Is a zero degree top quilt enough do you think for winter in New Hampshire camping/backpacking?

[tollermama]

Hi all, I want to take advantage of the super sale and get a top quilt for winter. Right now I have a 20 deg top and bottom HG set up and want something for when it gets to zero or a little below. Should I get overfill? I don't want to have to try to stuff 2 top quilts in my pack if the temp is going to get too low. I probably won't be doing tons of really cold camping though. What do you guys think? I already have 2 under quilts so I could stack those if I need to go below zero.

Also when I looked at the website and saw Snug's video I noticed his TQ has vertical baffles. None of the pics I saw of the Burrow have vertical baffles but someone in a review mentioned vertical baffles. Is this something I should consider? Thanks for any info/wisdom you all can impart.

[TrailSlug]

If you are going to camp in sub zero temps then you should get a sub zero rated quilt. My rule of thumb is to only use a quilt rated 10 degrees lower than the temps I will expect or encounter. Sub zero temps are not something you can play with.

[Muddy Creek]

I'm going for a 0° top quilt rather than the -20° to -40° ones that I was seriously considering and opting for quilt layering and warm sleeping clothes. Consider how often you will be using your quilt in sub-zero temps and if you can afford the cost of such a specialized piece of gear. I decided that I can't for the once or twice a year that I will need it. So I will have two top quilts that alone will serve for most of the year and combine them for the occasional winter trip I can make to the Adirondacks. When (if) I ever retire or my work will let me live there again, I'll think about the -40 gear.

I believe there is enough info to be found on this forum to make an educated plan and not be seen as playing with sub-zero temps.

Wayne.

[OneClick]

Good advice Wayne. I have a 0° set that I just have a hard time justifying since the 20° set handles most trips. The 0° Incubator UQ is +1oz and the 0° Burrow TQ is +2oz. You can really tell the difference once you start adding in the down. It doesn't compress very easily and takes up a lot of room. I would have a hard time getting all my gear in my 65L pack if I went with something much puffier.

But I guess if you're out there in -10 or colder, you'll need it. If you're pulling a pulk it won't matter, but I like to plan for backpacking to be safe.

[Grumpy Squatch]

Where and when you are going in NH matters to answer your question. And to clarify, you're asking about a topquilt only? You seem to imply that you don't have a 0° underquilt. I would always get the warmer underquilt first before I added a warmer topquilt. I've often used my 0° UQ and 20° TQ in combination.

If you plan on hanging in far southern NH and can choose your timing around any polar vortices that arrive, you can probably get by with your 20° set. But for anything from the Kank north you will probably want 0° if you plan on hanging between mid November and late April. The low temp tonight in Lincoln is supposed to be 7° and it's not even December yet. Add a couple thousand feet of elevation and lows will be zero for sure. I use a 20° set as my year-round 3-season quilts in NH except for the absolute warmest days in late July and August. I use my 0° frequently between mid November and late April (and even considered it for a cold early June hike this year but ultimately went with the 20). So if you plan on being outside in Dec, Jan, Feb, and March, having a 0° in the arsenal is helpful.

I'm not aware that Hammock Gear makes a standard topquilt with vertical baffles. In this video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PG-0ktBEGk0) Shug talks about a custom Burrow he has from HG and that may explain the non-standard baffles. UGQ makes quilts with vertical baffles in the torso section on both their Renegade and Bandit lines. Both my cold weather topquilts (20° and 0°) are UGQ Renegades and I think the vertical baffles make the quilt drape a bit better and seal off all the air leakage easier.

[Muddy Creek]

I saw earlier today that Hammock Gear has one vertical-baffled top quilt in their "In-stock" section. Prototype Burrow 0 Cobalt Blue 90 / Charcoal Gray 90
http://www.hammockgear.com/prototype...rcoal-gray-90/

Vertical baffles are listed as an "irregularity."

Wayne

[somniferous]

Keep in mind that HG quilts are rated conservatively with some overstuff built in, I'm not sure how much overstuff you can add before it doesn't add any warmth without making the baffles larger. It all depends on what kind of sleeper you are (hot/cold) if the 0 will be warm enough. I've taken my 20 degree TQ with no overstuff down to 15 and stayed toasty in a light base layer. Before I had my 0, I'd stack my 20 and 50 degree quilts, which got me down to 5. For me, if I were out in late winter, I'd take my 0 and 50 and deal with the bulk. You could also add clothing layers to increase the temp rating of the quilt.

I believe that HG can do the vertical baffles if you email them, as long as it's the regular burrow and not the econ series. I don't have any quilts with vertical baffles, but it's supposed to stop down from migrating down the sides. I kinda like being able to shift my down around if needed if my arms get cold.

[OneClick]

I believe that HG can do the vertical baffles if you email them, as long as it's the regular burrow and not the econ series. I don't have any quilts with vertical baffles, but it's supposed to stop down from migrating down the sides. I kinda like being able to shift my down around if needed if my arms get cold.

I've heard this before but I'm not really following. With horizontal baffles, you only have about 3" of vertical movement (width of baffle) for the down to go. So that's easy to shake and distribute. With vertical baffles it seems like you would never be able to control that distribution, having literally 40-45" of vertical space to move. Let's split it in half and call it about 20" for each side. I guess even less since ALL the down would never move that much, but hopefully you get what I'm saying...I'm not sure if I'm making any sense.

[somniferous]

I've heard this before but I'm not really following. With horizontal baffles, you only have about 3" of vertical movement (width of baffle) for the down to go. So that's easy to shake and distribute. With vertical baffles it seems like you would never be able to control that distribution, having literally 40-45" of vertical space to move. Let's split it in half and call it about 20" for each side. I guess even less since ALL the down would never move that much, but hopefully you get what I'm saying...I'm not sure if I'm making any sense.

.

I'm just repeating things I've read since I don't have a quilt with vertical baffles. Some might find being able to shift down towards the head/foot end more useful than from the top to the sides, say someone has cold feet they can move more down to that part of the quilt. I've never really noticed any down movement in my quilts, but I usually make sure to fluff them when I take them out of my pack.

[egrant5329]

I have been out on nights that were supposed to be 10 degrees that ended up being -15. In NH, especially around the Whites, I wouldn't do anything less than a true minus 20 rated system, unless I was close enough to bail out to my car and get warm. If you get strong winds and the weather is worse than expected you may have a miserable night with a -20 rated system.

This stuff happens:
Park Ranger Freezes To Death While Camping
Victim's Body Spotted By Helicopter Crew

FRANCONIA, N.H. -- A New Hampshire park ranger who had been involved in many hiker rescues froze to death while camping in the White Mountains this week.
Authorities say 37-year-old Kenneth Holmes, who lived in Athol, Mass., was reported missing Wednesday. Friends say he was a park ranger at Monadnock State Park.
Holmes' body was spotted by a helicopter crew Thursday in the White Mountains in Franconia.
Temperatures in the mountains Wednesday dropped to minus 44 degrees with a wind chill approaching 100 degrees below zero.
Fish and Game Lieutenant Robert Bryant said Holmes was well-equipped, but that having a tent, stove and good sleeping bag isn't always enough in the extreme cold of this week.