I've had very few feathers escape with my UKH quilts Kit, the fabric Matt used on mine has done a really good job. Usually you get a few coming out when they're new but I can count the ones I've lost on one hand.
underquilt and top quilt (snugpak or uk hammocks)
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I've had very few feathers escape with my UKH quilts Kit, the fabric Matt used on mine has done a really good job. Usually you get a few coming out when they're new but I can count the ones I've lost on one hand.
I just think down feathers are a waste of time. I just don't need something like that. I want robust sleeping gear. Don't care about a bit of weight rather that than tearing something and wasting £200. And if it gets wet?! Bad times! My burgen seems to be fine with the weight and space I've still got two 20 litre side pouches to fill. Don't get me wrong weight saving isn't a bad idea if your trekking if you not doing so much of it what's the point!! Think about the type of outings your going to do. Why spend money if your not going to need it.
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Thanks Frosty! It looks a good quilt, but damn it looks big next to that bottle! This decision really is not getting any easier ><
Near 2/3 lighter than what i have now but no smaller. This is a set back indeed i though it would have at least compressed better than old synthetics but that's big.. Is that factory *never-to-be-seen-again* compressed in that photo?
Now you have it in front of you, how do you feel about your choice Frosty? Do you feel you could carry that with a top quilt and 2 night kit over any distance comfortably?
Near 2/3 lighter than what i have now but no smaller. This is a set back indeed i though it would have at least compressed better than old synthetics but that's big.. Is that factory *never-to-be-seen-again* compressed in that photo?
Now you have it in front of you, how do you feel about your choice Frosty? Do you feel you could carry that with a top quilt and 2 night kit over any distance comfortably?
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@jon: i do agree there is a lot to be said for the durabilty of synthetics when out and about, i would benefit greatly from this with my lax attitude and messy dogs. You can trash them, soak them, burn them a bit, tear them and they keep doing their job, that's a massive plus for me. Also having cheaper gear is also a bit more enjoyable in my eyes, if something breaks it's less of a disaster and i therefore get to be less anal about my gear at camp.
I do however need something i can at least carry for an hour or two without breaking into a mess, the more i look at this the less i think the snugpak is practical for anything other than car camping by the time i have a top quilt, but i have never carried one, this is the first decent set of photos i have seen to even get a good idea of scale..
Also the more i think about it the less practical down seems in the uk with all the fog and rain we get..
I guess i need to pick the lesser evil, if only that snugpak was smaller ><
I do however need something i can at least carry for an hour or two without breaking into a mess, the more i look at this the less i think the snugpak is practical for anything other than car camping by the time i have a top quilt, but i have never carried one, this is the first decent set of photos i have seen to even get a good idea of scale..
Also the more i think about it the less practical down seems in the uk with all the fog and rain we get..
I guess i need to pick the lesser evil, if only that snugpak was smaller ><
Hmm might be practical then xD I thought i read somewhere they look like a ball compressed..
I store my hammock with the uq still on and tq/liner inside and in place, this is then stashed into a fireproof bivvi bag (extra blanket when in a hammock). It then gets compressed as one unit in a diy bag i cut/stitched to the circumference of my pack (- 5cm).
How did you find carting your snugpak about Shewie with say a 1-2 night pack? Did you find you where short of space and was that with a large pack? When you swapped to the UK hammocks model what was the biggest relief/benefits for you and have there been any wet nights for you since or moments where you maybe wished you had packed the snugpak?
Sorry for all the questions, i very much appreciate you all taking the time to help me out here so thank you for the help thus far everyone
It is a hard call to make when you need the best of both worlds i.e low volume and weather resistance.
I store my hammock with the uq still on and tq/liner inside and in place, this is then stashed into a fireproof bivvi bag (extra blanket when in a hammock). It then gets compressed as one unit in a diy bag i cut/stitched to the circumference of my pack (- 5cm).
How did you find carting your snugpak about Shewie with say a 1-2 night pack? Did you find you where short of space and was that with a large pack? When you swapped to the UK hammocks model what was the biggest relief/benefits for you and have there been any wet nights for you since or moments where you maybe wished you had packed the snugpak?
Sorry for all the questions, i very much appreciate you all taking the time to help me out here so thank you for the help thus far everyone
It is a hard call to make when you need the best of both worlds i.e low volume and weather resistance.
What you saw in those pictures is how it arrived, so the size comparison against the milk bottle is not fully compressed. Now that it's been packed I've pulled all the webbing straps evenly to create the small ball look, so much smaller than the image
As for carrying it with other kit.... NO issues whatsoever! I'll shortly be using the Berghaus Vulcan, which is suited for heavy loads for long periods. The quilt has replaced my thermarest mat, which took up the same amount of room, if not more, and weighs about the same.
So far I'm really happy with my purchase :-D In the next day or two I'll be setting it up and seeing how it feels.
Hope this helps you matey
"Lt. Dan..... you got new legs!"
I used to put the Snugpak UQ and an Elite 4 bag side by side in the bottom of my Sabre 75 pack, that would take up around 1/4 or 1/3 of the main compartment. I still had plenty of room for all my other kit on top of that, I don't use side pouches so it all has to go in. Plenty of room for a week in the woods with the right food packed.
The reason I switched to down was to save weight and bulk, I do a lot of hiking as well as canoe based trips so I wanted to lighten my load. Plus with a down quilt you're not stuck with the Snugpak rating, you can get one as warm as you like, I have three but that's for another thread
I have zero concerns about wet weather, I have good tarps which deal with that, having doors on them allow me to shut out wind and rain from any direction. The only risk is splash back in heavy downpours, a steady drip or run off can splash up onto the underside of the quilt, especially on rocky or well trodden ground. It's easily fixed though with a single layer of waterproof ripstop which covers the quilt and hooks on the ends of my hammock.
@frosty: Very helpful indeed, thanks!
What i have now is essentially the older version of the vulcan, so that's a great comparison. If you see that bag as ideal that's reassuring, would yo expect spare space in that bag?
Maybe i can be cheeky and ask for a snap when it's compressed please if you get a chance at some point?
It really is a well put together piece of kit looking at the photo's, i bet i would struggle to break that unless drunk!
What i have now is essentially the older version of the vulcan, so that's a great comparison. If you see that bag as ideal that's reassuring, would yo expect spare space in that bag?
Maybe i can be cheeky and ask for a snap when it's compressed please if you get a chance at some point?
It really is a well put together piece of kit looking at the photo's, i bet i would struggle to break that unless drunk!
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@shewie: Cheers for the reply When you say you changed due to the bulk and weight, was it a case of it was just too bulky for a boat, to bulky in general or more improvements where made because you could? Been camping with a kayak a lot before so i can see how the volume and weight requirements for you *may* be a lot stricter than even a hiker
Good point on using good tarps to start with and setting them up correctly. How about fog/dew etc though have you been exposed to that whether you stayed wet or dry? Moisture seems to be the one real down side (no pun intended), that being unless i have imagined this problem.
Should it get wet, just how bad a deal is it with these pertex lined bags like UK sell? In my synth i got soaked last week in foggy, rain free weather. I ate a good meal and kept warm, just, and my gear did dry out fairly quickly. Maybe down would also dry fairly quickly if i follow a correct method; or maybe i can also avoid this altogether by good practice (i doubt this as fog gets places water normally doesn't). Would you take precautions if you where expecting fog with down gear?
When you say you changed due to the bulk and weight, was it a case of it was just too bulky for a boat, to bulky in general or more improvements where made because you could? Been camping with a kayak a lot before so i can see how the volume and weight requirements for you *may* be a lot stricter than even a hiker Good point on using good tarps to start with and setting them up correctly. How about fog/dew etc though have you been exposed to that whether you stayed wet or dry? Moisture seems to be the one real down side (no pun intended), that being unless i have imagined this problem.
Should it get wet, just how bad a deal is it with these pertex lined bags like UK sell? In my synth i got soaked last week in foggy, rain free weather. I ate a good meal and kept warm, just, and my gear did dry out fairly quickly. Maybe down would also dry fairly quickly if i follow a correct method; or maybe i can also avoid this altogether by good practice (i doubt this as fog gets places water normally doesn't). Would you take precautions if you where expecting fog with down gear?
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@frosty: Very helpful indeed, thanks!
What i have now is essentially the older version of the vulcan, so that's a great comparison. If you see that bag as ideal that's reassuring, would yo expect spare space in that bag?
Maybe i can be cheeky and ask for a snap when it's compressed please if you get a chance at some point?
It really is a well put together piece of kit looking at the photo's, i bet i would struggle to break that unless drunk!
Here you go. It's been further compressed about a 1/3.
Untitled by Frostmeister, on Flickr
here is my uk hammocks full length winter UQ with 100g overstuff. Weight 995g inc mesh bag. I own the snugpak too but the UKH one is lighter, more compressible and much much warmer. I only use the snugpak if my daughter is with me and give her the down one. I notice the difference. The other bonus of the UKH is its much easier to hang imo. Interestingly i use my winter UQ year round and have never overheated as long as i leave the ends unsinched. If its really hot i throw a water bottle in it to hold it off the hammock a bit too. I also find the UKH version stays around my footbox better than the snuggy.
Went out to trial the new UQ and tarp today.
Untitled by Frostmeister, on Flickr
Untitled by Frostmeister, on Flickr
Untitled by Frostmeister, on Flickr
Untitled by Frostmeister, on Flickr
Untitled by Frostmeister, on Flickr
...and again the comparison compression test...
Untitled by Frostmeister, on Flickr
Untitled by Frostmeister, on Flickr
Untitled by Frostmeister, on Flickr
Untitled by Frostmeister, on Flickr
Untitled by Frostmeister, on Flickr
Untitled by Frostmeister, on Flickr
...and again the comparison compression test...
Untitled by Frostmeister, on Flickr
Maybe so that you could attach them to a ridge line running under the tarp. That way it wraps itself around the hammock. I didn't need to do this though.
