I am in the process of testing out my cold(er), not Shug cold but cold for me, weather gear. I have a planned outing Oct 4-6th with a group that will be in the NW corner of PA where overnight temps should go below 32F.

I am open to suggestions on how to improve this set up to keep me warm.

Below is a cut/paste from the log I am keeping as I go through the process. It is worth noting this is a motorcycle trip at a PA state park so weight is not a major concern.

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9/17/2013 - Night 3 - Cold weather (40F) gear test.



Gear:
Hennessy Hammock & HH Tarp
JRB UQ - The Nest (rated 20F)
DIY down TQ w/PL for added warmth - I think I need more down on top & need the TQ wider. The TQ is only 50' wide

Clothing:
Fleece top
Fleece Bottom
Wool Sock
Fleece watch cap
Hot Water Bottle in a wool sock

Weather for tonight:
Tonight Mostly clear, with a low around 45. East wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.

It has been a while since I have been able to get out for my weekly overnight gear testing. Life seems to get into the way.

I need to get my cold weather set up tested and in place as I am going to be heading to NW PA for 3 days of camping. The lows up there this time of year run below 32F which is more than I have ever hammock camped in.

Assuming tonight is too cold, I will swap out tarp and blankets tomorrow night to go with wool. I will also set up PL over the ridge line to act has a heat capture point. PA will be 10F colder than where I am now so I need to be toasty in my hammock for me to sleep in PA in it.

Update to follow to this post tomorrow AM

Temps got into the low 40's last night. How low? I am not sure as I can't find the number any place and I did not check the temp until 9AM when it was 49F.

I was able to sleep last night from 11PM to 630AM. I woke up a number of times pretty darn chilly and was really glad I had made up the hot water bottle. I found my shoulders were what kept getting cold so perhaps a CCF pad under them or I just to stop knocking the TQ off my shoulders. CCF will be a last resort as I find it not to be very comfortable in the HH.

The watch cap was most excellent. My face got cold but my head never did. The cap is a keeper.

I do not believe my current configuration will be acceptable down to 30's so tonight will be another outside night.

I am going to change out the HH tarp for my 12 x 12 Kelty and put some doors on it to help hold in heat. I am also going to add in my wool blanket to the set up along with using my PL as a drape over the bug screen. I believe that will up the temp inside the hammock by at least 10F degrees.

Another issue I had was hanging the hammock too low! My butt was almost on the ground and I had one heck of a time getting out of it this AM. So, that is another adjustment I will make today.