UQ Suggestions?

**ninjahamockman** · 02-01-2013, 18:58

Wilderness logics sells a nice sells a summer pack that includes an nice summer quilt you can vent everything yet stay warm around 40 50 degrees. It includes a top quilt to. I would suggest them .

**Seeker** · 02-01-2013, 20:18

I have one of the original Jacks-R-Better underquilts and love it. weighs about 20oz. good into the 30s, 20s with help from a pad or army woobie... i live in LA, but spend a lot of time in the summers in NY and E Tn. LOVE my JRB UQ!

**Boomer** · 02-03-2013, 00:04

I'm only 67", but I preferred the HG Incubator, as I liked the extra 'protection' from it shifting. That being said, you could get the Phoenix and be happy. Or contact Adam and have it made to whatever length you'd like.

As far as temperature rating, in Florida you get an occasional freeze, so I'm thinking maybe 30*? I got a 40* Incubator with 2 oz overstuffed and it went to 29* just great.

**BraveSaintStuart** · 02-03-2013, 15:12

Thanks everyone. I'm not sure if I should make an extra post for this or not, so I'll just ask here and if I don't get any responses, I'll go from there.

What's the deal with draft collars? Worth the money? Stupid? What do they do? I feel like, if I'm going to spend money on this thing, I'd better do it as best I can. So what if it's $20 extra bucks. Hopefully this thing will stay with me for 5 years or more, so why not just go ahead and spend the money if it's worthwhile. Still... if someone can clue me in on it a bit, that'd be great too.

**Redoleary** · 02-03-2013, 17:14

IMHO definitely worth the money. Just easier to get a seal on the end of the UQ, far less fiddling around.

**heyyou** · 02-04-2013, 01:21

A draft collar is a down compartment that runs perpendicular to the other down tubes, and they are at the ends of those tubes. Let's talk about that position.

You want your insulation against your body's surface, not just sealed at the ends. Draft collars are not a larger diameter than the other down tubes, or they would push the quilt away from your body, which would be bad.

If draft collars are important, why aren't the quilt makers building quilts with all of the down compartments positioned like draft collars, running from side to side instead of lengthwise? So which is it, either draft collars are needed to seal leaks, or are those leaks in a properly fitted, uncollared UQ insignificant? Note that some torso length UQs are several inches different in length than other brands, where is the outcry that those quilts are colder than other UQs?

If you think your draft collars help your quilt to seal better, get them. If you think that draft collars might be a marketing ploy that appeals to our fear of being cold, spend some time learning to rig your UQ well.

I don't begrudge the sellers of draft collars, they are free to market whatever they choose. It is up to the quilt buyers to buy from whoever they choose.

**BraveSaintStuart** · 02-04-2013, 10:28

heyyou, maybe it would be helpful actually look at an underquilt, with and without draft collars, but aren't the tubes at a much smaller thickness where they connect to one another (kinda like a thermarest pad or a pool float)? Don't the draft collar help keep cold air from moving through those areas?

Otherwise, you make some thought-provoking points. Thanks for your response.