UQ Delima

[Raul Perez]

Could be your socks too. I'm not sure what you wear/wore but I change my socks at night and I wear season appropriate socks. Example I'm good to go with Wigwam 40 below socks from November until March at night.

I'm pretty sure it's not your pad because I had slept in the same temps and my feet were fine with the Gossamer Gear 1/4" thinlight pad cut down.

Booties will help but, in my experience, if your feet are already cold it will still take some time to warm up even with booties. Cut down some CCF pad in the shape of the bootie and place it in the bootie. Your feet will warm up much quicker as the heat is bounced back on to the bottom of your soles almost instantly.

[Miguel]

The difference between the 20d Pheonix and the 20d Incubator is about 5oz. For me personally It was worth it to me to carry the extra weight. I've cut pounds off my weight since I started backpacking but in certain areas I draw the line. (read-warmth/hassle) By the time you carry an extra pad for your feet....not to mention the hassle of keeping in place....it's approaching a mute point. Some people put their packs under their feet...but what if it's wet. I don't use stuff sacks choosing to simply stuff it in my pack. I have no space issues with my Aarn NB. In fact it's much better economy of space. Of course it all boils down to personal choice but I find it's far less hassle to string up my Incubator and that's it. No fiddle factor.

Just my thoughts, Miguel

[Tacky Hiker]

I use partial leangth under quilts. Sometimes I wake with a cold foot and always find that I've slipped off the pad and my foot is against the nylon of the hammock. Carefully pad placement fixes this but the down booties are a great idea.

I would go with down booties before I went to a full length quilt.
But, I don't car camp, I hike. YMMV

I hike also. Thats why I am leaning towards 3/4 for weight/space. The booties are down fill and only weigh a few oz.

[Miguel]

I hike also. Thats why I am leaning towards 3/4 for weight/space. The booties are down fill and only weigh a few oz.

My point exactly...down booties and possibly a pad and you are at or over the weight of a full length. Plus you are carrying two/three more items. Just sayin'

[Raul Perez]

I've had a Full Length UQ and in my opinion pack real estate becomes an issue.

I did some number crunching cause that’s what I do to see the real difference in weights between 2/3, ¾ with pads and the full length. All pads will be a Gossamer Gear Thinlight Pad 1/8” as I’ve tested this pad for the feet down to 30*F with my 3 season yeti underquilt with GREAT results:
NOTE: All weights come from Manufacturer’s Websites
2/3 3 season Yeti : 12.5oz
Pad Cut Down: Approx 2 oz
Total 2/3 Weight = 14.5 oz

3/4 3 season Phoenix: 15.7oz
Pad Cut Down: Approx 1.5oz (less of a pad)
Total ¾ Weight = 17.2oz

3 season Incubator: 22.5oz
Mt Washington 3 : 22oz
Average Full Length = 22.25

Total savings from 2/3 to Full Length = 7.75oz or 0.48lbs
Total savings from 3/4 to Full Length = 5.05oz or 0.32lbs

[Cannibal]

My point exactly...down booties and possibly a pad and you are at or over the weight of a full length. Plus you are carrying two/three more items. Just sayin'

I'll give you the carrying extra items part, but same weight? What kind of sit pad are you carrying? For full coverage, given the stated options, the New River is 30oz. The Yeti + down booties (assuming Flamethrowers) are a combined weight of 15 oz. That would be a very heavy pad to come out as the same weight.

Even so, I'm a firm believer that with hammocks, comfort is King. If it takes a full length underquilt to be comfortable, then that is just the way it is. FWIW, I'd go with the New River given that you want your feet completely covered. Again, comfort counts more than ounces...IMO anyway.

[Tacky Hiker]

My point exactly...down booties and possibly a pad and you are at or over the weight of a full length. Plus you are carrying two/three more items. Just sayin'

True, but I am going to carry the pad anyways. Its a foot pad for sleeping, sit pad, and pack pad. Its a cut down speer and maybe weights 2oz.

I see what you are saying though.

[Tacky Hiker]

I'll give you the carrying extra items part, but same weight? What kind of sit pad are you carrying? For full coverage, given the stated options, the New River is 30oz. The Yeti + down booties (assuming Flamethrowers) are a combined weight of 15 oz. That would be a very heavy pad to come out as the same weight.

Even so, I'm a firm believer that with hammocks, comfort is King. If it takes a full length underquilt to be comfortable, then that is just the way it is. FWIW, I'd go with the New River given that you want your feet completely covered. Again, comfort counts more than ounces...IMO anyway.

Im considering the Jarbridge @ 20oz vs New River @ 30oz.


The sit pad and booties I will carry reguardless. (booties will replace thick sleep socks in my pack)

[BillyBob58]

I am thinking about sewing 2 layers of the Speer together. I have a lot of it leftover. Make a nice 18"x18"x1/2"

I might experiment with that before spending money on a full length UQ- unless you just want one anyway. Doubling the pad thickness might easily solve the problem.

Because a question that I would have is: why are you feet freezing using a Speer pad at only 25F in the 1st place? Many folks have used similar pads for legs only at those temps or even colder temps and been fine. Maybe not warm enough under their torsos, but most report needing much less pad for their legs and feet.

So this could be an individual problem ( for you ) that a full length UQ will not be guaranteed to solve. It's not like no one has ever reported cold feet using a full length UQ, because they have. And some people battle cold foot problems no matter what they do.

Curious: were your legs cold, or just your feet?

Over at BPL, I have read where more than one of those guys suffered loft problems- even collapse- in their down TQs (ground use) but ONLY in the foot section. So it appears some folk's feet can really give off the vapor, which then tends to condense in the foot box, or at least run the humidity way up there. You might be dealing with something like that, and an UQ(Full) might not help.

Some folks have had a lot of condensation in the foot area using a pad, and some (Shug et all) have solved that problem by putting their leg pad inside the foot box.

Finally, for folks whose feet really pump out the vapor or sweat, there is the old VB sock trick. Just get some bread bags and put them over the thinnest liner socks you have, or even right next to your skin. With or without (loose/roomy) wool socks, or VB socks by themselves inside your footbox. You might be surprised the problems this will solve, even if it feels damp.

[Tacky Hiker]

Just me feet were super cold. I think I have cold feet syndrome. That weird becuase I wear flops everyday of the year.

I am hoping that the booties and thicker pad will do the trick.