But sometimes I can't get warm and it's an uncomfortable night. Recently I was playing around with different length hammocks and short-full length underquilts so mixing up new gear was part of the problem. Now I'm back to the standard full length UQ and a comfortable hammock that works great even below the rating...so I need to make sure I don't mess around and change things.

It's really nice to be able to trust your gear without supplementing, so stick with just the UQ for now and make plenty of adjustments until you get it nailed down. For the 30° UQ, I would only plan on taking it down to 35 or so on a regular basis. If you see temps lower, often, then the 10 or a 20 would make more sense.

Make sure you watch Shug's video on setting up underquilts. A link to his videos is on the home page/right side. (never mind he beat me to it)

[SilvrSurfr]

Some people like EE's underquilts, and some don't (see post #30 below).

https://www.hammockforums.net/forum/...ght=revelation

Some people also believe that it's okay to pair a higher rated TQ (say, a 30* TQ) with a lower-rated UQ (say, a 20* UQ). They think they can skimp on the TQ. See post #4 as an example:

https://www.hammockforums.net/forum/...53-Burrow-Econ

However, I've never heard anyone say that they like pairing a lower-rated TQ (a 20* F Revelation) with a higher-rated UQ (30* Revolt). If you sleep really cold, I'd definitely reconsider using a 30* UQ in sub-freezing weather. A 20* UQ might be more suitable for the temps you are camping in.

[Karla "with a k"]

wfmoore: Are you male or female?

[ofuros]

Any super lightweight suggestions for extending the range of the 30F UQ?

UQ protector blocks any draughts & a space blacket will add a roughly 5° degrees.
Merino thermals, beanie & socks that don't restrict circulation & a good belly warming meal before you jump in will help.

...and if you go down the route of buying another UQ you can also double layer these which would extend your temp range & add flexibility in colder weather. I use one for 3 season use then double up for winter.

As you already know, the way you hang the UQ matters... Too tight = cold. Too loose = cold.

Hope these & the tips & the ones above & below help you out. Good luck.

[TrailSlug]

Practice the +10° buffer and you should sleep warm as a bug. The +10° buffer rule is always take quilts rated at 10° lower than the temps you expect to experience. This way you have a temp buffer when it goes lower than you expect with tends to happen a lot.

[kitsapcowboy]

Honestly, I would examine your underquilt choice; your complaint is not the first I've heard of an Enlightened Equipment Revolt underperforming with respect to its advertised rating. For the record, I have never owned a Revolt, and based on what I've heard first hand, I doubt I would. EE has a good reputation for their top quilts, but being more of a general ultralight outdoor gear company than a hammock-specific vendor, I think their Revolt is underengineered and underinsulated.

If I read the specs correctly on the two vendor websites, a comparably sized top-of-the-line Loco Libre Gear 30F 900FP Carolina Reaper UQ -- which costs about the same as the EE Revolt -- uses more weight in down than the entire weight of the Revolt (down, shells, and suspension), so I cannot imagine how the two would perform comparably; the Reaper may weigh more than the Revolt but you get cutting-edge differential contouring, an ingenious baffle design that minimizes shift, a dependable and easy-to-use state-of-the-art suspension that minimizes user error, and down-filled draft collars to eliminate drafts. Those are grams well spent IMHO. (In their defense, Enlightened Equipment does provide you with a very fancy organic cotton storage bag with your Revolt purchase -- presumably since that doesn't count against their weight specs.)

Every LLG quilt I own has performed past its nominal temperature rating for me, so I think different vendors also have different standards for estimalting their ratings; Loco Libre Gear seems to be quite conservative, and EE does not, marketing their quilts less on how warm you'll be when you're using them and more on how light they are to carry when you're not. That's their prerogative, but I think its a good idea to recognize this difference in aims when choosing vendors.

My $0.02. I respect the choices of those with EE quilts even if I don't agree with them, HYOH and good luck.