F.A.Q.

Overfill is extra down that we can add to our quilts for you, if you'd like it. More than anything, overfill helps minimize down movement within the quilt. As a manufacturer of ultralight gear, our quilts are designed to be filled with the industry standard amount of high quality down to keep you comfortably warm. Each chamber of our quilts is baffled, so the height of the loft is fixed, dependent upon the temperature rating. By adding extra fill to each chamber, the loft doesn't change, but the down already in each chamber isn't able to move as much.

Overfill also helps keep the loft of the down within the quilt over time. The oils within your skin and the constant compression and expansion of down can cause down to lose its loft over time. By adding overfill to your quilt, you are increasing the longevity of your quilt over time.

Yes and no. We cannot accurately predict how much each ounce of overfill will affect you, since we all sleep differently. Since overfill doesn't change the fixed loft of our quilts, we will say that it does not increase the temp rating of your quilt; however, it does have its uses as outlined above.

Absolutely! We can add overfill to your quilt after it has been made. Please reach out to us at sales@hammockgear.com if you're interested in adding extra fill to your quilt. One thing we cannot do is add overfill to the footbox of our Economy or Premium Burrow, once the quilt has been built, due to the construction techniques we use for production. We also cannot change the temperature rating of a quilt once it has been produced, since the interior baffling height is one of the determining factors for the temperature rating.

The main difference between Premium and Economy quilts is the weight and volume, due to a couple of factors. The first is, we use 20 denier fabric to make our Economy quilts which is thicker, versus the thinner and lighter weight 10 denier fabric used in our Premium quilts construction. The only other difference is, we use 850 fill power down in the Economy quilts versus the 900 or 950 fill power used in our premium model quilts. By using a higher fill power down in our premium quilts, we are able to achieve the same temperature rating with less down material, which offers additional weight savings. The difference in weight between economy and premium quilts ends up being approximately 4-6 ounces, depending on the temperature and model. The volume savings of our premium quilts can vary dependent upon your personal packing methods, however they consistently take up significantly less room in your pack when compared with an Economy quilt of the same temperature rating.

The first thing we will tell you in this quilt buying guide is that good insulation is imperative to a successful night of camping out. We strongly recommend your first purchase to be an underquilt. About 65-70% of your body heat escapes from your backside, through the thin layers of your hammock's fabric. A pad helps to a point before colder temps drive you to find a warmer solution. While you can pile on layers or use an already owned sleeping bag for your top insulation, it is difficult to keep your body warm without a properly designed underquilt. A full length or a 3/4 length underquilt can help create a good seal against the elements.

Regardless of where you are from, the best way to determine your needs will be with your own camping habits. If you do not sleep in weather conditions below a certain temperature rating, you can safely assume our Hammock Gear quilt temperature rating will be true to its claim.

* If you are a cold sleeper, pushing the temperature rating past its limits is not recommended
* If you do not hike or camp in temperatures below 40*F, then the 40*F set will work well for you, etc.
* Windy climates without a good shelter can compromise the quilt's ratings.
* Caloric intake, weight, clothing, humidity index, etc. are all variables that need considered when buying a quilt

Our quilts are designed with ventilation systems to help create a flexible window of comfort. The topquilt is available with a zipper footbox to open up completely for air flow. Our dual suspension underquilt system can be loosened easily for air ventilation between the hammock and the underquilt. The same system can be tightened for the cold nights, allowing for a good range of weather conditions while maintaining comfort.

The full sized incubator is for coverage from past the head to past the feet. In contrast, the Phoenix is designed to insulate the user from their shoulders to their calves. Most of the time, the Phoenix is geared toward long distance hikers that are trying to save as much pack weight and every ounce they possibly can.

You will need a pad of some kind to insulate you feet and you will have to wear something on your head if you want to achieve the Hammock Gear temperature rating of your under quilt.

While some vendors have made multipurpose/all-in-one quilts, the variables make it difficult to create a quality product that fits the user in various elements. Making our quilts dedicated for each purpose gives you the optimal performance you can ask of your gear. Risks of down compression (which lose insulation) is also increased, limiting your ability to stay warm when you need it.

Virtually everyone who goes to ground needs to opt for a wide version of the topquilt. A hammock's design cups the user, which means an underquilt also must cover not just the flat surface of person, but up over the sides. As a result, topquilts are designed to fit just inside the hammock, and not down under the user, where the down would be compressed and considered useless. When you sleep on the ground, you lose the side insulation that the underquilt provided you, thus requiring you to use the added width of the topquilt. This is why we recommend wide topquilts for our "ground dwellers".

We have stressed in this quilt buying guide that goose down should not be compressed for long periods of time. Specifically, your quilt should not be kept in a stuffsack or compression sack and put away until next season. A pillowcase, a trash bag, a large plastic bin, or hanging it up is ideal.

6-8 hours in a compression sack or stuffsack, then aired out to be used for the night, even over 100 times, should not compromise the insulation. With this kind of use, your quilt should last a long time. As you continue to use it, however, the goose down can shift and migrate, which is normal and expected. When it does, a simple patdown (no shaking) back to the areas lacking in down works very well.

If you have an 11' hammock, you have about 109" of hammock within the 11' ridgeline, and with the tarp at 132" of coverage, that leave you with 11.5" on either side of coverage, so you should be fine with a 11' tarp. We recommend 11' for most folks because to find trees that will work with 12' tarps can be trickier. That being said, plenty of folks order the 12' and make it work. If you are in a heavily wooded area, then you would have more choice locations to fit that length in, but it is a preference.

Bridge hammocks are becominng very popular. To compensate for the extra space needed to clear the poles, you can request that the panel pullouts be spaced in the proximity of where the poles would be, so you can pull the tarp panel out further to avoid contact and possibly puncturing your shelter. The pullouts, generally 49.5" apart, can be modified to 77" apart to create the recommended spacing for clearance.

We do offer repair services for our USA manufactured gear, should you have the need and the issue is within reasonable repair. If this is ever the case, please reach out to our customer service representative at sales@hammockgear.com with a detailed explanation of the issue and clear photographs documenting the damage. From there, we will diagnose if the issue is repairable and provide an estimate of how much the repair will cost. Those costs are only estimates and subject to change, once we have our hands on the product and can accurately project it's repair process. You will also be responsible for shipping costs to and from our facility in Ohio.

Hammock Gear is fully committed to your satisfaction. If you notice defects in your gear upon receipt; if something from your order is missing; or if you are unsatisfied for any reason, please don't hesitate to contact us at sales@hammockgear.com. We will work with you to correct the issue as quickly as possible.

At this time we no longer offer customization of our products beyond the options available on our website. You are welcome to share your idea's with us for new products, or upgrades to existing ones at sales@hammockgear.com!