Upper limit for 0* UQ

[OCDave]

If you can only afford one quilt set, go with one that covers your coldest expected temperature. If you get too warm, stick a leg out, sleep on top, vent it, or whatever...

The point I was trying to make is that this ^^^ is terrible advice. If you can afford only one quilt, it should be an underquilt that serves the widest temperature range in which YOU will most frequently hang your hammock. Choosing a 0* quilt because you want to winter camp 3 times a year is unwise if you will be camping most of the weekends April through October. This would be especially true if you're planning to take your gear on more than a few backpacking trips. Biggest is NOT alway best.

[Singingcrowsings]

OK I just received my HG 0* Incubator in time for the nighttime temps to go up to the mid 50's. I have an Arrowhead New River 3 season that I would normally use but I'd really like to try out the new Incubator. The volume of the two seem about the same. So, I have slept on the ground in these temps and if I got too warm I just opened my sleeping bag to vent. I never thought that I was hot because the ground was holding my heat in. Shouldn't I be able to do the same by venting my TQ and then maybe loosening up the suspension a little on the Incubator?

I've used my 0˚F UQ indoors at 50˚F No problem. It sits about 3" below me (vented) and keeps me quite comfortable, even in a Mayan hammock. You'll be fine with your 0˚F. And as said, only you know what you really need. I got my 0˚F knowing I rarely go out in the deep summer, but I end up outside in the later fall and early spring, and the only thing that had held me back from going out when there was snow was my lack of cold weather gear. So I got the 0˚F thinking the coldest I'd go out in is 10˚F and the 0˚F gave me that 10˚F cushion SilvrSurfr speaks about. So I think of it as my "3 season" UQ, only the opposite 3 seasons as other people think.

[Kyle L]

Like the others said above I have taken my 0deg Incubator to around 70-73 degrees and was fine but I didn't have any top insulation, I actually got chilled around 3 in the morning when the temps dropped to around 60deg and threw the quilt liner I had over me, Im a very cold sleeper so the 0 works out great for me!

[Bike-N-Hike]

I've used my 0dF +2oz HG Incubator when daytime temps were in the low 90's. I had a 0dF +2oz HG Burrow TQ in the mix. The TQ was way to hot but I managed fine with the UQ, The night time temps dipped to around 60df for a low. I pretty much just kicked the TQ off of myself until the temps dropped to a low enough point. The restricted airflow caused by the integrated bug netting definitely helped to overheat me at the start of the night.

[bdaabat]

Hi Paul. Congratulations on your new UQ!!! HammockGear stuff is really, really nice.

As you can tell by the responses here, different set ups work for different people. The good news is that now you have some cool gear you get to try out! The bad news is...well...there really isn't any bad news.

Look at it this way: The worst thing that could happen if you choose to pack the 0* UQ is... you need to adjust it to vent some excess heat. That's pretty easy... In fact, sometimes if I don't have my UQ set up correctly, it will auto-adjust for me in the middle of the night. If you vent too much and start to get nippy, no worries, just reach over an pull it back into place or cinch it up a bit more.

NOTE: Please remember that you're no longer going to be sleeping on the ground and you're going to be camping!! Life is pretty durn good.

Have fun on the trail!
Bruce

[Captain Paul]

I've been hammocking for a couple years. I have a 3 season Arrowhead New River with which I am comfortable down to around 30*. If I got into my mummy bag I was comfortable down to 20*. But I've really been trying to reduce weight and volume. So I gave up the -5* mummy bag and got my 0*+3 Burrow. Then, I ordered the 0* Incubator to match it. And I'd just really like to try it out. Which I may do in the woods behind my house one night. However, this debate for me is now largely a moot point. I just ordered a 40*+1 Incubator to hopefully arrive in time for a trip I have in a couple weeks.

[WalksIn2Trees]

The point I was trying to make is that this ^^^ is terrible advice. If you can afford only one quilt, it should be an underquilt that serves the widest temperature range in which YOU will most frequently hang your hammock. Choosing a 0* quilt because you want to winter camp 3 times a year is unwise if you will be camping most of the weekends April through October. This would be especially true if you're planning to take your gear on more than a few backpacking trips. Biggest is NOT alway best.

Pretty sure surviving the lowest temp is more important especially if it only happens to you once. Carry on...

[Toxic]

Living in canada It is always better to sweat than freeze..you can always vent from the top or let the UQ hang lower..The only real issue is weight..I am in the debating process now on whether a climasheild 10 diy kit from rip stop by the roll will be enough to keep me warm enough for my winter treks..in the summer a poncho liner will easily make the cut here..

[nrjones502]

As far as temps go, I use a 10* F cushion. If the overnight low is 30* F, I'll take the 20* Phoenix. If the overnight low is 20* F, the 0* Incubator comes along, and if the overnight low is 50* F or higher, then I take the 40* Phoenix.

A 40* Phoenix weighs 11.37 ounces, whereas a 0* Incubator weighs 26.4 ounces. If daytime highs are in the 90s, the last thing I want to carry is an extra pound of under-insulation. Here in New Jersey, I use my 20* Phoenix and Burrow most of the time, because that's what the temps dictate. However, if I can get away with less insulation, I certainly will, and if I need more, I have that too.

This weekend I went out to the NJ Pine Barrens, a place that's notorious for rapidly dropping temperatures because the sandy soil just doesn't hold moisture well, doesn't hold heat well, and is isolated enough that there are no weather stations that can give an accurate reading. The Weather Channel told me I could expect overnight lows of 29* F or so, but I knew exactly what that meant: temps could be colder. Luckily, I brought my 0* quilts, because it hit 23* F, and I'd rather not use a 20* Phoenix and Burrow in those temps.

Also, since I'm a 56-year-old hiker (with a rebuilt left knee), I'd rather keep my pack weight down to a minimum. It is truly thrilling to me that I can now hike up to 22 miles in a day because I'm not carrying a bunch of insulation I don't need. Six years ago, I had a 60 lb. pack and couldn't hike more than 8 miles in a day (and it would take several days to recover). It makes a big difference.

_______________________

I am new to the hanging experience and will soon be getting a 20* incubator and replacing my bulky BA stormking with a 0* burrow. I only want to purchase one topquilt, and hope that venting when hot is the best way to go. Do you think a 20/0 combo is doable in the 30-40 range?