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There are many courageous campers who like to enterprise out into the woods with their hammocks.
Whether or not the temperature outdoors is 30 F (0 C) or -40 F (-40 C), you’ll discover skilled hammock campers hanging round and having a beautiful time.
Must you camp in a hammock throughout the winter? The reply relies on your hammocking expertise stage and the local weather within the space the place you propose to camp.
Winter Hammock Tenting Ideas
1. Do the Correct Preparation
Making ready forward of time is crucial step for hammock tenting within the winter.
With out the appropriate preparation, you possibly can doubtlessly find yourself with a catastrophe in your arms. A cold again can be the least of your issues!
So, how ought to one put together for hammock tenting within the winter? Step one is getting the appropriate gear, adopted by a apply run or two in your yard.
2. Selecting the Proper Location
Avoiding flash flood zones, giant open areas uncovered to wind, and clearly harmful terrain are only a few apparent location issues. Keep away from basins within the panorama. Basins are a lure for freezing in the course of the evening.
Since basins are decrease in altitude than surrounding terrain, they have an inclination to gather colder air because it sinks. This results in a group of freezing air that may drop a number of levels beneath the encircling space. In the event you’re not ready for excessive temperatures, you possibly can shortly find yourself in hassle throughout the evening.
Keep away from cliff faces and cliff sides. Cliff faces and cliff sides are each wind traps. Wind rushes over cliff faces and may chill you to the bone, even if in case you have glorious wind safety.
The identical goes for cliff sides dealing with the wind. Air can quickly transfer towards the cliff face and get you doubled when it creates a mini-current of circulating chilly air. Basically, the cliffside transforms right into a fridge, with you suspended in its heart.
3. Put on Heat Winter Garments
To remain heat when winter hammock tenting, step one is to put on heat winter garments. Heat sleeping gear could make a world of distinction in protecting the winter chill away.
A snug wool cap will maintain your nostril heat, whereas a pair of thick wool socks will maintain your toes and ft toasty. For added heat, it’s also possible to put on a pair of lengthy johns and a thick henley.
Now that we’ve coated all of the gear you may want for staying heat whereas hammocking within the winter, let’s transfer on to the situational elements of winter hammock tenting.
4. Get a Good Insulating Sleeping Pad
Sleeping pads must do greater than maintain you snug if you’re in a hammock. Your sleeping pad is among the most necessary items of insulation when hammock tenting throughout the winter.
Sleeping pads work exceptionally nicely for insulating you from the chilly. Air-filled sleeping pads are perfect for this as a result of they’ll insulate you from the wind-chilled exterior of your hammock.
Air is a poor conductor, that means it really works successfully as an insulator in your complete physique. For individuals who commonly hammock camp, it is best to have already got a sturdy, air-filled sleeping pad you belief to maintain you insulated.
5. Underquilts Are a Necessity
Simply as necessary as a hammock and sleeping pad, underquilts are one of many first traces of protection in opposition to the chilly. Underquilts sit beneath the hammock, defending you from the chilly wind and climate.
They’re like sleeping luggage for the underside of your hammock. These are vital as a result of they stop wind from blowing by your hammock’s nylon, saving you from freezing wind chill.
Underquilts are comparatively common, with the one actual distinction in sizes being single or double-sized. Be certain your underquilt has the identical or extra floor space as your hammock.
6. Get a High Quilt Too
In the event you’ve by no means camped in chilly climate earlier than, you may miss this significant piece of hammock gear. Much like an underquilt, a high quilt serves as a sleeping bag for the highest of your hammock.
This retains wind off the highest of your physique whilst you’re mendacity within the hammock, along with offering extra heat and insulation.
Like underquilts, you don’t want to purchase a high quilt that’s the identical model as your hammock. As a substitute, search for winter-rated high quilts that can match over your sleeping bag.
7. Defend Your self With a Rain Fly
When it’s particularly chilly outdoors, precipitation provides one other issue to hammock tenting’s deadliness.
As a substitute of defending your self from rain, you abruptly want to guard your self from freezing rain, snow, and blizzard circumstances. Whilst you may be capable to keep away from the rain fly on particular person outings in case you are accustomed to the climate, it’s all the time advisable to be cautious.
Plus, it is best to have already got a rain fly should you’re an skilled hammock camper. No matter rain fly you usually hammock with needs to be ample for winter hammock tenting.
8. Sleeping Baggage Make the Nights Hotter
One other essential piece of drugs you’ll need is a sleeping bag. Relying on how low the temperatures get, you possibly can possibly get away with not bringing a sleeping bag above 30F (-1 C).
Typically a sleeping pad, underquilt, overquilt, and blankets are sufficient to remain cozy if there isn’t a lot wind. However for many journeys, you’ll need a good “mummy-style” sleeping bag you possibly can sleep in. It provides one other layer of insulation that transforms your sleep from survivable to snug.
Much like sleeping in a tent with a sleeping bag, the sleeping pad, underquilt, overquilt, and rain fly present additional insulation and rain safety. The sleeping bag provides an additional layer of consolation and delight to the expertise.
9. Additional Insulation
You don’t wish to go too loopy right here, as your sleeping bag ought to deal with many of the chill you expertise contained in the hammock.
For additional heat, use a sleeping bag with loads of insulation on the inside and outside the hammock.
However generally you simply want somewhat extra insulation to maintain the coolness out of your bones and keep additional cozy. In these instances, you could have two decisions for additional insulation. For these functions, use a fleece bag liner and a wool blanket.
10. Examine the Climate
In regular winter local weather circumstances, you shouldn’t have to fret an excessive amount of concerning the climate, given that you simply’ve ready nicely forward of time by choosing the proper gear.
However you’ll wish to be careful for pitfalls that may flip a standard winter tenting journey into a possible survival situation.
Keep away from Blizzards and Avalanches
Icy winds, rain, and thick snowfall can wreak havoc on a physique hanging in a hammock. Avoiding blizzards altogether is the best technique.
We urge you to carefully monitor the climate and take note of any weather alerts issued concerning the days you propose to hammock camp. If there’s a likelihood of a blizzard, I’d personally name the journey off to be protected.
Avalanches are one other weather-related situation you need to concentrate on. In the event you’re hanging in a hammock and an avalanche happens, you might be in a really harmful state of affairs.
For avoiding avalanches, our greatest recommendation can be to keep away from tenting on mountainsides the place a number of inches of contemporary powder have occurred.
Examine with native rangers and outdoor fanatics to make sure the placement you propose to camp in is protected.
11. Inform Others of Your Plans
Every time you might be making ready to go on a tenting journey, it is best to let others know of your plans forward of time.
No matter whether or not you’re tenting alone or hammock tenting with one other particular person, leaving a visit itinerary with a beloved one will assist rescue groups in case they should discover you.
Write out an in depth rationalization of the place you’re going, how lengthy you’re staying, and if you’ll be again. In case something goes mistaken, rescue groups may have a considerably larger likelihood of discovering you.
You need to by no means skip this step, particularly for winter hammock tenting journeys, that are particularly hazardous.
Last Ideas
In the event you lack expertise in hammock tenting within the winter and the climate appears tough, it’s higher to postpone your journey till a later date.
It’s not value risking life and limb for one tenting journey! In the event you’re lifeless set on tenting in powerful circumstances, think about taking a tent as an alternative.
A tenting tent together with a snug mattress is a incredible reserve resolution for winter tenting. Hammocks can work within the chilly, however tents are extra dependable in chilly winter climate.
Don’t let your ego get in the best way of your security and delight of the outside. Hammocking is only one method to go tenting. It’s extra necessary that you simply get the chance to benefit from the outdoor!