First sub-zero hang experience

[bdl931]

So I'll start with a little background:
Got into hammock camping while in the Army( Canadian army, still serving) a couple years back in order to get my aging back up off the ground. First couple of times were a dismal failure, but a quick trip to YouTube brought me to Shug, and since then Ive studied, learned and practiced and consider myself at least competent,lol.
I've done plenty of winter camping in the Army, and after almost 20 years, I've got that down pat, so I started looking into winter hammock camping more as a curiosity than anything else. Where Im at, it routinely dips to -20C in winter if not colder at night and is a damp cold( New Brunswick). I did a lot of research, invested in some kit and did a practice run in the backyard down to -1C. Success!
Fast forward to today: Me and a Buddy are planning a trip next weekend and its supposed to be around -5C during the day with light snow and a low of -15C at night. I think I have the set-up to comfortably handle it, but I want to get everybodys opinion. I plan on posting a pre trip report and post trip to document my trip for everybody on here.
I will be bringing sleeping pad, air mattress and a down bag in my pulk as a back-up just in case.My buddy is bringing his hot tent( he thinks I'm crazy). As well, I plan on sleeping in my under armor thermals, granny knit wool socks and light fleece Pjs.

Set-up:
Trip to the moon double hammock
wool blanket in the hammock
Snugpak merlin bag as a top quilt. ( 5C comfort rating)
Wobbie blanket
Pillow
No name under quilt ( 5C rating)
Snugpak Cocoon
Silnylon tarp 3m x 3m pitched in a A frame style

I also plan on constructing a windbreak and a laying a long fire for warmth if required.

Cheers!

[cmoulder]

Hmm... that's a lot of 5C (40°F) rated stuff for a -15C (5°F) night.

A warming fire sounds viable but it takes a lot of effort to maintain.

[bdl931]

Ive been down to 0C with just the cocoon, proper sleep wear and nothing else and slept like a baby,so I have confidence in the cocoon. I'm planning on using the the 5C bag and wobbie in a top quilt layering approach and with the wool blanket under me and 5C underquilt attached, the whole system will be encased within the cocoon. I'm hoping that this will allow me to regulate my warmth as well.Too warm, drop a layer, too cold, add a layer. As well, with the exception of the cocoon, I had all of the set-up already as a 3 season set-up, so no big credit card bills.
I agree with the fire for warmth. One of the reasons were going out is to practice building improvised shelters and practice different fire lays. A long fire does't require tending, throws a good amount heat, won't burn out of control, lasts as big and long as your logs are and reduces to a nice coal bed for cooking. most importantly, it does't throw sparks, so no holes in my kit!
Thanks for responding

[Firesong]

Be sure to let us know how it goes. Did you get part of the snowmageddon ?

[bdl931]

Yes, we were out on winter exercise when it happened. Not as much as Nfld, but we got 25 cm of snow and -30 for a couple of nights!

[Gregori]

That sounds like enough, assuming you get out of any wind and avoid any gaps in your layering of insulation. That probably is the biggest thing to watch out for.

I first saw the title and thought about my first few really cold camps, negative 15-20 C (-5 to -10 F), and how it didn't really seem that bad, which it was not, at all.

Of course I do have zero rated (F) TQ / UQ, UQP, Top Cover on hammock, large tarp to the ground, and a fleece blanket in the hammock with me (I dislike the feel of nylon when resting.)

I did manage to test my setup first in the backyard woods, and was surprised by a cold snap down to -8 F the very first time sub-zero F. The second time it was raining, 50 F as I went into deep woods camp, then went to high teens F and lows -5 to -10 F the rest of the long weekend (3 nights, 4 days). Lucky for me, there were two hot tents in camp that I warmed up and dried out in the first day and had as backup if I needed it afterwards. Coming out I was glad I had my Kahtoola Microspikes for my boots as the trail was a solid sheet of ice, edge to edge, the whole way back to the car.

It seems you know more about winter camping than I, even though it is my favorite kind of camping, and here in Michigan the weather can be hit or miss depending on the year. Be safe, take some extra gear, and have a backup plan if you do get cold....

Let us know here online how your gear performed!!

G

[BillyBob58]

Ive been down to 0C with just the cocoon, proper sleep wear and nothing else and slept like a baby,so I have confidence in the cocoon. I'm planning on using the the 5C bag and wobbie in a top quilt layering approach and with the wool blanket under me and 5C underquilt attached, the whole system will be encased within the cocoon. I'm hoping that this will allow me to regulate my warmth as well.Too warm, drop a layer, too cold, add a layer. As well, with the exception of the cocoon, I had all of the set-up already as a 3 season set-up, so no big credit card bills.
I agree with the fire for warmth. One of the reasons were going out is to practice building improvised shelters and practice different fire lays. A long fire does't require tending, throws a good amount heat, won't burn out of control, lasts as big and long as your logs are and reduces to a nice coal bed for cooking. most importantly, it does't throw sparks, so no holes in my kit!
Thanks for responding

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't that Snugpack Cocoon something like the old Speer Pea Pod? Or at least some sort of pod? And you are going to have all that other gear layered inside of the Cocoon, as you said?

If so, you should be toasty, assuming wind and moisture are adequately blocked. Also, assuming that there is room for all of that gear inside your pod without much loft compression. Pods(Cocoons?) are, in my experience, the most bombproof approach to keeping warm, primarily as they are fairly immune to problems with gaps and drafts. They can offer most of advantages of being zipped up in a mummy bag(draft proof) while maintaining most of the comfort of UQ/TQ combos, IMO. Sometimes even more comfort, in my experience and opinion.

If loft is not compressed, you can basically just add the insulation ratings, again based on my experience. (and assuming face/breath venting is achieved without allowing too much warm air to escape out the vent hole, by having layers over chest and neck that contact the outer pod). So in my case, if I was say adequately warm at 40F(pardon my Fahrenheit) on top(Speer Pea Pod not as warm on top due to gaps caused by hammock raising the pod's top layer) in my warm clothing, and I add a 40F TQ(an additional 70-40=another 30ºF of protection), to fill that top gap, I am probably now going to be good for a minimum of 10F. But actually, on top, much more than that, because there is now no top gap, and with no gaps that top 2.5" loft layer was actually rated at 20F. So now with all gaps filled, I have the original 2.5" top layer loft of the pod, plus say 1.5 or 2" of the added quilt, for a total top layer loft of 3.5-4". IOW, a heck of a lot of loft, good to zero F or well below. And still just as draft proof as a zipped up sleeping bag, or mighty close.

Things were simpler for bottom warmth, since that Speer Pea Pod never has a gap on the bottom unless I wanted it to in warmer weather. So it was always good for 20F(2.5" loft or more), then I would just adjust to add some gap and add whatever insulation(like an unworn parka, or a very light TQ, or a space blanket, or even a pad) to easily take it below 0ºF. Again, there were no drafts getting inside of that rascal. And that outer pod kept everything contained, nothing ever slipped out of place. No worries about lifting an edge of the TQ while moving in my sleep.

I imagine much of that also applies to your set up. Let us know how it goes.

[cmoulder]

Well if you carry enough stuff and stack it all together it should work.

I realize you're pulking, so if it's not very hilly and not terribly far you can take a bunch of stuff. I checked specs and the cocoon alone is listed as weighing 69oz (4.3lb), which weighs more than a decent set of 0degF quilts. But it's hard to justify the expense of a good set of quilts if you're going out only a few times per winter in conditions that demand such.

It's more of a challenge when the goal is more miles in rugged and/or steep terrain where you want the lightest kit that will still get the job done.