50 vs 55 inch wide TQ

**ebrianschmidt** · 10-21-2023, 09:33

I'm looking at the hammock gear 10 burrows. My 20-degree burrow is showing its age and is over 10 years old. I've had to have my wife stitch it up several times. I consider myself to be a hammock camper whenever possible, but some national parks don't allow them so on air plane trips to national parks, I unfortunately have to resort to sleeping on the ground. I'm trying to talk myself out of the extra bulk and weight of the wider version of the quilt. I'm on the short side and relatively small frame. Does anyone find the 55-inch vs 50-inch quilt beneficial for someone who mostly keeps in hammocks, but needs the versatility to be able to ground camp on occasion?

**FLTurtle** · 10-21-2023, 09:53

Is your 20F quilt 50 inch wide? If so, try it out...try laying on your side and see if gaps open up. I think small frame/small shouldered people should be ok with the 50 inch width...really depends on if you roll around and flip flop a lot while sleeping.

Do you use the pad straps? If so, the new pad straps use a different connector and I'm not a fan. Since I only hammock camp, I cut the connectors off my quilt.

**ebrianschmidt** · 10-21-2023, 12:41

Tried last night and in Yosemite with my 40 TQ and I do find myself adjusting periodically. But I honestly think the largest problem is ground sleeping is just not comfortable, so I end up flopping around. I noticed the design has changed and the baffles are now lengthwise so I was thinking that may help.

**FLTurtle** · 10-21-2023, 14:00

I can't sleep on the ground...sucks, because there are spots out west I'd like to hike. Been researching the Tensa solo as an option to still be able to use a hammock.

**cmc4free** · 10-21-2023, 17:19

Originally Posted by FLTurtle

I can't sleep on the ground...sucks, because there are spots out west I'd like to hike. Been researching the Tensa solo as an option to still be able to use a hammock.

Some pads are pretty comfortable these days. There's been a bit of an arms race with increasing thickness. Sea to Summit Etherlight XT is a very comfortable pad to sleep on, though only R3.2 so not suitable for winter or times in spring when the air may be warm but the ground is still frozen or thawing (they make an Extreme version with R6.2 but it's pretty huge rolled up). Nemo Quasar 3D Insulated is another comfortable one, and I'm curious about the Thermarest Topo Luxe, but I don't need any more pads.

**ebrianschmidt** · 10-22-2023, 09:24

Originally Posted by cmc4free

Some pads are pretty comfortable these days. There's been a bit of an arms race with increasing thickness. Sea to Summit Etherlight XT is a very comfortable pad to sleep on, though only R3.2 so not suitable for winter or times in spring when the air may be warm but the ground is still frozen or thawing (they make an Extreme version with R6.2 but it's pretty huge rolled up). Nemo Quasar 3D Insulated is another comfortable one, and I'm curious about the Thermarest Topo Luxe, but I don't need any more pads.

Thanks for the Pro Tip. Will absolutely check this out. I have the Trail Scout self-inflating pad. I use a foam pad under it when I'm not in a backpacking situation. But comfort is still marginal at best. Most of the national parks seem to not allow hammocks. Kind of understandable when you have to set up in a specific camp spot and reserve months in advance through the lottery system. With campers 365 days per year, allis it would take is one or two to hang improperly to damage the trees. Price to be paid for being to backpack in some of the neatest places. I'm just going to go with the standard for wright and size considerations considering that I use my hammock whenever possible.

**cmc4free** · 10-22-2023, 10:25

REI is a good place to buy a pad. Their solid return policy allows you to take it back if you're not satisfied, or in the event of a leak or some other issue, you can get a new one without going through the OEM's warranty dept.

**ebrianschmidt** · 10-22-2023, 12:29

I do love rei for that reason and buy a good deal of things from them sometimes.

I was also looking at the Tensa hammock stands. I saw that the weight was 3.5 lbs, but wasn't sure if that was for a pair or just one. Honestly, I think I may give the solo a try for car camping or situations where I am required to set up on a specific camping sight where even one pole would be extremely helpful.

**Otter1** · 10-23-2023, 09:08

One needs to be very small, toss 'n turn very little, or must be able to fall back asleep quickly from moving and letting in a draft for a narrow TQ to be a great choice on the ground. If at least one of those doesn't apply to you, I recommend staying with the wide TQ.

**Spaced** · 10-27-2023, 10:28

I think the only real benefit to a wider quilt is less chance of drafts when you toss and turn.

I have a 20F 50" wide bandit from UGQ with cuddle straps. I'm tall, skinny and broad-shouldered and I get drafts if I don't use cuddle straps in sub zero temps, but with everything strapped to the pad and the cuddlestraps cinched up, drafts just don't happen no matter how much i wiggle, and a wider quilt would be redundant as it just creates more internal space for me to keep warm. OTOH if it's not cold enough to worry about drafts, you will probably have your quilt uncinched, in which case extra width is still fairly redundant, as if you're anything like me, you'll starfish out of the quilt and off the pad in search of drafts lol

For bulkier guys and gals though, I can see a wider quilt being a lot more comfortable and less restricting if they need that internal space. Plus it might just be nicer to have more quilt to play with if you don't bother with pad or cuddle straps, and just treat it more like a traditional bed blanket. Or if you want the option to wrap yourself up like a burrito. There's also those rare moments you may need to share your insulation with someone else or a doggo etc, and in those situations wider is definitely better.