Weekend backyard winter gear test_Michigan

[ThePantologist]

So this weekend was my first attempt at winter camping. I just received my HG Incubator 0 degree so i wanted to test that as well as my "gear hammock" from Five Below ($5) and my JRB down sleeves. I definitely learned a few things this weekend. First of all the HG Incubator was great. That being said this is my first UQ and it took some time to really adjust it properly and close the ends of it up just right. Once setup it worked perfectly. The second thing i wanted to test was the five dollar equipment hammock. This also worked perfectly and was great in the morning as far as being able to grab my stove for hot chocolate/oatmeal. I am also very happy with the JRB down sleeves.

The issues i ran into:

1. Setting up camp at night (even in your back yard) is terrible in the winter. It made everything more difficult. The worst part in my opinion is that you get lazy (or at least i did). Rather than spending time fixing known issues (i.e. my tarp not being properly secured/aligned)...i got cold/lazy/tired and just wanted to hop into bed...huge mistake. Around 5am i woke up with my feet freezing and feeling wet. This was due to my tarp walls sagging after not being secured properly and my sleeping bag foot box touching the tarp. Condensation formed on the foot of my bag and therefore was wet and cold...not fun.

2. I thought i would be cold so i used a CCFP as well as a full sheet of reflectix (which you can see in the picture is on the ground) in addition to my UQ. I kept sliding down from the reflectix so eventually i got frustrated and removed the CCFP and Reflectix and threw them on the ground below me.
image4.JPG

Hopefully i can setup again next weekend and get some more practice in.

[jaycooper]

Not having that tarp secured right definitely is a killer. When I set mine up the first night on the AT, I didn't bother to tighten it down, so when I woke up, I was feeling wet and my tarp was swaying with the wind. The next few nights, I made sure to set it up right. I didn't have a problem with the wet feeling after that.

[Firesong]

I feel lucky. Just tried my own 0 degree jacks UQ out last night. I had set the gear up and went to my sons hockey game. Came back and the tarp was saggy. I got some snow on my sleeping layer fixing the tarp but after reading your post I'm glad I fixed the sag. It got down to about 5 F

[Xtrm tj]

So this weekend was my first attempt at winter camping. I just received my HG Incubator 0 degree so i wanted to test that as well as my "gear hammock" from Five Below ($5) and my JRB down sleeves. I definitely learned a few things this weekend. First of all the HG Incubator was great. That being said this is my first UQ and it took some time to really adjust it properly and close the ends of it up just right. Once setup it worked perfectly. The second thing i wanted to test was the five dollar equipment hammock. This also worked perfectly and was great in the morning as far as being able to grab my stove for hot chocolate/oatmeal. I am also very happy with the JRB down sleeves.

The issues i ran into:

1. Setting up camp at night (even in your back yard) is terrible in the winter. It made everything more difficult. The worst part in my opinion is that you get lazy (or at least i did). Rather than spending time fixing known issues (i.e. my tarp not being properly secured/aligned)...i got cold/lazy/tired and just wanted to hop into bed...huge mistake. Around 5am i woke up with my feet freezing and feeling wet. This was due to my tarp walls sagging after not being secured properly and my sleeping bag foot box touching the tarp. Condensation formed on the foot of my bag and therefore was wet and cold...not fun.

2. I thought i would be cold so i used a CCFP as well as a full sheet of reflectix (which you can see in the picture is on the ground) in addition to my UQ. I kept sliding down from the reflectix so eventually i got frustrated and removed the CCFP and Reflectix and threw them on the ground below me.
image4.JPG

Hopefully i can setup again next weekend and get some more practice in.

What is the actual item you bought from five below for a gear hammock.?

Can you describe this in a little greater detail please?

[ThePantologist]

What is the actual item you bought from five below for a gear hammock.?

Can you describe this in a little greater detail please?

Sure...Its a kids hammock from five below. There's a HF link below to someone else who has used it. Its the red and blue one. I will be replacing the metal "S" hooks that it comes with, with light weight biners because they are heavy. I also added two short whoopie slings i made on each end and attached them to the biners at the end of my eno. Worked perfectly...the best part was being able to adjust the gear hammock close up under me.

https://www.hammockforums.net/forum/...rom-Five-Below