May 19, 2017
Some notes on rigging an underquilt
Doing this right is absolutely critical.
Nothing guarantees a cold miserable night more than having your underquilt badly rigged.
Any gap between your backside and the underquilt spells trouble in cold weather.
An underquilt protector, aside from adding protection to the underquilt, also serves
to snug up the underquilt as well as to block wind.
Another approach to all of this (that I have yet to look into fully) is the "clew" system.
If you have a Hammock Gear underquilt, you absolutely should carefully read all the above, especially the discussion
by "Stormcrow" about why he designed the suspension the way he did. One key point is that the end of the hammock with the label is
the head end (both ends are not identical). Another key point is the utility of the secondary suspension in eliminating the accordion effect.
Read the articles to understand what all this is about.
Another key point on underquilts is that overtightening the cords that pull each end closed can actually
exacerbate the very problem you are trying to fix.
Have any comments? Questions?
Drop me a line!
Tom's hiking pages / tom@mmto.org