Need some help with winter packing

[hawghangar]

Still relatively new at this backpacking thing, and am getting ready for a 2-night winter hike next weekend...started laying out my sleeping gear tonight to practice loading my pack - and would like some feedback and input on my sleeping gear and packing means/methods.

Planned sleeping gear includes: HH Explorer Deluxe hammock, HG Incubator 0 degree UQ, HG Burrow 0 degree TQ, 2QZQ UQ Protector, Down Booties, Down Hood, Upper and Lower underlayer for sleeping, Lazy Slug



I hung everything on TDS to test fit the new quilts...was pleasantly surprised to discover that I don't really need my triangle thingies with the new HG UQ suspension. I fit the UQ and UQP on the hammock - then loaded the hammock with TQ, down pillow, down hood, and sleeping underlayers - then wrapped everything in the Lazy Slug:



I have a CF pack liner from Zpacks and stuffed this mammoth Lazy Slug into it:





...then crammed the liner into the pack. Took considerable effort to compress the liner into the pack and get the air out of the liner. Then equally difficult to extract the liner/Lazy Slug from the pack.

I've read several threads suggesting use of a trash compactor bag as a liner so tried that method as well - actually seemed much easier to load and unload than using the CF dry bag liner.



After loading and compressing, the sleeping gear seemed to take slightly less than half of my Catalyst - should this be expected?

I had some of these bungee wraps and thought about wrapping the Lazy Slug to help compress the bundle - helped somewhat but not appreciably:





Am I trying to put too much gear in one bundle? I loved the Lazy Slug with my summer setup but wondering if I'm trying to put too much bulk in it with winter gear? Am I on right track or should I consider breaking my sleep gear up into smaller compression bags?

Sorry for long post...and thanks for any input. Learned a lot from many of you over the last year.

[OutandBack]

I would pack them seperate myself.
You might try some strap to compress the slugtube more.

Here's my winter kit. It took a 72L(4400CI) backpack.
https://www.hammockforums.net/forum/...ad.php?t=83735

[Bama Man]

I agree with Outandback,. I would use a compactor bag and put my down quilts in it and put my clothing items in a separate bag and put it in the compactor bag as well. The idea is to put stuff that you don't want to risk getting wet in the trash compactor bag. Then put your hammock and slug in separate as well. There's no real right or wrong way to do it. You just have to see what works best for you. When you load your pack I would either put the tarp on the outside of the pack or put it on top of the other gear you have in the pack already. This is so that should it rain you can quickly get your tarp deployed without getting the rest of your gear wet. Get the tarp up and then you can work under your tarp to get your hammock and the rest of your gear deployed while in the dry. I hope this helps you some. Put items that you made need quickly at or near the top of your load. Good luck!

[4shot]

After loading and compressing, the sleeping gear seemed to take slightly less than half of my Catalyst - should this be expected?


Am I trying to put too much gear in one bundle? I loved the Lazy Slug with my summer setup but wondering if I'm trying to put too much bulk in it with winter gear? Am I on right track or should I consider breaking my sleep gear up into smaller compression bags?

Sorry for long post...and thanks for any input. Learned a lot from many of you over the last year.

I am hesitant to throw this out as I am an absolute noob to this hanging thing (but do have a lot of backpacking experience and am by no means a minimalist). anyway, here's my $.02. You do have a lot of redundancy here...for example, lots of stuff sacks inside of a pack liner. unless you are expecting a monsoon you can usually do without one (sacks or liner). [On second thought, just realized you may not be taking the stuff sacks].

another area of possible redundancy....have you camped at (or even below) expected temperatures? I don't ever sleep in any type clothes (outside of cotton boxers) unless temperatures are going to be about 10* or more below the temp rating of my sleeping bag. perhaps I am a warm sleeper and/or my gear is excellent (I have various Marmot down bags which are very conservative re; their ratings). that might allow you to ditch the hat, booties, sleeping layer. another thing - You may be able to lose the pillow. I carry a down jacket for camp plus a very small pillowcase. when I go to sleep, the down jacket goes in the pillowcase and becomes my pillow.

I have no idea of what a lazy slug is - is it for weather protection or is it a convenience device? If it doesn't help keep you warm or dry, it's a convenience and can be left at home. I normally don't get involved with what people choose to carry (HYOH) but this is one area of concern that I have as I begin to assemble my hanging gear - is this stuff going to "consume" my pack. Right now I have a 2 person Shires tarptent which I carry on the outside of my pack so all of my sleeping gear (pad, bag, small cotton pillowcase and boxers) take up maybe 20% of a osprey 50L pack.

one other thing - if you have compression (not stuff) sacks, do some experimenting - they do a good job of minimizing volume by forcing air out of the sack as you cinch your load down.

good luck and have fun.

[stevebo]

Looks like a decent set up! Some times I put everything stuff sacks, but it also works quite well to pack the hammock and your quilts loose. Many times I dont even use a pack liner---my pack is pretty water tight, and i use a packa for a rain coat so the pack is always covered--I just stuff the quilts into my pack, stuff my hammock on top of them, everything else goes on top of the hammock. I've done this quite abit lately---its simple, takes less time, and less space. --I got the suggestion from Ed Speers book "hammock camping" . (its just personal preference--i find stuff sacks time consuming and annoying!) Have a great trip! (and definitely try it all out at home first in the back yard!)

[visionarylion]

Looks like a decent set up! Some times I put everything stuff sacks, but it also works quite well to pack the hammock and your quilts loose. Many times I dont even use a pack liner---my pack is pretty water tight, and i use a packa for a rain coat so the pack is always covered--I just stuff the quilts into my pack, stuff my hammock on top of them, everything else goes on top of the hammock. I've done this quite abit lately---its simple, takes less time, and less space. --I got the suggestion from Ed Speers book "hammock camping" . (its just personal preference--i find stuff sacks time consuming and annoying!) Have a great trip! (and definitely try it all out at home first in the back yard!)

this is what I do it goes, clothing quilts, hammock. tarp always gets put on the outside of my pack no matter wet or dry. cook kit+food go on top of hammock. I also have moved away from so many stuff sacks just too much going on and I have found the quilts pack better when not in stuff sacks just my .02

[Gideon]

Okay, like others said; I always pack my tarp completely seperate in no-see um mesh snake skins from Mountain Goat. Put the tarp in the back/front pocket of your pack. Nice to be able to sling that first and fast if it rains. Next, I'd pack your quilts seperate from your hammock and ditch the slug. Put your TQ in the pack liner or compactor bag first then your booties or any other down items and last your UQ. This should compress much better and smaller and put that in your pack. Put your hammock in it's stuff sack or even leave it loose and put that in next. Finally your food bag.

You'll reduce weight and bulk. The slug it taking up a lot of space and it won't compress well. I would always chose the cuben fiber dry sack over the compactor bag; it's lighter and the closure is better and I'd always use it even if there was zero percent chance of rain.

Do it this way and it'll all fit really easy. So at the end of the day you won't have any stuff sacks, no slug, etc. If you don't feel comfortable stuffing your hammock in loose then use the stuff sack for it.

I'd loose the bungee cords all together. More weight and the only thing driving you to use them is the slug.

Have a great trip!

Gideon

[Owl]

I'm going to disagree slightly. I have a nearly identical setup right now. HH Explorer Deluxe (with 2QZQ mod4), WL TQ and UQ (both rated for 15deg, but with overfill), LST, HH Hex tarp (with sewn on doors). I sleep in seperate clothes intended just to sleep in as well.

Personally, the biggest issue I see that you're going to have is the difficulty in compressing your hammock/quilt setup in the LST's, and then also in the compactor bag.

It's hard enough getting the air to evacuate the LSTs, let alone trying to get it out of both the LST's and the bag at the same time.

I'd suggest that you leave the ends open on the LST's when you get ready to pack it into your pack. It gives the air a way to escape the tubes. Start with one end and pack it hard into the bottom of your bag. Feed the rest of the tube into the bag, working the air out of the end that's still outside of the bag. Once you've got the hammock/tubes fully into the bag, compress it as best you can and tie it off while it's still compressed, inside of your backpack.

Put your clothes on top in a seperate waterproof bag if you like. It'll be easier to get things in/out that way without letting air back into your hammock/tube bag.

Fill your pack up with the rest of your gear. Last thing on top, or on the outside pouch, is your tarp in it's own set of skins. Last packed, first deployed when you get onsite, and it gives you a dry spot to work if the weather is bad. It also keeps it all seperate from the gear you want kept dry.

My tree straps and stakes all ride with the tarp, either outside or inside the pack.

I love the LSTs. Setup/tear down is much faster/simpler, and it's an extra layer of water protection if you leave your gear setup while you're out on a dayhike. Just slide the tubes down over your hammock before you walk away...leave that tarp up, and it'll take a hurricane to get your quilts/hammock wet.

[hawghangar]

Thanks, as always, for the review and suggestions. I think I'll try removing the TQ + sleepwear from the LST bundle and place it loose in the bottom of the pack liner - then see if the LST is more manageable. As it is, it's like wrestling a giant slug to get it compressed into the pack - I think my winter setup is too bulky for the LST. If it's hard to load in the house, then I think it will be too difficult on the trail.

I really like having my UQ and UQP "pre-attached" to the hammock to make a quick and easy setup while on the trail; however, I may be willing to lose the LST altogether. Don't even talk about getting rid of my pillow.

Thanks again... all good suggestions. Now, I've got to start laying out cook gear. Glad I'm rehearsing all of this in advance....

[DuctTape]

I agree with the others who suggest separating the items a bit more. I do keep everything together in summer, but as you have learned winter gear is bulkier and it makes it difficult to get the package in/out of ones pack. Put the liner into the pack (cuben fiber or polycro, etc...) then stuff the items in. when done, press/twist rinse/repeat to compress and expel as much air as possible.