UQ Temperature Rating Confusion

[Basie]

As a newcomer the thing that strikes me is how dependent UQs can be on rigging/adjustment. Or perhaps I should say, how flexible they are? With my 20° quilt nicely snugged up at the ends it easily achieves its temperature rating, but rigged more loosely it's quite comfy in warmer climes. With more practice I'm a lot more confident getting the most out of it.

[BillyBob58]

There are a bunch of variables that determine if a 40F UQ, or TQ, or sleeping bag used with an UQ or pad(in a hammock or on the ground) will indeed keep you warm at 40F.

Probably the temp ratings from highly respected manufacturers ( like the various vendors at HF) are often based on standards developed over a bunch of years, regarding how much insulation will keep the average Joe warm at whatever temp. Truth is, probably most of the better gear makers exceed these standards, so that probably their product will keep the average Joe warm at temps a bit, or maybe more than a bit, lower than rated.

But that does not mean it will keep YOU warm at 40F. Because people vary hugely in their cold tolerance, as you may have noticed with people in your life. My wife would probably be miserable at 40F in gear that would do me fine at 20F, for example. Have you figured out if you are a relatively cold, or warm, sleeper?

Things get trickier with TQs and especially UQs. If you take a sleeping bag that has kept you toasty at 20F, you might not be as lucky with a TQ. Many are, but some are not. First of all, it is much easier- in my experience- to get some sort of draft with a TQ compared to being zipped up in a sleeping bag. Any where along the sides of a TQ or around the neck and shoulders. 2nd because many people don't realize how much a hood and neck collar contribute to the temp rating of a mummy bag, it is a bunch! So if a TQ/UQ combo is going to keep you as warm as a mummy bag, you will need equivalent head/neck insulation.

Trickier with an UQ because, unless it is one of the dif cut models so commonly used by HF folks, it is easy to adjust your UQ too tight and compress the loft too much and lose insulation value. Or, easy to have it too loose causing gaps under your back/butt (=COLD). Or gaps on the ends/sides allowing cold air to rush in between your butt and the UQ which is 1/4" away from your butt. IOW, COLD!

Tricky, but for most of us, no problem, though some of us have to go through some learning curve to get these things working up to their potential. But many of us end up being able to take UQs and TQs and PeaPods and HHSSs well past their rated temps.

There actually are several other variables, especially what else you are sleeping in or on ( like pads), but you can find all of that elsewhere. But if you are an average Joe, I think any 40F UQ sold by the guys at HF can easily keep you warm to 40F, assuming you have everything adjusted correctly, have adequate top and head insulation, and all is dry, and the wind is blocked, and you are not going to bed already cold and hungry and exhausted, etc etc. For example, there is a current thread where 2 folks have chimed in to describe how they have slept in their 30F rated AHE New Rivers at zero to 10F and been fine. But I bet you my wife couldn't do that, she would be vary lucky to get to the rated temp! I may be way off, but seems like most of the women I have known have been way more cold natured than most guys I have known. No doubt there are many exceptions to that.

As for synthetic vs down in wet conditions, there are endless debates on that which you can find in a search. There are even a couple of current threads on that, like "Synthetic Love" by OldGringo. And many others.