Might not be Kosher to post a simple day hike in this area, but it needs to be somewhere I guess!
Any way, today was just so sweeeet! It hit 56*F ( though way breezy) and is heading even higher the next several days. Seems awful nice after all this cold and snow and cloudy gray weather lately. It has not been a normal winter here in the deep south! It was single digits just 2 nights ago! Main thing is though, we just have not been getting our sunny days, and I have been missing them.
So I headed out to a place deep in the MS woods for the afternoon. The Sun was clearly visible through the leafless trees for a change, low in the South west sky. After a little distance, I came to a spot I called "Crooked Tree" on my waypoints. I decided to stop there and set up my hammock and try the new HHSS with OC and stock tarp. Boy, been a long time since I had that tarp out. I actually got a pretty tight pitch ( from the trees). And, about the best job ever of still having pretty good coverage after hammock sag. I was still pretty close to the RL. And, though it was quite breezy, the tarp was actually pretty stable and quiet. Not exactly a MacCat, but not bad for 11 oz and just one stake ( other side tied to a small log). This could encourage me to use this tarp again.
I had the woods all to myself. I was on a ridge, and while setting up ( 3 minutes for out of the pack to ready to hang with entire SS set up, not counting tarp) there was a huge racket in the woods across a deep bottom and over the next ridge. I could not figure out what kind of animal it was. It could have been a small yapping dog, or some one practicing on a turkey call. It quit after about 10 mins. But then later, as I was packing up, a young deer came running at top speed from that direction, crossing within about 20 yards of me. I don't think the deer ever saw me. He seemed to be running for his life!
The new SS UC seems to fit a bit different than the old one. It does a better job of holding a fleece jacket in place under the pad. Don't know why. Also, at home on my stand, the Over cover seemed to have excessive sag, but that improved hanging fro trees which kept the RL tight enough.
Also hanging from the stand with no tarp, I was doubtful as to how much heat the Over Cover(OC) would really keep in with wind, as a lot seemed to be getting in some how. But today, used with the tarp, it was obviously making a big dif. At a very breezy 56F, I was burning up inside that thing with 1 pad/kidney/torso pad and no TQ or hat, just my nylon pants and cotton long sleeve shirt. The only way I could stay in was use the book I was holding up to read to also hold up one edge of the OC and let some breeze in there. That made a big dif. My back was hot and I was about to start sweating with the OC closed. I could have unhooked it on one side and pulled it over the RL, but I didn't want to bother for the short time I was there.
BTW, I have had no significant trouble getting in and out on the sides, though I used the bottom entry today. You do need to be careful, it wouldn't be hard to over stress some fabric. And HH does NOT recommend this. But it has been doable so far for me.
It was a very pleasant afternoon, and I saw several more deer when hiking out. I was very comfy lounging/reading in the HHSS, except when I was way too hot for the afternoon temps.
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