Introduction
The Jacks ‘R’ Better Nest Down Under Quilt attaches easily to a Hennessy Ultralight or Hyperlight hammock and features a slit that allows for bottom entry. In addition it can be used as a top quilt, worn as a wrap, or used as a top bag with the optional Down to Earth Converter. It is also a great value at $259.95. Combined with other Jacks ‘R’ Better quilts, it can be part of an integrated hammock quilt system.
What’s Good
- Designed to attach directly to a Hennessy hammock as an under quilt and still allow easy entrance
- Loft is a full ½ inch more than the manufacturer claim!
- Can be used as an hammock under quilt, as a top quilt, and even worn as a wrap
- Ability to attach the JRB Down Hood at the nylon loops for top quilt use
- Can be worn as a serape with the optional JRB Down Sleeves and JRB Down Hood (which attaches to the Nest in this configuration) for extra warmth
- DWR fabric sheds light condensation and spindrift
- Closable Omni tape footbox with tie closure opens for extra ventilation and versatility when used as a top quilt
- $259.95 is a great value for a down quilt with these features
- Also available as part of the “Basic 3 Season Hammock Quilt Set” or the deep winter “Ultimate 4 Season Hammock Quilt Set”
What’s Not So Good
- Wide footbox is not as efficient as those on single-use quilts
- Omni tape becomes partially unfastened from the hammock with use
- Hammock attachment area is not insulated, creating a long, thin cold spot
- Non-waterproof outer shell means that an additional rain cover is needed when used as an underquilt in cold, wet, or windy situations
- One color choice- Kelly green
- At $479.95 for the Basic 3 Season Hammock Quilt Set or $719.95 for the Ultimate 4 Season Hammock Quilt Set, the systems are quite expensive (but fair when considering what you’re getting)
Specifications
Year/Model | 2007 Jacks ‘R’ Better Nest Down Under Quilt |
Style | Down quilt with closable footbox |
Fill | 800+ fill goose down |
Loft | Measured top loft 2.5 in (6.4 cm); claimed loft 2.0 in (5.1 cm) |
Manufacturer | Approx. 30 °F (-0.1 °C) |
Weight – one size | Measured weight 21.9 oz (621 g); mfr claimed 20 oz (567 g) |
Size | Size (measured): 46 in x 77 in (117 cm x 196 cm); mfr claimed 48 in x 78 in (122 cm x 198 cm) |
Fabrics | 1.1 ounce rip-stop nylon with DWR treatment, no-see-um netting used in box baffles |
Features | 3 under quilt attachment points for use in a hammock system (each with two attachment points for a total of six), neck drawstring with dual sliders, foot drawstring with dual sliders, Omni tape foot box closure with ties at top of footbox |
Included Accessories | JRB Suspension System for hammock under-quilt use 1.1 oz (37 g), silnylon compression sack 1.3 oz (31 g), storage bag |
Optional Accessories | JRB Down Hood $59.95, JRB Down Sleeves $79.95, Down to Earth Pad Converter |
MSRP | $259.95 |
MSRP- The Basic 3 Season Quilt Set | $479.95 |
MSRP- The Ultimate 4 Season Hammock Quilt Set | $719.95 |
Performance
The Jacks ‘R’ Better Nest is a rectangular quilt with a slit and Omni tape strips that attach directly to Hennessy hammocks.
The Jacks ‘R’ Better (JRB) Nest is an under-quilt designed for use with Hennessy hammocks. It is constructed with a 1.1 ounce rip-stop nylon shell with DWR treatment and 800+ fill power down. While the manufacturer claims 2 inches of loft, I measured a full 2.5 inches (it’s great to see such a conservative manufacturer claim).
The Nest is similar to the No Sniveler quilt that ranked first in the BackpackingLight Unconventional Sleep Systems Review Summary. Unlike the No Sniveler, though, the Nest has a ½ length vertical opening with Omni-tape (a Velcro product) fasteners. These hook and loop fasteners align with the Velcro entrances of the Hennessy Ultralight Backpacker and Hyperlight Backpacker, allowing easy bottom entry when the quilt is attached.
The Omni-tape fasteners attach directly to the Hennessy Hyperlight Backpacker A-sym, making it an integrated part of the hammock system. This image shows the Hennessy hammock attached to the Nest quilt.
While the hammock entrance no longer seals with Velcro when using the Nest in this way, the weight of the user secures the entrance firmly. Compared to sliding a quilt to the side every time and having to center it after entering the hammock, this system is much easier to use. In fact, it’s quicker to enter and exit a Hennessy hammock with the JRB Nest attached because you don’t have to mess with opening and closing the Velcro. While it might seem that this loose opening could lead to things falling out of the hammock or bugs getting in, I never found this to be the case; once your weight is in the hammock, the opening seals nicely and doesn’t open accidentally.
When the cords are tightened, the Omni tape can pull free of the Velcro in the hammock opening. By tightening the adjusters less, this problem can be minimized.
However, the entryway seal is not perfect. Because the Hennessy uses Velcro and the Nest uses less “sticky” Omni tape, the seal is not as good as a Velcro-Velcro connection. This lack of “adhesion” causes the Nest to pull away from the hammock when the cords are tightened. While this surely caused some heat loss, it’s not very detectable because the slit in the insulation is at the less-crucial foot end of the hammock. It is important to note that tightening the adjusters less eliminates part of this problem.
A bigger concern with the system is that there is no insulation at this Omni tape/Velcro junction leaving a strip that’s about 2 inches wide with no insulation. Although you lay at an angle in a Hennessy A-Sym hammock, I did notice this as a cold spot when my legs crossed the strip in cold weather. If the weather gets cold enough that this is a problem, though, you can simply detach the quilt from the hammock and seal the Omni tape slit of the quilt to put the full 2.5 inches of loft at that area (When using the Nest in combination with an Old Rag Mtn as dual under quilts, I always set up the Nest in this way – since the Old Rag Mtn doesn’t have a slit, the Nest’s slit doesn’t help).
A JRB Suspension System is included with the Nest for attachment to the ends of a hammock. Also shown here is the Jacks ‘R’ Better Old Rag Mtn for extra winter insulation. Notice that the slit of the Nest is sealed when used in colder temps or dual under quilt setups.
A JRB Suspension System comes with the Nest which includes elastic cords and mini-carabineers for attachment to the ends of the hammock. Side attachment loops on the quilt are aligned for use with Hennessy A-Sym side guyouts.
When the weather gets warmer, you can increase airflow through the Nest by loosening the sliders on the ends of the quilt. By loosening the attachment points, you can also increase the distance between the hammock and quilt, cooling things off even more without having to disconnect the quilt.
To reduce the warmth when used as an underquilt, the quilt sliders and attachment hardware can be loosened.
Besides its use a dedicated under quilt, the Nest can also be worn as a vest by wrapping it around your body and attaching the sliders in the rear. While this is not as slick as the No Sniveller setup, it definitely gives some extra insulation at camp that few other bags can offer.
The Nest when worn as a vest.
The JRB Nest also has Omni tape strips to form a footbox for use as a top quilt. Drawcords at the foot and neck allow for adjustability when used as an under quilt as well as to create a footbox and neck collar when using it as a top quilt. This extra versatility gives you options for those times when you have to move your hammock to the ground. In these cases, the The JRB Down Hood can be attached to add warmth to the system.
The optional JRB Down Hood can be attached to nylon loops on the Nest Quilt for top quilt usage (or can be used seperately).
Like most Jacks ‘R’ Better (JRB) quilts, the Nest can stand on its own or be used as part of a JRB system for extending the range of a hammock. It is available with the included Suspension System for $259.95. It can also be purchased as part of the Jacks ‘R’ Better Basic 3 Season Quilt Set ($479.95) which includes the Nest and the JRB No Sniveller Universal Quilt, or as a part of the Jacks ‘R’ Better Ultimate 4 Season Hammock Quilt Set ($719.95) which adds the JRB Old Rag Mtn Down Quilt.
While these Sets are fairly expensive, they offer discounts over the purchase of the components of $30 and $60, respectively. When you consider the excellent “made in the U.S.A.” craftsmanship of the quilts and all that you get for the price, the sets are a very good value. Further, no company can get you set up for cold weather hammocking like Jacks ‘R’ Better.
The Nest is available on its own or as a part of the Jacks ‘R’ Better Basic 3 Season and Ultimate 4 Season Hammock Quilt Sets. When exiting the hammock with a Nest/Old Rag Mtn combination (here shown with optional Weathershield), you simply slide the quilts to the side when entering and exiting.
What’s Unique
The Jacks ‘R’ Better Nest offers a feature set that is unique in the market. It is designed to fit the Hennessy Ultralight or Hyperlight A-Sym hammocks and even improves the ease of entry/exit with these hammock models. Further, it can be used as a top quilt and even worn like a long vest for hanging around cold and dry camps. For those who love Hennessy hammocks, the Nest is a great addition to your system.
The JRB Nest is a key component to this deep-winter hammock system.
Recommendations for Improvement
- The Nest is designed to be used as an under quilt for a hammock and thus, is exposed to wind and wind-blown rain and snow. However, the fabric shell is merely lightweight nylon with a DWR coating. This necessitates the use of an outer wind/rain cover, adding complexity and weight to the system. If the Nest’s outer shell was made of a highly breathable waterproof/breathable fabric such as eVENT or Pertex Endurance, the additional cover wouldn’t be necessary. I think the possible downside of moisture accumulation in the quilt would be worth the tradeoff of simplicity and decreased weight.
- When using the Nest as a quilt on the ground, the footbox is a little too roomy to offer maximum efficiency.
- The Nest is available in Kelly green only. I rather like the color but others may not.