I just recieved my new JRB Nest. Now with the MacCat Deluxe on my HH Explorer, I am ready for my Colorado trip in November.
I have finally, fully converted to a hanger.
I just recieved my new JRB Nest. Now with the MacCat Deluxe on my HH Explorer, I am ready for my Colorado trip in November.
I have finally, fully converted to a hanger.
do not forget the gear testing phase!
May have rain Sunday night, plan on testing then....Maybe cooler weather b4 Halloween, then off to CO.
November in Colorado above 8,000 sometimes is a lot like full winter. The nest may not be enough on the bottom.
Don't know where you are going, but...
It ain't what you don't know that gets you into trouble. It's what you know for sure that just ain't so.
- Mark Twain
I was in South Fork / Del Norte back in the spring for 5 weeks and was in my hammock the entire time. It snowed some everyday when I first got up there and got 8 inches one night up at 8800 feet and got down to 12 degrees.
I used a double layer 1.7 warbonnet black bird hammock, a exped 9 dlx down air mattress between the layers. My usual underquilt that is a converted center zip summer weight syn mummy sleeping bag and my Exped Wallcreeper 650 sleeping bag inside. I also used a military wool blanket stretched over the ridge line as a sort of weather shield which really worked out great! I also had a full tarp with doors.
I went to bed wearing my jacket, hat, and gloves and wool socks. I was always toasty, and only my feet got cold once because I wasn't wearing my wool socks.
The wool blanket though I think was the ticket. Certainly not lightweight but it blocked the wind and kept the heat in. Once getting into the hammock it only took a minute to heat up and I was good to go, errrr to stay actually.
Test out your gear as much as possible before you go and bring extra stuff that you can try out.
I live at south padre island, texas and don't really have the chance to test out cold weather gear very often but had enough testing done to know this setup was going to be pretty toasty. Waking up in 8 inches of snow was priceless! When I finally dragged myself out of the hammock, I was quite comfy, I stayed in my wallcreeper sleeping bag and walked into the cabin where the rest of the party was going on that beautiful morning. I got laughed at but then it sank in that I was warm and everyone else was chilly. I love it when a plans comes together!
Last edited by spidennis; 10-06-2011 at 20:28.
And sometimes, it feels like early summer. Never know what it's going to be one day to the next around here. Big part of why I love it here.
Still, it can be bitter cold at 8K in November. Better have some back-up insulation ready. October-December are very weird weather days out here. Be ready for the worst and hope for the best; bout all you can do. Georgetown, which is just a hair above 8,000' is getting snowed on right now and the overnight lows aren't forecast to be above 23° through the weekend. Next Monday, after the snow stops on Sunday, the highs are forecast in the mid 60s and overnight lows in the high 30s and low 40s. It's a whacky place to be sure.
Trust nobody!
There are places in the mountain that are getting 1' of snow tonight. Yum.
Thanks for advice, I will be adding insulation and a pad if needed. Maybe sleep with hot nalgene bottle, not as cozy as my wife...but she won't go w/ me. Yet....
Wax em if ya got um.
WooHooBuddy!!!!
It ain't what you don't know that gets you into trouble. It's what you know for sure that just ain't so.
- Mark Twain
I heard Wolf Creek got 3' last night and will have runs open tomorrow!
Trust nobody!
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