So I finally got to test my DIY rig last night!

[flying_bobo]

I went out last night about 11pm. Crawled in and was warm, pretty fast. I probably laid there till 1am watching the snow fall, and it was a busy night for the county police because they were up and down the highway all night! I live about 500 feet of a State highway. The official low was 29 degrees, my cheapo temp gauge said 26 during a 3am nature call.

I was wearing light weight poly underwear, Nike poly warm up pants a tee shirt and a Columbia fleece jacket. I had a cheap sports socks and med weight wool socks. On my head I had a poly/spandex balaclava, with a moon shadow nit stocking cap with a fleece beanie. I had on spandex gloves with mittens on standby. I carried a down jacket out with me to use a pillow and backup!

I had my DIY tarp that I made based on a Backwoods daydreamer winter dream tarp dimensions.
http://www.backwoodsdaydreamer.com/a...otoid=68365472

My DL hammock also based on directions on Backwoods daydreamer. http://www.backwoodsdaydreamer.com/a...k-double-layer
http://www.hammockforums.net/forum/s...ad.php?t=29185

My DIY TQ and UQ http://www.hammockforums.net/forum/s...ad.php?t=46213

I kept popping a mitten hook holding my UQ (I think it was too short) so as a fix I moved a prusik knot on my ridge line down past my head and hooked the UQ to it. (See pic below) Every now and then I would feel a small spot get a little cold. I needed to cinch it more at the head and foot and I was good to go.

I kept getting cool feet, I had a piece of bubble insulation but it kept moving on me! (I made my DL hammock with an opening that I should have inserted the insulation into, duh!So I used my down jacket in a manner I remembered Shug doing in one of his videos and it got me through the night.

As a side note, I want to thank all the guys and gals contributing ideas and instructions on this forum. One day I was looking for light weight camping system for Bug out bags and Shug’s videos on hammocking for noobs showed up in the search thread. That was all she wrote! I came to the forums via those videos and now the rest is all off the ground! I been back and forth over old threads and new and it’s great to be able to see how hammock camping has developed in backs yards, on the trails, on the forums. I hope one day I’ll be able to contribute something. Thanks!