Personal observations on UQ

[mattowen]

Everyone, I am currently in the market for a 0 degree UQ. Until now I have been a fair weather hanger. I am looking into expanding my availability for when I can go for a hike. Which one do you think is better and why? There are so many different types at a wide range of prices. I was looking at JRB, EMO, and HG primarily. What other ones might be a good option? I am in a HH explorer deluxe zip, so any of the standard UQs should work. I don't have to worry about the vaginal type (that is what I call it) opening. I am looking for a full length since I am 6' 4". Thanks.

[varga49]

No coincidence here. I've got the same hammock and have been looking at UQ's 0 degree in particular until my head hurts. Looking forward to some responses here.

[Shug]

They are all worthy. Decide if you want partial or full length. Down or synthetic. What grade of down. Pay attention to lengths and widths. Also UQ suspensions. Check the specs on all the vendors. Color choices. Some offer that and some do not.
Also make sure to learn how to use it properly.
Used to be easy....nowadays there are many more choices.
Carry Forth.
UQ intel....https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...mBYSPGHjdyGqsL
Shug

[mattowen]

Sorry, here is more info. I am looking for full length, down filled. Color not that important. Thanks for the link to your videos Shug. You have a new subscriber.

[hutzelbein]

As Shug said, pretty much all cottage gear underquilt makers make a good product. It comes down to personal preference. If you don't have the opportunity to try out different brands before you buy, the best way to go about it is to compare manufacturer's specs. Down quality is important - a good underquilt should be filled with 800FP down and up. I wouldn't bother with 700FP or 750FP down, unless I don't have to carry the quilt and/or the price is considerably lower than quilts filled with higher quality down.

If weight is important to you, not only higher fillpower down makes a difference, but also shell fabrics and design. Most specs list overall weight as well as fill weight. If you substract the fill weight from the overall weight, you know what the shell weighs. Of course, lighter fabrics need to be taken care of a bit better. If you are rough on your gear, rather pick a quilt with a stronger fabric (e.g. Argon 90 instead of Argon 67).

Other than that, check the suspension. Afaik only Hammock Gear and Undergroundquilts offer a secondary suspension - which I find crucial to consistently avoid CBS. I upgraded all of my underquilts with a secondary suspension, but it's a bit of work and owning a sewing machine helps.

You probably already looked at length, width and color options.

If you have narrowed it down to only a couple of quilts that fulfill all your criteria, simply pick the cheapest one. Or whichever appeals to you most.

For what it's worth: I'm very happy with my HG underquilts and would buy them again.

[MattK]

I suggest taking a look at Enlightened Equipment. I have been nothing but impressed with their gear.

[OneClick]

I'm sure they're all great. Most people are going to recommend what they like and use. For me, that's the full length Hammockgear Incubator.

I've had a 40°, 20° and 0°. At first I had a little trouble getting the 0° set up just right, but then I realized it was MUCH looser than my 20° straight from the manufacturer, so I had to really crank it tight. Plus, any error in adjustment is going to be MUCH more noticeable at, let's say, 12° compared to 50°.

[Levi Tate]

As Shug said, pretty much all cottage gear underquilt makers make a good product. It comes down to personal preference.

Other than that, check the suspension. Afaik only Hammock Gear and Undergroundquilts offer a secondary suspension - which I find crucial to consistently avoid CBS.

I believe Loco Libre Gear also offers secondary suspension. You should check out their quilts too.

[hutzelbein]

I believe Loco Libre Gear also offers secondary suspension. You should check out their quilts too.

Reading through the description, it seems they do. I'm always surprised to see that manufacturers don't highlight features better. It would make it easier to pick the right underquilt. Still, the Loco Libre Long Hot 850FP costs a bit more than the Incubator, and it's a bit heavier, too. On paper, the Incubator looks better to me. But that depends on your priorities. The diagonal baffles definitely look interesting.

[mattowen]

Wow, there are a lot of different manufacturers!!!! I thought that there were only a few. So here is a list of UQ manufacturers that I have heard of so far.

Hennessey
EMO
Jack R Better
Loco Libre
Undergroundquilts
Hammock Gear
Warbonnet
underquilts.com
Enlightened Equipment

Now my head hurts. I am looking for a good out of the box UQ. I am not very crafty yet modding any of my gear. I thought this was going to be an easy questions. Now my decision is even harder. CRAP!!