Two of my friends and I camped out (car camped) in my neck of the wood last night. It didn't get under 27 degrees until midnight, then the temp plunged to 5 degrees with 20 mph sustained wind and near 40 mph gusts. We were down low with small hills on 3 sides of us so we were not in the high winds all night but the winds literally howled overhead.
Animal Control and Clint have formidable talent and knowledge on Governments and monetary systems. I learned a lot and argued a bit too. It was great discussion and very energetic!
It was my first night in my BlackBird hammock and Super Fly shelter made by Brandon, Warbonnet stuff.
Animal Control was using his new underquilt made by Brandon too and used nothing else under it, only the typical CCF pad under his legs in the footbox. He didn't get cold. He also said he had zero condensation. He had to slightly move the 2/3s underqult a time or two to tweak the fit.
Clint slept in a tent but I overcame my urge to hang his little bitty tent and bivy from a tree. He was a little chilly. Once he got a second sleeping bag he said he finally got to sleep.
I used two JRB quilts on top, the summer quilt and the NS, and a JRB Old Rag Mountain for a bottom quilt over the top of a DIY quilt made from a sleeping bag with only about 1.5 inches loft. Total loft top and bottom was at about 5 inches.
I made the mistake of not putting my weather cover on when the hammock was being hung and had a heck of a time unhooking the hammock with the shelter over it to slide my weather cover over everything. Finally got it and the wings of the blackbird unfurled in all their glory to spite the weather cover shroud. I did have quite a bit of condensation, though frozen in the weather cover, but at those temps that to be expected.
No kidding, I laid on top of the quilts for over a half hour reading my book. I finally put my feet in the footbox with my hot water bottle. (All three of us heated hot water bottles before turning in). I then read my book for another half hour with the quilts only on my feet. By then the temps had dropped and when I got up to pee found the wind and temp to be a bit biting. Whenever I got up to pee, I found that I was so warm I didn't even get chilled while "hanging out" there either.
I wore no coat or trousers in the hammock, just long johns and a fleece shirt with watch cap, and I didn't even begin to get cold until I got up a second time to, you know...hang out again.
I then finally actually put the quilts over my shoulders and tied them behind my neck at 5 AM to keep them on better. I also used bungee to pull the quilts up against the sides of the hammock better, but didn't hook them up till about 5 AM too when the wind was really gusting.
Our gear worked fine. The new Blackbird, I must say, was for me more comfortable than any hammock, bar none, that I have ever laid in. Thanks Brandon for a great product.
The Super Fly shelter was just as tight when I got up as when I first pitched it using bungee to guy it to the ground, both doors on both sides were partially open all night. Man, it was great! Again, the best shelter I have.
We got up after 9 AM and were packed to go in a half hour tops.
Wish you all had been there.
Mule
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