Top quilt or under quilt which is more important to keeping warm

[Secondmouse]

When you split quilt ratings UQ to TQ, its usually no more than 20 degrees. Like others said, you might be able to do it. But here's the thing, and where a lot of folks get into trouble... down is the most efficient at trapping heat. The more clothes you wear, the more you rob down of the heat it needs to trap to insulate most effectively. Trapped heat is an important factor in how down insulates. If the down doesn't have good access to your body heat, its less efficient. Synthetics are a little better in this regard.

So, you could get into trouble trying to make that 40 TQ work at 20 with additional clothes, not only on top, but also on bottom with the zero.

this is a joke right?..

[SilvrSurfr]

this is a joke right?..

I don't think so (though I'm not sure why synthetics would be better). I know that the less clothing I wear, the warmer I am. I always used to have cold feet problems, but now I don't wear socks or booties and have no such problem. The socks or booties just trapped moisture against my feet.

Same with wearing clothes. In all likelihood, whatever clothing you're wearing will not be as efficient as down (and if it's down, it's probably all compressed on the part you're laying on anyway). So you're trapping your body heat from reaching the quilts, which is not particularly good.

[Erayd]

this is a joke right?..

I don't think so (though I'm not sure why synthetics would be better). I know that the less clothing I wear, the warmer I am. I always used to have cold feet problems, but now I don't wear socks or booties and have no such problem. The socks or booties just trapped moisture against my feet.

Same with wearing clothes. In all likelihood, whatever clothing you're wearing will not be as efficient as down (and if it's down, it's probably all compressed on the part you're laying on anyway). So you're trapping your body heat from reaching the quilts, which is not particularly good.

If you're trapping the heat with your clothing, you're trapping it against your body - which is exactly where you want it to be! Whether the down does more or less of the work doesn't matter, the important bit is that you're warm, and your body heat is not excessively lost to the outside air.

Down isn't some magical heat-powered device, it's just thermal insulation which happens to do an excellent job of impeding the movement of heat from one side of your quilt to the other. The down does *not* need to be heated in order to be an effective insulator.

Your point about trapped moisture is a good one - sleeping in soggy clothing is never fun, and if the moisture from your wet clothes ends up in the down (either via wicking through the fabric, or evaporating and re-condensing inside the quilt), it can compromise the down's insulating ability.

[Maytag]

I would definitely get the underquilt first, then the top quilt later. I was in the same spot you are in. And when my wife started hanging with me I got her a uq and gave her my tq and I went back to a sleeping bag until I could get her a new tq. By the way I have a set from hammock gear and a set from UGQ and they are both 0 degrees with 4oz over stuff. We both would not trade out setup for anything. So far I've been down to 4 degrees with a steady wind and been very, very warm. I often worry about my wife getting cold but thank the good Lord above she has stayed warm on all our hangs to date with the coldest hang getting down to 24 degrees with a 30 mph wind most of the night at Raven Cliff Falls in Ga.
Happy Hanging and God Bless

[dakotaross]

...I'm not sure why synthetics would be better...

Just less efficient as down at trapping heated air, so less affected? I just started using a few synthetic quilts after years of using down bags and quilts and don't really have enough experience to say for sure, so just a hypothesis (which is part of the reason I'm trying them).

...Down isn't some magical heat-powered device...

If I had a dollar for every time I've heard something like this in response to what I've written about down insulation. Sorry if you got that impression as I must give it off in some way. Couldn't be further from the truth in what I think about the way down insulates.

Not joking. SS said it. Others along the way have said it. Others along the way have said other things about my mental competence. It is what it is. Its (not just) my story and I'm sticking to it. We don't need to hijack this thread talking any more about it.

[JustinHEMI]

I haven't read the thread yet in order to compare the replies to mine.

I was taught very young that what goes under you is more important than what goes over you as a basic survival truth.

I've personally experienced that truth several times.

That was regarding sleeping on the ground, but I suspect it would be similar for a hammock.

Though, if we were to compare two scenarios where all things were equal, such as temperature and wind speed, but in one you had a top quilt and in the other a bottom quilt, that they might really be pretty similar.

[TiedUp]

knowing that you're a RR connoisseur i want to vote for TQ only if you have an insulated pad otherwise i'm voting for BQ.

You can get a $10 CCF pad from Academy and stay warm on the bottom and still be comfy in that RR and put that hard earned cash towards a TQ.

I must warn though that i do like to play the devil's advocate so i'm not sure you can pay much attention to me.

[WalksIn2Trees]

If it's summer, your just fine with only an UQ... And maybe a light something for early morning and chilly nights
The other 3 seasons though, anything under 60° for a cold sleeper, you want something on top
It can be a sleeping bag if you already own one, but definitely for winter use you want a matching UQ/TQ Set, rated for the conditions you expect to encounter, plus maybe with a safety buffer, or at least a matched sleeping bag.
In early autumn you can get away with adding clothes, preferably a warm base layer, to boost what you have in the event the temps drop a little lower than expected, but winter... Prepare for the worst, and I'd you didn't need it, it's a bonus

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