Cold and windy in Iowa

[SnarkyJosh]

Well, everyone's talking about cold weather gear so over the weekend my buddy, a ground camper, and I decided to test the limits of our sleep setups.

The gear:

Kelty Noah's 12 tarp
Kelty Lightyear 20° down mummy bag
Military poncho liner
ENO Doublenest
ALPS Mountaineering foam pad
Military Surplus Self-inflating pad.
DIY JCP Puffer Underquilt

The clothes:

Military ECWCS Gen III Level 1 Polartec base layer (top and bottom)
Gander Mountain Guide Series heavyweight fleece base layer (top and bottom)
Wigwam merino wool socks
Terramar Geo Fleece balaclava
Knit skull cap

The story:

We went out to our favorite spot, along the Iowa river in the Hawkeye wildlife management area, around 9pm. The temp was about 25° and was supposed to dip into the teens over night, with a wind developing out of the north.

I hung my hammock so my head pointing west and my feet were pointing east. I closed off both ends of my tarp in "winter mode", paying more attention to sealing off my head end since there was a gentle breeze was out of the NW. From a previous outing I know my DIY underquilt and the ALPS pad can get me down to at least 25°F. The extra pad was a precaution and it was also nice to have under the ALPS pad, since that thing grips like crazy and doesn't budge at all when you are trying to get comfortable. I used the poncho liner as a sleeping bag liner making sure to get a little extra in the foot end.

My feet and lower back felt chilled when I first got settled in, I've experienced this before and don't know what the reason is. I also found out that my balaclava presses on my nose too much to sleep comfortably, plus it felt stuffy to breath with it on, so i left my nose sticking out. I woke up a couple hours later because my face was cold and I just pulled the sleeping bag up over my face, but the rest of me was very warm and comfy.

I woke up again a little before 5 am, not because I was cold, but that north wind had started up and was causing the "doors" to make an annoying flapping noise. I couldn't get back to sleep so I got up, froze my butt off, and battened down the hatches. Thankfully my bed was still warm and it didn't take long to fall back to sleep.

I woke up again at sunrise, this time the wind was much stronger and gusting. the tarp was catching the wind like a sail, pressing against the hammock, and rocking me. It was howling through the trees pretty good, I was just waiting for one of my tie-outs to give. I didn't want to get out of bed though because it sounded cold. The tarp tie-out points held, the braided mason line guy-lines held, and the MSR Groundhog stakes held. I finally got out of bed when I heard my buddy packing up. Both of us wanted to get out of the wind so we packed up and got the heck out of there.

I took a photo before breaking camp...



The overnight low on my temperature gauge was 14°F. There was a bit of frost to knock off on the inside of the tarp. My sleeping bag also felt a little heavier, I'm not sure if breathing into the sleeping bag is such a good idea.

I think I'm set for the cold, just need to tweak a few things... now I just have to figure out how to rig my Kelty for windy conditions.

[OutandBack]

Nice report thanks. Foam ear plugs work pretty good when the tarp starts flapping.

[SnarkyJosh]

Nice report thanks. Foam ear plugs work pretty good when the tarp starts flapping.

That's a good idea. My sleeping bag has a pocket on the chest where I keep my phone, a good place for some ear plugs.

[eviscerate3]

Hello from just down the road in coralville! I've been out in the hammock for years and have never seen another one! I usually go over to fox campground in the winter. Maybe a north liberty hang sometime?

[SnarkyJosh]

Hello, I knew there were some Iowa hammockers around. I've never seen any hammocks in the wild either, but I'm normally out in public access. I didn't know they allowed them at the Fox campsite. I wouldn't mind a local hang, I missed out on Yellow River, hope to make next years. I'll probably be looking to get out again after hunting season.

[ironmike]

Marion guy here,still assembling my gear, but would love to try a group thingy.

[eviscerate3]

Marion guy here,still assembling my gear, but would love to try a group thingy.

Hey there, Is there anywhere up in your neck of the woods to hang in the winter months? We only have 1 decent park that is open all year. It would be nice to have some options. Thanks!