View Full Version : First Look at the KAQ Potomac
Just Jeff
01-01-2006, 12:08
For those interested...
http://www.tothewoods.net/GearTestKAQ.html
A few pics on there, too. This looks like a great quilt!
What model and cost is the hammock stand in the pictures? Where did you get it? What are the dimensions end to end, and end to ground? Thanks for the info.
Just Jeff
01-02-2006, 12:17
All that info here:
http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/sm-byer-of-maine-vario-hammock-stand--pi-1869642.html
It's very easy to setup...pretty heavy, though. Great stand, IMO. I bought it at Outdoor World here in Monterey.
One thing I've noticed is that the ends flex towards the center when occupied. Not a problem for the hammock, but it makes the tarp sag. Since I only use it around the house or car camping, though, I just hang a weight (usually a jug of water) off the end and let it pull the tarp tight.
I want to fabricate my own hammock stand if it cost's less. I need to know the degree of the obtuse angle where the uprights meet the base. Can you take a protractor and give a rough measurement?
Just Jeff
01-02-2006, 16:13
Don't have a protractor handy, but I'd estimate about 120 degrees. That section is one fabricated piece of curved pipe (the green), connected to the uprights and to the other curved piece with adjustable silver pipes that fit inside the green ones.
titanium_hiker
01-10-2006, 17:42
risk has good plans for a 25$ hammock stand-
http://www.imrisk.com/hammockstand/hammockstand.htm
Big Dawg
02-09-2006, 09:43
Can you say Kicka$$. What a great underquilt. I received my KAQ Potomac underquilt (size: Big Dawg) from Patrick this week, & I must say, what an AWESOME job!!! The stitching looked great, the set-up was easy, & the design/size seems perfect. I'll be testing it out this weekend on my next section hike, starting at Sam's Gap, NC. The lows should be in the teens w/ snow showers. I'll definately report back w/ results.
Thanks again Patrick for a job well done!!! :clap
Just Jeff
04-02-2006, 15:18
Newest update to the page - a new low for me in this quilt, but nothing spectacular.
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Date: 1-2 Apr 06
Low Temp: 36 F (New low w/ this quilt)
Weather: Clear skies, very slight breeze
Gear: HH Backpacker Ultralight Asym w/ stock tarp, KAQ Potomac Underquilt, JRB No-Sniveller top quilt
Worn: Poly-cotton fleece pants, cotton socks, cotton T-shirt, polyester fleece shirt, earband
We went car-camping at Bottcher's Gap last night - beautiful night, tons of stars, very few clouds. My wife even came this time! That's a rare treat...
The wife and kids slept in a tent and I used the HH with the Potomac, using the Brunton ADC to record the low temp (36 F). That's the coldest I've been in the Potomac so far. I went to bed around 11pm at 38 F and woke up at 6 am and 40 F. Low temp was 36.9 F at 1 am, and it read 37 F at 2 am and 3 am before it started warming up.
The quilt worked well. I could feel a gap under my butt that I probably could have fixed, but I was already comfy...at 36 F it wasn't a big deal and I still slept pretty well, so I'm confident I could get down to at least 30 F with the setup. Although it was pretty wierd...my back was very warm where the quilt was snug, and then my butt was a bit chilled where the gap was - funny feeling. But like I said, I think I could have fixed the gap if I had gotten cold to motivate me.
I also didn't use the KAQ prussiks to attach it. Since I don't use the HH tarp prussiks for the tarp, I used the one on the head end for the quilt's elastic - worked fine. My foot end HH prussik is damaged and I haven't fixed it yet, so I ran the cordlock for the quilt's foot end through the loop in the tree hugger. When I attached the 'biner over the ridgeline for the foot end, that held just fine, too.
One other thing - since the quilt was snug to my back and the gap was under my butt and thighs, I opened the HH slit and pulled some quilt inside the hammock. When I let go of the slit, the quilt stayed there for a while and warmed by butt up...until I moved. But it worked enough to get me to sleep, then I didn't really notice it until I woke up ~6 am.
So the quilt worked great again, and I have a new low to report - I sleep cold, and I think I could be comfortable to 30 F with an absolute low around 20 F.
I wonder why a strip of velcro attached to the hammock and a matching one to the quilt, in the area of the butt, would keep the quilt in place better. Would the entrance be the problem?
I just got one last week but haven't tried it out yet.(broken wrist) I am not sure what to feed the Quiltosaurs.
Just Jeff
04-03-2006, 14:29
Hrm...that's a great idea. To get in, you just push the quilt aside and climb in. Maybe if the little velcro strip were only on one side of the entrance, it would help out. Dunno if it would be worth the extra construction time (increased price), but might be worth experimenting on.
Patrick, you listening?
Hawkeye, I updated my page with the quiltosaurs after your post - I had forgotten to list them in the "parts and pieces" paragraph!
Another way to do it would be to have a fabric loop sewn onto the quilt that would align with the entrance. You could pull up to get the right tension on the velcro or tie it off to something to get the correct tension or to force the correct tension on the mating velcro pieces. This is coming from someone that has one ordered but has never slept in one. I sound like a know it all.
I'm listening.
I've been pleasantly surprised by how well the Potomac fits. It has full perimeter elastic and elastic attachment lines, and they're all fully adjustable. I've used mine a bunch and have had to get out to adjust things only once or twice.
I suspect that, as Jeff said, a quick adjustment would have fixed the gap right away.
I think the Velcro underneath is a pretty good idea. My concern is that it would still leave two slightly smaller gaps (one on each side of it) if the gap underneath was anything but very small. It would also add some cost and weight to the finished quilt.
I've encouraged everyone who'd bought from me to give feedback and haven't heard yet of any problems. If I do, I'll certainly consider doing just what you suggested.