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  1. #1

    Adding down to UQ...thoughts?

    Hey everyone. Just wrapped up my AT section hike through Virginia. Took me 35 days, wanted to finish a little quicker but a gnarly shin splint shacked me up a few days in Waynesboro. Anyways, thanks to that, I had a few nights recently where the weather had me feeling a little outgunned in my HG Econ Incubator 30deg. I don’t know exactly how cold it got, but there was some frost in the morning, so it’s possibly that it got just a little below 30. That was the only night I was truly cold, and luckily I slept plenty before that final cold hit around 4AM. Anyways, I was thinking about my next move for insulation. I sleep warm enough that I feel confident in my 30deg TQ to keep me warm on the top side, especially if I layer up. But on the bottom end, I’m debating whether it’s worth it to add an ounce of down or two, or just swap the 30deg for a 20deg. I will probably get a 0deg for any actual winter stuff, but I would love to have just one UQ for anything in the spring/fall. $8/oz plus shipping seems really reasonable for some overfill from HG, but can anyone say that really boosted their comfort level when temps are nearing/pushing the rating of their UQ? Thanks in advance guys. I’ll be posting more questions that arose on this trip as I recall them!

  2. #2
    FLTurtle's Avatar
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    Swap the 30 for a 20. The baffle heights are different, so if you added down to the 30 to equal the weight in a 20 it won't loft as well as the 20. HG says the overstuff is to help with down migration, not to change the temp rating.

    Does Overfill Change the Temperature Rating?

    Yes and no. We cannot accurately predict how much each ounce of overfill will affect you, since we all sleep differently. Since overfill doesn't change the fixed loft of our quilts, we will say that it does not increase the temp rating of your quilt; however, it does have its uses as outlined above.

  3. #3
    Thanks. Yeah I had seen that on their site, but then they had also mentioned to me directly that overfill could help with cold despite not adding the loft, so I just figured I’d ask folks who aren’t speaking in the interest of the company. Definitely wish I went 20deg, but you live and learn!

  4. #4
    Senior Member Otter1's Avatar
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    There's a good market for Incubators - sell yours & buy the 20. Getting 1oz overfill is the max I would do.

  5. #5
    Quote Originally Posted by Otter1 View Post
    There's a good market for Incubators - sell yours & buy the 20. Getting 1oz overfill is the max I would do.
    Yeah, I was thinking that will be my endgame. The 30 seems like an oddball rating.

  6. #6
    FLTurtle's Avatar
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    30F would work for a lot of the folks in the south. I can get away with the 40F stuff here in Florida pretty much thru all winter, except maybe for a few weeks in late Jan/early Feb. I was pushing my 40F set last week in NC. Was okay for most of the sites except for one where we had to go lower in elevation and close to a stream. Woke up around 4am with cold legs and feet. Got up and zipped on the pant legs and put on socks. Was ok after that. Next time, I won't loan out my 20F set.

  7. #7
    I think I’m gonna try my luck with a 20deg Phoenix. Been debating adding a CCF sitpad to my pack for some time anyways. Probably wouldn’t save any weight compared to now, but would cover my needs and potentially be more versatile if I needed to go to ground.

  8. #8
    Senior Member Rusty Shackelford's Avatar
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    The temperature gain would be minimal and not what you're looking for, you would need thicker baffles to achieve a higher R-value. Adding overstuff to a properly filled baffle should just start to compress the existing loft and not create more. Overfill helps with migration and maintaining loft longer by helping to fight down compression over time, it may also help in prolonged wet/humid conditions by reducing compression from moisture but I can't be certain about that one.
    Last edited by Rusty Shackelford; 10-21-2020 at 14:58.

  9. #9
    cougarmeat's Avatar
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    Another thread talks about combining a pad with an UQ to extend the UQ’s range. Not only does that save on buying a warmer UQ, it also give you a Go-to-Ground option if you end up without suitable trees. When I kayak camp, I always bring a pad because I may end up camping on a beach or open field. But in a Kayak, weight/bulk is not an issue.

    You might want to talk to a vendor about “overstuff”. I don’t remember the details but I do remember Hammock Gear suggesting that it would be better to get a warmer rated quilt than to add excessive down to a cooler rated one. They were okay with an ounce or two to maintain some stability and/or psychological sense of well being. But there was something about adding more that wasn’t as effective as just getting a quilt cut/sized to hold more down for a warmer rating.
    In order to see what few have seen, you must go where few have gone. And DO what few have done.

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