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  1. #1
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    Un-insulated "underquilt" any advantage?

    So, my wife, like many of the fairer sex is a cold sleeper. When I'm comfortable in a 50° bag in my hammock, she's in a 30° with a reflectix sheet under her bag. I know an actual under-quilt would be advantageous for her, but she is also pretty adamant about keeping her pack as light as possible.

    Would slinging a lightweight tarp, very similar in fashion to the PLUQ (Poncho liner underquilt) to give an air gap be any appreciable benefit? If nothing else, I'm hoping it might be a stepping stone to selling her on the idea of an UQ.
    Grace & peace,
    Dragonhunter
    No one sits around talking about that trip where it was 76 and sunny the whole time.

  2. #2
    LowTech's Avatar
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    If she's already packing a "reflective sheet" you could just get an UQP and put the sheet in that. It would get it out of the hammock and I don't think there is any way to get lighter than that.
    Of course a decent UQ let's you carry a much lighter/more packable TQ instead of a heavier bag.
    There are even short, 3/4 or less, UQs. And an "air gap" is to be avoided, it just lets the heat out.

  3. #3
    FLTurtle's Avatar
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    1. Get yourself an underquilt.
    2. Let her try it out.
    3. Get yourself an underquilt.

  4. #4
    Senior Member cmoulder's Avatar
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    For warmer weather there are very light UQs that would rival a reflectix sheet on weight... for example, a Loco Libre Operator series Habanero that weighs in at a whopping 8.4oz and packs down very, very small.

    This could be supplemented with a torso-length (20"x 48") 1/8" CCF mat, which is something I started using recently. It weighs 1.6oz and also serves as my sit pad during breaks and something a bit more comfy for lying down on rocks/duff, and an insulator for those (rare!) occasions when I bring my chair.
    Five Basic Principles of Going Lighter (not me... the great Cam Honan of OZ)
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  5. #5
    Senior Member tlfillingim's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by FLTurtle View Post
    1. Get yourself an underquilt.
    2. Let her try it out.
    3. Get yourself an underquilt.
    100%.

    I used a PLUQ for a while, but once I bought a HG Econ Phoenix I will never go back. It is amazing how much better a "real" UQ works.

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by FLTurtle View Post
    1. Get yourself an underquilt.
    2. Let her try it out.
    3. Get yourself an underquilt.
    Kind of my thinking on this.
    Grace & peace,
    Dragonhunter
    No one sits around talking about that trip where it was 76 and sunny the whole time.

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by cmoulder View Post
    For warmer weather there are very light UQs that would rival a reflectix sheet on weight... for example, a Loco Libre Operator series Habanero that weighs in at a whopping 8.4oz and packs down very, very small.

    This could be supplemented with a torso-length (20"x 48") 1/8" CCF mat, which is something I started using recently. It weighs 1.6oz and also serves as my sit pad during breaks and something a bit more comfy for lying down on rocks/duff, and an insulator for those (rare!) occasions when I bring my chair.
    That's pretty compelling. I like the CCF mat idea as well. Would probably be all I need for the temps she sees as acceptable for camping. If I went out in colder weather by myself, I could "borrow" whatever UQ I get her.

    To be honest, we got the Reflectix to make pot cozies for rehydrating our dehydrated dinners (that said wife makes from scratch....I eat good on the trail!) Using it as hammock insulation was sort of an afterthought since we had lots leftover.
    Grace & peace,
    Dragonhunter
    No one sits around talking about that trip where it was 76 and sunny the whole time.

  8. #8
    Member burleyolebear's Avatar
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    Anything that traps a layer of air will insulate. I bought a "wind wall" on clearance at walmart, light dwr poly about 6'x10', built to fit in those pop up shelters. ANyway, I cut it a bit and sewed shockcord into it so that it would hug my hammock as I toss and turn. It IS windproof/waterproof, and it does add a layer of air and is great and stopping cold spots and blocking sudden chills from the wind. I'll just carry it and a woobie from about may to october around here in NWGA. In the summer months, it's too much...

  9. #9
    Senior Member cmoulder's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by burleyolebear View Post
    Anything that traps a layer of air will insulate. I bought a "wind wall" on clearance at walmart, light dwr poly about 6'x10', built to fit in those pop up shelters. ANyway, I cut it a bit and sewed shockcord into it so that it would hug my hammock as I toss and turn. It IS windproof/waterproof, and it does add a layer of air and is great and stopping cold spots and blocking sudden chills from the wind. I'll just carry it and a woobie from about may to october around here in NWGA. In the summer months, it's too much...
    As you know, this actually does work... to a point. In 'serious' cold you might ('probably' as it gets colder) see condensation and the formation of ice deeper and deeper into the insulating material. Our bodies put out impressive amounts of moisture and it's gotta go somewhere.

    In moderate to extreme cold, the issue with a simple layer of air is convection currents which naturally develop simply from the temperature differential between the inside and outside air masses, which is why plain air-only air mattresses don't suffice in the winter. Some Thermarests (and maybe others) rely on baffling with radiant material (shiny mylar) to control it somewhat, but insulating materials such as goosedown, Polarguard etc reduce convection currents and trap warm pockets of air.
    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

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