Stacking underquilts

[matted]

I guess this is as good a place to add this as any... I just got my first under quilt (a 3/4 length 40* Warbonnet Lynx for my Ridgerunner) and must say this is my favourite purchase since buying the RR in the first place! I tried it out for a short hang in my backyard the other day almost exactly at 40* and my butt and back were toasty warm! I'm not sure if UQs always feel this way, or if it's because I lay in it a bunch without a UQ first (and of course had CBS), but I couldn't believe the feeling... it was like sitting in a car seat with heated seats! I've never received that feeling from a mattress or a pad before.

I'm very happy with the warmth provided and I'm sure it will be fine for 3-season use here, as long as I have something (parka, sit pad, water bottle, etc) for my feet when actually down near 40*. I'm sure I could go lower with it, too.

Not trying to hijack the thread; I have a 20* full length UQ coming from Loco Libre sometime in the next few weeks and will be experimenting stacking it with the 40* Lynx, so it will be a similar combination to mozotsters.

[cougarmeat]

Matted, remember when you stack them, do not hang the lower UQ so tight that it compresses the down of the upper UQ. Loft is golden. Also if you add an Under Quilt Protector (UQP) to the RidgeRunner, it will enhance the warm air pocket even more.

That said, it sounds like you are shooting for some winter camping. Some roll with a non-door tarp and UQP. Others figure if they have a tarp with doors, a UQP is unnecessary. As usual, to each her/his own. Belt and suspenders person that I am, I use both.

[matted]

Matted, remember when you stack them, do not hang the lower UQ so tight that it compresses the down of the upper UQ. Loft is golden. Also if you add an Under Quilt Protector (UQP) to the RidgeRunner, it will enhance the warm air pocket even more.

That said, it sounds like you are shooting for some winter camping. Some roll with a non-door tarp and UQP. Others figure if they have a tarp with doors, a UQP is unnecessary. As usual, to each her/his own. Belt and suspenders person that I am, I use both.

Thanks! I am indeed gearing up for some winter camping. Hot tents, heated bathrooms, and my car will all be in walking distance so the stakes are pretty low. The lower UQ will be the 20* Ridge reaper, which has some adjustability unlike the Lynx. With some help I should be able to snug them up against each other without compressing the inner one. I do not have a winter tarp yet, however I did acquire the Spindrift sock which will help some.

Current forecast doesn't show much stray from 20*-40* range so I'm not yet sure if I'll be able to find many limits. At the very least I should be able to test how comfy I am with just the 20* UQ.

[cougarmeat]

With that Spindrift sock and a "normal" tarp you should be pretty snug - especially if you are doubling up on UQ's and you are comfortable with a 40° UQ at 40°. In the winter, at least around here, you get snow, not rain. So my style - and it's just a style, not a religion - isn't so concerned about doors. If I need a wind break, I make a snow wall. Also, if I anticipate a dump of snow or trees are heavily laden. I'd most likely set up the tarp with the continuous ridgeline underneath - better to support the tarp's snow load.

There have been other posts that suggest with a GE, the UQ is more significant. With a Bridge, the TQ deserves more attention. I'm not that refined. I pick what gives me at least a 10° cushion against the coldest expected temperature and, with a winter sock, I'm good to go.

[dakotaross]

...There have been other posts that suggest with a GE, the UQ is more significant. With a Bridge, the TQ deserves more attention...

I have no idea what this means, and so I have to doubt it. Agreed with you on the sock.

[LowTech]

. . . but I couldn't believe the feeling... it was like sitting in a car seat with heated seats! I've never received that feeling from a mattress or a pad before.

Exactly how I feel about good UQs. I've often described it as a full body heating pad.

"Sent w/o me knowing"

[matted]

With that Spindrift sock and a "normal" tarp you should be pretty snug - especially if you are doubling up on UQ's and you are comfortable with a 40° UQ at 40°.

I just had my second hang with the 40* UQ, but this time with a pad under my feet and my 20* bag. Outside temp was 23* plus a fair amount of wind chill. I was quite comfortable inside the spindrift, although my feet needed a little something more, and after 1.5 hours I could feel just the teensiest slight bit of chill in a small spot on my backside. Could have been just a cold spot, but either way I am quite happy with how well the 40* UQ performed. For something I bought "to take the chill off on breezy summer nights" to replace the 3/4 pad I used this summer, I am beyond happy with how well it is performing in conditions far worse than I would ever plan to use it. I am excited to try my 20* UQ when it arrives, and also stacking of course.

While hanging I also realized these bridge hammock UQs should be a snap to also use on my cot when I'm forced to sleep on the ground (family camping, etc).

[cougarmeat]

dakotaross - The post/discussion was about what made the most impact on comfort, the top quilt or the under quilt - which would you want to be warmer? I believe there was some consensus that if you were in a gathered end hammock (GE), the underquilt (UQ) had more impact on comfort and if you were in a Bridge Hammock, the Top Quilt (TQ) was more significant.

That's not to say, in a bridge hammock, you could get away with too light an underquilt if you had a warmer top quilt. It was more in the vein of, "... all things being equal (quilts sufficient for the temperature), if you wanted a little extra, you'd consider a warmer underquilt in a gathered end hammock or a warmer top quilt in a bridge hammock. But it wasn't a comprehensive scientific survey. It was just one of the many discussions on the forum.