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What an awesome trip! Thanks a ton to everyone posting trip reports. This helps us hammock newbies immensley to be able to see what everyone is using and hear your reviews. Especially in such incredibly cold temps. You are all amazing.
Did anyone else try any VBLs? Very curious about that system...
Great report ... thank you ..
AAAARRRGG! D**n D**n D**n! :( I so wanted to go, but worked Friday till midnight & had to be back by 0700 Monday, no way I could go that far & still have time to do anything but turn around & drive home. :(:(:(
Looks like I was right in wanting to go, glad only one body needed to be carried out, acceptable losses & all. :D
I'm holed up in a Best Western in Delaware, OH, in a heavy snowstorm. I'll get a video posted after I get home in a couple of days.
I'm off to take a walk in the snow!
- MacEntyre
What a Great time :D:D:D
First I want to thank Beep, Fourdog and Firekeeper for getting this started and doing such a great job of preparing.
The trip reports so far have been great. I cannot add much to them, as far as weather but here is my tale.
Mac and I arrived at Stairguy's place about 7pm, after a 500+ mile, 12 hour drive, from Michigan. We ate at a pizza place and went back to get some rest.
(Thanks so Much Stairguy for inviting us into your home. It really made me feel welcome.)
Friday AM, 100 mile drive to Tobie's for breakfast and meetup then about an hour more to the parking site. We were at the camp area early afternoon time.
Everyone searched for the perfect spot in our "hammock village".
My setup: for sleeping
My DIY Jerry5 hammock, with velcro added on edges,
to match 2 nested Speer Snugfit underquilts
1 20 degree down sleeping bag and 1 zero degree down sleeping bag, both used as quilts, with footboxes nested.
Down hat, neck gator, balaclava, wool military scarf, down booties, (not used, to warm) I used a "breathing tube" Sat night, to pre warm air and reduce frost buildup. All clothing as noted below was worn for sleeping also.
I was very comfortable at -15 and could have gone much lower
Worn:
Leather Vasque hiking boots, liner sox, 1 pair wool sox, gortex gaitors, snowshoes, while hiking in, and for about an hour, in camp
Liner gloves, wristies, wool mittens, all inside leather chopper mittens
Wool beanie type hat, all but liner gloves removed for sleeping
In camp, liner sox, vapor barrier Cabella's neoprene sox, removed neoprene and replaced with one pair heavy wool sox for sleeping.
Baffin Impact snowmobile boots, obviously, removed for sleeping
Duofold mid weight, wool and poly blend long underwear bottom
Merino wool boxers 150 weight
Duofold mid weight, wool and poly blend long underwear top
Merino wool 200 weight pullover sweater
Suspenders
Military wool whipcord pants
Woolrich Heavy wool shirt
North Face 300 wt fleece jacket
Breathable wind shell, Only worn occasionally, removed for sleeping
This clothing list seems light, but with only moderate activity I was never cold or chilled during the day
Military Fishtail Parka with one liner for evening in camp, and as an overcover on the foot end of the hammock when sleeping
Tarp was an EOS Spintex deluxe, rigged as a diamond and not burried in the snow, downwind end was full open Sat night.
A large "hammock sock" from tyvek, was used to transport all of the sleep system uncompressed in the bottom of the sled, but was not used over the hammock at all, just pushed back into the door opening on the end.
If the wind had blown I would have used the parka more and added heavier outer pants also.
On the way back to Stairguy's we toured Four Dog Stoves http://www.fourdog.com/ There are really some great products here, I have to save a bit for more gear now :)
We left Stairguy's Monday about 6:30 am. Mac and I made an interesting stop on the way home at a black powder rifle shop, http://www.longrifles-pr.com/, he will post video, I am sure, we added about 2 hours to our return trip to MI and arrived after 9pm. Mac left about 8am Tuesday and has quite a drive home as the weather is closing in on his route.
I just completed hanging up gear to dry, and posted some pics,
http://www.flickr.com/photos/5684438...7625675151701/
I have a bunch of video, but will need more time to edit it.
I really had a great time and hope everyone who attended did also.
I sure hope we can do it again.
a couple of minutes before posting this, Mac is Snowbound in Ohio :(:(
TZ
I can vouch for the Warmlite VB clothing. I used a VB shirt, pants and socks along with a Winter UQ by Leigh and a JRB No Sniveler along with down pants, a fleece top and an UL Rab PL anorak. I made it through Friday night lows in the teens with no issue. Sunday it was somewhere below minus 5 F and while I was cold, it was "survivably" cold. That would be over 30 degrees below the stated rating of the 3 season No Sniveler. To top it off, no moisture in my down and no frost.Quote:
Originally Posted by BillyBob58
On my hike out, temps remained well below zero. With the VB shirt, I was able to wear the NS under my raingear without worrying about it getting wet with perspiration.
I did the Stephenson Warmlite VBL shirt experiment more than 25 yrs (when they had the nudist catalog:rolleyes:)ago:FAILED. The shirt did retain warmth, but because it was a shirt and a base layer (tried alone:yuk, with polypro underwear:OK, and with fishnet underwear:OK) it was inconvenient to take on/off as conditions dictated, and too much sweat from overheating resulted. This defies the benefit of a VBL. Also, with their second generation shirt with aluminized fabric, it started coming off and made a mess. And, the seam sealing didn't hold up due to movement.Quote:
Originally Posted by BillyBob58
The VBL sleeping bag "sock" liner worked well once I sewed arms on it. The mylar sheet is a vapor barrier, but I don't consider it on the same par as a VBL, since it doesn't created a close body micro climate. It only deflects vapor from infiltrating the UQ, and it did work well in that regard.
How much benefit it provided will be determined tonight when I re-weigh the bag after 36 hours of drying time. No mater how you manage the vapor/moisture problem, some will invariably get in, and degrade the insulation. At some point you will have to dry out.
Whooohoo !!!!
Great reading, thanx guys !
Very inspiring, i will study this more and i may steal some ideas :)
I guess we are next then ?
S.K.A.H.O 2K11 - Winter Edition Jan 28 - Jan 31.
I might be hard for us to beat your -15F / -26C.
I can only hope ours turns out as great as yours !
It looked like you guys had a really good time !
Thanks for sharing!
Wow! Fantastic reading guys! Almost makes me want to try some true winter hammock camping, too. Almost. Loved all of the pictures!
Just awesome, thanks for sharing. This is a whole 'nother level beyond what we typically do out here in the Southwest. I'm hoping to do a hang or two down in the teens or lower this winter. Lots of great ideas here to ponder.