trying to figure it out

**Ssplash** · 02-08-2019, 19:13

Forgive me, newie hanger here, and I've been reading the forums for a bit on this topic and am trying to come up with an idea for an underquilt. I'm not making one; I'm trying to decide what will work best for me.

I'm a cold sleeper, but I have hung in the Southwest, the South and the Midwest, so really I'm all over. I'd like to get something that covers most of my basis. I have no intentions of hanging under 40 degrees but......

In Arizona when I camped, I had a amazon underquilt that was rated to 40 degrees and of course my first night it got down to 30. The sleeping bag that I bought (yup I'm upgrading that to a top quilt) was also a 40 degree. That first night was darn cold. I borrowed a down sleeping bag for the rest of the hang (three more nights) and was comfy. That being said, I don't like the amazon underquilt I have, and that needs to go away.

I'm hard on my gear. No, seriously I am so I need something durable. I'm not much of a backpacker, more of car camper/canoer so I'm not concerned about weight, much rather be comfortable and carry another couple ounces.

Heres the other part. I usually share my hammock with my dog, and I'm really concerned about puppy claws, I keep them trimmed short and filed but worry about pups toes and thin quilt material catching. My dog who is a SAR K9 travels with me just about everywhere, so I'm looking for options to help us both out.

Thank you, and I apologize if this question has been asked a million times.

**SilvrSurfr** · 02-08-2019, 19:29

My beagle Joey has never damaged any of my quilts or any of my hammocks. If he did, he wouldn't go camping with me or would be relegated to sleeping on the ground. While beagle Joey is a mere 41 lbs., I've known folks who have slept in their hammocks with 80 labrador retrievers and haven't heard of any damage.

**MAD777** · 02-08-2019, 19:33

Welcome to the forum! You have described your needs very well. As to temperature ratings, most will tell you to go 10 degrees colder than you would ever intend to camp. Also, forecast temperatures from nearby towns are almost alway hotter than the woods' actual temperatures.

You need durable materials and are not concerned about their weight. Fortunately, we have many cottage industry vendors here that can custom make gear specifically for your needs.

Ironically, lightweight materials cost more than heavy weight ones, so it shouldn't cost you extra for your needs. As you discuss materials for the top quilt, you should seek something with a good "hand." In other words, a material that will drape well and not feel like stiff canvas.

I'm sure many car campers will comment with more specifics. I'm a backpacker, so I go for the lightest materials.

Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk

**ylnfrt** · 02-09-2019, 05:13

You may want to consider Apex Climashield (CS) for your underquilt (UQ). The reason for this would be that IF your UQ should become torn, it would not be leaking any down- which could happen with a down UQ. Also since you are SAR and usually working in less than ideal conditions most of the time, a CS UQ seems to perform better than a down UQ in adverse conditions over an extended deployment. Talk with the venders here as they will be better able to assist your needs. And thank you for your service !

**sidneyhornblower** · 02-09-2019, 05:34

Originally Posted by ylnfrt

You may want to consider Apex Climashield (CS) for your underquilt (UQ).

Agreed. That sounds like a reasonable suggestion. You could check with Paul at Arrowhead Equipment. I have had their Jarbidge underquilt and like it a lot, but it's a 3/4 length. You might want the full length version, whose name escapes me as I'm typing.

Another option might be to make your own using the full length kit from Ripstop by the Roll. You could choose exactly which fabric you wanted for the inner and outer shells. Rather than going for light weight, you could choose a heavier material to resist puppy claws. Email them or ask over in their forum here and they might be able to suggest something tougher than the usual fabrics from which underquilts are generally made.

**TominMN** · 02-09-2019, 07:40

I agree with the idea of using the synthetic UQ from Paul for the reasons mentioned above. Not sure why an UQ would need to beefed up for claws(?) On the other hand, I'd be looking for some tough material for the hammock body. I went with pretty robust double layer on my BBXLC, not be cause I ever expect to use a pad but because I wanted a hammock that would hold up over time and not have to be babied. I'm hard on gear too although I try to be pretty careful. I'm also cautious and this particular hammock isn't going backpacking.

I expect a 20 degree synthetic quilt is pretty bulky but I think 20 degrees is what you need. That might have you think twice about synthetic. Maybe not. Anyone who camps a lot is bound to end up at altitude in the Spring or Fall and experience some cold nights. I had a few nights in southern AZ at 4000 ft last month that got pretty chilly.

If down isn't out of your price range and you think it's a viable option, check out Dutch's latest offering.

**PlusOne** · 02-09-2019, 09:29

Simply Light Designs also offers a synthetic insulated UQ protector that is rated at 20 degrees. It seems the industry is booming with choices these days!

**Ssplash** · 02-10-2019, 10:38

Originally Posted by SilvrSurfr

My beagle Joey has never damaged any of my quilts or any of my hammocks. If he did, he wouldn't go camping with me or would be relegated to sleeping on the ground. While beagle Joey is a mere 41 lbs., I've known folks who have slept in their hammocks with 80 labrador retrievers and haven't heard of any damage.

So far in camping with my guy his claws have scraped the bottom of the hammy and have left a scrape in the fabric but it is not damaged. Looks more cosmetic but I wonder if I shouldn't put a patch or something over that spot just for an extra peice of mind. My BC is 55lbs.

**Ssplash** · 02-10-2019, 10:42

Originally Posted by MAD777

Welcome to the forum! You have described your needs very well. As to temperature ratings, most will tell you to go 10 degrees colder than you would ever intend to camp. Also, forecast temperatures from nearby towns are almost alway hotter than the woods' actual temperatures.

You need durable materials and are not concerned about their weight. Fortunately, we have many cottage industry vendors here that can custom make gear specifically for your needs.

Ironically, lightweight materials cost more than heavy weight ones, so it shouldn't cost you extra for your needs. As you discuss materials for the top quilt, you should seek something with a good "hand." In other words, a material that will drape well and not feel like stiff canvas.

I'm sure many car campers will comment with more specifics. I'm a backpacker, so I go for the lightest materials.

Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk

Thank you for the welcome. Its been a blast to read and gain knowledge from all the amazing folks here. I really appericate the "Don't do this cause it didn't work " posts the most. Thankfully with the knowledge I've gained here, Shugs video's and the Ultimate Hang my first hang experience was awesome other than that first cold night and I knew that was just my equipment not ready for those temps and nothing I did wrong. Now I look for any excuse I can to hang. I've had some trouble with suspensions failing due to the dog eatting too many french fries and my last hang was a fail due to a whoopie sling that actually snapped. So I'm constantly learning and adapting.

**Ssplash** · 02-10-2019, 10:43

Originally Posted by ylnfrt

You may want to consider Apex Climashield (CS) for your underquilt (UQ). The reason for this would be that IF your UQ should become torn, it would not be leaking any down- which could happen with a down UQ. Also since you are SAR and usually working in less than ideal conditions most of the time, a CS UQ seems to perform better than a down UQ in adverse conditions over an extended deployment. Talk with the venders here as they will be better able to assist your needs. And thank you for your service !

Awesome, thank you for that tip. I'll look into that. Honored to be able to serve. Thank you.