So many choices

[Tucson Tom]

Starting to try to do my homework as far as an underquilt. I have a JRB "Rocky Mountain Sniveler" top quilt from my pre-hammock camping days that is a fine piece of gear. No complaints about it, so I will consider them for an underquilt.

But I am getting ahead of myself. I am new to hammock camping, but enthused about how it is working so far. I am tall and thin and have real trouble staying warm, so I find it useful to seriously overdo things in that area. And I find myself often sleeping at temperatures near or a little below freezing, and every now and then in the 20's.

So I am looking at full length hammocks - I like the JRB Mt Washington 4, but I hear lots of good things about the Hammock Gear Incubators (and probably would go with the 0 long.

But now I find myself looking at the Te Wa website, and this is a different twist on things.
All of his underquilts look like 3/4 length jobs, but are rated to 20 or to 5 degrees!! How in the world does that work? It would be great to carry his 14 ounce 20 degree quilt instead of a 20 degree rated HG Incubator at 26 ounces.

[MedicineMan]

It works with you carrying a pad that goes from where your underquilt stops to your heels.
I've got a TeWa Winter Coat rated to either 0 or 5F and I can tell you it works great with a small pad. Many of us put the pad into the footbox of our top quilt to keep it in place.
If you read enough on the forum you'll see that some hangers dont like this approach and would rather carry the weight of a full size underquilt.
The reason most of us call the full length underquilt 'extra' weight is because that small pad is usually already being carried as part of our pack's framing; so if you use a 3/4's or 2/3's underquilt that pad can get double duty.
I've gone through a lot of underquilts over the last 14 years of hanging and the last full length I've bought was my first one.

[Scout620]

I just got started a few months ago and had the same concern. (My feet get cold) I do alot of backpacking and weight is a major concern along with sleeping warm at night. To get started I bought used equip from other members, including a TeWa Breeze 3/4 UQ. I have stayed warm down to 35* with a 40* TQ, wearing my clothing and using only a 1/4" reflectic pad under my feet. The only issue I had was the width of the UQ (40") just barely covered my shoulders. I have an order in now for a TeWa Antifreeze 3/4 with custom 44" width. Only a few extra $. If I were camping in below freezing I would probably want to test 3/4 & foot pad in my backyard first.

[Red Wing]

Starting to try to do my homework as far as an underquilt. I have a JRB "Rocky Mountain Sniveler" top quilt from my pre-hammock camping days that is a fine piece of gear. No complaints about it, so I will consider them for an underquilt.

But I am getting ahead of myself. I am new to hammock camping, but enthused about how it is working so far. I am tall and thin and have real trouble staying warm, so I find it useful to seriously overdo things in that area. And I find myself often sleeping at temperatures near or a little below freezing, and every now and then in the 20's.

So I am looking at full length hammocks - I like the JRB Mt Washington 4, but I hear lots of good things about the Hammock Gear Incubators (and probably would go with the 0 long.

But now I find myself looking at the Te Wa website, and this is a different twist on things.
All of his underquilts look like 3/4 length jobs, but are rated to 20 or to 5 degrees!! How in the world does that work? It would be great to carry his 14 ounce 20 degree quilt instead of a 20 degree rated HG Incubator at 26 ounces.

HG 3/4 quilt is the Phoenix, that'd be a better comparison than the incubator to TeWa.

Used HG and loved it, never heard a bad word about TeWa though, but those are what you'd want to compare, 3/4 to 3/4.

[Tucson Tom]

Thanks for the replies. I'll keep reading. At this point this could go any of several directions - what I hope to avoid is buying 2 or 3 underquilts to figure it out. If the 3/4 quilt works for me, it is definitely the way to go (given that I am most assuredly an ultralight backpacker).

Carrying a 3/4 quilt with a chunk of pad would save weight and provide some versatility if I chose (or was forced) to camp above timberline, as I sometimes do in the Sierra. The big question is whether a 3/4 quilt will keep me cozy or not in conditions just below freezing. If not then there is no hesitation about carrying the extra weight of a full length quilt.

Just looking at the Hammock Gear Incubator (along with the well chosen name), I get a feeling of confidence about being warm enough (but jumping from 14 to 26 ounces for the 20 degree model of each, hmmm.

And a question for Scout620 - are you an unusually big person that you need the extra inches of width?? Me being thin, I would imagine a stock width would do me fine ?!

[Red Wing]

If you keep a pad to put in your TQ footbox, a 3/4 would absolutely take you below freezing and be fine (20* Phoenix). 3/4lb difference, if you're UL I'd probably go 3/4 with a dual purpose pad for your feet and calves.

If you use gathered end, which I'm assuming if you're UL, there are tricks also like zipping your rain jacket or down jacket over the foot end of the hammock. I've used this with great efficacy. These things along with your sit/back/foot pad will all help making a 3/4 that easier. I wouldn't worry.

[Tucson Tom]

Thanks Slo for the thoughts.

It is tempting on several counts to go with a 20 degree rated 3/4 quilt like the
Te Wa antifreeze:

1) it is less expensive by about $100 than the full length quilts I was considering.
2) it is lighter by maybe 12 ounces.
3) the half pad + quilt offers the option of going to the ground in a pinch.

Just like sleeping bags (which I have a quiver of), one bag doesn't suit all
situations.

If i'm just not warm enough, then it becomes my warm weather option
and I end up shelling out for something like a full length HG incubator.

[breyman]

Just as a suggestion in a different direction.

I'd look at the Warbonnet Lynx. Light. High quality. Full length. O, and it goes with the INSANELY comfortable bridge hammock also by Warbonnet - the RidgeRunner (and only with the RR - it won't fit well with nearly any other hammock).

While I slightly prefer the comfort of the RidgeRunner over gathered end hammocks (like the BlackBird or Dangerbird), the Lynx seals the deal. Literally. The fit between the Lynx and Ridgerunner is unmatched and hard to describe it's so perfect. I toss/turn a bit and find I almost always create small gaps, have to re-shift the UQ during the night, etc. when in a gathered end. It disrupts my sleep just enough to be a hassle on some nights. Not so with the RR/Lynx. I get in and don't even think about the quilt being there, except for the knowledge that something's gotta be keeping me so warm.

Heaven-matched. Seriously. Every time someone buys a Lynx, an angel gets its wings.

Okay, back to the main topic. If I didn't get a Lynx, it'd be a full-length Incubator. They're pretty great, too.

[Tucson Tom]

Wow, breyman -- that is a pretty impassioned pitch for that hammock/UQ combo. I'll at least give it a look, ponder the weight, etc. I am just sticking my toe in the water so far with a home sewn gathered end hammock, about $25 invested in it. Heck, I spent more on the Gossamer Gear wide lite pad I now use with it in warm conditions. I'll be up on the north rim of the Grand Canyon this coming week, and if there are trees (as there surely will be in many places), I'll be in the hammock - perhaps wishing I had chosen and purchased and underquilt in time for the trip. Should not be a burning need for insect protection (or even a tarp for rain protection).

Your endorsement of the incubator is duly noted. I'm going to go do some searches on the 3/4 versus full length hammock choice, which I expect has been discussed at length already on the forum. Hard to choose between my desire to be ultralight and my desire to be cozy warm -- I want both !!!

[Tucson Tom]

The following answered many questions:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?featur...&v=D9N3KkV5Zf4