For those of you with the phoneix & the incubator- how much length does the phoenix give you? I am about 5'4" and use the hummingbird single+ hammock for perspective. I have a 20* 850 fill HG incubator but am still looking for ways to shrink my gear footprint. I am looking into the 950 fill HG in maybe the 30* with an ounce of overstuff?
I have both 20F and 40F Phoenix UQs. The 40F gets used most of the time, since I'm in Florida. I'm 6'1", and it covers my shoulders to just past my knees. I sleep with a pillow anyways, so that's not such a problem. It's possible that you could get full shoulder to foot coverage with the Phoenix...maybe get a tape measure and run it from your shoulders to the ground. I think the Phoenix is 54" long.
However, I did a NC trip where I tried to push the 40F set (Phoenix/Burrow) into the 30s and my legs and feet got cold. I messed up, because I didn't bring a sit pad, went to bed cold, and didn't put on socks. I probably could push the 40F stuff if I had done it right, but there were two nights out of that five night trip where I was cold. Wrong choice of gear, but also some oversight on my own part (there was booze involved). I loaned the 20F set to my son on that trip and he was ok, but he's also shorter than me. And he wore socks.
When I got back home, I ordered a 20F Incubator.
Yes, it's worth it. At your height it will be easy. I'm over 6' 1" and use a partial most of the time.
Go for it
I was good with partial UQs until pushing the lower end of the temp range on a 40/20 insulation set. Then I absolutely need base layer, socks, and footpad in the footbox. Since I switched to integrated insulation in my 30degree Sheltowee Whisper, I've come to realize how much heat I was losing below the knees and how many heat leaks I'd been experiencing elsewhere.
I was also able to go from a 20 degree 2/3 HG or 20 degree 3/4 length Lewis, to basically a full length 950FP 30 degree asym UQ, and I am warmer. So at 1.9lb for hammock + insulation that's my footprint reduction. Weight-wise it's really not that much savings/penalty, but for me it's dialed in @less volume. In a small pack(14L) volume is huge.
I'm about 5'6". Asym seems to work well for me. I sleep at home in a DH Freebird and can't wait to get out in the woods with my UL hiker kit. The Sheltowee is shorter by six inches and narrower but has a much better lay than any of the other hammocks I currently use or have ever owned. I don't encounter venting problems because I never hike in high enough temps to require it. If I do go to the lake in the summer or somewhere else, I have a bug net and the gear for that, just the same as I do for deer camp in December, but for hiking, it's Sheltowee/Bonefire UL and as close as I can get to 10-11 pounds.
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I’m 5’8” and find in the Mid-Atlantic I use my 40° Phoenix 9 months out of the year, the other three I generally use my 0° incubator. For
Me it’s not so much the weight as it is the packability. I know it’s not really fair to compare a 40 and 0, but having these two gets me thru the entire gamut of weather here in the mid Atlantic. I’ve even used the 40 down to the mid 20’s pairing it with a short inflatable pad just so I could use a smaller pack.
So for me, short UQ helps me keep my pack volume down more than about weight.
Oh, and yes, I’m very comfortable with the shorter UQ.
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I don't find it to be worth the difference. With the compression ratio of down you can't be saving more than a couple square inches in your pack. I guess it also depends on the temps you are in though. I often don't use any UQ in summer in Texas. But in temps at 30 or lower, I prefer full length. Figure it is worth sharing my perspective as well. Good Luck!
I'm 5'9" and use short (55" and 65") UQs down to 20°F because I'm fine employing a CCF sit pad to insulate my lower legs and heels.
Some people are annoyed by the shock cord in the lower leg area or complain of gaps that let in drafts. These have never been an issue for me.
For really cold weather I have a 0deg Incubator.
Five Basic Principles of Going Lighter (not me... the great Cam Honan of OZ)
“If everybody is thinking alike, then somebody isn't thinking.” ~ Gen. George S Patton
I'm 5' 4" and have the 3/4 length quilt. It works fine for me. any longer and it's wasted.
Charlotte
Now that's just cheating!!!Originally Posted by xMagnolia
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I sure like a partial UQ for 3 season backpacking. It is about real estate in the pack. Takes less room by a fair amount. Less weight as well.
But not all things work for everybody.
So I say go with your gut.
Shug
Last edited by Shug; 09-22-2021 at 10:10.
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