Talk me into a TQ!

[sodakgrrl]

I have used both. Pretty tuff to get into a sleeping bag in a hammock....

[Amelander]

I watched Shug's video on using sleeping bags in hammocks, his entry technique is very simple.

[OneClick]

Aww man I was expecting an easy sell

I may try a 40° Burrow and see how I like it. I think this is a good start because on warmer nights a large sleeping bag is impossible to get out of the way and cool down.

[thorwren]

Tossers and turners are welcome to request tabs added to the length of the TQ on each side, to accommodate your bungee cord laced in for extra snuggety (no extra charge).

[BigJake]

I also struggle to justify a top quilt. I wouldn't take my hammock out without my Incubator under quilt, but I'm perfectly happy and extremely cozy in my 20* rectangular down bag. I have no problems getting into it, but I only zip it like a top quilt. Like some others, I've thought about a lightweight quilt for summer hanging. We'll see. Good luck with your decision.

[DemostiX]

Aww man I was expecting an easy sell

I may try a 40° Burrow and see how I like it. I think this is a good start because on warmer nights a large sleeping bag is impossible to get out of the way and cool down.

i was comfortable to 25F with an earlier 40F HG Burrow. The one I had was narrower than current, per my measurement. Fill was the same. A balaclava makes a lot of difference with TQs, imo.

Thorwen referred to devices to help you secure the TQ over your body. I'm currently using (in PDX, to 30F) a RAB "top bag" with just 7-8oz of 850 down. I slit the fabric back vertically between the collar and the foot box, so the flaps on both sides of the back which was meant to hold a pad instead act as wings to tuck in.

OTOH, I was comfortable in the same conditions with a 35F WM bag opened to the extended foot-box.

I would not choose to ever struggle, to zip myself full body, into a SB in a hammock.

[Mr.Tattoo]

I think it all depends on what you are wanting to get out of it ...If you are trying to drop weight then a TQ will defiantly cut some weight in your pack. IMO if you are carrying an UQ why carry the extra fabric of a bag? Try using your bag like a TQ Though it will probably be a little larger in width then a true TQ you will see if you like them and you are out of pocket $0 then if you enjoy it by all means buy one.

[Ewker]

A sleeping bag will work for you if you treat it like a quilt. Just unzip it with the zipper on the bottom and crawl in it.

I have A Kelty 45° sleeping bag with a 3/4 zip and it works great in the fall. I also have a Marmot Helium 15° bag with a full zip that works great in the winter time.

[K0m4]

Hah! I said the same thing, and yet now I have a TQ on order! ) What tipped me over? Well, actually it was getting an UQ and a CF tarp... They shed so much weight from my pack weight, that I started weighing the items I haul. Turns out that my sleeping bag weighs in at 2,1 kg... so I ordered a quilt rated at 20*F with an ounce of overstuff, which will substitute those 2100 grams for about 650-700..

Now I can bring even more fishing gear with me!

[dakotaross]

For those using sleeping bags with UQs, keep in mind that the enclosed sleeping bag is somewhat subversive to what the UQ offers. In theory, the UQ and TQ are like a sleeping bag with you and the hammock in between. So, if you've got a nice, expensive UQ, definitely drape the sleeping bag so that you're lying directly on the UQ. Otherwise, you're adding another layer, however "crushed" it might be, between you and the efficient insulating properties of the UQ.

Keep in mind that its your body heat that makes these things work. An enclosed sleeping bag is designed to trap that heat, the same heat that is supposed to be making the UQ cozy for you.