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  1. #1
    New Member
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    Question Torn between 10°F and 0°F HG UQ

    Hi

    I have difficulties deciding if I should get the 10°F or 0°F Hammockgear Premium Incubator Underquilt.

    Several times a year I go as low as 20°F, occasionally it can reach 0°, seldom even lower. Should I take the 0°? Will it be too hot for the 20°F situations? If the temps are lower than 0° could I add a sleeping pad to the 10°F and still be fine?

    I already have two 30° UQ but am not so fond of stacking.

    Questions over questions 😏,
    thanks for your help
    Oliver

  2. #2
    Senior Member
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    Aug 2020
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    I guess the question for me would be is it easier to take extra clothing and or a pad to supplement your current quilt or is it easier to get the 0° and vent it if it gets a little too warm?

  3. #3
    Senior Member
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    Oct 2014
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    Valpo, IN
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    Towns-End Luxury Bridge
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    Get the zero- you own 30* quilts for warmer temps.

    Are you broke (out of money?) Then go with the economy line to save the money.

    Are you worried about weight or pack size?
    10* costs you about 2.5 ounces... lightest insulation you can carry.
    Maybe a half liter or so of pack size so not enough to stress about and still smaller than adding extra clothes.

    At below freezing temps... it is very easy to vent with your top quilt so overheating is not a problem if your underquilt is a hair too warm.
    As you approach freezing temps... you own the 30* quilts.

    Personally- I find it easiest to keep the underquilts simple (too warm) and get creative with my top quilt.
    As in...
    Use the 30* most of the year with a top quilt as light as 45* or as warm as 20*.
    Use the zero below freezing and pair with a 20* top quilt when around there... or stack my 45* top quilt over the 20* down.

    Stacking top quilts is easier and more practical to help stretch things out or moderate for individual trips without giving yourself too many headaches.

    All in then here in the states where summers can get hot.

    30* partial length (for peak of summer UL) OPTIONAL
    30* full length underquilt for most trips.
    0* full length for winter trips

    45* synthetic top quilt for summer into 50*

    I own a 20* and 30* top quilt... because why not?
    For the occasional zero trip I stack the 45* synthetic over my 20* and find that more effective than a single zero degree top quilt.

    keeping in mind... you can always vent your underquilt if you get surprised by a really warm night, but you gotta get up... so I like my top quilt options in lieu of getting up to fiddle with the UQ.

    But without getting up you can easily vent your top quilt, kick out one foot or arm or other tricks.

    An often overlooked part of the system is your headwear. Having a light hat, balaclava, and insulated hood gives you three more options to fine tune things by simply adding or removing layers on your head. I find I can easily moderate my temps 5-15 degrees with headwear. Again- especially in winter. So if that zero underquilt is too hot on a 15* or 20* night... just skip the insulated hood and wear a light balaclava as your base layer... moderate with the light hat over that.

    Bottom line- a few too many degrees in your underquilt is cheap insurance compared to many other options and saves you money in the long run.

  4. #4
    Senior Member
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    Forgot to add- while some have good luck with using a foam pad- I've personally not.
    In part... I think its an issue with bridge hammocks more than gathered ends.

    I find I need to 'push' heat down into the flatter bridge and if I don't get things warmed up fully to start... I don't stay as warm.
    So the pad hurts in that goal for me by reducing the heat I can pump into the UQ before I doze off and my metabolism slows down.

    using a sit pad for a small cold spot like my heels- works. Especially if I use the 3/4 UQ with a warmer top quilt for three season temps.
    Bringing a 3/4 or full length pad to supplement my UQ- not so much.

    Also- the sit pad is something I'd have along. The extra foam pad is heavier and much bulkier than 10* extra in my UQ... so from a backpacking mindset... I'm not a fan of the pad for that reason alone.

    That said- if you are bringing a larger foam pad for cold weather camp use- try it in your hammock see if it really helps you or not.

  5. #5
    New Member
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    Thx for the helpful and detailed answer. The 0° is it then!

  6. #6
    joe_guilbeau's Avatar
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    The differential temperature ratings of insulating material in hammock camping are not comfort ratings, which is to say that individuals vary enormously in how they sleep (hot or cold sleepers for example).

    If one's Body Mass Index (BMI) for a 5' 10" individual is in the 40's, their comfort level in using a O-degree quilt in 20-degree weather will vary significantly than the experience of a 5' 10" individual who has a BMI rating of 15 within the same hammock camping conditions.

    "Just Bill" makes some logical points, so it comes down to will you opt to have a toasty sleep, with adjustments to mitigate the retained warmth, or will you be amendable to shiver a bit?

    Metabolism plays it's part as well, Organic "Better than Bullion Chicken Base" with some Dave's Insanity Sauce" in a thermos will warm you up in the middle of the night as well. Windy nights verses calm nights plays it own games amongst the hangs.

    Hammock Gear's 950 down for a 30-degree Premium Incubator is 8.68 ounces. The same bag in 0-degree and 950 down is 13.02 ounces.

    The difference is an extra 4.34 ounces for a Premium Incubator, that is not much down for a negative 30-degree differential.

    So, in my mind I would rather see you combine the insulation of both 30-degree bags into a single under quilt, and buy enough down to fill the emptied bag to accommodate YOUR sleep rating comfort. Then you have the best of both worlds, your backside will be warmer and the top quilt can be adjusted to vent all that extra heat should you need to.

    Why do I have these subjective experiences? Well for the past 5 years I have slept indoors with a 0-degree under quilt and a 0-degree top quilt inside an air conditioned bedroom. If it gets too hot, I simply fold the top quilt down to just cover the knees on down.

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