Top Quilt Yes or No?

**TrailSlug** · 09-02-2016, 16:30

Top quilt - a definite yes. Especially if you do not want the extra weight trying to substitute for a top quilt.

**Carbon** · 09-02-2016, 16:37

You can always hack that sleeping bag of your's and that'll get rid of some weight and bulk.

**esheato** · 09-02-2016, 18:24

UQ, yes. TQ, not right now and probably never.

I have a mummy sleeping bag, and I hate to say it in this group, but it works just dang fine. It doesn't fully unzip so it essentially has a footbox. Why spend the money on a dedicated piece of kit when the bag is the same thing?

EDIT: I car camp, and only do it a few times a year. I purchased the UQ because I saw no easy way to create one, and my butt was freezing cold. The price still chaps my hide when I think about it.

**KiwiMark** · 09-10-2016, 00:52

I have an Incubator 20 which I really love, but my down sleeping bag that I use as a top quilt is way too warm for the warmer weather coming up (just coming into spring this side of the world). My poncho liner is OK but does not pack very small and I need to get everything on to the motorbike. I'm currently looking at buying a Burrow 50 for the warm weather and I'll continue to use my warm down sleeping bag for the cold weather. I'm also thinking about buying an Incubator 40 for the warm weather.

I could buy a cheap sleeping bag for summer, but if I'm buying new stuff I might as well just go to the top quilt.

**mahaney** · 09-10-2016, 07:24

Originally Posted by esheato

UQ, yes. TQ, not right now and probably never.

I have a mummy sleeping bag, and I hate to say it in this group, but it works just dang fine. It doesn't fully unzip so it essentially has a footbox. Why spend the money on a dedicated piece of kit when the bag is the same thing?

EDIT: I car camp, and only do it a few times a year. I purchased the UQ because I saw no easy way to create one, and my butt was freezing cold. The price still chaps my hide when I think about it.

In all reality, I think that price of most dedicated hammock gear is what keeps more people away from this money pit of elevated bliss! Decent UQ/TQ are expensive, upgrading suspensions can be expensive, hell even the hammock themselves can get pretty pricey.

But I can't lie, I do love me some hammocking!!And I used my issued sleeping bag for a long time until I could scrape together the cash for a down top quilt to save some space.

J

**Chemguy** · 09-10-2016, 08:59

I bought an underquilt, and am about to start using it now that Fall is on its way. I was going to wait on top insulation, but then came across a good deal on a Marmot Aspen 55 for $30. (I think that they have renamed the line, hence the sale) It weighs about 25 oz, but it packs down well and should work well combination with the underquilt for the early Fall. I took a look at the zippers before buying to make sure that they didn't have any sharp edges or corners that could poke a hole in a hammock under tension. That may be one of the significant and important differences between using a quilt and a sleeping bag. The bag I bought, at least, has nicely rounded edges on all metal/plastic parts. I still intend to keep a true underquilt on my wish list, but for now will use a bag.

**Shug** · 09-10-2016, 09:04

TQs save you a little bit of weight and work real good in a hammock. Sleeping bags work just fine though and can be used as aTQ without zipping all the way up. Or you can zip if that is too your liking.
Shug

**Firesong** · 09-10-2016, 09:25

I agree with watching the zipper tabs on the sliders. You can remove that metal flapper and put a line tab on it. That way they won't score your hammock fabric. I agree you can and should use whatever you like. Sleeping bags are great!