Top Quilt vs. Sleeping Bag

[mr tickle]

Hanging in the air, you now have to deal with convection. The cool air moving beneath you, something that doesn't come up with sleeping on the ground. That is why a sleeping bag won't keep your backside warm alone. It's not so much the compressing of the insulation, because that happens on the ground to, but that's what a pad is for.

Hi, i don't mean to pick at you with this and i may have misinterpreted you on point 2

1) Convection happens regardless of being in the air or on the ground, it is not exclusive to air movement hence camping matts for anything but fair weather camping on the ground. You might get into autumn without one if you have a sleeping bag with an insane rating here in the uk, but that's optimistic really.
2) The compressed insulation absolutely is the issue, that's why the under quilt being under the hammock works in the first place. If it wasn't compressed you wouldn't feel the air flow.

Take care

[bhinson]

I use a sleeping bag as a TQ with a pad and poncho liner under me
And stayed nice an warm all night

[Mountnman]

Thanks for the replies everyone!

I have a sleeping pad that I use. https://www.bigagnes.com/Products/De...sulatedAirCore

With that, should I still be good with just a sleeping bag for a while, or should I still start looking into getting an under quilt? The pad does great on the ground but I have no idea how well it will do in the air. On a plus not my sleeping bag has clips that attach to the pad to help keep it from moving around.

I started out using Big A sleeping bags and pads. They are the best to use in my opinion due to being able to slip the pad into the bag and it stays in place. One thing I would suggest is to not inflate your pad to its max. I used to fill about half way and that would help keep it from sliding around. Have fun!!

[fallkniven]

Hi, i don't mean to pick at you with this and i may have misinterpreted you on point 2

1) Convection happens regardless of being in the air or on the ground, it is not exclusive to air movement hence camping matts for anything but fair weather camping on the ground. You might get into autumn without one if you have a sleeping bag with an insane rating here in the uk, but that's optimistic really.
2) The compressed insulation absolutely is the issue, that's why the under quilt being under the hammock works in the first place. If it wasn't compressed you wouldn't feel the air flow.

Take care

When your on the ground, the heat loss from the ground is conduction, convection is the cool moving air beneath you. A little different.
Plus I wrote that it's not so much the insulation compression since it also happens sleeping on the ground, it's the pad that replaces the uq on the ground. Of course compression is an issue, otherwise you wouldn't need a pad on the ground, I was trying to point out in the air, it's not your only concern. On the ground if your shoulder slides off your mat a bit, you don't notice, but you will in a hammock...

Happy Hanging

[Take-a-knee]

On top of the compression issues there is always the issue of getting into the darn thing in the hammock. It isn't as easy getting into it on the ground.

If you prefer a bag over a quilt, then the Feathered Friends Rock Wren is your huckleberry. My Wren is about six ounces heavier than my JRB Sierra Sniveler, but you need a JRB Hood to push the Sniveler to its low limit, that'll add two ounces, but you might need the hood anyway for camp. You'll need an underquilt or a pad in any event, as already noted.

For the tentative hammocker, I'd reccomend a FF Wren bag, make yourself an SPE from Just Jeff's plans, and use the thermarest you probably already own. If you buy a used hennessy Expedition cheap off of fleabay, and decide hammocking isn't your thing, just resell the hammock and you're left with a good ground sleeping kit.

[vtrek]

I use a WM Caribou for my 3-season hanging. It only weighs 1 lb 5.9 ounces and has a rating of 35. (A little heavier than a comparable tq but not enough to bother me. Besides I got a great deal [$115] on this on an EMS clearance rack and "real" tq are much more money). Anyway, I just leave the bottom 15" zipped and then use the bag as a quilt. It works great and I still have a sleeping bag if for some weird unknown reason I ever need one.

[K0m4]

I started out using a sleeping bag. Works perfectly fine, especially if you don't zip it up but rather employ it as a TQ.

But I certainly don't regret getting a TQ - it shaved off a lot of weight and bulk.

[fallkniven]

I think those quilts are great for moderate weather. But when it gets into the negatives, been fully wrapped in a bag is quite nice....

[Passinthru]

I think those quilts are great for moderate weather. But when it gets into the negatives, been fully wrapped in a bag is quite nice....

I agree - in cooler temps I tuck the edges of my Topquilt under me anyway. Even if it doesn't provide any (or much) insulation under me it seals off any transfer of cold in or heat out. When it gets cold I go with the sleeping bag.

[Boston]

I like to "spread out" a bit, and bend my knee's up when I lay in a hammock. With a top quilt I have lots of problems with drafts by my knee's. So in colder weather I typically will get in my sleeping bag. It's a PIA, but better than being cold.