Lightest Shelter

[Chinkapin]

If you want my advice, for God's sake, please do not attempt to spend the winter in Sweden in a tent. You will probably die, unless there is a warm house nearby that you can flee to in an emergency. An insulated bottomed hammock is going to be suspended with frigid air circulating all around it. A tent with a fire built outside is essentially a tent with no fire. The only tent I can imagine that would possibly work would be an Indian teepee. (I suppose, but do not know, that the Laplander teepee is made very similarly. The Indian teepee is quite large, double walled up about 4 feet. and you build the fire INSIDE. The Indians used several buffalo robes to lay on and to cover up with. Drawback: Expensive, and takes several people to erect. Difficult to move. Go in the spring, or the summer or the fall, but forget the winter until you have the equipment and the knowledge base to pull this off. You need a lot of food to get the calories to maintain your body temperature in subartic conditions, yet you imply that your budget is somewhat limited. If you calculate the food needed to spend a year in the woods you are going to be shocked. Don't think that you can live off "the fat of the land." Experienced hunters oftentimes have no luck finding game. Even if you could, you can't just eat meat. You need vegetables. Think about this very carefully: What are my skills? what are my resources? what is my knowledge level regarding surviving alone in the subartic woods?

 

[forestwalker]

If you want my advice, for God's sake, please do not attempt to spend the winter in Sweden in a tent. You will probably die, unless there is a warm house nearby that you can flee to in an emergency.

In the regions he's talking I would not expect it to get colder the -20 C except very occationally, winter would probably be 0-- -10C most of the time.

An insulated bottomed hammock is going to be suspended with frigid air circulating all around it. A tent with a fire built outside is essentially a tent with no fire.

One could make somthing like a baker tent (or some similar) and get use from the fire.

The only tent I can imagine that would possibly work would be an Indian teepee. (I suppose, but do not know, that the Laplander teepee is made very similarly. The Indian teepee is quite large, double walled up about 4 feet. and you build the fire INSIDE. The Indians used several buffalo robes to lay on and to cover up with.

A lavu is similar to a tipi, but lacks the liner and the smoke flaps. They'll work, but will get smokier.

Drawback: Expensive, and takes several people to erect. Difficult to move.

You can sew one from cheapish canvas for about 1-200 pounds. Not very compex. Poles are the killer; you need to cut them locally or have a vehicle. A 12-14 foot tipi can be erected by one person in 30 minutes,

The plan is doable, in the regions we are talking about roads, houses and stores are never very far apart.

 

[Elenias]

Heh thank you for caring.
Do no worry, I might not be the most experienced, but I am not naive neither.
If ever I stay during the winter which is not even sure, I would spend it down south and not too far from a village.
Also, I am going to work during the summer which will make me able to spend about £1000 on good equipment. Most of it will got to shelter and clothing.

 

[T1tch]

the pictures on the review dont look like the picture on tamarack website =s
http://www.tamarackgroup.co.uk/acatalog/Hammocks.html (down at the bottom)

Agreed, but the deluxe does not look like that. have a look at the catalogue page on the Hennesy site and you will see (if you click on the enlarged photo+spec's it displays the same immage for both the Deluxe and the Ultralite - so that is probably where the error has arrisen from.)

This is my deluxe:

 

[Aussiepom]

If I were doing your trip, I'd go the hammock route without doubt. Apart from any other reason, the increased comfort would reduce the effects of fatigue over a prolonged trip. However, 2 points here:

1). If your priority really is the lightest setup possible, go with bivi and tarp.

2). You seem to be a hammocking novice. What Woodsmoke & Wentworth said is really crucial: Hammocks are a great way of sleeping in the outdoors, but you really do have to have a bit of practice using a 'cold weather' hammock setup.

If you are unable to head up to Scotland, one workaround could be to start practising in your back garden (or wherever), and sleep with little clothing on - this way any potential faults in your hammock system will be highlighted, for you to rectify.