Warbonnet Outdoors Yeti Underquilt

I'm often asked how to cure CBS or "Cold Butt Syndrome". "Is having a fire close to my hammock okay?", is usually the question. I want you all to understand that is not a good idea, unless you would like to be shrink wrapped. Hammocks are usually constructed of highly flammable nylon.

 The next thing that folks quickly realize is that traditional sleeping bags don't fare well in hammocks. Why you ask? You have to understand sleeping bags work off of insulation. Basically heating the air around you. This isn't effective when the bottom section of the sleeping bag is compressed to the hammock.

So the answer? Underquilts. Today we are reviewing the Warbonnet Outdoors Yeti Underquilt. Warbonnet Outdoors are makers of the finest hammock's and hammock accessories on the market. I've been extremely pleased with their craftsmanship and attention to the details.

The model we tested was the 3 Season Yeti that is rated down to 20 degrees Fahrenheit. Which is all we need in our climate for even our coldest nights. Warbonnet does offer a Winter Yeti model for those that are in colder areas. The Winter Yeti is rated down to a whopping 0 degrees. The insulating comes from the 850+ fill goose down. We used the Yeti on our Warbonnet Blackbird (maybe the best hammock on the market).

The Yeti underquilt covers the bottom portion of the hammock to insulate the surrounding are and to block the wind chill. It covers from the user's shoulders to the knees on a 6 foot man. A pillow or watch cap will keep the head warm and the feet and lower legs can be kept warm by a top quilt.

One thing that I liked most about the Yeti was the super easy set up. Set-up takes about 20 seconds. By placing the bungee cord onto each of the hammocks gathered ends, the yeti stays in place. It can be moved up or down as needed. It can also be slid up high to form a "draft hole" to allow air in if it gets to hot.

During our testing it made a major difference when using the Yeti.This particular night it was about 38 degrees and windy. I tried for the first couple of hours to go without the Yeti and only using a sleeping bag (just to see the difference it would make). I had major CBS. After attaching the Yeti  it took about 5 minutes and the bottom portion of the hammock warmed up. By morning it felt like I was sleeping in my own bed. I did ride the Yeti a little higher, where my neck met my head. I had no problem with the Yeti moving out of place during the night.

Coming in at 12.5 ounces it's a very lightweight underquilt. The Yeti comes with its own Silnylon stuff sack and packs down around the size of a 32 oz Nalgene bottle. I do recommend shaking the underquilt out to add its loft pack after being packed into the stuff sack. To make things even better it comes with a DWR or Durable Water Resistant finish.

The Yeti worked like a charm on the Blackbird, but it can be used on hammocks from different manufacturers as well (if you must)

If you want to cure Cold Butt Sydrome or are in need of an underquilt check out the 3-Season Yeti or Winter Yeti at Warbonnet Outdoors.