New River Long first impression from the field

**gnosticmoron** · 02-12-2015, 21:03

I hauled my new KAQ New River Long 3S UQ on a Black Creek basin backpacking trip for the first time this past weekend. (Same trip from my similarly titled post about my top quilt. I just now got around to jotting down these thoughts.)

I've never laid eyes on an UQ aside from the internet prior to this but was able to get everything up & adjusted stupidly fast. It and my TQ consumed the vast majority of a typically overkill 65 liter pack but added probably 3-4 lbs combined for all that.

I was with a couple of grounders and made sure they got to taste the comfort by saying I needed someone to climb in the hammock so I could adjust the fiddly bits® at the ends for a good fit. Then I let them arrange their tents around the cypress stumps as best they could and wept a single tear for the one guy who didn't bring long johns. But I digress.

In this creek basin, every night it gets seriously cold and wet by around 3 am, even in the summer. And this was February. Forecast predicted mid to upper 40s and 97% humidity in the real world, so where we were it got a mite chilly. All our crap was drenched in condensation.

Through it all I was generally pretty cozy. I could barely tell a little difference in the temp of my rear and my the rest of my burrito, but nothing I would call discomfort.

I'm planning on doing a lot of trail stomping this spring, and I'll take this on every trip.

**mrh_on** · 02-12-2015, 21:20

lol I like your descriptions. Very colorful

I've been ground dwelling for my whole life and have a friend who likes to rub it my nose about his hanging fortress of comfort. Luckily I will be joining the ranks of hangers this year so I can escape the roots and stumps and puddles. Just had a look at the specs on that UQ and they look pretty nice. I want one.

**gnosticmoron** · 02-12-2015, 21:27

Originally Posted by mrh_on

lol I like your descriptions. Very colorful

I've been ground dwelling for my whole life and have a friend who likes to rub it my nose about his hanging fortress of comfort. Luckily I will be joining the ranks of hangers this year so I can escape the roots and stumps and puddles. Just had a look at the specs on that UQ and they look pretty nice. I want one.

I've never owned a tent or sleeping bag, although I only tried a hammock just last year when a friend persuaded me to take up backpacking.

When I was younger, I would just haul a big sheet of plastic to the woods and fashion something. Sheet on the ground and my little plastic heat bubble, and I was good even with ice forming across the lake.

Too old for that nonsense now, and no interest in lying down on the earth. Slopes, knots, critters...

I've long suspected we should never have come down from the trees to begin with!

**okhike** · 02-12-2015, 21:51

I'm glad you like yours. Sure does beat a tent and pad

I just got my new 3s jabridge in from arrowhead. I'm looking forward to trying it.

**gnosticmoron** · 02-12-2015, 21:53

Originally Posted by okhike

I'm glad you like yours. Sure does beat a tent and pad

I just got my new 3s jabridge in from arrowhead. I'm looking forward to trying it.

Come back and tell tall tales when you do!

**Big Sweets** · 02-13-2015, 04:13

What was the TQ that you hauled along? I've brought my New River Long down to 28 degrees and could have easily brought it down to 15 degrees as I am a very warm sleeper. I have yet to pair mine with my new Wilderness Logics 15 degree TQ but have no reason to doubt either.

**gnosticmoron** · 02-13-2015, 08:58

Originally Posted by McBlaster

What was the TQ that you hauled along? I've brought my New River Long down to 28 degrees and could have easily brought it down to 15 degrees as I am a very warm sleeper. I have yet to pair mine with my new Wilderness Logics 15 degree TQ but have no reason to doubt either.

ENO Ignitor, chosen because I could get it in time for a last minute trip, but also because it looked like it would be more useful through more of the Mississippi hot year before I have to stow it until next winter.