Best underquilt for a Chameleon

**esmith** · 08-29-2017, 10:43

Hi Guy's,

Hoping to get some info on Underquilts.

I am getting a second setup for my wife and we are looking at the Chameleon.

Our concern is the underquilt. Looks like we would have to go with an after market quilt and nothing really looks like it will fit the Chameleon very well.

After market quilts all seem to be like sleeping bags without zippers. This means that no matter the lay of your hammock, you are going to get cocooned into a straight tube dictated by the quilt. The impression I have is that the quilt restricts the ability to properly lay on the diagonal.

I myself went with a Blackbird and Wookie so I don't have this issue although I am limited to only a right handed lay.

One of the features of the Chameleon is the ability to select your position from a four way perspective.

Does anyone know of an underquilt specifically for the Chameleon that would allow the option of the four way lay without being restricted in a tube?

Thanks for any advise any of you can give.

**Wanderlost** · 08-29-2017, 10:45

Actually pretty much any underquilt, save mayber the Wookie, will fit the chameleon just fine. Both my homemade quilts and my Loco Libre quilt fit the Chameleon perfectly.

**bradym77** · 08-29-2017, 10:48

Any of the cottage vendors underquilts would work great. The underquilts use shock cord for their suspension and do not dictate your lay in the hammock.

The Chameleon has quilt clips that you can use on whichever side you lay on to "pull up" the quilt so it will cover your head and feet.

**Burg54** · 08-29-2017, 10:54

I have HG UQs and they fit the Chameleon great. I assume most if not all UQs made for GE hammocks will fit perfectly. In fact, the Chameleon holds an UQ (with its UQ hooks) better than any hammock I have seen/tried. Snug and secure. Its one of the best characteristics of the Chameleon for me.

**Tikker** · 08-29-2017, 10:59

there's nothing especially different about the shape of the chameleon. any underquilt is going to work pretty much just fine on it (yeti style may need some adjustment, but also, maybe not)

**kitsapcowboy** · 08-29-2017, 11:06

Agreed. I'm not quite sure how you came to the conclusion that the Chamelon is hard to fit with underquilts, but that is NOt my experience. (For the record I have three Chameleons and lots of different UQs.)

In addition to various DIY UQs, my Chameleon easily accepts my AHE and UGQ underquilts of varying lengths, even without using the accessory quilt hooks features on the hammock, but my LLG underquilts fit best.

**hutzelbein** · 08-29-2017, 14:14

Originally Posted by esmith

Does anyone know of an underquilt specifically for the Chameleon that would allow the option of the four way lay without being restricted in a tube?

So you're basically looking for a bi-directional Wooki? That doesn't exist (yet). But you could sew one yourself. It would be heavier than any other underquilt, though, because you need to insulate a much larger area. Even if you make the insulated part x-shaped.

**Tikker** · 08-30-2017, 10:54

Bi directional yet diy is simple actually. Just take a rectangular uq and turn it into a hammock itself. Red oleary and others have posted versions of it in the diy section

**hutzelbein** · 08-30-2017, 11:14

Originally Posted by Tikker

Bi directional yet diy is simple actually. Just take a rectangular uq and turn it into a hammock itself. Red oleary and others have posted versions of it in the diy section

That will only work if the underquilt you start out with is at least 57" wide. Even extra wide underquilts are much more narrow. I have tested an insulated hammock that used this concept (from Arbora Hammocks), and if the insulation is centered, both parts of your upper body as well as the lower legs end up in the uninsulated area. Not nice. If you are going down the DIY route and want to make it as easy as possible, simply get a layer of Climashield and sew it on a piece of fabric that has roughly the same dimensions as your hammock. Of course it needs an outer shell as well. But it should still be straight forward. Just be aware that the result will be a lot more bulky and heavy, because you are using almost 1/3 more insulation than you normally would.

**esmith** · 08-30-2017, 12:31

Well, I hear what you are all telling me. I have no reasonable basis for thinking an aftermarket UQ will not fit a Chameleon other than the fact one isn't made specifically for it. I understand this is not necessarily the best line of thinking but I have to start somewhere.

I am a little OCD with my gear. I like everything to look and fit together as if it was made to be one system. A one stop shop appeals to me a lot for this reason. The BB and Wookie I can order from the same manufacturer (Along with a superfly) all in the same colour and it is all sized and fit to work as one unit. I like that. It's not right or wrong, just my preference. I'm going to get the top quilt from Warbonnet to complete the system.

That said. I also want to try other manufacturers gear. The Chameleon really stands out in my mind and appeals to my wife as does The Little Shop of Hammocks Warrior. Now. all of these hammocks have varying shapes yet the under quilts are all rectangles. Am I completely out to lunch to think an under quilt is not necessarily a one size fits all solution?

I hear you guy's suggesting a DIY solution. Sounds simple enough but I have no skill set in that area and it would be an uphill climb from the get go. I'd rather be out hanging than inside slaving over a sewing machine.

I'll keep up the search. Thanks!