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  1. #1
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    Fixing an Underquilt Cold Spot

    Hey all! I am a relatively new hanger and trying to figure out my UQ. I am 6'6" tall and have a New River UQ from Arrowhead that is 84" long, 50" wide, and is rated down to 25 degrees F. Using it in the upper 30's I felt a continual cold spot under my behind, even after getting in and out and fiddling with things several times. I know the UQ is good and the cold spot had to be the result of user error.

    In the morning, I had someone take a picture of the foot end of my UQ while I was in the hammock (attached to this post), and I can tell from the picture that the cold spot is coming from a gap on the foot end. I can't figure out a what to get rid of that gap. I have tried tightening the primary suspension and tightening the horizontal cinch channels, but haven't been able to get rid of that pesky cold spot.

    Can anyone tell from the photo what I am doing wrong?

    Do I just need to pull the primary suspension tighter? Do I need to worry about damaging the shock cord because of pulling it too tight? My hammock is 12' long and 72" wide. I am wondering if the hammock length could be causing the UQ suspension to pull too horizontally and not enough vertically? Or is the width of the hammock causing me to lay too diagonally for the UQ width, and that is somehow creating this gap? The UQ's primary suspension is made of one piece of shock cord on each end (one goes from one top corner to the other top corner, and the other goes from one bottom corner to the other bottom corner), so I can't really get it diagonal to match my lay. Could this be part of the problem?

    Any thoughts or tips would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!
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  2. #2
    FLTurtle's Avatar
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    Try loosening the foot end draft collar (I assume that's what you mean by the 'horizontal cinch channel'). It's counterintuitive, but if you get it too tight it will cause gaps to open. Loosen it up all the way, get back in it then have your partner adjust it.

    EDIT...see this clip from Shug: https://youtu.be/U1D3s-oijAY?t=203
    Last edited by FLTurtle; 04-07-2022 at 17:30.

  3. #3
    Senior Member
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    It might be sagging in the middle. You might try two things.

    First a piece of shockcord over the ridgeline in the middle of the hammock to help support either side in the middle.

    Second, the low angle on the main suspension from the end makes it tougher for the uq to stay up against the hammock. There are triangle accessories that increase the suspension angle, or you can do the same thing by taking the suspension straight up to the ridgeline from the uq, do a half hitch around the ridgeline and then go to the hammock suspension along the ridgeline and attach the end of the uq suspension there. Jacks R Better has, or at least had, a video of this on their website.

  4. #4
    Senior Member Rolloff's Avatar
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    FLTurtle looks to be on to something terrapin. appears to be cinched a bit too tight for starters.
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  5. #5
    Senior Member
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    MM,

    Yur UQ looks to be cinched too tight and/or not centered.

    If you can do so, get an underquilt protector. This encases the underquilt and helps cut down on drafts. It also helps to make a not so perfect setup much better.

    Look into Shugs videos regarding winter camping. He uses his down coat, turned inside out and zipped up around the footbox area of his hammock. This adds warmth and also cuts down on drafts, in the footbox area.

    All things considered, though, as mentioned, I think your cinch cord is just too tight.

    If you cant get it figured out, contact the maker of the underquilt, send that picture and ask for their input.

    Youll get it. Its all part of the learning process.

    Have fun.

    Bob

  6. #6
    all secure in sector 7 Shug's Avatar
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    You can "bias" your UQ to the proper side to help. Watch at 2:40 in the video below to see what I mean.
    I look at your set-up and the UQ seems biased to the wrong side.
    Hoping this may help.
    Shug

    Whooooo Buddy)))) All Secure in Sector Seven

  7. #7
    New Member
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    I've been having a very similar issue. There are a few things I've found that seriously helped me with my underquilt cold spot and finally gave me that aha moment. First is the whole thing about getting your primary suspension tight enough to lift the hammock. I always made sure to do that step but I also discovered one day there is one more key detail that I never seemed to see mentioned anywhere else, and that is to undo the end channel cinches all the way. With them loosened up that far and the underquilt lifting both ends of the hammock without anyone in it, I noticed an immediate difference in the heat underneath me after getting in and only cinching up the head end while I lay in it. The second thing I noticed was that going from this step it is incredibly easy to over cinch that foot end channel up, like the best I can get it is with it almost not cinched at all. That's what has worked best for my system anyways, so your mileage may vary. The other thing that made a big difference is similar to what DrPhun said about triangle thingies, I tied a prusik knot on my ridgeline and run the primary/secondary of the underquilt through that and it really helps too what with the angle.

    With that said I still struggle with getting it warm enough. I have felt when I move my leg to just the right spot or if I move my body further up/down in the hammock a sudden overwhelming warmth, like someone stuck a heater underneath me. Still trying to figure out how to get that to happen every time though and I've been trying for a few months now. The important part is that I know it is possible and what I am striving for, we just need to tweak and tweak and fail and succeed.

  8. #8
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    Thank you all for the helpful tips and suggestions! I have been trying different things and am finding improvement, but do not yet have perfection.

    I have rerouted my primary suspension via an S-biner clipped to a prusik on my ridgeline. As I pull the prusik away from the end of my hammock, it forces my primary suspension to pull the UQ upward and helps to seal gaps on the ends. I believe this works similarly to the "triangle thingies" others have referenced. See the attached photos. Loosening the cinch channels helped especially on my foot end.

    I am finding that as I adjust (mainly tighten) my primary suspension to eliminate gaps for cold spots that my UQ begins to restrict my hammock slightly so that I can't lie quite as diagonally. Is this a trade-off that others are experiencing as well? It seems like a balancing act to get the UQ tight enough to eliminate cold, but loose enough that the hammock isn't constricted. My hammock is made of Hexon wide (72"), and my UQ is only 50" wide, so it would make sense that the narrower UQ would constrict the hammock.
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  9. #9
    Phantom Grappler's Avatar
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    Fixing an Underquilt Cold Spot

    Mountainmatthew, I’ve got the cheat code for you.

    Adjust your under quilt like they say:

    When your under quilt is set up, leave it attached, and pull it out from under your hammock.

    Under quilt and hammock will be side by side—parallel. Under quilt should be closest to you.
    Bottom of under quilt should be six inches higher than bottom of hammock—along its entire length.

    When you put under quilt back under hammock- it should lift hammock up a bit.

    Make sure your short end horizontal shock cords are not too tight—if they form a horseshoe or hairpin turn—loosen them a bit.

    Now for your very own cheat code:
    Stack a second under quilt on outside of first under quilt.
    Snug outer under quilt up fairly tight to first under quilt.
    While it is true that smashing the inner under quilt will reduce its insulation—but it will not be completely eliminated.

    The smashed under quilt still gives some insulation-just not its optimum.

    And most all air gaps in outer under quilt will be filled by the inner under quilt as it tries to expand where it was previously smashed.

    Of course this would not apply, if you plan on camping in minus 20* to 30* freezing weather.
    In that case—stacking multiple under quilts is the way to go—with full loft for all quilts—no smashing!

    Maybe you can get a friend who knows their way around quilts—and get them to adjust your under quilt primary and secondary shock cord suspension.
    Your goal is zero air gaps, or smallest possible air gaps.
    Sometimes you can get someone else to lay in your hammock while you adjust shock cord suspensions.

    Good luck

  10. #10
    Senior Member
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    MM,

    Really good idea on the mod u did with the Prusik knot and S Biner.

    MM if it were me Id start from scratch. Loosen all suspension systems. Disconnect from the S Biner. In a perfect world, you should not need that mod.

    Take your hammock out from the UQ. Tighten your Primary suspension so that when it is not under the hammock, it raises itself about 5 inches higher then your hammock. Now Slip you hammock inside the UQ. It should now kind of lift up your hammock. Once achieved, take your hammock back out of the UQ.


    Lay in your hammock by itself and find your sweet spot. Take some cordage ( I use old fly line for everything hammock and camp related ). Prusik knot the cordage where your head lays.

    Now grab your UQ and slip it beneath you. Take your UQ and slide it along its primary suspension, up to where your head would lay. Pull the UQ about 4 inches farther towards your head end, so that when you lay in it, it will cocoon your head whilst slumbering. Now tighten your primary suspension cord locks, should be 4 of them so that the primary suspension wont slide along the primary cords anymore. This locks in your length needed.

    Now tighten your foot end cords so that they just barely encase the hammock. Do the same to your head head. The loft from down or synthetic fill, used in the foot and head end channels, should fluff out and cocoon around your head and feet when you get in. That loft of the down or synthetic fil seals the foot and head ends.

    Climb into the hammock.Within 30 seconds or so you should feel the warmth. If no luck, you need to incrementally tweak some more. But, you are probably very close.

    Like Phantom says see if a friend can help you by either climbing in as a stand in for you or by taking pics whilst your in the hammock. Then make the adjustments needed.

    Slip your hand between your back/butt while in the hammock. With you laying in your sweet spot, you should feel almost no space between hammock and UQ. If there is a gap, you probably need to tighten your primary suspension. If it were me and I had to do that, I would first loosen my head and foot suspension all the way then go back and tighten the primary suspension.

    Once satisfied with your primary suspension and zero to no space between your butt and hammock, cinch up your head and foot ends as per above.

    Now laying in the hammock, your butt should be warm. If your head and or foot is still getting a chill now, its probably your head or foot suspension. Remember those channels with the insulation/down cant be mashed up. The loft here forms the seal. Check for mashing.

    An Underquilt Protector helps seal out head and foot end drafts/chill. I highly recommend them.

    You had some concern regarding your shock cord. Dont worry about it. Its inexpensive. That said, check your shock cord and make sure it is still "shocky". Maybe somehow it is a bad batch. Its super easy to replace.

    Lastly if you cant get it figured out contact Arrowhead and see what they say. Ive heard nothing but good things about them.

    I just thought of this also. I dont think this is the problem, but maybe the UQ you have is too short, in length for you. Contact Arrowhead and see.

    Youll get it figured out. It is worth the effort.

    The best video I found on how to do the UQ was the one Hammock Gear has on its website.

    Bob

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