First overnight hang tonight near Mt. Fuji

[ShadowAlpha]

very nice! Mt. Fiji is one of mother natures beautiful creations

and that is my kind of breakfast!
everyone looks like they were having a good time
thanks for sharing

[DiscoveryDiver]

OK, I'm back...

I'm really pleased we had such a positive experience, despite the cold (cold for us, anyway )

I don't have a thermometer (one of the few things the iPhone cannot do ) but the weather report said it got down to -10C, which seems to be 14F in dog years...

My oldest boy and I hung together in a "V", while the younger boy slept in our other "V" (the van). I didn't hear many noises the first night, but my boy woke up every once in a while spooked by something, It snowed a bit as well (just a light flurry) which woke us both up for a moment of wonder. Very proud of him...

Keeping warm...
We each had a simple closed cell mat (with a shiny side) under a Thermarest. I also had the AHE Flame Thrower UQ., then a 20F down bag. My boy had a a larger sleeping bag wrapped around his primary bag, and some warm pads in his bag with him.

Results:
My boy was warm...
As for me, the first night, I did feel some cool spots occasionally; hips, elbows, shoulders, knees.... More often than not, it was because the UQ had moved, but sometimes (like with hip bones, it was just cold). By the second night, I had the UQ suspension dialed-in and no more movement. I think it was also a bit warmer the second night...it was just bliss...

What I learned:
- So happy I was able to sleep very comfortably on my back and side

- Mats stink! The only disturbing thing for me during either hang (especially on the first night) was the "mat dance". They kept slipping through the night. Funny thing was, it was the bottom one slipping, I'd have thought the Thermarest on top would be prone to slippage . I will be so happy when my full-length winter incubator gets here. No more mats for me, unless I eventually make a 2-layer rig and make a sandwich...

- Tarpless is fantastic! I'll definitely go no-tarp whenever possible. It was the first time I could remember sleeping under the stars...since out on the back porch as a kid . It was energizing. At night, instead of tossing and turning in the tent when I would wake up, instead, I could look up at forest and constellations . Orion was just over my right shoulder...

- I can definitely see how a top-quilt is much easier to deal with than a sleeping bag in the hammock. I did manage (and much better on the second night) but I'm looking forward to trying out my Exped Dreamwalker when it gets here...


Many thanks to the community here for the information and know-how to make this a great first hang!

[MacEntyre]

Them young'uns are voracious eaters! Glad ya'll had a great time...

Kids are great in the woods!