I was wondering how's best to set up camp? And how people configure there's. I want to start using a hammock but am worryied about fire positioning. I don't really want embers burning holes in a hennesy hammock. But want to benifit from its heat.
My experience is that hammocks and fires don't really mix. I tend to rely on my insulation to keep me warm when hanging, that said I guess you pitch your tarp in a lean-to type rig to benefit from a bit of radiant heat.
Ok thanks guys I kinda thought that was the general idea. Set up a fire with a hammock up wind of the fire. And a decent distance away use The fire for cooking etc and have a decent sleep system to keep warm.
When I'm doing this solo, I build a heat reflector and set the fire at least 1.5 meters away from my hammock. Ideally I pitch in an area which allows me to build up a square-ish "wall" either out of debris or tarps with my shelter tarp constituting one side of the wall, and the fire pretty-much in the middle of the "walled" area.
I've only done this three times, though... as I rarely find it necessary. Only times I've done it is when I was spending a night out where it's snowing. Since then, I've found it more "practical" to improve the thermal value of my sleep setup.
One thing I've been trying out the last few months (and has been working amazingly well) is pitching as low as I can (so that my hammock sits just a few inches off the ground). I have a US GI poncho liner as a basic underquilt, and this actually touches my ground sheet along most of the length of my hammock (from the middle out).
This prevents the wind from wicking away the heat from beneath me, and the cavity between the underquilt and my back is quickly warmed up by my body heat.
I also have a light-weight Merino Wool blanket which I pitch on a ridgeline inside my hammock's mosquito net (though you could also easily do this if you attach a line between the connection points of your hammock) which I tuck in around the sides of my sleeping bag. This creates an amazing cavity of warm air over the top of me, while allowing air through so I don't suffocate in the night.
Just this technique alone has proven to be amazingly affective... to the point where I've spent nights at around zero recently with my sleeping bag unzipped to prevent sweating.
The only downside of pitching low is that if you have to close your pitch on both sides, you have to hunch right down (practically crawling) to get in and out of your hammock. Still... worth it for a toasty night's sleep, without having to constantly think about a fire
Oh and also, pitching your tarp as low as possible with sloping sides reduces your profile into the wind... so there's much less air movement through your pitch itself (again, making it easier to trap the heat in those cavities)
im going to try this in two weeks
Which part? The walled fire with reflector or the "swing low" technique?
I think he means the blanket cavity bit. I'm going to give that a try myself too I think. Have you experienced much condensation using this method?
Some cracking tips people that's why I love this forum so much. It's an endless wealth of knowledge.
secondedSome cracking tips people that's why I love this forum so much. It's an endless wealth of knowledge.