So I'm relatively new to hammocking and I enjoy it immensely. I use a WBBB when its buggy, and my ENO DoubleNest when I'm just hanging out (get it? lol) As I've perused the forums, I've noticed a distinct lack of discussion regarding sleeping bags. Are top quilts really that much better or is it just a matter of convenience? I use a 30 degree sleeping bag and I haven't had any issues, but I'm wondering if top quilts are really worth the fuss.
Yes, TQs really are that much better. For just one thing, sleeping bags pretty much only have insulation on top and not underneath, where it wouldn't do much good anyway as it gets crushed.Originally Posted by ierinys
"You can stand tall without standing on someone. You can be a victor without having victims." --Harriet Woods
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I am not really qualified to answer that question fully but I think if you are comfy you can disregard Internet forum taboo.
Sleeping bags have been known to cause at least 14 types of cancer. If you are going to use one in a hammock, unzip it 3/4 of the way and use it like a quilt.
Hang the good hang.
Top quilt = half the weight of the full sleeping bag with the same warmth. As my buddy used to say, if it is light on your bag, it must've been heavy on your wallet.
I currently own a sleeping bag and am doing just fine, but I plan to replace it with a TQ when the time is right. Not so sure yet about replacing my trusted sleeping pad with an UQ (but maybe I'll add a summer-weight 3/4 UQ when I replace sleeping bag for TQ).
Oh they do work nice as a pod, though.
Hang the good hang.
I use a 20* Mountain Hardware mummy bag I've had for about 15 years. It works great. I's a little heavy and doesn't pack as well as some, but it's just a bit older design.
I've looked at newer bags and they aren't cut the same as my older one. The down is evenly distributed in top and bottom parts and the head end isn't as drastically cut as new ones; I hardly notice that it's cut as a mummy bag at all when using it. The zipper doesn't go all the way down either, so there is a foot box even if I were to remove the zipper.
Newer ones are less weight and less bulky, but still cost money and the head ends seem to be cut so if you open it, one side is a lot longer than the other.
Mine works very well and the only reason I even think about getting a TQ is because of bulk and weight. So far, it hasn't justified the cost. But, if i were to get a new TQ, I would definitely get one designed for hammocks and not a bag.
I don't think its a taboo as such. Its just that forums are full of people really into the subject so they tend have all the best gear.
If a sleeping bags works (which it will) then carry on
I used a sleeping bag for quite awhile it worked just fine. The only problem I had was the volume it took up in my pack much more than my H.G burrow. My sleeping bag is a less expensive model weighs like 4 pounds and takes up 2/3 of my pack. If you have a better quality bag I see nothing wrong with using it . You can spend that money elsewhere.
visualize whirled peas.
Sleeping bags work just fine in a hammock. When I first started hammock camping, I had a Western Mountaineering bag that I would just fully unzip and use like a quilt. You don't need the bottom insulation of a bag because it's really useless. Also, I found using it like a quilt made it much easier to use in my hammock. I, like most others here, eventually moved to just a topquilt to save the weight and bulk in my backpack. It just doesn't make sense to carry all of the weight and bulk of a sleeping bag when half of the bag is, in effect, useless to you. As someone else said though, if you already have the bag and it works for you and you don't want to spend the money on a top quilt, carry on using it.
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