Overnight in the woods , Camp , Cooking , Chair and Fun

Gcckoka

Settler
Nov 13, 2015
818
99
Georgia
So I decided to go on an overnight to get out of the city have rest , I had to do it solo , I was lazy going without my dog but I still went because the city gets very boring. Also I wanted to try the tarp tent setup for the first time , I realized that I would get condensation but didn't realize it would be so much , it was raining on me in the morning :lmao: the weather was -3c and I was using a -30 sleeping bag , it got pretty hot when I was wearing the pullover in it , but after I took it off , slept like a baby , also I need to change my mat because it is pretty thin for colder weather , so any advices on good mats on the cheap side will be highly appreciated.
Enough with the talking , here is the video and a few pictures at night , hope you enjoy :)

[video=youtube;IwGo9V0oOpY]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwGo9V0oOpY[/video]

a0b09f011476.jpg


d088ea8cce26.jpg
 

Squidders

Full Member
Aug 3, 2004
3,853
15
48
Harrow, Middlesex
Nice video and photos... how far out of town were you?

In terms of mats, for cheap, durable and very warm, I would go for a dutch army roll mat. For a lot more money, I favour Thermarest Neo Air Xtherm mats but the Exped mats are also very good.
 

Gcckoka

Settler
Nov 13, 2015
818
99
Georgia
Nice video and photos... how far out of town were you?

In terms of mats, for cheap, durable and very warm, I would go for a dutch army roll mat. For a lot more money, I favour Thermarest Neo Air Xtherm mats but the Exped mats are also very good.

Im in about 14-15km away from it , but I can hear the noise from it very well , I am on the back side of a mountain that is in front of the city.
How thick is that dutch mat ?
 

Paulm

Full Member
May 27, 2008
1,089
184
Hants
As Squidders suggested, dutch army foam mat is the thickest I've found, about 20mm from memory, and not expensive. The Neo Air Xtherm is my usual choice and is excellent but lots more spendy !
 

Squidders

Full Member
Aug 3, 2004
3,853
15
48
Harrow, Middlesex
Im in about 14-15km away from it , but I can hear the noise from it very well , I am on the back side of a mountain that is in front of the city.
How thick is that dutch mat ?

Pity about the noise... looks like a nice spot... snow always makes a place look like a good spot for camping to me.

The mat is 18mm thick and extremely durable. I don't know the seller but this is the sort of price for a perfect condition one: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Dutch-Arm...-18-mm-/301861931732?var=&hash=item46485f8ad4
 

Big G

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Jul 3, 2015
3,144
0
Cleveland UK
If you suffer with back problems, as you mentioned before, i don't think a foam matt will cut it, i'd recommend a good thick air type mat. I use a Exped airmat dlx lw, with insulation under it, ie foam mat and reflective foil bubble insulation. I've tried the thinner inflatable mats, i just could'nt get comfy, my back is in bits next day.
 

Gcckoka

Settler
Nov 13, 2015
818
99
Georgia

Gcckoka

Settler
Nov 13, 2015
818
99
Georgia
If you suffer with back problems, as you mentioned before, i don't think a foam matt will cut it, i'd recommend a good thick air type mat. I use a Exped airmat dlx lw, with insulation under it, ie foam mat and reflective foil bubble insulation. I've tried the thinner inflatable mats, i just could'nt get comfy, my back is in bits next day.

My recommendation from the doctor is to sleep on hard ground , it's better for my scoliosis and lordosis , when it hurt this summer I even slept on the floor at home 😃


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Big G

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Jul 3, 2015
3,144
0
Cleveland UK
My recommendation from the doctor is to sleep on hard ground , it's better for my scoliosis and lordosis , when it hurt this summer I even slept on the floor at home 😃


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Arr right, now i get ya, doctors orders eh!
 

Big G

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Jul 3, 2015
3,144
0
Cleveland UK
Last edited:

Squidders

Full Member
Aug 3, 2004
3,853
15
48
Harrow, Middlesex
One of these in the large size 77 in / 196 cm: http://www.cascadedesigns.com/therm-a-rest/mattresses/trek-and-travel/ridge-rest-solite/product

Earlier version with out the reflective coating same size. On ebay free p+p: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/THERMARES...372514?hash=item567c3a23e2:g:aKsAAOSwsB9WCU8b looks a bargain for that price :)

No affiliation, just a happy customer from all_outdoor Ltd :)

I'd go for the Solar model myself. I don't think the solite would be warm enough for winter camping.

There's also the trail pro which can sometimes turn up on eBay for sensible money... those are nice and warm and quite durable.
 

Big G

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Jul 3, 2015
3,144
0
Cleveland UK
I'd go for the Solar model myself. I don't think the solite would be warm enough for winter camping.

There's also the trail pro which can sometimes turn up on eBay for sensible money... those are nice and warm and quite durable.

Aye, there's not much out there in the thin closed cell type mats, with a higher enough R-Value for winter camping. Unless of course your willing to spend silly money.
 

Paulm

Full Member
May 27, 2008
1,089
184
Hants
I would get the dutch army one, and just use an offcut of your existing one, doubled over perhaps, to put under your head or feet, and use the offcut as a sit mat on your log chair too which looked really cold ! :)
 

Big G

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Jul 3, 2015
3,144
0
Cleveland UK
All these R-Values on different types of mats and inflatables do my head in :confused: I've just tried to do what i sleep on as cheap as possible, and be as comfortable as i can be. I've tried the thinner inflatable mats like the brit army ones, they where no good, my joints where in contact with the hard ground, i'm sure it caused the bout of sciatica i've just had. It's a mind field, choosing the right mat for the conditions.
 

Jaeger

Full Member
Dec 3, 2014
670
24
United Kingdom
Aye Up Gcckoka,

In the first place, well done for getting out there and over-nighting in low temps, not many people do that.

Secondly - I am not surprised that you feel the need to change your ground mat - it appears to be placed almost directly onto snow covered, maybe even frozen ground with what appears to be no natural material beneath it! (The 'reflective' sheet -good for growing something beneath perhaps - as an insulator forget it!

When ground bivvy-ing beneath a well set up, correctly angled tarp/basher the No1 direction for heat loss whilst sleeping is straight into the ground (as parachutists and seasoned outdoor over-nighters know - gravity is a myth, the Earth sucks! :lmao:)

Most (solid) ground 'insulation' mats and even the thin self inflating types are hardly that, most are just good/reasonable moisture barriers.
Relying only on such mats especially in the brown season is folly - I learned (Brit military training) and have subsequently continued to teach that getting a decent amount of natural material beneath a ground insulation mat is a top priority when setting up your site for comfort and insulation - i.e. grass; fern; bracken; moss; evergreen material etc - if possible stuffed inside one of the large emergency plastic survival bags for example (which all winter campers have with them?) or even in a bivvy bag itself, in order to keep it all in place under you. (If you can't use natural material you can always use the spare mid layer clothing which you carry with you).

Thirdly, regarding the condensation issue - again a well known fact amongst those who overnight beneath tarps/bashers in low temperatures – especially with PVC coated (and ‘breathable’) materials.
The cause is the 'dew point' - the point where your body heat/perspiration/breath meets a cold surface above you and condenses into water droplets.

To begin with I notice that you have pegged three sides + of your shelter right to the ground - that means no/limited movement of air within the shelter and so the heat/moisture generated by you is more or less going straight up to the underside of the sheet - where in those conditions it will most likely (did!) almost immediately condense into water droplets! Whenever you can achieve it, it is good practice to allow at least a little through draft to move any moisture laden air towards the open mouth or sides of a tarp/basher. The military style of pitching in the attached image isn’t just about rapid exit on all sides – it’s also about condensation limitation!

You can also aim to move the dew point further away from you by -
Sleeping with your head near to the open end of the tarp/basher so that your breath moisture is drawn away from the inside of the (correctly pitched/angled) shelter;
If practical, you can raise the height of the tarp/basher above you so that by the time your warm moisture meets the cold surface it has cooled and dissipated;
You can angle the pitch of the shelter (higher at the head end) so that internal condensation runs towards the lower, foot end of the shelter;
You can use a bivvy bag and a correctly pitched/angled tarp/basher so that body generated heat is dissipated before it reaches the tarp/basher;

I hope that you (and anyone else intending to over-night during low temps) find this info helpful.

Again, well done for having the gonads to get out there in those conditions and thanks for posting your vid.

Basher.jpg
 

Gcckoka

Settler
Nov 13, 2015
818
99
Georgia
Aye Up Gcckoka,

In the first place, well done for getting out there and over-nighting in low temps, not many people do that.

Secondly - I am not surprised that you feel the need to change your ground mat - it appears to be placed almost directly onto snow covered, maybe even frozen ground with what appears to be no natural material beneath it! (The 'reflective' sheet -good for growing something beneath perhaps - as an insulator forget it!

When ground bivvy-ing beneath a well set up, correctly angled tarp/basher the No1 direction for heat loss whilst sleeping is straight into the ground (as parachutists and seasoned outdoor over-nighters know - gravity is a myth, the Earth sucks! :lmao:)

Most (solid) ground 'insulation' mats and even the thin self inflating types are hardly that, most are just good/reasonable moisture barriers.
Relying only on such mats especially in the brown season is folly - I learned (Brit military training) and have subsequently continued to teach that getting a decent amount of natural material beneath a ground insulation mat is a top priority when setting up your site for comfort and insulation - i.e. grass; fern; bracken; moss; evergreen material etc - if possible stuffed inside one of the large emergency plastic survival bags for example (which all winter campers have with them?) or even in a bivvy bag itself, in order to keep it all in place under you. (If you can't use natural material you can always use the spare mid layer clothing which you carry with you).

Thirdly, regarding the condensation issue - again a well known fact amongst those who overnight beneath tarps/bashers in low temperatures – especially with PVC coated (and ‘breathable’) materials.
The cause is the 'dew point' - the point where your body heat/perspiration/breath meets a cold surface above you and condenses into water droplets.

To begin with I notice that you have pegged three sides + of your shelter right to the ground - that means no/limited movement of air within the shelter and so the heat/moisture generated by you is more or less going straight up to the underside of the sheet - where in those conditions it will most likely (did!) almost immediately condense into water droplets! Whenever you can achieve it, it is good practice to allow at least a little through draft to move any moisture laden air towards the open mouth or sides of a tarp/basher. The military style of pitching in the attached image isn’t just about rapid exit on all sides – it’s also about condensation limitation!

You can also aim to move the dew point further away from you by -
Sleeping with your head near to the open end of the tarp/basher so that your breath moisture is drawn away from the inside of the (correctly pitched/angled) shelter;
If practical, you can raise the height of the tarp/basher above you so that by the time your warm moisture meets the cold surface it has cooled and dissipated;
You can angle the pitch of the shelter (higher at the head end) so that internal condensation runs towards the lower, foot end of the shelter;
You can use a bivvy bag and a correctly pitched/angled tarp/basher so that body generated heat is dissipated before it reaches the tarp/basher;

I hope that you (and anyone else intending to over-night during low temps) find this info helpful.

Again, well done for having the gonads to get out there in those conditions and thanks for posting your vid.

View attachment 42724

Thank you very much for your helpful information , I just wanted to try this setup for quite some time now , also I wanted a closed setup because I was close to a hiking path where very much people hike everymorning and because I didn't had my dog with me I was afraid of someone stealing something , you never know what can happen and I had some expensive gear like camera with me.
The first thing I heard after a few minutes when I woke up at 8am was two people hiking and talking in about 50 meters from me , I chose working day so that less people would be but until I left (about 11am) more than 10 people hiked close to me and then was this grandpa in shorts shirtless hiking , without socks , we had a nice conversation :) Ill post a pic from my phone
 

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