Quilt vs Bag in a Hammock

[winger]

I have been looking at the JRB and Nunatak quilts along with the Feathered Friends Wren series.
I would appreciate any input from those who have had experience with this sleeping systems. I am undecided as to which to buy, the quilt is versatile, but the Wren seems more thermally efficient (in a hammock).
Thanks!

[Just Jeff]

You summed it up. Quilts are lighter, easier to get into, and easier to ventilate. Bags are a bit more efficient if you move around...every now and then I get a little puff of cold air when I flip over or something.

The biggest thing is the hood. You can get a big warm sleeping hat to help out, and it'll be multi-use around camp. But a sleeping bag hood combines your body heat and your head heat into one toasty section so it's probably a bit warmer.

Still, I usually take the quilt. When it's really cold, I take a 30F bag and put the JRB Nest on top...mainly b/c my cold weather bag is synthetic and heavy.

[winger]

Thanks Jeff for the reply.
How about the Nest from JRB? Would I be better off with it combined with say a medium rated quilt, such as the No Sniveler, or just go with the Winter Wren? Dang this is a hard decision.

[bredler]

I just slept out in 28 degrees with a JRB Hudson River Quilt (like a no sniveler w/o head hole) and my 20 degree campmor down bag. I was WARM. almost uncomfortably so if I breathed under the bag.

I had the bag opened up like a quilt and piled up on top of me, and with just the edges tucked around me so that I didn't get any side draft. I was very comfortable.

[River Runner]

Interestingly, I find my quilt slightly more thermally efficient for me in my hammock. I think this is because the down under me gets compressed in my sleeping bag, then when I turn, it isn't lofted and I am cold for a while till it lofts back up. With a quilt, I turn under the down, so it is always lofted on top.

I also like it because if I do get too warm, it is easy to vent.

[take-a-knee]

I have been looking at the JRB and Nunatak quilts along with the Feathered Friends Wren series.
I would appreciate any input from those who have had experience with this sleeping systems. I am undecided as to which to buy, the quilt is versatile, but the Wren seems more thermally efficient (in a hammock).
Thanks!

I have a Rock Wren and I believe it is the way to go in a hammock. The weight penalty is a few ounces at most for the extra nylon. The Wren has no side baffle so the down can be shaken to the top or bottom as needed. I believe the warmth of the hood makes the bag work better than a quilt. You need a lot of extra insulation on your head to make a quilt work below freezing, that polarguard balaclava from Bozeman Mountain Works would work well. That Rock Wren is easy to don entering and exiting a Hennessy hammock, and midnight tree watering is nothing to dread. The Rock Wren's only downside is it's half zipper when it is warmer, you have to wear it and you can't get your legs out of it on a warm night. The Wren can be ordered with a full length zipper, I just bought an Exped Wallcreeper (synthetic) for warmer trips.

[winger]

Thanks for all the replies.
I think I'm leaning towards the Wren, especially if the full zipper option isn't too expensive, and then will plan on using a JRB quilt for warmer temps.
I'm still undecided about the Nest, I just don't like the idea of filling my pack with more items than necessary.

[River Runner]

Thanks for all the replies.
I think I'm leaning towards the Wren, especially if the full zipper option isn't too expensive, and then will plan on using a JRB quilt for warmer temps.
I'm still undecided about the Nest, I just don't like the idea of filling my pack with more items than necessary.

Unless you are hammocking in the extreme heat of summer, you will need some sort of under insulation. A quilt is among the more compactable solutions, but if you do ever need to go to ground doesn't work as a ground pad.

[jettjames]

I stand by Ed Speers Pea Pod, worked like a charm down to 0 degrees last year. I used a light weight 35 degree bag inside and the pod around me closed all the way up except for a hole to let my breathe out.. slept in my hat and clothes on the coldest nights. used a mac cat tarp and I was NEVER cold, never chilly even. I was warm when everyone in the shelters and in tents were cold. later in the summer i used two army poncho liners one under the hammock and one on top.

pt

[highway]

I have tried the quilt but gone back to the Rock Wren. The open drawstring bottom makes getting into it a snap. If I sleep on the ground occasionally I find the mummy bag better than the quilt. Even tho some down may compress in the mummy bag under me I still feel that it offers more warmth retention than none at all as in a quilt. But that is just my personal observation. I just use a light, 3/4 thermarest under me and am going to try a newish SPE for colder temps.

[take-a-knee]

I have tried the quilt but gone back to the Rock Wren. The open drawstring bottom makes getting into it a snap. If I sleep on the ground occasionally I find the mummy bag better than the quilt. Even tho some down may compress in the mummy bag under me I still feel that it offers more warmth retention than none at all as in a quilt. But that is just my personal observation. I just use a light, 3/4 thermarest under me and am going to try a newish SPE for colder temps.

I have a JRB Nest for an UQ to go with my Rock Wren. Don't forget the down on the bottom of the Wren isn't "wasted", that bag has no side baffle so the down can be shaken to the topside of the bag.

[Just Jeff]

FWIW, the JRB Nest or NS are good for me into mid-30s.