Maiden Hang - Wilson Creek (Pisgah Nat Forest) 4-1 to 4-3

Well after owning and tweaking my hammock for a few months, I decided it was time for the maiden hang. I grabbed my buddy and hit the Harper Creek Trail in the Wilson Creek area of NC. The forecast was a low of 40 and small chance of rain for Friday night.

My gear:

ENO Dub
BA Encampment
BA Insulated Air Core
Thermarest 3/4 closed cell
Kelty Noah 12

After dinner the skies were clear and we commented on how nice the weather was. I hopped into my rig and briefly fall asleep. I woke up to a flash of light. I dismissed it as my buddies flashlight, but then heard the thunder associated with wicked spring mountain weather. Temps had to drop to the mid 30's and we had around 3 to 4 thunder showers roll through. :scared: I was pretty cold and stuffed ever piece of clothing into my bag to keep warm.

My plan was to share my buddies tent in the event that I do not stay warm enough. Unfortunately, his loose rain fly resulted in a wet tent. I hung tight (although a little chilly) all night in the hammock. I am really impressed in how the Kelty (in lock down storm pitch) kept me dry in the down pour. My Dutch biners also worked well to keep the water from dripping down into the hammock.

I thankfully learned how to hang the tarp from the contributors to this forum. I used a continous ridgeline with shock cord loops on the tie outs. The tarp was bullet proof all night despite the wicked spring weather. I was just too cold.

We only camped 3/4 mile in so I was able to hike back and set up the trusty Sierra Designs tent for night 2. I had to down grade the hammock to camp furniture for the rest of the trip. I don't want to give up on hammock camping but I think I need to improve set up for cold weather or just wait for warmer temps.

The scenary in Harpers Creek was great and we had a blast. Here are a couple of picks. Thanks!

Sounds like a great "dial in" hike to me. I froze once or twice learning what I need, and how I needed to use it to stay warm. If it didn't kill you, it made you stronger! Love the pics! Looks nice and comfy.

I'm sure when it warms up a bit you'll be in hammock heaven with that set up!

That sure is a nice waterfall!!!

Nice pictures! Looks like a gorgeous location.

Let me try and diagnose the problem and point to a possible solution.

In principle pads work well to keep you warm in a hammock. But they don't work like they do on the ground. The BA system puts the pads right under you which is perfect to keep you warmer than the cold ground. The hammock typically wraps around you a bit and your shoulders get cold. Is that what happened? If so then the issue is that you need a wider pad, or perhaps just some pieces of pads to put in strategic locations.

The other problem I can see is the 3/4 thermarest. That means that 1/4 of your BA insulated aircore was exposed to the night air from underneath. This insulation in the BA pad is good, but thin. Once there air inside is cold you will begin to feel it.

Here's what I suggest. Ditch the air pads. The air is just for protection from the hard ground which isn't an issue in the hammock. Use a full-length CCF pad (like a ridgerest) inside your BA bag and get some additional pieces of CCF for your shoulder areas and perhaps your hips as well.

That would be my strategy. It should be good down to the temps you are talking about.

Hope that helps.

Great learning trip. I had something like that happen my first hang in the woods when the temps dropped big time and I had CBS.

great pics,,,looks like a beautiful place

Heber- thx for the tips on the full length closed cell pad. My feet were a little cold. I think the length of the pad plus the amount of empty space in my bag were contributing factors to the issue of staying warm.

The best investment IMO i ever made hammock camping was an UQ. I tried pads and none ever really worked well for me. Even if you have to save 20$ a week, or make a DIY, you will never regret it and will definitely make you a believer in hammock camping.

I love that area! That was my last trip before I started working for Uncle Sam, good choice!

+1 on saving for a quilt. I had to promise to sell a gun to get mine! (Gun is still in the safe....;)) Thanks for sharing your trip! Looks very "fishy" to me, did you bring gear?

Yeah, maybe I will promise the better half I that I will sell some gear and then buy a under quilt. ;)

I did bring the four piece fly rod but got skunked. I only presented a dry fly with no success. (I'm not the greatest angler :lol:) The trails we hiked are "wild" trout streams and the fish are a little more difficult to fool than the hatchery supported waters that are located further downstream.