Hammock as shelter in winter?

[Green]

Hi, all... I wonder if anybody has any tips for using a hammock (in my case, the Hennessey) as a bivvy-like shelter in the winter. I'm in Ontario, and I'm talking about a lot of snow, and a lot of cold (temperatures down to -20C at least, not counting wind chill).

I've used it (somewhat) on the ground, but it's little more than a bug net under a tarp in the summer - I'm wondering how it can hold up in really nasty conditions, and if anybody has any tips (rigging, augmenting the effectiveness, shoring up weaknesses using both materials at hand as well as prepared).

I've got a great ThermaRest that I plan to use in the equation, and a -12 sleeping bag with a liner usually does it for me, but that's been in a tent, and before Christmas. I'd like to make sure I've got some idea of how I can be more efficient out in the woods with just the Hammock, as it's already my only shelter in the other seasons.

Thanks,
Green.

 

[wentworth]

-20 C?! I'm not sure how many people have actually used their hammock down that far. I use an underquilt with my hammock, and have a waterproof breathable shell which can go over the underquilt... I posted this in another thread about a week ago, so appologies for the repetition.
The site I bought the underquilt from suggests for extreme cold weather to double up two underquilts for the hammock. As i'm sure you already know, keeping the bottom of a hammock warm is hard under normal to cool conditions, let alone extreme winter.
or if you have a hammock that is open at the top you could try zipping your bag around the entire hammock, so the bottom of the insulation is not compressed.
Check out www.jacksrbetter.com and www.hammockcamping.com (this site has newsletters) and http://groups.yahoo.com/group/hammockcamping/ which is a news group of lots of experienced hammockers.

 

[Adi]

Hi Green welcome to the forum.

My own opinion and only mine as there will be a lot of people out there that will argue otherwise is don’t use a hammock in any winter cold weather conditions.

The hammock was designed to be used in hot humid conditions to help the user to stay cool and to get him off the often water logged floor away from any nasty creepy crawlies.

In the conditions you describe you are likely to go down with cold injuries/illness very quickly, if you really want to sleep out in that sort of environment I suggest you spend a night in a snow trench with OHP (over head protection)and no fire, then you will appreciate any shelter that you build whether it is a lean to, snow hole or tent.

Let me ask you a question, its -20ºC and there has been a heavy snow fall would you just unroll your doss bag out on the snow and get your head down? If your answer is NO why hoist yourself into the air by 6 foot.

If your answer is YES why hoist yourself into the air by 6 foot.

 

[wentworth]

Ugh. I just realised that you were asking about using it as a ground shelter. Sorry about that!

 

[Adi]

Well spotted Wentworth that will teach us to read the thread first

 

[arctic hobo]

Well it'll keep you out of cold air sunk onto the ground at night (providing you're about 6 foot up), and stop your heat loss into cold ground.
However, it offers no cover, and you're more exposed to the wind which will take heat out of your backside in no time. Plus if you try it down to -20, if you don't freeze you may find the hammock is solid and cracks - like in the movies. If you ask me, a big no-no.

 

[arctic hobo]

OK so I didn't read the thread properly either
You will find the Hennessy a fair bit chillier than a tent!

 

[Fenlander]

Take a look at this site. He uses a hennesey in cold weather..

http://hikinghq.net/hammock/hammock2.html

 

[Green]

Thanks for your comments so far... and thanks for the welcomes – it's great to be here.

I probably wasn't clear that I didn't intend to use the hammock in the usual lofted position. I'm well aware of how cold it sleeps, even in fall.

I was looking more for techniques such as how to integrate it with a natural shelter (snow ditch, snug down the sides, etc), and any techniques others have had in the field.

There's a good point about the material not withstanding the cold, but it's been pretty rugged so far.

Sgt. Rock has an excellent site with great tutorials for any of you new (and old) hammock users.

Green

 

[peter_pan]

First i've not camped at -20.

It seems that if using a snow trench the tarp would have some value as a support for overhead cover to retain rising heat.

I would surmise if you are in a wooded area it is possible to actually hang the hammock, as low as practicle. Plan to use double or even triple under quilts, and a vapor barrier and a winter -20 bag inside. Swap the small fly for an 8x10 or 10x12 tarp, pitched as an A, use side lift tabs and pile snow against the sides. Pick tree with an axis that will put the fully tarped side against the wind, better is the same angle but on the lee of a ridge.

Alternatively if you have a snow block making box (DIE) and the time you could construct a snow bloc tunnel ( Open or partially open ended igloo)

This would be comfortable. Question/issue is can you make it warm enough?

Just something to try...have a bail out plan.

 

[Green]

All really good points.

Peter_pan... Thanks for the reply. I've camped out in -20 before, albeit in a tent, and a worse thermarest than the one I've got now, with only my -12 sleeping bag and a couple of extra small peices of closed-cell foam pads (cheap blue kind, cut into three parts, and I take two of them). Ground insulation is key. Keep those kidneys warm!

For those of you thinking about buying a ThermaRest for this type of weather, they're not all created equal - look for the women's version (it's shorter, rounded, and in hot pink, ugh) series that should be out shortly. I got mine through a friend at an outfitters, and it packs as small as the ProLite 4-season, but with better R value (insulation) and /amazing/ loft. It's longer than their 3/4, but 6" shorter than the full. It's brand new, and not updated on their site last time I checked, but if you don't mind the colour (it'll be inside and covered by you or your bag most times) it's a great addition to the ProLite 4 series. Pity that they feel they needed to market it as a "women's" model and paint it pink. We could all use extra R-value and better hip loft.

I really like the idea of the A-frame tarp setup, somewhat blocked off on the ends and perp to the wind, with the hammock essentially inside. I hadn't really thought of combining two shelter types like this. Great idea, and nice and simple, too!

I always have a fallback when trying something new, especially in a situation like this, that has so much potential to become extremely dangerous very quickly.

The snow in the interior of Algonquin might not be the right type for the blocks of snow, and I'm not experienced with that sort of shelter, so I'll leave that for another time or situation, I think.

Lifting the sides and insulating with snow was one of the things I was picturing, and definitely shows promise.

First i've not camped at -20.

It seems that if using a snow trench the tarp would have some value as a support for overhead cover to retain rising heat.

I would surmise if you are in a wooded area it is possible to actually hang the hammock, as low as practicle. Plan to use double or even triple under quilts, and a vapor barrier and a winter -20 bag inside. Swap the small fly for an 8x10 or 10x12 tarp, pitched as an A, use side lift tabs and pile snow against the sides. Pick tree with an axis that will put the fully tarped side against the wind, better is the same angle but on the lee of a ridge.

Alternatively if you have a snow block making box (DIE) and the time you could construct a snow bloc tunnel ( Open or partially open ended igloo)

This would be comfortable. Question/issue is can you make it warm enough?

Just something to try...have a bail out plan.