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  1. #1
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    Storing and deploying XLC w Wookie and Underquilt Protector

    I am a hammocking newbie and this is my first post so please bear with me ;-).

    I got myself a Blackbird XLC with a Wookie 0F and the underquilt protector. All great. But I would like to know how you guys/gals are storing this gear while out and how you keep it ready for deployment.

    Personally I just got my gear. I mounted the Wookie to the XLC the normal way and added the underquilt protector. So far so good. Question is more when I want to have easy deployment and take down of the kit while being on a backcountry trip. I thought maybe I could use a large storing bag, so I found a bag large enough to fit the XLC, Wookie, UQP, and winter top. No issues. Works well to take down and deploy using a 15 liter bag. But…here comes…

    The Wookie shouldn’t be stored for too long in such a setup for the sake of insulation longevity. So then I need to untie the XLC ends, open the zips of the UQP, and thread the wookie in/out through the ends to fasten or release it, and shake some life into the down. So how do you guys use your setup?


    Do you keep the Wookie stored by itself to more easily shake life to the down or do you just keep it balled down in a large stuff sack sandwiched with the XLC and UQP while on a trip?


    I understand this is not too much of a cumbrance I still like to find better ways, so I would really like to hear how you do it.

  2. #2
    Senior Member
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    I'd say that most folks pack things separately each morning. And shaking out the UQ each and every deployment is not something I do. A big double-ended stuff sack makes deployment easier and there are some available. As handy as it can be for deployment, one big sack can be harder to pack efficiently. But if you have the space to pack it, why not! The real issue here, as you stated, is that you don't want to store compressed down for long periods of time. So it definitely makes sense to disassemble everything between trips and store the Wooki loosely.

  3. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by TominMN View Post
    I'd say that most folks pack things separately each morning. And shaking out the UQ each and every deployment is not something I do. A big double-ended stuff sack makes deployment easier and there are some available. As handy as it can be for deployment, one big sack can be harder to pack efficiently. But if you have the space to pack it, why not! The real issue here, as you stated, is that you don't want to store compressed down for long periods of time. So it definitely makes sense to disassemble everything between trips and store the Wooki loosely.
    Thanks TominMN,

    keeping the down fresh is definitively something that needs to be done, but shaking every day is probably not necessary. I think I will do as you mention, just keep the Wookie hanging with the other kit while on trip, unless the temperatures are really low and some shaking is beneficial.

    As the stuff sack is quite large and probably need to be carried on the outside, Im not so sure a double ended stuff sack is the way to go. I have a 15 liter rolltop stuffsack with a vent, which I think would be very suitable for the purpose. It compresses nicely as well due to the vent and is waterproof.

  4. #4
    FLTurtle's Avatar
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    WB has that big pig stuff sack, at 18.5L that's designed to hold the hammock, winter Wooki and winter topquilt so your 15L should be able to handle the hammock, Wooki and uqp, winter top. I'd still have it in the pack, rather than hanging on the outside just because I'm not a fan of hanging too much off the pack (esp something that bulky) and would worry about unknowingly snagging/damaging the stuff sack and possibly exposing the contents to moisture.

    As far as compressing the down, a day or two (and probably more) is ok. I don't think the vendors get their down uncompressed (dunno, ask them) but considering the weight vs. volume and shipping costs, I'd assume it comes to them compressed. Who knows how long it's been compressed before it gets used when filling the quilt.

    Besides, when out backpacking it's only going to stay compressed for 8-12 hours depending on when you pack up then set up again. When you get home, store them in the big storage sacks, uncompressed.

  5. #5
    New Member
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    Quote Originally Posted by FLTurtle View Post
    WB has that big pig stuff sack, at 18.5L that's designed to hold the hammock, winter Wooki and winter topquilt so your 15L should be able to handle the hammock, Wooki and uqp, winter top. I'd still have it in the pack, rather than hanging on the outside just because I'm not a fan of hanging too much off the pack (esp something that bulky) and would worry about unknowingly snagging/damaging the stuff sack and possibly exposing the contents to moisture.


    As far as compressing the down, a day or two (and probably more) is ok. I don't think the vendors get their down uncompressed (dunno, ask them) but considering the weight vs. volume and shipping costs, I'd assume it comes to them compressed. Who knows how long it's been compressed before it gets used when filling the quilt.

    Besides, when out backpacking it's only going to stay compressed for 8-12 hours depending on when you pack up then set up again. When you get home, store them in the big storage sacks, uncompressed.
    Hi,
    I saw the 18,5 liter pack at the website. And was initially thinking of getting it, but I will try my current 15 liter pack for a while to see how I like it and how a I like using the hammock with it.

    I’m not so afraid of packing it on the outside. Been doing that with my tent as well. And this pack is made of rugged material and is waterproof. Also I tend to bring photo gear in my pack which makes it difficult to keep everything inside anyway. You are probably spot on regarding compression and both my sleeping bag and the Wookie will be hanging in open netted bags.

  6. #6
    cougarmeat's Avatar
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    There are long periods of storage and LOOONG periods of storage. And, eventually everything wears out (at my age that’s driven home every day ). I would be thrilled if I had used my UQ so much that I had to replace it. When on an adventure, I never worry about stuffing the down gear. That said, more often than not, it’s stuffed into larger sacks than come with the quilt or jacket. That’s mostly because I don’t want to take the time to squish the down down to the smallest volume volume. And if it’s delicate, like UL material, I wouldn’t want to tear any internal baffles.

    Where I camp, the use of hammocks is sometimes iffy. My kayak partner uses a tent. So I have my tarp in a snake skin and sometimes I’ll use something like a Bliss Hammock Shield (like a larger snake skin) to corral the Hammock and UQ. Once I put them up and get the suspension lengths, tarp placement on the ridgeline, etc., they come down and live in his tent while we go exploring. After any Official comes by to collect fees and leaves, the tarp/hammock go back up pretty quickly because all the settings are already in place. If I don’t use a skin for the hammock/UQ/UQP, I just unhook that combo and carry it by the ends - like a big sack full of toys at Christmas time, to his tent.

    When located far away from any concerns about hanging. It comes out and stays out until it’s time to move on. In a given year, the amount of time it spends squished in a smallish container (drybag, skin, stuff sack) is really quite sort compare to it’s life in a nice big storage bag.

    Initially, the down gear is kept separate from the shelter gear. In the kayak, the smaller drybags for quilts go to the bow and stern. I have a duffle style drybag I use for “Camp Equipment” - which would be hammocks/tarps/cooking gear, etc. Or I might keep the tarp separate in it’s skin because I can stuff it anywhere. Once I get to the destination, it all comes out, and when possible, especially if it’s sunny, it gets laid out on grass or hung on a line (NOT laid out on sand), to air out - fluff up. So even on and adventure, it’s not stuffed all day.

    Though that is my Kayaking routine, the same would go for hiking. I’d keep the tarp/skin separate and there would be a decision to separate the UQ from the hammock/UQP - which usually stay together. Of course, in a lab, you can prove that any compression will “hurt” the down. But I still have a down gear that’s been stuffed and used, stuffed and used for over a decade and it’s still going strong.

    One thing to watch for, with a Wookie, is that elastic. One of mine - on a Lynx - snapped recently. To be fair, it was about 5 years old or more and the nighttime temperature was in single digits. WB said that the elastic band was a wearout-able part - like your car’s window wiper blades. And they sell a replacement band for $1.00. Because I have to maintain a few Lynx’s, I’ll add a bunch of elastics to my next order. It may not pay to order a bunch, only to keep around, because rubber bands deteriorate just with age. But these Lynx’s are all the same vintage so they’ll get their elastic’s replaced now instead of when it might be more inconvenient. I’m assuming the Wookie uses the same elastic band because I didn’t find a separate product for a Wookie Rubber Band on WB’s site.
    Last edited by cougarmeat; 04-01-2022 at 16:00.
    In order to see what few have seen, you must go where few have gone. And DO what few have done.

  7. #7
    New Member
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    Thanks for interesting read cougarmeat.
    I too don't care so much to squish everything down to the smallest atom. Never really done that with my sleeping bag. I have usually just stuffed it in the main compartment of the backpack in between other things to use as a filler. That way it doesn't use any unnecessary volume. But it will be different with the UQ as it stays mounted sandwiched to the hammock and UQP, so it has to go in a stuff sack.

    Its so much gear to choose from, but I ordered a DD XL skin (not really sure what it is called) and it works fine with my hammock, UQP and winter top. The Wookie is to large to fit. The one downside with the skins seems to be the packability. Its a struggle to get the filled skins into a stuff sack, also those for the tarp. I might choose to not use skins at all on my hammock and just use a large stuff sack. But I would like to have some light waterproof larger skins that covers the complete hammock incl. UQ, UQP, top cover and sleeping bag/top quilt to keep on the ends for quick deployment and waterproof/windproof storage while away from campsite. Is that Bliss Hammock Shield such thing? Eager to hear of some that works with this Warbonnet setup.

  8. #8
    cougarmeat's Avatar
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    NorwegianWood, You can read about the Bliss shield here: https://www.amazon.com/Hammock-Bliss.../dp/B003AWXBII

    Note that though It’s almost 13 ft long and about 6 inches in diameter - much larger than the usual tarp snake skin. I’m not saying it will work for you (I don’t have a wookie [yet] so I’m not familiar with it’s bulk), but that’s sort of what you were going for. You might find something similar from our friendly hammock vendors.

    You last post inspires a couple of comments. In the spirit of keeping wet things separate from dry things, I would not carry the tarp inside the pack. I would put it in an outside pouch/pocket or tucked away - maybe lashed to the top pocket of the pack. I wouldn’t use a waterproof skin for the tarp because the tarp could be wet when you put it away; so the inside of your skin gets wet. My first skins were from Hennessy. These days I just use them on tarps I take on a day hike (sun shade) and all my camping tarps use a mesh skin - it dries much faster (the skin, not the tarp). I’m not talking about drying while on the adventure - I mean when you get home and are making sure everything is clean and dry before you store it away.

    If I’m using skins for tarp and/or hammock+UQP (+ maybe UQ), I would not also put them in a stuff sack. I’m a belt and suspenders guy. But cmoulder has been gently leading me to the light (ultralite). My situations, for safety reasons, demand a little more redundancy then hiking on a trail, but a skin in a stuff sack is a step too far, even for me.
    In order to see what few have seen, you must go where few have gone. And DO what few have done.

  9. #9
    LowTech's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by NorwegianWood View Post
    But I would like to have some light waterproof larger skins that covers the complete hammock incl. UQ, UQP, top cover and sleeping bag/top quilt to keep on the ends for quick deployment and waterproof/windproof storage while away from campsite.
    That's exactly what I got Jared from SLD to make for us.
    In the photo the second hammock behind mine is skinned in a waterproof skin for just those reasons. It's complete w/ quilts, UQP, and netting.
    The gear sling is from the off-cut and has a waterproof zipper.

    I don't pack my setup w/ it on, but I do take it w/ me all the time.

  10. #10
    New Member
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    Quote Originally Posted by cougarmeat View Post
    NorwegianWood, You can read about the Bliss shield here: https://www.amazon.com/Hammock-Bliss.../dp/B003AWXBII

    Note that though It’s almost 13 ft long and about 6 inches in diameter - much larger than the usual tarp snake skin. I’m not saying it will work for you (I don’t have a wookie [yet] so I’m not familiar with it’s bulk), but that’s sort of what you were going for. You might find something similar from our friendly hammock vendors.
    My DD XL skin is about 3,5 inches in diameter and will not fit the setup w Wookie, so it might be that the Hammock Bliss Sun Shield would fit nicely. I have to see if it is available in Europe.

    Quote Originally Posted by cougarmeat View Post
    NorwegianWood, You last post inspires a couple of comments. In the spirit of keeping wet things separate from dry things, I would not carry the tarp inside the pack. I would put it in an outside pouch/pocket or tucked away - maybe lashed to the top pocket of the pack. I wouldn’t use a waterproof skin for the tarp because the tarp could be wet when you put it away; so the inside of your skin gets wet. My first skins were from Hennessy. These days I just use them on tarps I take on a day hike (sun shade) and all my camping tarps use a mesh skin - it dries much faster (the skin, not the tarp). I’m not talking about drying while on the adventure - I mean when you get home and are making sure everything is clean and dry before you store it away.
    In my early stages of hammocking I might be thinking a bit differently than most. I probably have to learn some things the hard way ;-)
    Anyway the reason for me using a stuff sack around the skinned tarp is mainly to keep everything "nicely" bundled together. Just now they are intended to stay in a side pocket. But the tarp with skins on are inside the dual opening hammock bag that came with my XLC. I very well might change that. It is probably a suboptimal way to keep it.

    Also, I am not a ultra lite, even tough I some times wish I was. I tend to carry heavy, and probably need heavy sturdy gear just because of who I am... But I am looking to lighten the load slightly with a lighter tarp some time. Also my backpack is of the more sturdy type, as I tend to bring camera gear, tripod, etc. My camera gear is about a third of the load I am carrying.

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