Winter Campsite Tweaking

[Shug]

So we've camped in winter before. This last weekend, against better judgement, I tried tenting again and it was a fail. Windy snow storm interfered with set up, to much gear, frozen ground thwarted tent pegs. Back to hanging I go.

My gear: 3 season Jarbidge UQ (next upgrade probably a full length zero degree), 10F HG down TQ, Superfly, Dutch Summer Sock, SOL breathable bivvy.

We sort of just leave the packs under hammock with their rain cover attached. We are a bit lazy with this, sometimes leaving bits and pieces out. I think during a blow like we had this last trip I want a) all gear secured in back while I'm in hammock, b) pack protected. So the question: do you guys hang your packs on a tree, keep them under hammock, put them in orange plastic bags? What works for you?

My pack just sits under my tarp with me on the ground by my hammock.

So I want my boots handy for that midnight call of nature. Not agile enough for p-bottle strategy. Up to now I get the occasional flake in them, but have been lucky. I think orange trash bag (not white (snow) or black (darkness). So the question: where do your boots go when you winter hammock?
Keep my boots or mukluks right by me opened up wide and spread so I can get up and easily step into them when I get up to pee. I always have a pee spot dug and cleared right by my rig. Shovel over it in the morn.

The motivation for trying a tent again was to get out of weather for cooking and that time between dinner and turning in. Places we go have fire bans at times or we are backpacking and not interested in scrounging wood. So the question: Do you guys bring a secondary shelter (lightweight tipi?) for hanging and cooking in? Or just pitch the hammocks under same fly?
Usually cook out in open but am using a white gas Whisperlite stove. Coffee is done with my Fancee Fest stove right by me under my tarp in the AM. Fancee Feest is used only for morning coffee.

Up to now I have not had trouble with tent or fly stakes in winter. If snow is deep enough I can "dead man" them. I carry extra line to extend reach to a helpful tree sometimes, I've even tied off to pack and left that out. So the question: stake suggestions for frozen ground when snow is maybe 3-4".
If snow is shallow and ground frozen gutter nails work good. Pound them in.

Wind was a whipping. No way stove (alky) was going to maintain a flame. I may invest in the trangia wind screen system despite it's bulk. Snow not deep enough to dig a hole. So the question: without a tent/shelter how do you keep a stove going in storm conditions? I thought of a bothy shelter but that seems a bit extreme - and won't work if solo (mental image of making sitting snow man to share shelter with).
MSR Whisperlight stove. White gas. May have to stack some logs or make a snow wall if truly windy but never had a problem.

Some (all?) of these may be answered with a fly that extends to ground?



I do see that there is an upcoming winter hang in PA. I may have to journey down there.

Again, we do winter camp now. Just working through tweaking some of our practices.