So this was my first overnight hang. I wasn't sure what the temps or weather was going to be like so went cautious just in case.
I wore:
Mountain hardware T Shirt
REI Nylon hiking pants with zip off legs
REI wool lite hiking socks
Merrell Moab Mid Gore-Tex XCR Hiking Boots
Disney Jungle Hat ()
I carried:
LLBean White Mountain pack
Exped Synmat 9 DLX air mattress
Clarke North American
North Face Bighorn 20 degree syn bag
mid-weight fleece bottoms
Eddie Baur down coat
REI lightweight fleece half-zip
Mountain Hardwere wind stopper fleece hat
Seirus all weather gloves
fleece balaclava
REI Liteweight base layer top
SOG Feild pup knife
Jetboil stove
2 princeton tec remix headlamps
Delorme PN-40 gps
Steri-Pen Adventure
extra batteries
other miscellaneous brick-a-brak
The Hike:
Its a 14+ mile loop in Shenandoah NP. It starts with a short climb to the ridge top then runs along the ridge several miles before a fairly steep descent into the valley, then a gradual climb back up along Jeremy's run with 15 water crossings.
My Experience:
It was the first hike I have done in a while so it took it out of me. I got a late start and didn't hit the trail until 10AM. I went 11 miles the first day and found a nice spot (so I thought) to hang the hammock near the creek. It got dark down in the valley a little sooner than I had anticipated so I ended up setting up in the dark. When I was setting up, there was no wind but after I got set up, the wind kicked in and lucky me, My head was facing in just the same direction the wind was blowing. At this point, I wasn't going to tear down and set back up so I just closed the Clark tarp into storm mode on the head section and dealt with it. As soon as I got the hammock up, my headlamp died. So I had to feel around in the dark for my other one which I couldn't find easily (I know, I should have known where it was) so I got the spare batteries and replaced them by feel to make sure I put them in properly. It was 62 degrees when I went to bed for the night (I know, crazy temps for Shenandoah in November). I went to bed wearing my lightweight top, fleece bottoms, and clean socks. I woke up about 3 am and the temp had dropped considerably (I didnt bother to check my watch to see what it was at) but I was still comfortable in the hammock. If I touched the side, I would get cold spots but no real issues. Around 6AM I was fairly cold. It seems I didn't have my valves closed well or something as air had come out of the pad and I was now touching the sides of the hammock in my shoulders and shins. When I got up at 7AM, it was 34 degrees. Not sure if it got any lower than that during the night.
After packing up camp, it took me another 2 1/2 hours to get back to the jeep and then a 2 1/2 hour drive home.
So not bad for a first, inexperienced hang. I feel more comfortable that I can go out now. I could have put on some of my other clothes to deal with the cold but as long as i wasnt actually touching the sides, I was ok.
So any feedback on what I did wrong and what I can do next time for a better experience?
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