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  1. #31
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    yeah, that's the thing, most of the time you won't be in a ground blizzard, but if you decide to go backpacking in the sierras or the rockies from november to march there is definately a chance of that happening so you better be prepared or pick a warmer season for your trip.

    the tarp needs to have full closure on the ends. i think the sock would take care of anything drifting in from under the edges or through the suspension opening. insulation is less of an issue as the low tempreture part has been dealt with sucessfully by quite a few. that leaves only the wind. so all that remains is what does a tarp that can confidently handle 50+ mph wind gusts look like?

    jeff, i'm guessing you didn't have a wind guage at winnemucca so you wouldn't know how hard it was blowing. i've heard 70mph is when it gets very difficult to walk or stand.

  2. #32
    Senior Member Just Jeff's Avatar
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    It was well over 70. Nearby Mt Diablo had measured speeds of 100 mph, and Tahoe recorded 65-143 mph. We were higher in elevation than Tahoe, and on an exposed ridgeline.
    “Republics are created by the virtue, public spirit, and intelligence of the citizens. They fall when the wise are banished from the public councils because they dare to be honest, and the profligate are rewarded because they flatter the people, in order to betray them.” ~Judge Joseph Story

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  3. #33
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    yikes, that's blowin'. i don't know if i would have been confident in a log cabin with that much wind.

  4. #34
    Senior Member BillyBob58's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Just Jeff View Post
    Yes, Smee - that's a better way to phrase the question. Winter tents are sold as "four season" tents even though they're more appropriate for winter only b/c it's "too much protection" for summer. So yeah - extreme winter conditions is what I was talking about, and I wouldn't carry this gear for summer conditions.

    Are we there already? I think we may be close, depending on how much effort you're willing to put into site selection. (Taken to an extreme, walking down off the mountain could be considered better "site selection.") Is some sort of hammock sock or bivy necessary? I know it helps me stay warm and feel more confident, and it would have kept me in my hammock at Winnemucca, but these aren't available commercially yet. The Hammock Hut and the winter tarps are huge leaps forward for most winter conditions. They wouldn't have survived my site at Winnemucca but I think I could have relocated to a less exposed site on that mountain without much effort where these would have been good enough.

    And obviously Turk's experiences show the progress being made towards winter hammocking.

    I think we proved long ago that hammocking is feasible in all seasons for the conditions most hikers will encounter. But I also think we can still take it further!
    Yes, BUT: Your tarp guy line or D-ring or something broke loose on your MacCat (strong as they come, IMO) due to the fierce winds, right? I don't think I would have been able to stay in a hammock with just a sock and no tarp, under those conditions. ( Edit- for one thing, especially if you had a down UQ or PeaPod, that wind would flatten your windward side quilt and all loft would be gone! This can be at least a small problem even with a large tarp- especially with a "storm" pitch- I have experienced it once or twice, though I wasn't using down).

    Still seems to me that, with a tarp, location is still a good bit more important than with a 4 season tunnel tent, which often survive such storms above timberline and completely exposed. Though it can get real dicey even with these, and if the occupants get out, the tent might be blown away or collapse if someone is not in there to brace the poles. High winds remain the final challenge for a tarp( and the larger the tarp, the larger the sail), unless you are able to take advantage of the hammocks ability to use sheltered sites that might otherwise be unusable.

    But that is what God designed snow caves for, anyway!
    Last edited by BillyBob58; 10-08-2008 at 19:07.

  5. #35
    Senior Member Just Jeff's Avatar
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    Yep - agree on all counts. With a sock I wouldn't have bailed when I did. I may have taken down the tarp and stayed in the sock after the guyline broke...can't say w/o seeing how the gear reacted at that time.

    But regardless, you're right - the bigger the tarp the bigger the sail, so site selection is key.
    “Republics are created by the virtue, public spirit, and intelligence of the citizens. They fall when the wise are banished from the public councils because they dare to be honest, and the profligate are rewarded because they flatter the people, in order to betray them.” ~Judge Joseph Story

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  6. #36
    Senior Member TiredFeet's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Just Jeff View Post
    ........................ Is some sort of hammock sock or bivy necessary? I know it helps me stay warm and feel more confident, and it would have kept me in my hammock at Winnemucca, but these aren't available commercially yet......
    There was a commercially available Bridge style hammock linked too recently on the forums that is completely enclosed and so essentially has a sock. The one linked was pretty heavy at about 5 lbs if I remember correctly, but I'm sure that with judicious use of materials that could be made somewhat lighter. The top was stretched pretty tight and looked like it would shed winds, rain and snow. So at least one hammock with a sock is commercially available.

  7. #37
    Senior Member Just Jeff's Avatar
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    Not really a sock...the outside of the hammock is what was pictured, so an underquilt wouldn't be protected and you wouldn't have a windblock between the wind and the hammock. Still, I wonder how that system would fare if you used a pad inside the hammock. Might be worth the extra weight if it were truly weather resistant like that.
    “Republics are created by the virtue, public spirit, and intelligence of the citizens. They fall when the wise are banished from the public councils because they dare to be honest, and the profligate are rewarded because they flatter the people, in order to betray them.” ~Judge Joseph Story

    - My site: http://www.tothewoods.net/
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    IMPOSSIBLE JUST TAKES LONGER

  8. #38
    Senior Member BillyBob58's Avatar
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    Here is the forecast for Oct 9 in the Wind Rivers, where I was hammocking 3 1/2 weeks ago. It's not exactly winter yet, but imagine a winter storm up there, in a hammock/tarp!

    http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick...=140&map.y=142

    Tonight: Snow likely. Cloudy, with a low around 18. Breezy, with a west southwest wind 19 to 22 mph decreasing to between 9 and 12 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. Total nighttime snow accumulation of around an inch possible.

    Friday: Snow. High near 26. West southwest wind between 5 and 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New snow accumulation of 4 to 8 inches possible.

    Friday Night: Snow. Low around 13. Wind chill values as low as -1. East wind between 5 and 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New snow accumulation of 5 to 9 inches possible.

    Saturday: Snow. High near 19. Wind chill values as low as -4. Windy, with a east northeast wind 17 to 20 mph increasing to between 27 and 30 mph. Winds could gust as high as 39 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%.

    Saturday Night: Snow. Low around 6. Blustery, with a east northeast wind between 18 and 26 mph, with gusts as high as 34 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%.

    Sunday: Snow, mainly before noon. High near 24. Chance of precipitation is 80%.


    Seriously, this "fall" storm could kill you if not well prepared.

  9. #39
    Senior Member Just Jeff's Avatar
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    Sounds like a great time...when are you headed back up there?
    “Republics are created by the virtue, public spirit, and intelligence of the citizens. They fall when the wise are banished from the public councils because they dare to be honest, and the profligate are rewarded because they flatter the people, in order to betray them.” ~Judge Joseph Story

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  10. #40
    Senior Member BillyBob58's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Just Jeff View Post
    Sounds like a great time...when are you headed back up there?
    Next September, when things have calmed down a bit!

    The real scary part of that forecast is: it's still too early for a snow cave to save you in case of an emergency. So, as well as having adequate insulation top and bottom, your tarp better hold against the heavy snow load and wind, and/or you better be able to find good wind shelter to help out your tarp. So in that way, a severe fall storm might be more of a challenge than a winter storm with a deeper snow base. As has already been said: in the cold, snow can actually be your friend.

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