disclaimer: i am a noob.
I'v hung a few times in the low 30's with just my 20 degree bag, and most recently with a fleece/nylon blanket under me. I'v been cold, but slept. I don't want to revert back to tents now that its getting chilly, but I'm on a typical college student's shoestring budget. Just wondering what the cheap options are in the UQ market?...or if somebody wants to hook me up with a used piece of gear thatd be suhweet too
The poncho liner UQ is a popular option among the cash strapped. I don't know if it would get you to 20* though. Your best choice for price would be to go synthetic rather than down. Climashield and IX are good options. Otherwise, think about making your own if you can sew. You could pick up some Climashield from Thru-hiker and fabric from DIYGearsupply and not be too bad off.
The bad news is that even used UQs really tend to keep their value around here; they are popular items and people tend to take good care of them. Buying used generally only saves you $25 or so if you are lucky.
yeah two things that will never go together around here is Cheap and UQ
this is one area you can't go "cheap" and like others have said ever used UQ's hold there value most users end up saving up to get a UQ
poncho liner is one way to go... if you can sew you can make a UQ for around $100 ....
Blue walmart pads for $6 work just fine too.... they will hold you over till you have the cash to get a UQ ... i think we all used pads at one point in time
It puts the Underquilt on it's hammock ... It does this whenever it gets cold
If you can find a used down or synthetic sleeping bag for cheap you can mod it into a UQ with very little sewing. A lot of people breakdown and buy a down UQ. I did. It is warmer, lighter, and more compact. You can find them for 130-150 range. I spent alot more money trying synthetics and pads for underquilts. As with anything YMMV. Good luck!
Last edited by Mancat; 11-07-2011 at 12:44.
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How do you intend to use this...meaning backpacking vehicle camping etc?Originally Posted by theriddler
Just wondering what the cheap options are in the UQ market?...or if somebody wants to hook me up with a used piece of gear thatd be suhweet too
OP never said that he had space or weight constraints. There's nothing wrong, in dry weather conditions, with repurposing a used one of the mainstays of indoor bedding out there, --down-filled "comforters". They probably won't be DWR, (durable water repellent), and wet down and wet cotton are to be prevented and avoided.
But, if you can hand-sew some loops on the appropriately placed corners of such a quilt / comforter, you can suspend it with a suspension kit current on sale at JRB and be comfortable. Use guidelines for down loft and temperature rating you'll find from any reputable outdoor quilt or bag maker to estimate available warmth. Note: Sleeping bag makers count their loft twice, from both layers, so divide by 2 to get comparable estimates of loft and rating from single-layer quilt makers.
it also depends on what you consider 'cheap' not counting in time taken to make, i made my self a TQ and UQ of climbashield Apex 5oz for approx 150$ so call just the UQ around 75$ so if you can sew, or bribe, con, or beg some-one into sewing it for you DIY would be an option
Primaloft sport is also a good option if you're going to DIY. It's a little cheaper than climashield. i made my UQ out of primaloft for less than $70, maybe less than $60 but i can't remember for certain. if you're looking to straight up buy an UQ i think the cheapest i've seen was either at Wilderness Logics for $115 or Arrowhead Equipment for $125.
back/bike/moto packing. i need to do something small though.
great advice from everybody! i really wish i could sew/had access to a machine, but i think diy is out of the question. Does wilderness logistics have a website? id like to check out that 115 option, but cant find them via google.
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