Pumpkin Village Vt. 22 Below

**AlanH** · 02-16-2016, 04:11

To start this thread just to let you all know my family is now trying to have me institutionalized because I must be off my rocker.

So I have a set of zero degree plus one quilts from Hammock Gear. I combined these with two of my MSS sleep system bags and I was ready to go. Hung up my Superfly tarp.(Love that) and Dutch hammock (love that too) in the morning. Boy it was cold but not to bad if you stay'd out of the wind. Need a good pair of thin warm gloves. Any suggestions? Ground was still soft so I used stakes and that turned out to be a mistake. (still in the ground) So went out about 7:30 PM and jumped in. After getting all arranged I was snug as a bug. Pulled up a book and away I went. 9:30 call came in. Need you to come to work one of the guy's is sick. 16.5 degrees below zero. Roll out and went to work. Got back at 6:30 AM looked at my set up. Went into the house threw on some ski pants and a jacket. Got to the hammock and the thermometer read 22.3 below. Real Feel 32 below. Shucked out of my outer layer and jumped in. Boy that first few seconds are a shocker.

Four hours later I woke up and it was a beautiful thing. Great sleep and warm to boot. Had a thermometer in my bag and it read 91.3 degrees. Really didn't want to get out but it was Valentines Day and if I want any more gear it had better be a good day for my better half. It was!
So what did I learn? I was concerned about compressing my down with the additional weight of the two bags but it didn't appear to be a problem. My corner lines of my tarp could be longer. Wanted to tie off to some big rocks but didn't have the length to do so. That's why the stakes are still in the ground.

My sleep system appears to be good with just a small condensation problem. My outer wear needs improvement. Have a set of pac felt lined boots from LL Bean. Feet still got cold. Had a heavy duty hooded jacket from my day's in Iceland and it kept me warm except for the occasional up drafts around the waist. A good base layer is a must and a pair of nice thick socks to throw on when your in the hammock are great to have too. The mummy bags with the hoods on are great. You can really cinch them down. still wore my head gear thou. Zippers can be a pain but just be patient. Keep your knots simple and quick. Prepare anything you can to be ready ahead of time for a quick hang. Came out with my sleep system already together and my lines already attached to my tarp. Nothing to earth shattering here but boy did I have fun. Just wanted to share it with people who think the same way and can appreciate a good cold weather hang. Not ready for a Minnesota hang yet but working on it.
Take care,
Al

**Les Rust** · 02-17-2016, 05:59

Many of us have had our family and friends think that we're a bit off. But it sounds like you had a good hang, well-performing equipment, and lessons learned to boot. Well done.

**AlanH** · 02-17-2016, 19:54

Thanks. Seems like every trip has a lesson learned. That's why I like it. Life is to boring if you think you know it all. It's the adventure however big or small that makes life worth living.