2007 Jacks ‘R’ Better Old Rag Mtn Down Quilt REVIEW

[Benjamin Smith]

Companion forum thread to:

2007 Jacks '€˜R'€™ Better Old Rag Mtn Down Quilt REVIEW

[Andrew King]

Hi Doug, I enjoyed your review. I noticed that you recommend using the Old Rag Mtn as an additional underquilt (to supplement the Nest) instead of the No Sniveler. On the JRB web site they seem to describe the opposite approach. Could you elaborate on your rationale for this choice? Presumably additional underneath insulation was needed. Perhaps to extend the temp range for which you did not need to carry the additional foam pad? And in that case, you were using only the No Sniveler as a top quilt and supplementing with clothing to get down to the mid teens? I would be interested to hear what other clothing choices you made with this system to stay warm down to those temps. Also, any suggestions on how to dial in the performance of the quilt system is appreciated. Thanks.

[Joseph O’Leary]

Let me add to Andrew's questions. I am 6 feet tall. I was planning on buying two of these – one as an inside-the-hammock quilt and one as an outside-the-hammock quilt. I don't know how tall you are Doug but I'm guessing (hoping) its over 6 feet since I don't want to have to buy a down hood.

I thought I would get a long for the inside and a regular for the outside. Do you think a long for the inside would be enough for someone my height? Do you think a long for the outside would improve warmth? Would you consider it a good idea?

I already own the JRB Weather shield so waterproofness isn't much of an issue for me.

[Eric Noble]

Joseph,
I've used a Hennessy hammock with 2 No Sniveller Long quilts for several years now. I spent all last week in the Indian Peaks of the Colorado rockies with this set up. I'm 6'4", so I would say that a JRB quilt in long will be ample for your height. I hadn't considered using a regular size quilt on the outside. It might just work if you have some insulation for your head and maybe your feet. A fleece hat and socks might do the trick. A shorter under quilt might allow more drafts from the ends, however. Hanging the under quilt takes a little skill. If you leave a gap between you and the quilt you might get cold. If I get cold it's usually from underneath, and the butt and lower back tend to feel it first. I use a fleece hat and a Montbell inflatable pillow even with the long quilt underneath. Some hat is required if it's at all cool out.

[john Tier]

Andrew, et al,

At JRB we routinely uses the ORM as the top quilt for top and bottom balance and because one quilt is easiest to manage in a hammock…. IE…. the Nest and No Sniveller quilts properly hung , gently touching the weighted hammock, easilly provide 4+ to 5 inches of bottom insulation…. The Old Rag Mtn is 3+ inches of top insulation… Good to zero or below.

The only negative of that approach is that the wearing of the No Sniveller quilt requires that you clip it into the four micro biner and thread the two side ladder loops with the tie out cords when using a HH…. with experiance, this is a 30-40 second drill…Really , no big deal… whereas if the NS is the top quilt, there is no extra drill when turning in for the evening.

Pan

[Doug Johnson]

I can totally see where Jack is coming from. The reason I used the No Sniveler on top was that I found it warmer to have the additional insulation beneath me. It also made an easy transition from using the No Sniveler as a poncho to using it as the top quilt.

But what's wonderful about the system is its versatility. You can choose more insulation on top or more underneath…whatever you like best!

Doug

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