The SLD Trail Winder UQ wiht modular insulation is awesome!

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02-28-2022, 10:31
jakev383

The SLD Trail Winder UQ wiht modular insulation is awesome!

Just wanted to post about this and share my experiences - I bought the Simply Light Designs Trail Winder underquilt with the modular insulation back in October of 2021 for use with my Dutchware Chameleon hammock. Since then I've gotten almost a dozen hangs in with it. I purchased mine with 3.6oz of Climashield and the additional insulation was also 3.6oz Climashield. This combination would cover 99.5% of what I camp in (20*F - 85*F).

Having the ability to add or remove a small insulation piece from my underquilt is a fantastic idea in my opinion. Now I have one underquilt that I can use all year (for me anyway). Warm weather? No problem, just use the underquilt with the built-in 3.6oz insulation. Super warm weather? Just leave the UQ at home or in the bag. Going to be colder? Simply snap in the additional insulation pad and you're good to go.
I'll caveat this with the fact that I do not camp in anything REALLY cold.
The majority of my hangs using this underquilt have been in 50*F - 75*F weather. Using just the underquilt without the extra insulation suited me fine in these temps. I have 3 trips in where the weather was in the low 30's and upper 20's where I used the additional insulation. It kept me nice and warm all night.

Setup is easy - it's two carabiners which clip to the ends of the gathered end hammock, and an adjustable shock cord in the middle side to cinch it up to your hammock. A total of 15min of adjustment, with the majority of that explaining to my wife where to tighten the underquilt as I was laying in it. Done and good to go!

All in all, I do not have anything bad to say about this underquilt which were not self-inflicted. If I had to do it over again, I would have chosen a different color - mine matches my hammock, so it's hard to tell the different layers apart when they're set up. The only other wish-list would be for a few more choices in the modular insulation - I'd have liked to have a 5oz option for the modular insulation.

If you're thinking of getting this underquilt I would highly recommend it. If you have any questions about my experience, let me know!
02-28-2022, 11:12
Salt

Thanks for the review. Currently torn between making and buying a UQ. Kinda on a down kick due to weight/bulk. Were these concerns for you and if so, do you think synth is decent enough these days to accomidate?
02-28-2022, 14:14
Saltfly

I’ve been using the trail winder for a couple years and they are the only UQ I use with my end gathered hammocks. I have 3 in total. I wish Jared would of had this modification when I was buying mine.

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02-28-2022, 14:52
chromedome

Quote:

Originally Posted by Saltfly

I’ve been using the trail winder for a couple years and they are the only UQ I use with my end gathered hammocks. I have 3 in total. I wish Jared would of had this modification when I was buying mine.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I have an older version of the Trail Winder too. I have a 40 degree that I just sent back today to get it modified to the modular system. Looking forward to this being the only quilt i need.
02-28-2022, 15:29
jakev383

Quote:

Originally Posted by Salt

Thanks for the review. Currently torn between making and buying a UQ. Kinda on a down kick due to weight/bulk. Were these concerns for you and if so, do you think synth is decent enough these days to accomidate?

I'd say my underquilt with the modular insulation added is about as bulky as my 20*F topquilt when in a compression sack. Maybe a tad more compressible. Without the modular insulation it does pack even smaller. Obviously not as compressible as a down one, but since the insulation only covers where your body is it makes up for the "uncompressability". Warmth wise, it fit within what I was expecting - I think I hit 26* a couple of weeks ago and my backside stayed warm. I think math-wise the 3.6+3.6 should be good down to 14* or so, but I usually try and stay 10* above what the rating is.
Weight is not a large concern for me - I usually take my kids and we do not usually hike more than a mile. Since my kids are younger I usually carry the food for all 3 of us, plus an extra blanket in case one of them gets cold. A few ounces either way would not be a noticeable difference in my particular case.
02-28-2022, 15:33
jakev383

Quote:

Originally Posted by chromedome

I have an older version of the Trail Winder too. I have a 40 degree that I just sent back today to get it modified to the modular system. Looking forward to this being the only quilt i need.

I was getting ready to reply that I think they offer retrofitting the older ones :) Good to know that is the case! Jared is pretty darn awesome to deal with. Awesome enough that I wish he sold other things I could purchase from him.
02-28-2022, 16:21
rweb82

Quote:

Originally Posted by Salt

Thanks for the review. Currently torn between making and buying a UQ. Kinda on a down kick due to weight/bulk. Were these concerns for you and if so, do you think synth is decent enough these days to accomidate?

The interesting thing about the Trail Winder (in the 3.6oz w/ Argon 90 configuration) is that it's only 16oz for a full-length 40° UQ. That is essentially the same weight as a full-length 40° Incubator from Hammock Gear. The bulk is just about equal as well. This is due to the TW only having insulation along where you lay. Of course, the weight/bulk gap between synthetic and down widens pretty dramatically as you go lower on the temp rating. That said, I've been extremely happy with my TW, and it's weight and packability is excellent.
02-28-2022, 18:56
Salt

Thanks for that info! I'm also starting to shop for a hammock upgrade and the Trail Lair is appealing due to the larger viewing angle. Would be nice to not have to worry about fit by getting a UQ at the same time... Apparently I need to start a thread about this upcoming shopping list :lol:
02-28-2022, 19:54
jakev383

Quote:

Originally Posted by Salt

Thanks for that info! I'm also starting to shop for a hammock upgrade and the Trail Lair is appealing due to the larger viewing angle. Would be nice to not have to worry about fit by getting a UQ at the same time... Apparently I need to start a thread about this upcoming shopping list :lol:

I believe Jared at Simply Light Designs may be able to add attachment points for his hammocks to his underquilt if you contact him (I'd guess for an additional charge). I mentioned this to him when I was going to add one or two to mate up to my Chameleon hammock and he said it was not a standard option he offers and he would only be able to do it for his hammocks. This would eliminate any possibility of it slipping out of place. I did this because I chose a color that was the same as my hammock and I was worried about accidentally sitting into the underquilt instead of my actual hammock. I've actually not even used the loops I added for the last 3 trips since I'm more confident with the setup, and more importantly, more confident when getting back into it after a late-night trip to a nearby tree.