Spent the weekend (12/16 - 12/18) with my son's scout troop in southern OK, just north of Durant. Two nights spent hangin'.

Most notable feature of the location was MUD. Hiked in from the parking location ~1/2 mile on a rutted, muddy access road. One scout came out of his hiking boots and face-planted. Not pretty, but he was of good humor over the event.

The scouts pitched camp at the designated field, devoid of trees, and very little grass. You got it, mostly MUD. A few of the adults also pitched their tents here. Several of us, though, headed for the trees just beyond the field, where we were treated to uneven terrain, trees, and leaf covered ground. No MUD. Perfect for hangin'.

Experienced lowest temps yet in my setup, allegedly to 24* the first night. Setup consisted of my Hammock Bliss hammock, Baby Orca IX underquilt, with an added layer of packaging foam, plus my hand-crafted Reflectix undershell. Had my 25* rated synthetic sleeping bag on top.

The scoutmaster, as well as a few of the other men, stopped by to offer blankets, etc. if I got cold. Thoughtful of them.

I don't know why, but though I was comfortable, I was unable to sleep the first night. I was warm enough, but did start to experience frosty toes toward morning. I had a mid-night excursion to answer the call of nature, and found that I still find it awkward getting back in and settled in the middle of the night (this being maybe my 7th and 8th night in the hammock). I'm hoping this becomes more routine as I gain experience. Even with little sleep, I awoke relatively refreshed and without aches and pains. Success!

Saturday proved to be a beautiful day, up to the 60's, with plenty of Boy Scout activities, in cluding gun shooting and rocket launching. Oh, and lots of MUD.Temps dropped pretty dramatically with sunset, and after a large bonfire, turned in relatively early. I made an adjustment for foot warmth, wrapping a jacket around the foot end of the hammock.

Sleep came easily Saturday night, and my mid-night excursion was much more easily accomplished. Lows Sunday morning were probably just under freezing. I was warm the entire night, including my toes.

A couple of the guys ended up inquiring about my setup - presumably surprised at my success.

We packed out in the morning, again slogging through more MUD.

Pitching my hammock in the trees kept my gear relatively clean, with only my boots and pant legs needing extensive cleaning. My boys' gear, though was another matter! They'll be cleaning for some time to come!


Sorry, no pics this time.