Short person in Colorado UQ questions

[Syrrka]

Hi all,

Question 1: As I am only 5 ft tall, will a ¾ UQ work well for me? I think it will because of sleeping on the diagonal, I imagine I will be from corner to corner. Is that how an UQ works?

Question 2: I camp in Colorado where temps can vary wildly. Would a 3 season work best? I camp in the summer.

Qestion 3: I have a DIY tablecloth hammock, 9.5 x 5 ft. I have seen pics of some UQs stay along the side edge of the hammock and others that go up taller than the sides of the hammock. Mind you, I have never seen one in person, just in pictures, so wonder why the reasons in the variance.

Questions 4: I have a Big Agnes sleeping bag and have been using a z-rest pad in the pocket and sewn some little "wings" on the upper sides of the pad pocket to put some CCF in to keep my shoulders warm. i imagine if I get a UQ, I can remove the "wings" on the BA and just use it like a regular sleeping bag with the UQ keeping me warm instead of the z-rest. Is my imagination correct?

I am tired of packing the z-rest on the outside of the pack and having it get all scuffed up and think an UQ will be a good replacement. I am now in a financial position to afford a UQ, which is why I am looking.

Thanks.

[Shug]

Hi all,

Question 1: As I am only 5 ft tall, will a ¾ UQ work well for me? I think it will because of sleeping on the diagonal, I imagine I will be from corner to corner. Is that how an UQ works?

Question 2: I camp in Colorado where temps can vary wildly. Would a 3 season work best? I camp in the summer.

Qestion 3: I have a DIY tablecloth hammock, 9.5 x 5 ft. I have seen pics of some UQs stay along the side edge of the hammock and others that go up taller than the sides of the hammock. Mind you, I have never seen one in person, just in pictures, so wonder why the reasons in the variance.

Questions 4: I have a Big Agnes sleeping bag and have been using a z-rest pad in the pocket and sewn some little "wings" on the upper sides of the pad pocket to put some CCF in to keep my shoulders warm. i imagine if I get a UQ, I can remove the "wings" on the BA and just use it like a regular sleeping bag with the UQ keeping me warm instead of the z-rest. Is my imagination correct?

I am tired of packing the z-rest on the outside of the pack and having it get all scuffed up and think an UQ will be a good replacement. I am now in a financial position to afford a UQ, which is why I am looking.

Thanks.

I think a partial UQ will fit the bill...though they all come in different lengths. Check with the vendors specs.
Go three season for sure...20º
On the side thing again they all vary a bit.
Yep...you could use that BA bag as a quilt.
Carry forth....
Shug

[Syrrka]

Thanks!!!!!

[hutzelbein]

Question 1: As I am only 5 ft tall, will a ¾ UQ work well for me? I think it will because of sleeping on the diagonal, I imagine I will be from corner to corner. Is that how an UQ works?

If you want full-body coverage with a bit of wiggle room, go for an underquilt that is slightly longer than you. I'm 5'4" and my HG Incubator short is 73" long. It covers me perfectly. I still have a couple of inches on both head and foot end that I'm not using, but I wouldn't want it to be a lot shorter, because this means that I would have to pay a lot more attention when hanging it. I also don't want to feel the shock cords on the ends under my feet or head. To some degree you are lying diagonally on the underquilt, but not as much as you might think, since the quilt moves with you. If weight is not super important, go with a slightly longer underquilt if in doubt. Always look at the measurements the manufacturers give on their websites. Quite a few manufacturers also do custom work. Personally, I found the Hammock Gear Incubator to be the lightest full-length underquilt for my size. But shop around.

Question 2: I camp in Colorado where temps can vary wildly. Would a 3 season work best? I camp in the summer.

It depends on what type of sleeper you are. I'm an extremely cold sleeper, and a 20° underquilt will only work down to about 32° for me (and this is with a hot bottle under my legs). You will have to experiment to find what works for you. I would probably start out with a 20° underquilt in your case, and add some insulation (e.g. Reflectix) or an UQP or hammock sock when you expect it to get cold.

Qestion 3: I have a DIY tablecloth hammock, 9.5 x 5 ft. I have seen pics of some UQs stay along the side edge of the hammock and others that go up taller than the sides of the hammock. Mind you, I have never seen one in person, just in pictures, so wonder why the reasons in the variance.

Underquilts come in all sizes. Some people prefer wider underquilts, others more narrower ones. The underquilt will protect you from drafts more than the hammock fabric, so a wider underquilt will give you more protection. Personally, I would rather go with an underquilt that is just wide enough to cover you comfortably and add an underquilt-protector. This will likely give you more protection (from wind and rain) for the weight and money than a huge underquilt. But whatever floats your boat.

Questions 4: I have a Big Agnes sleeping bag and have been using a z-rest pad in the pocket and sewn some little "wings" on the upper sides of the pad pocket to put some CCF in to keep my shoulders warm. i imagine if I get a UQ, I can remove the "wings" on the BA and just use it like a regular sleeping bag with the UQ keeping me warm instead of the z-rest. Is my imagination correct?

You should be able to use any sleeping bag in your hammock. A lot of people here use a top quilt instead of a bag to save weight, but I feel that a sleeping bag is quite a bit warmer because you can zip it closed. I use my sleeping bag zipped open to a blanket when it is very hot; zipped open 3/4 in top quilt mode when it is warm; and closed completely to keep in the warm air when it is cold (or when I'm very exhausted and my body has problems producing enough heat).

[Syrrka]

Thanks! I guess I am a pretty warm sleeper, but with the different altitudes here I want to be ready for pretty much anything. The last camping I did was at 10,000 ft and it was in the high 30's, low 40's that night. The sun came up on the other side of the mountain, so it didn't get warm for a while…lol.
So even with all the ways to strap the UQ onto the hammock, it still moves/shifts around some? In Shugs vid, he just pulled at it to get it in the right position, so I assume most UQ's would be that easy to adjust. Weight is an issue for me, i do like to go as light as possible as it enables me to go further into the wilds, so I think I will get the shorter UQ and wear wool socks if needed. (or heat some water)

[sr1355]

Howdy out in beautiful CO, one of my favorite backpacking destinations. I've put together a few responses to your questions for you.

Questions #1

Our 3/4 Zeppelin is 55" long, on the diagonal this equates to 72" in theory. Now you don't quite sleep on the full diagonal of the quilt so a bit of length will be lost but if you should be well covered. If you side sleep you will have plenty of quilt. FYI, I'm 6'1 and can get full coverage from my shoulders all the way down to my feet with our 3/4 UQ when sleeping on my side with bent knees. My preferred position in the hammock...

Question #2

Having spent many nights in the mountains of CO in all 4S I would recommend a 3S 20* UQ for your intended use of summer. I've been on August trips and seen it get down into the upper 20's many nights in a row. The 20*F will also allow for some spring and fall camping as long as it is not in winter conditions.

Questions #3

Several factors could contribute to this appearance. Most hammocks are wider than UQ, most hammocks are t least 50" wide. Most under quilts are less than 50" wide. What you seeing is probably the result of fabric gathering on the hammock. Personally I prefer the UQ to wrap up over the sides of the hammock and provide protection from the wind and moisture. It also allows for you to move during the night, if we made quilts just as wide as you there would not be much room for shifting positions during the night.

Question #4

Your sleeping bag would work just fine for you with a UQ for bottom insulation. Not quite as easy to use as a TQ in a hammock but it will certainly work. TQ tend to be quite a bit lighter and easier to use in a hammock.

Good luck in your search and let us know if you have any additional questions either here or via PM.

[Syrrka]

Thanks Paul, I do sleep on my side mostly, so that is good to know.

[IRONFISH45]

It looks like there is not anything I am able to contribute, except I would definately go with minimum of 3 season. I live sometimes in the far North of B.C. The weather can change very rapidly, nice weather then in a very short time you are in dangerous conditions. I always make sure my gear will take me through anything I might get into. It is a bit heavier, but my life could depend on my gear, so when I think about it that way a couple of ounces is well worth the weight.

I am a short person also, I finally have gear that fits me, wow, it is great to not be lugging around the extra length on every piece of equipment.

You can not go wrong with the information the other members have shared with you.

[MightyMouse]

I went with a custom-fit 0° Burrow TQ. I sleep cold, and I'm 4'11" most days. My UQ is diy down puffer jackets. Got a custom Camino pack, too...you're right about the difference in having equipment that's my size!

[Syrrka]

thanks for your info. I really appreciate things that fit as well. It makes such a difference.
Ironfish45, Good point about the weather and good gear. We went back-packing/canoeing a lot in northern BC when I was a kid. I know what you mean about the weather changing rapidly.