WBBB and LeighLo 66 UQ?

**Suede** · 03-17-2013, 07:29

Hi all I am looking for a full length UQ for three season hanging in the northeast. I am looking at LeighLo's 30 degree 66" UQ since I am 66" tall, it seems like it might make for a good fit v. weight for me. My concern is what full length UQs work best with the blackbird foot box and if any are made specifically for it (and work well with it). Anyone with experience with Leigh's UQs on a Bb?

**backroad** · 03-17-2013, 09:17

Can't help you, I'm tagging this for personal interest. I'm waiting on a xlc and wondering about a uq too.

Good luck to us all, Will

**Shug** · 03-17-2013, 09:23

It should fit just fine....all about a bit of tweaking to get the proper fit.
I did this video of my UQs on my BlackBird. not a Leighlo but they are all fairly close.
Hope this gives some insight.
Shug

**hangnout** · 03-17-2013, 09:45

My daughter, 2Sticks, uses a WBBB with a 66" Leighlo UQ. Trust me when I say she is the perfect test subject because she has no problems telling me about any cold spots

All the vendors quilts will work fine with the WBBB or any hammock with a footbox. The most important thing is the angle of the UQ suspension. It needs to pull the UQ up to wrap around the footbox and shoulder.

BTW my opinion my be influenced since Leigh is my other daughter

**halfastronomical** · 03-17-2013, 10:12

I am 5'11 and the 66 inch Leighlo UQ works fine on my new blackbird, and it is very comfortable past the temp rating in my opinion. Hangnout definitely has more experience than me on the subject, and I would listen to his advice, no matter how biased he may be!

It is definitely more to do with the "angle of your dangle" than the UQ. Those triangle thingies on prusiks can make anything quite snug.

but +1 on Leigh's quilts for sure.

**Suede** · 03-17-2013, 19:07

Thanks all! Got a lot of good info from Shug's video as well as hanginout's vids on Leigh's web site. And yes those triangle thingies look like they do a great job of sealing the ends. Sounds like a nice middle ground of temp rating size and weight for me.

**DemostiX** · 03-17-2013, 20:09

This may be more than a full length UQ for you. Many of us rely on a pillow or pad that serves as a pillow for our heads and have UQ's go just to the neck.

As for fit to the BB, look at the UQ that Warbonnet Guy himself designed: A not-so-large partial.

Foot box in the hmmk or not, there is one in top quilts and partially-opened sleeping bags functioning as TQs. Most of us insulate the foot box of the hmmk with a soft pad inside the TQ inside the hmmk. So, no problem with fit.

**Suede** · 03-18-2013, 07:02

Originally Posted by DemostiX

This may be more than a full length UQ for you. Many of us rely on a pillow or pad that serves as a pillow for our heads and have UQ's go just to the neck.

As for fit to the BB, look at the UQ that Warbonnet Guy himself designed: A not-so-large partial.

Foot box in the hmmk or not, there is one in top quilts and partially-opened sleeping bags functioning as TQs. Most of us insulate the foot box of the hmmk with a soft pad inside the TQ inside the hmmk. So, no problem with fit.

Ok this is where by newbie-ism will shine.. I just started my transition from tent to hammock last fall and have only spent one night so far in moderate conditions ie not below 40 deg. I have Brandon's 3season yeti which I plan to use most of the time in the summer. I am sure it would work with a pad under my feet and a pillow, and possibly some other clothes to stick here and there, but I tend to think if I had a full length for the near or sub freezing temps, I would probably wake up less making adjustments where the pad and the UQ maybe don't meet or my head comes off the pillow. Also my top quilt is a go lite 1+ season and I'm not sure it will completely do the trick either. I am going out in a couple weeks and plan to take my 20 degree bag instead. My biggest issue right now is lack of prep for this trip since I do not have suitable trees to do more testing. So back to the full v torso - I have a good torso that I am confident will work with the addition of pads etc but I'm just wondering if I wouldn't be more comfortable overall with a full for the fringe season.

**DemostiX** · 03-18-2013, 13:43

I'm sure the 3-season Yetti is good to 20F for most people, and would be for me. I'm good every night with a 30F partial UQ here, where it is regularly 34F. I use a RAB 40F down TQ, a light wool sweater, and a balaclava --very definitely the balaclava for head, neck, and anti-drafts. The RAB is under-filled or too-deepy baffled (IMO). My hand when put between me and the TQ does not feel the underside to be at body temp, but I'm comfortable.

My own experience may not parallel yours, but your Q puts me to renew the comparison, to get out and use a 20F full-body length UQ I keep for others, and see whether I sleep more soundly with it, after all. No complaints with the current config, and I don't know that it isn't crows waking me before dawn.

If you are new to this, it is hard to know the comfort trajectory that will come with experience, or just familiarity. I haven't read reports here, ever, from someone for whom hammocks were initially wonderful, but then increasingly uncomfortable.

I rationalize / excuse too many UQs with a familiar "just in case", and reference to friends, relatives, and strangers to be proselytized.

**Suede** · 03-19-2013, 07:00

Thanks demostix for the info. Agree I just need more time out. I think I will get into the woods this weekend and set up what I have. Hopefully we will not have a crazy warming trend and I can do some more testing. I am pretty close to sold on a LeighLo UQ though, but now thinking about maybe going to the 15 degree for fringe and winter.