Low Temps 25-35, can I survive without an UQ?

[thatguyjeff]

Hey All,

Planning a trip to the Boundary Waters the first week in October. Average low temps for that time of year are around freezing.

I have a variety of sleeping bags, pads, etc. What I don't have is an UQ. And in order to get SWMBO to let me take this trip, I had to promise that I would not be buying any new gear.

I'm not opposed to packing 2 sleeping bags, two pads... packing heavy is no big deal since I'm not hiking. The packs sit in the bottom of a canoe 90% of the time.

My primary bag/pad set-up is a BA Lost Ranger (rated to 15) with the BA self-inflating pad (similar to therm-a-rest) rated to 0.

Will this be enough in a hammock? If not, I need some creative bottom insulation ideas that don't involve me buying an UQ. And - I won't really have a way to cold weather test anything before the trip.

Edit to add - available extra gear includes a second therm-a-rest brand pad - 1.75 inch I believe. I also have a warm weather down bag (rated to 40) and my wife's 3-season bag (rated to 20) that could be used in some way or fashion. I'm just not able to cut them up to DIY a UQ - unless there's a way to leave them intact and jerry-rig something underneath.

[tammons]

I went down to 14dF last year with 2 CCF pads and a Garlington Taco with a Golite ultra 20, 10x12 tarp in tent mode.

One thick full length CCF pad and 2 half pads crossed. IE one for shoulders, one for hips. The thicker pad is an older very dense pad I have had for years.

Not sure how much the garlington taco helped, but when I slipped off the pad with a knee or whatever it was a definite cold spot.

Since a canoe you could always carry an extra bag for a makeshift UQ if need be.

[SilvrSurfr]

Last year my son and I stayed warm in 25 degree weather with just a blue foam pad and a space blanket underneath our synthetic 20 degree sleeping bags. The first night I was toasty, but the second night I couldn't get to sleep because my feet were cold. I just tossed one of those air-activated hand warmers in the foot of the sleeping bag and went right to sleep. Others on this forum have suggested filling a Nalgene bottle with hot water and sticking it in your sleeping bag down by the feet.

I think it all depends if you are a warm or cold sleeper. Thankfully, I'm a warm sleeper. Still, I can't wait till there's room in the budget for an underquilt!

[Doody]

Your pad will do you just fine. If you put it in your bag you wont have to fight with it as much. YMMV. That's what I did before I got my DL hammock and I stayed toasty warm.

[Beast 71]

Your pad should work just fine in those temps as long as it's wide enough. It works best if you don't fully inflate it.

[Lonely Raven]

You might also consider something like "tarp clips" or the like.



Take one of your bigger spare sleeping bags, put some tarp clips on it while it's wide open, and string it under your hammock with some bungee or masons line. Test it in the back yard so you have most of the fiddle factor worked out.

I hate pads.

[BillyBob58]

Last year my son and I stayed warm in 25 degree weather with just a blue foam pad and a space blanket underneath our synthetic 20 degree sleeping bags. The first night I was toasty, but the second night I couldn't get to sleep because my feet were cold. I just tossed one of those air-activated hand warmers in the foot of the sleeping bag and went right to sleep. Others on this forum have suggested filling a Nalgene bottle with hot water and sticking it in your sleeping bag down by the feet.

I think it all depends if you are a warm or cold sleeper. Thankfully, I'm a warm sleeper. Still, I can't wait till there's room in the budget for an underquilt!

Your pad will do you just fine. If you put it in your bag you wont have to fight with it as much. YMMV. That's what I did before I got my DL hammock and I stayed toasty warm.

Your pad should work just fine in those temps as long as it's wide enough. It works best if you don't fully inflate it.

Ditto all of that, you can go as cold as you are likely to want as long as your pad is thick enough. I have been toasty below 20 with one full length 5/8" Ridgerest and one torso length Thermarest Ultralight stacked in an SPE. The only question is are you happy using a pad in a hammock comfort wise. And you might be prepared for some condensation, some folks have trouble with that.

[Randy]

I love this thread..... the pads, CCF and inflatible work just fine...you don't need to spend a gazillion bucks on an under quilt.

[thatguyjeff]

Thanks all.

The BA bag and pad work together as the bag has a built-in pad sleeve. Just to be a on the safe side, I might get a blue CCF pad to slide in my DL WBBB. I think SWMBO will let me get away with spending under $20 for a cheap pad.

[dlg62c]

All the responses sound great.

Don't wait until your trip to find out what works. Hang at home or somewhere close to home and find out what works and what doesn't.

This spring I hung in my backyard though a 3" rain that lasted all night. Stayed dry as a bone. Even with ear plugs, it was the amount of noise that mother nature made that kept me awake most of the night.

daryl