2024 FBC: HANG #2
11.06.2024 : FRONT YARD, 42F COMFORT: 5/5
Last night was my second entry for the FBS challenge and the second time using my new hammock from Simply Light Designs.
BAG CHANGE
This outing I switched from my MSS Bivy/Patrol bag to my warmest bag which is an old Caribou Mountaineering bag (-17C / 0F I believe) that I bought while stationed in Iceland in 1985. It' was cutting edge at the time, but pales in comparison to today’s synthetic bags.
It is the warmest bag I have but is a mummy bag design that is very tight on me. In 1985 my 19 year old body could handle a lot more contortion than my 58 year old body can these days and I can only use it as a top quilt these days without “straight jacket” repercussions the next day.
It did however… at the temps I experienced last night. Keep me very warm, almost too warm, but that’s really never a thing these days. I’m a cold sleeper.
HANG ANGLE / POSITION
This time around, I had my ridge-line removed and have decided I like it this way.
I setup the sleeping pad for a Head left / Feet right lay this time instead of the opposite I used last time. It feels more natural to me when sleeping on my back or slightly on my left side. It did move out from under me by the end of the night and had it been colder, I think would have woken me with the chill on my back.
I will probably try “anchoring” it better by putting my hiking clothes in a bag at the side of the foot end to keep it pushed over and keep clothes warmish. Since there is no way around putting wet clothes back on to hike it, being a little warmer than ambient might help.
THE BIVY
In the past I have used the MSS Bivy because the patrol bag connects into it seamlessly, but with the Caribou bag I only have a light weight bivy that has no zipper so there was limited application using it with the bag in “top quilt” mode. It does have it’s place though and I was able to slide it up far enough to stop the moisture on the hammock from transferring to my thermals on the back side.
Having a large tarp (10x10) for protection helps but I had left the hammock and tarp up for several days in the rain and it absorbed moisture into it. While I didn’t see myself packing the bivy in the future, I will now for sure.
LONGER TARP RIDGE-LINE
Last outing I found out the hard way that the extra 3ft on my new hammock requires 20ft of spacing between anchors (trees) to allow proper hang. My existing ridge-line is 30ft, which doesn’t allow me to anchor on large trees at that spacing.
This outing I had a 42ft ridge-line made up and it seems perfect.
One thing I have to change is to use the 10x10 tarp on a diagonal to fully cover the 12ft hammock. This means running the ridge-line under the tarp instead of through the center-line loops on the top of it. Will have to see how well this works with the new “Snake Skins”, but I imagine it will not be an issue.
CONDITIONS / SLEEP QUALITY
Sleep was excellent. I went to bed at 2030, slept to 0300 and back to sleep till 0600. That’s as good as I get even in my own home and bed.
THINGS TO CONSIDER / APPRECIATE
The SLD pillow ROCKS!
I want a 0F top quilt for the hammock and ground.
I no longer am considering a down TQ as I can’t see it being dry for several days in the rain, even if I keep it covered, it’s going to wick and have no time to dry.
Having a WP bag to stuff all this wet gear in is a MUST have.
I miss an over head ridge-line, the sewn in side pocked by my head did the job, but when flipping it back into the hammock, smacked me in the face with my phone. Very rude awakening. Once the tarp ridge-line is reconfigured it won’t be an issue.
Sleeping during the day is a good idea, it’s amazing how much you use a headlamp at night just getting setup. I can’t imagine trying to setup under NODs. Setting camp in early morning and breaking before dark is much more efficient.
The leather ACORN slippers stick to the bag when trying to get into it. Very annoying. With a true Top Quilt and smaller foot box I don’t see this as an issue so I’m going to stick with them for the fact I can run from the hammock in the night with them, but I might go to a slipper setup instead. They are nice in that they have a heavy wool layer on top of my normal wool socks but they are not as stable as slippers. They are mush faster though than putting slippers on. Undecided.
BASELINE EQUIPMENT LIST:
0F Mummy Bag
BASELINE CLOTHING LIST:
Merino Wool socks w/ ACORN wool sock slippers over top
Merino Wool long sleeve shirt
Merino Wool watch cap
Fleece Running Gloves
COSTCO cheap synthetic puffy jacket
I did a tarp ridgeline under the tarp for many years and paired it with the tarp skin. No issues at all. Good luck