Attached underquilts

[docbrown]

I saw that Dutchware Gear is starting to offer underquilts that zip onto Chameleon hammocks. This reminded me of my experience with a Costco-style homemade underquilt permanently attached to a hammock. It seemed like a good idea at the time - we sewed the edges of the quilt to the edges of the of the hammock. The problem was that the weight of the underquilt was enough to pull the hammock edges downward, resulting in a pretty decent gap between the hammock and underquilt. I considered adding some sort of shock cord to the sides of the hammock and running it over the ridgeline to pull the underquilt back upwards, but at that point, any benefits to just using a standard underquilt suspension seemed to have disappeared.

I'm interested to see how well Dutch's offering works. It may be that as long as the bugnet or top cover is zipped on, it will provide sufficient support. Anyone else have any experience with quilts attached to hammocks? Am I just doing it wrong?

[Shug]

I've been using the Superior Gear hammocks with built on UQ with great success.
https://superiorgear.com/camping-hammocks
Especially in Winter~
Shug

[Old_Man_77]

Curious as well. My "freshman" understanding (plenty of Shug videos), there's got to be the right amount of gap between the interior wall of the UQ and the outer wall of the hammock to properly warm that air and thus generate the heat, letting the UQ fill to expand and warm up, too.

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[Floridahanger]

Curious as well. My "freshman" understanding (plenty of Shug videos), there's got to be the right amount of gap between the interior wall of the UQ and the outer wall of the hammock to properly warm that air and thus generate the heat, letting the UQ fill to expand and warm up, too.

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As long as the UQ is built using differential baffles, meaning the inside wall is smaller than the outer wall to keep it lofted, the inside wall of the UQ should be right smack up against the hammock wall. This keeps drafts from entering and robbing the heat.

[cougarmeat]

Old_Man_77, Maybe that's a little wrong. Many UQ's - I'm thinking specifically of those from HG and WB, have a differential cut - which means the bottom side is cut fuller than the top. That way, you set up with the top of the UQ snug against the bottom of the hammock and it doesn't compress the down/loft of the UQ. Note that the Lynx UQ for the RidgeRunner and the Wookie UQ's for the BlackBird and XLC snug up just because of their suspension - they meant to do that. In another of Shug's videos, he suggests that the UQ suspension be tight enough so that it lifts the hammock when you are not in it. So clearly, no intended gap between the top of the UQ and the bottom of the hammock.

Also - just because its sort of my thing (please bear with me) - the UQ doesn't generate heat, you do. That's not to say you can't have an envelope of warm air. If you use an Under Quilt protector (UQP), it may hold some air (but it's purposely breathable) around the UQ, as will sleeping with a full sock (like the SpinDrift for the RidgeRunner) around the Hammock.

If I wear too much insulation inside my TQ, I'm not cold but I'm also not cozy. With less insulation (lighter PJ's, no additional down sleeping jacket), I feel better because the TQ holds in the warm air, that I create, around me.

[Old_Man_77]

Old_Man_77, Maybe that's a little wrong. Many UQ's - I'm thinking specifically of those from HG and WB, have a differential cut - which means the bottom side is cut fuller than the top. That way, you set up with the top of the UQ snug against the bottom of the hammock and it doesn't compress the down/loft of the UQ. Note that the Lynx UQ for the RidgeRunner and the Wookie UQ's for the BlackBird and XLC snug up just because of their suspension - they meant to do that. In another of Shug's videos, he suggests that the UQ suspension be tight enough so that it lifts the hammock when you are not in it. So clearly, no intended gap between the top of the UQ and the bottom of the hammock.

Also - just because its sort of my thing (please bear with me) - the UQ doesn't generate heat, you do. That's not to say you can't have an envelope of warm air. If you use an Under Quilt protector (UQP), it may hold some air (but it's purposely breathable) around the UQ, as will sleeping with a full sock (like the SpinDrift for the RidgeRunner) around the Hammock.

If I wear too much insulation inside my TQ, I'm not cold but I'm also not cozy. With less insulation (lighter PJ's, no addition down sleeping jacket), I feel better because the TQ holds in the warm air, that I create, around me.

Yup! All that!^^^^^^^^^
I've been out of it for a year, so I was rusty.
You're both correct re: the difft'l baffles for the down, the Spindrift (which I have, & the UQP).
[I need to get out in the woods more!]

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[Rolloff]

I've moved to sewn-in bottom insulation for a couple years now in a custom Sheltowee~Bonefire Whisper Asym. No turning back now! Just kidding, but it's my favorite for now for sure. Creating a better seal and being my first full length under insulation makes it a real "heater". The Asym style makes it almost impossible to move off of the insulated area. Less excess side material, less weight, and no UQ suspension to fight with.

[gargoyle]

I’ve read this “gap” theory here and on other forums…I don’t get it??

So if I wear my coat two inches away from my body, it’ll be warm???
I think some folks don’t get it? A misunderstanding from something they read or video they saw and a mental picture in their mind of what they think is right.

A UQ should fit snug.
It should have a diifferential cut to allow for loft.
It should seal around ends and sides to retain heat and reduce drafts.

If it’s sewn/zippered on or hung on the hammock with shockcord, it should be differentional cut. That’s why all the UQ vendors make them that way.

[cougarmeat]

Perhaps this is it. ... First, imagine that game sometimes a teacher has the students play. Some information is given to one student - who whispers it to another, who whispers it to yet another, and so on until the information has been conveyed, one by one, to each student. Then the last student announces the information they got and everyone giggles and laughs because it had gotten so distorted.

Now recall the various means of heat loss. We know convection with the wind blowing under our hammock. And we feel conduction when we touch the cold ground. And we understand radiation though that is invisible to most eyes.

Now your body is a heat generator and you are in a tug of war. Your heat generation is on one end of the rope and Convection, Conduction, Radiation are on the other end. Their friend, Evaporation, can join in too. IF you can hold that rope, you will be warm.

Now you pull a space blanket out of the freezer - a strange place to store it for sure. As you wrap it around yourself, you get a better understanding of heat loss by conduction. But if you hold it a way from you a bit, you'll benefit from its radiation reflection properties and may feel a little warmer. See that "gap" theory creeping in.

Many "newer/better" garments and gear (camp pillow, inflatable pads) have reflective material on an inside layer. But - like a jacket or hat - it is worn in contact with you so there could be some discussion about the actual benefit from "radiation reflection". Marketeers are very clever.

And as one person mentions a space blanket, to another, maybe that becomes some clothing or a pad to the next person down the line, and eventually it applies to a UQ.

[Old_Man_77]

Perhaps this is it. ... First, imagine that game sometimes a teacher has the students play. Some information is given to one student - who whispers it to another, who whispers it to yet another, and so on until the information has been conveyed, one by one, to each student. Then the last student announces the information they got and everyone giggles and laughs because it had gotten so distorted.

Now recall the various means of heat loss. We know convection with the wind blowing under our hammock. And we feel conduction when we touch the cold ground. And we understand radiation though that is invisible to most eyes.

Now your body is a heat generator and you are in a tug of war. Your heat generation is on one end of the rope and Convection, Conduction, Radiation are on the other end. Their friend, Evaporation, can join in too. IF you can hold that rope, you will be warm.

Now you pull a space blanket out of the freezer - a strange place to store it for sure. As you wrap it around yourself, you get a better understanding of heat loss by conduction. But if you hold it a way from you a bit, you'll benefit from its radiation reflection properties and may feel a little warmer. See that "gap" theory creeping in.

Many "newer/better" garments and gear (camp pillow, inflatable pads) have reflective material on an inside layer. But - like a jacket or hat - it is worn in contact with you so there could be some discussion about the actual benefit from "radiation reflection". Marketeers are very clever.

And as one person mentions a space blanket, to another, maybe that becomes some clothing or a pad to the next person down the line, and eventually it applies to a UQ.

Cougar? I like this conversation so much, but I can't tell if you're the last student or the first or simply attempting to expose the twists and distorted mutations of real physics and thermodynamics that succumb to logical fallacy through tje proliferation of uneducated lies purported to be accurate solely based on anecdote and personal account without scientific theoretical practice from hypothesis to law. LOL.

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