Low Temps 25-35, can I survive without an UQ?

[RootCause]

Planning a trip to the Boundary Waters the first week in October. Average low temps for that time of year are around freezing.

My primary bag/pad set-up is a BA Lost Ranger (rated to 15) with the BA self-inflating pad (similar to therm-a-rest) rated to 0.

Will this be enough in a hammock?

YES. I've taken a regular Thermarest Ridgerest CCF pad down to 27*, with a 40* bag as my topquilt. When temps get below freezing, I'm sleeping in longjohns, wool socks, a long-sleeve poly shirt and a long-sleeve fleece shirt.

What takes that combo from comfy to toasty for me: the hot-water Nalgene trick. "Whooooo buddy!", does that ever work great!! (Make sure the lid's on tight, or throw into a ziploc for extra protection...)

-RootCause
PS: I love the BWCA in the fall/late fall. With the leaves off the trees, it's a whole 'nother bioclime....

[Rain Man]

I've been just fine in 5-degree weather without an UQ. I don't own one ... yet.

I used a very good down sleeping bag (not sure, but probably rated below zero), a foam-filled, self-inflating ExPed sleeping pad, a good space blanket under my hammock, and an over-sized pack cover on top of my HH. I think I wore a down hood (off a down jacket) on my head too. I slept in long john top and bottom. I also used the hot-water-filled Nalgene and that works wonders too.

No, you do not need an UQ to be comfy, and that's not a slam against UQs. It's just an answer to your question. Your mileage may vary. Hike your own hike.

Rain Man

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[PDA]

Rainman - "No, you do not need an UQ to be comfy,"
+1
Pad system must be wide enough to wrap around your hips and shoulders. A Thermarst type pad needs "wings" to do this - see SPE - http://www.tothewoods.net/HammockCampingWarm.html
CCF pads are very efficient, inexpensive, waterproof, bomb proof. light. I prefer them to a thermarest type pad.

[Valien]

You might also consider something like "tarp clips" or the like.



Take one of your bigger spare sleeping bags, put some tarp clips on it while it's wide open, and string it under your hammock with some bungee or masons line. Test it in the back yard so you have most of the fiddle factor worked out.

I hate pads.

Great idea.

[Doctari]

My first hang in temps below 50 was at the first Mt Rogers hang, it got to below freezing the nights I was there.
Under me was: a reflective truckers wind screen, a 3/4 length CCF Pad & under the hammock a Fleece blanket hung like a UQ. 2nd & 3rd nights I stayed warm to about 18 degrees (1st night my "UQ" wasn't hung right so I got just a little cold).
As suggested, test at home. IF I had to do it over, as it only got to about 40 at home before the trip, I'd test each component separately. Had I done that, I would have found the flaw in my fleece UQ, Thankfully Pan of Jacks R Better gave me a pointer & I was warm after that. You MAY want to consider making your pad wider shoulders to hips to avoid cold spots, see Ed Spear's pad extender for ideas. After Jack's (Noonish) adjustment of my UQ, (around midnight the 2nd night) I turned my CCF pad sideways to make a T with the windscreen, cause my arms & sides, got cold. Yea, that really helped. I still bring that CCF pad to the hangouts, haven't used it since, but I got it "Just in case".

SO, as posted above, an Underquilt is nice, but not critical. Pads will do the job just fine.