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  1. #1
    Member Second Wind's Avatar
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    PLUQ's! What's the big deal?

    I've read so often about poncho liners making great UQ's (and TQ's) that I had to check them out for myself. First of all, I had no idea what they where until I started reading about them here, and I had certainly never seen one. I stopped by my local military surplus store this past weekend to find one and see what it felt like. I must say, they felt quite thin and flimsy. Are they warmer than they look? Has anyone else had doubts about the insulating ability of a PLUQ, only to be pleasantly surprised?
    Last edited by Second Wind; 02-11-2013 at 21:38.

  2. #2
    Senior Member Junebugdawn's Avatar
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    I think most people are using them as 3 season UQs...not for deep winter hanging. Only those in the deep deep south could use them even in winter. Since usually they are doubled over when made into a UQ, they can then be stuffed with clothes or blankets for more insulation. PLs are also very versatile in that they can be used at a TQ or put over your ridgeline to form a cocoon. This helps keep the inside of your hammock a few degrees warmer plus keeps out drafts.
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  3. #3
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    I bought a brand new one last week on E-Bay, $22.00 shipped, you're right, they do seem on the thin side. I think that they'll work fine for a summer top/bottom cover or my plan is to add 2 layers of climashield and use them as a three season UQ.

  4. #4
    Senior Member Trooper's Avatar
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    According to field manuals, it is designed to be used inside of a poncho to make an expedient sleeping bag. This works well down to the 40-50° range with a jacket, but they don't breathe very well.

    I tried the PLUQ a couple of nights when the weather was far colder than forecast and could be reasonably expected. Granted, it wasn't the fancy kind made here, but it was a solution that kept me from going hypothermic. I wasn't comfortable though.

    They are relatively cheap, which is the benefit. A PL costs about $22 and a down UQ costs about $190. My UQ compresses slightly more than a PL, but my UQ is lighter and much warmer. I've kept a PL in every car and taken one with me on almost every camping trip for the past 18 years. But, I'll pass on the PLUQ and use it as a TQ instead.
    Last edited by Trooper; 02-11-2013 at 21:19.

  5. #5
    Senior Member FLRider's Avatar
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    They are thin, yes. And they're relatively heavy compared to cottage industry gear. However, for the price, it's hard to beat them on comfort-to-weight.

    A poncho liner is usually good for most folks down to 45-50* (I can usually push one down to freezing, but I'm also a nearly inhumanly warm sleeper). A no-sew PLUQ is usually good down to about 40-45* for most folks. If you add insulation to a PLUQ, it can go as low as the twenties (I've been warm down to 25* comfortably with the supplement of a single layer of InsulBright, and I've survived at 21*--I was cold that night).

    They're cheap and readily available. That makes 'em great for someone just finding out if they're interested in this whole "camping" thing.

    Hope it helps!
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  6. #6
    Senior Member Roadrunnr72's Avatar
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    I love mine. I have 2 PLs, one sewed for a PLUQ, and the other I cut off the corner tie outs. The PLUQ I use in the summer, and the plain PL I use year round. That is my bed blanket. Surprisingly warm for how thin it is. It's starting to get a little worn and I may need to get another. Still kicking myself for not getting more, when I had the chance. Bought two for $10 each, and they had 2 more. Wish I had, but wasn't sure how warm they would be........RR
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  7. #7
    New Member kgmm00's Avatar
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    I don't have the skills to turn it into an uq. However, I have used it as a tq down to the upper 30's. They are the perfect summer weight for me.

  8. #8
    Member Second Wind's Avatar
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    Maybe it's just hard for me to imagine being outside and being warm at the same time - im freezing my butt off up here in Maine! Maybe it's worth picking up a PL and trying it out this summer. Thanks for the suggestion of looking on Ebay. The ones i saw this weekend were $25

  9. #9
    Senior Member Fish<><'s Avatar
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    To answer the title question , they are cheap. To answer more appropriately here's the deal. Dejoha has instructions on making both a sewn version and a no sew variety. I have used a no sew down to around 25 with another liner stuffed inside it and a fleece blanket over my ridge line and was comfy. By itself around 35 comfortably without anything but my "topquilt". The easiest way to explain it without going all crazy with it, is a pluq is a poncho liner folded in half. I loved mine even before I lived in guam.
    "We do not go to the green woods and crystal waters to rough it, we go to smooth it."- G. W. Sears

    My forum name is Fish<><; I'm in the navy; and I hate sleeping on the ground. If I didn't need ground to walk on or measure resistance to, I think I could happily give it up.

  10. #10
    Senior Member UncleClark's Avatar
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    I just ordered one off of Amazon to make a summer underquilt. $30 bucks for the poncho liner compared to about $200 for a down filled UQ. Last year I did my first summer hang in Shenandoah National Park and once the sun went down I was freezing in my hammock. I figure the PLUQ will be warm enough for 50-60F night time summer temps.

    For colder weather I bought a 20F down underquilt.

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