Hammock Camping

[RazorSharp]

I'll second and third and . . .the idea of having a backup in case things go badly--especially for a new hammocker. New equipment doesn't work as excepted. Gear breaks. Weather changes unexpectedly. Animals steal things. Etc. Stretch your comfort zone at a friends back yard (some safe place) or at least with your vehicle next to you. My truck looks like I'm prepped for WW4 when I go winter camping

Shug just released an excellent video on solo camping if you enjoy that. My favorite is solo in the winter with no tarp on a clear night. Nothing better.

Get out there . . . but be safe and take pics so we can enjoy it too.

[cmoulder]

I did my trip yesterday and it was indeed breezy during the day, but the trail conditions were superb. I had microspikes but did not need them yesterday, and not even this morning except for about the last 1/3 mile where the trail was really compacted and glazed. Darn near decided to try to make it out without them, and then remembered that I really messed up my ankle last winter in a very similar situation.

The wind died down a lot around 4pm yesterday and I thought I was in for an easy night. But later it started picking back up and by about 9pm it was getting quite breezy, a solid 15mph with little intervals of 20mph and maybe a bit more, enough to jostle the rig around a bit and make the trees sway. In the upper branches I could hear that low roar you get when the wind starts getting frisky.

The main purpose was to get out and hike and grab a piece of winter while we have it, but I also usually test something, in this case using the Lightheart Gear rain suit as my primary shells and VB layers. UQ was my 0deg HG Incubator and TQ was my 30deg EE Enigma. I pitched the Palace with foot end oriented into the wind, and was using the VB with down parka and pants to augment my TQ, which I have done before down to 12°F (but there was no wind!). However last night it was windier than forecast and it was colder than forecast. I was expecting 10mph wind and teens temp, but with the stiff breeze and actual low temp of about 6°F I was close to the comfort limit. Although I got enough sleep, a bit warmer would have been nice and if I were to do it again I'd take my 20deg Enigma, which is also longer and, more importantly, wider than the 30deg I used. Weather such as I had will expose any little gap, and sure enough I was getting some drafts on the side.

Overall, though, the Lightheart Gear rain suit worked great in the dual-role test.