Sleeping bag as top quilt query

[magic354]

But of a funny one this, didn't know where to post it in the Top or Bottom Insulation sections.

Basically, I've seen this Kelty Trail Logic SB20 sleeping bag (rated to, you guessed it! 20 degrees) reduced from £280 to £95 on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Kelty-TraiLo...rds=kelty+sb20

My old synthetic bag is completely battered and needs replacing anyway, but I was thinking about splashing out on this as its fairly well priced for a down bag, and then using it with a pad for three season hammocking.

But I would also like to do more four season camping and I am not sure if I am better off investing in an under quilt instead and using my old synthetic bag with it (rated to 40 degrees).

So my question to you is do you think with a CCF pad and a Reflextix roll under me, with this sleeping bag as a top quilt, that I will be warm for winter camping in the UK (Temperatures just below freezing)?

[jerhangin11]

I think you could make it work...... I did it for months that way. In fact I've tried all kinds of different ways to stay warm in the hammock with similar temps. That being said I have never slept better than when I invested in a full length underquilt. If my math is right it would be about £30-40 more to get an underquilt that I think will serve you better in the long run if you are going to continue hammocking

[SilvrSurfr]

I used a 0* Fahrenheit bag with a ccf pad for two years. I took it down to 22* Fahrenheit and was warm. However, I had a lot of condensation. If it were me, I would stick with synthetic insulation when using a pad because I haven't found a way to stop the condensation. Synthetic performs much better with condensation than down. Just saying.

[magic354]

Hmmm, perhaps it would seem the famous under quilt/top quilt method is the way to go... Thank you for the reply guys!

[Mick3y]

I made a TQ and UQ from 32* bags. Fairly easy project and they worked very well. I had them out this past weekend with lows around 40* and was plenty warm. A little too warm at times actually.

[Apeman1470]

I used a newly acquired UQ and down bag combo on a hike last December. Temps got into the single digits (in Fahrenheit). I was a happy camper.

[Redblockman]

If you want to go the quilt route you might want to talk to Mat from Ukhammocks.co.uk, I think you find he builts good stuff and you end up paying less taxes and shipping and investing more really into gear. For instance the to name a popular one I would pay 50% more for an HG incubator 20 compared to a 5 degree from Mat. I don't know if import duties and taxes are very different for you in the UK but that's the situation in the Netherlands.

For those who are interested a 250 dollar purchase from the US comes to about 410 dollars after shipping and taxes! The afforementioned UKHammocks quilt would come to about 280 dollars. So yess we are hit very hard by shipping and taxes if we want some gear of all those small manufacturors in the US.