If you are a real camping enthusiast, you will probably need a place to sleep and rest after a long day of activities. Everybody deserves some rest. It should be a rest that is somehow close to what you could have had at home, if not the same.
The hammock underquilts are what you need when going for such adventures. They are portable and easy to use. You are rest assured of a comfortable place to rest with the hammock. The underquilt is however meant to keep the temperature in check.
This article has everything that is meaningful as far as hammock underquilts are concerned. By the end of this article, you will appreciate their importance and most importantly what you have been missing as part of your camping experience.
A review of the best hammock underquilts
The hammock underquilts are essential gears used for the sole purpose of sleeping in hammocks in areas with experiencing extremely low temperatures. They have various features to help provide the much-needed warmth and comfort.
There is currently a good number of them from various brands in the market, be it online or the physical shops. A wrong choice can, however, give you the worst nightmares ever. Thanks to this article though, we have narrowed down to the very best of these products. They have been discussed below in details.
Comparison Table
Image | Underquilt | Editor's Rating | Price |
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1. Outdoor Vitals Aerie 30o F Underquilt
Are you that person who likes high-quality products with topnotch innovation included? We have got you covered. The Outdoor Vitals Aerie 30o F Underquilt is the product you are looking for. It has the best features that make it stand out amongst its competitors in this category.
It is lightweight but still provides the required warmth at surprisingly affordable prices. The gear is made from the highest quality materials available. The designs are made according to the customers’ needs. This direct contact between the customer and the manufacturer has not only done away with the retailers, but has also led to innovations based on the customer views.
It is probably one of the ultra-light sleeping bags at 30o F that you can come across. Weighing only 1.7 pounds, it has very high weight to warmth ratios. Talking of warmth, it comes with a drawstring that is used to tighten the bag up to close to your face. The hollow synthetic filament provides additional warmth.
The Rip-Stop nylon 20D fabric gives this sleeping bag a leather-like ultra-toughness. The bag is durable. Do not confuse the toughness with weight though. Those are two separate and non-related entities.
The highly innovative design makes this bag versatile and can be used for five different functions. It can be used as a sleeping bag, technical blanket, hammock underquilt, sleeping pod and double sleeping bag systems. The grid design locks it down into compartments that avoid the presence of cold spots.
In case of rains or ice, the coating which is VitalDry DWR repels water, therefore, keeping you drier and warmer. You can zip two of them together to make two sleeping bags. Hanging loops have been provided together with drawstrings and a suspension kit for hanging the sleeping bag on your hammock.
It has a compressed size of 10 by 7 by 7 inches. The YKK zippers are heavy duty and are the highest quality you can find. Together with the provided guide, be sure to have a long-lasting sleeping bag. We consider it as our best product because of all these great features that it comes with but is still available at a very low price.
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2. Outdoor Vitals Aerie 20o F Underquilt
If you need an underquilt that has a lower temperature rating, then the Outdoor Vitals Aerie 20o F is the best alternative to our pick. If green is your favorite color, then do not hesitate to buy this well built and properly designed sleeping bag. If for any reason you feel like you can’t buy our best product, this product will be your ideal alternative. These reasons could include our best product being too expensive, perhaps the bad smell when new or any other reason.
The external fabric of this sleeping bag has been designed using the Durable Water Repellency (DWR) that helps keep your insulation and you dry and warm. This is made possible by preventing water from penetrating the shell. This special innovation is so vital especially when you go camping in rainy weather.
This sleeping bag has a power down loft that is 800 fill that can be compressed to a smaller bag. It is about 2 pounds in weight and can easily get into your backpack. More warmth is assured when you have this sleeping bag with you.
It has a grid that has been baffled in design to help lock down the individual compartments without any compressions on them. The bag can, therefore, loft to a maximum size that keeps away any cold spots that could have occurred in your bag. This design has been aided by the heavy-duty YKK zippers that are so durable.
It comes with a cover that has Velcro Zipper, hanging loops, suspension kit and drawstrings on the two ends for hanging your sleeping bag around the hammock. You can use it as a normal sleeping bag when there is no hammock camping coming your way sooner.
This bag can be used for five different purposes which include being used as a sleeping bag, sleeping pod, hammock underquilt, a technical blanket and as a double-sleeping bag when zipped with another bag. All your needs are covered in this compact and light sleeping bag.
These bags are not sold in the physical stores. This helps save on the amount of money that could have been spent when buying them from retailers. The hammock underquilt comes with a lifetime warranty that is limited. Simply follow the instructions after the purchase to activate the lifetime warranty.
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3. Outdoor Vitals OV-Roost 40o F Underquilt
Are you undergoing financial hard times and you need an underquilt? An underquilt that has all the desired qualities at a considerably lower price that will help fit into your financial obligations? This is what the Outdoor Vitals OV-Roost 40o F is about. It is a perfect budget pick for you.
This bag weighs 2.7 pounds which makes it lightweight and therefore easy to carry from place to place. It has a very high weight to warmth ratio. It is rated at 40o F with a drawstring that is used to tighten the bag right to your face to provide the most required warmth. The additional hollow synthetic filament adds onto the other features that have been specifically designed for warmth.
The material composition of 190T polyester on the inner side and the 300T Rip-Stop on the outer side makes it tough and therefore durable. All this has been designed perfectly well ensuring that the weight of the bag has not been affected whatsoever.
No need to worry about rains as the coating has been made from the VitalDry DWR technique that helps repel off the water. This bag can be used as an underquilt, double and single sleeping bag. Use the provided hanging loops, drawstrings on the two ends and the suspension kit to use it as an underquilt around the hammock.
The zippers are made of heavy-duty materials to last long. This product comes with a lifetime warranty that is activated after purchase. The sleeping bags are sold directly to the customers from the manufacturer to avoid exploitations from the retailers.
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4. ENO Eagles Nest Outfitters Ember 2 Underquilt
Another very good hammock underquilt comes from ENO, a brand that has been known to revolutionize the hammocks world based on travel and experience. You will get the comfort and rest you need be it in backyards or backwoods. Even the forests or festivals are not left behind when using the ENO Eagles Nest Outfitters Underquilt.
This sleeping bag is ideal for most outdoor activities in every season. It has the features that make it a rain tarp during the rainy season as well as a bug net. Weighing just 1.6 pounds, this product is light in weight and therefore very much recommended for backpacking.
This underquilt is filled with polyester and surrounds the hammock on the bottom and sides to provide the warmth against the winter chills. Its adjustable shock cord at both ends speeds up the process of setting it up, meaning that you will have less time to shiver in the cold.
The bag is designed in such a way that it provides insulation while at the same time ensuring easy exit and entrance out and into the hammock respectively. This is basically what a camping or hammock experience should be like.
This ember underquilt includes a compression sack that makes it easy to pack and consequently store. Due to the need to utilize all the available fabric during production, the stuff sack’s stitching and color might vary from what is in the pictures.
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5. ENO Eagles Nest Outfitters Vulcan Underquilt
If you feel like you have enough money and you are willing to spend and buy a quality yet very expensive product, then this should be your ideal choice. When quality meets the cost, the Vulcan Underquilt from ENO Eagles Nest Outfitters is what you get. This sleeping back is meant for those who like the most expensive products. The price, however, matches the quality.
This four-season hammock underquilt is designed with fine and ultra-fine filament fibers with very tiny air pockets that are meant to trap heat from the body and therefore keep out the cold. This makes the bag provide warmth to a range of between 30 and 40o F.
It has an outer shell fabric that is wider than the inner shell that keeps drafts out and therefore provides advanced comfort. This is done as a result of the adaption that this bag has with the body contours. It has a water-repellent finish that makes water roll off after beading up.
What’s more, it comes with an adjustable shock cord for suspension. There is maximum thermal supply from the chin to the toes with this underquilt.
It weighs 30 ounces which is light enough. Besides, it can be compressed to a size that is backpack friendly which means easy storage. No wastes are allowed during the production of this product, which is why you are likely to find that the color of the stitching and stuff sack on the picture might not resemble the actual product.
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Features to consider before buying the hammock underquilt
Let us now carefully have a look at some of the guiding features that will help you arrive at the best underquilt. It is a very important section that cannot go unmentioned. This should be your guide when preparing to buy an underquilt for a hammock. They are as below:
a. Insulation type
Your personal preference, conditions you are likely to use the gear in and what you are looking for will determine the type of insulation to opt for. Most hammock underquilts are however made of synthetic with insulation that is down filled.
For the down filled underquilt bags, the weight to warmth ratio is always very high. The polyester insulations are also of very high quality and will provide the required warmth without losing its heating capacity during wet conditions.
b. Physical dimensions
A perfect underquilt should fit your hammock. There are models that are wider and longer than others. The size is a very important feature to consider whether you are planning to spend in a double hammock or you just need an extra wide room for sleeping.
The underquilt should be large enough for maximum comfort when lying in the hammock. This will also lead to the optimal insulation of the hammock. A snug one will limit your movements, but at the same time, it will provide more warmth by avoiding any gaps that would act as heat escape routes in the night.
c. Temperature rating
A hammock with the lowest temperature rating is perfect for you regardless of the season you are planning to use it. It is however quite important to survey the area in which you plan to go camping. This will provide you with an insight on the temperature rating of the hammock underquilt to settle down on.
Most of these hammock underquilts are however versatile therefore allowing you to enjoy a comfortable sleep in a variety of temperature ranges. If the temperature changes unexpectedly to lower than the rating of the quilt, you can add a sleeping bag or many layers of underquilt on the top.
d. Material
The very best of hammock underquilts are made of Rip-Stop fabric that is long-lasting. They are fitted with a coating that is water repellent from the Durable Water Repellency (DWR) technique. This coating beads up water before rolling them off during rainy or extremely cold situations.
The Rip-Stop nylon shell ensures the durability of the sleeping bag by protecting it against tears and snags. The DWR coating ensures that you remain drier and warmer throughout your hammock camping.
e. Weight
The lighter the hammock underquilt, the better for you. Lightweight underquilts are easier to pack and carry. The camping experience should be free from any kind of strain from heavy underquilts that are not the only important stuff you will have to carry.
The weight should range from 20 ounces (1.25 pounds) to a maximum of 50 ounces (3.125 pounds). Beyond that limit will be too heavy to carry around for adventures.
f. Fitment
Underquilts are designed with adjustable shock cords for suspension. The underquilt should fit well to form a contour around the body. This helps eliminate gaps that could have been used as heat escape routes between the underquilt and hammock. It is these gaps that minimize on the insulating capacity of the underquilts.
Doing a prior research on what underquilts fit on which models of the hammock is very necessary. This is because not all will perfectly fit on the camping hammocks. A well-designed underquilt which is large enough should, however, work with any hammock at the slightest adjustments.
Conclusion
The Outdoor Vitals Aerie 30o F Underquilt is the best hammock under quilt. It is very versatile and can serve five different purposes. It is DWR treated which means you will be drier and warmer the entire camping period as water is repelled off.
It is lightweight but high quality. The lightness makes it easy to carry in backpacks for adventures to various locations. It can be compressed to a size that makes it fit in a backpack. Be sure of constant warmth at the drop of temperatures as a result of the hollow synthetic filament and the drawstrings for tightening up to around the face.
The Rip-Stop nylon is a fabric that is tough and known to last. Its presence in this hammock underquilt cannot, therefore, be explained much further. I have personally used this product, and the experience was overwhelming! I would recommend for your time and again.