I've often read here where folks say that having the snap/zip footbox is useless because nobody ever has undone the snaps or zipper so you may as well have the footbox sewn up to seal out all gaps (that quarter sized hole in my UGQ footbox that I have to stuff a sock into to keep drafts on a really cold night). Well on my last trip, I found a great reason to unsnap my footbox. We did a three week SOBO of the Benton Mackaye Trail and the first night we hiked to Mt. Sterling NC which is just under 6000 feet. Coincidentally, this was the coldest night of the trip, getting down into the thirties. On seeing this forecast, I packed my 20 degree quilt thinking there was a better than even chance for colder temps over the next three weeks. Well, it got considerably warmer instead-up to the mid 60s. I was burning up in the 20 degree TQ but finally unsnapped the footbox, leaving the bottom still cinched. This opened up the quilt a lot which allowed me to very easily vent it to keep from overheating. I know this is an unusual circumstance that most will never face, but it is one good example of needing to open up the footbox.
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