winter weekend in wales hammock vs tarp in -6 C

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Lacijag1

Forager
this is an older trip from january 2016

my friend Andrew and me went for a weekend wild camping trip to wales.
we did find a farm (glyn-y-mul farm) which had a camp site for caravans and camper and it also had a forest for wild campers.

we went to the forest. we were the only crazy ones who went camping there in that cold:)

first day was about setting up camp, cooking and eating. i did try to build a long fire, that didn't work. that was my first attempt.
i used green wood that was still wet inside and didn't give enough time the fire to get strong before i put the logs on top of each other. since than i did practice it few more times and managed to master the art of making a long fire:)

first night was the coldest. we were down in a river valley. it wasn't probably the best choice but the water was close. it went down to -6C. we slept in hammock. it was my first time to sleep in a hammock and to try out a self inflating mat.
(i did not have any previous experience with hammocks and self inflating mats as i used to sleep on ground on a foam mat.)
i made that mistake to listen to an idiots advice on youtube:) he said for winter camping do not blow air in to the self inflating mat cos the warm air what we blow in to the mat will be frozen. he also said to keep the mat half way inflated. so i took his advice and woke up in the middle of the night cos my kidneys were freezing off!
so i did blow up the mat and after i actually had a good sleep.
i used 2 2 season sleeping bags to keep me warm and i had a cheap 2x3 m tarp above me. after fixing up my mat the rest of the night was ok.

second day we moved camp.
we went to higher up in the forest. even the weather was much milder but at night was stormy and had heavy rain. for the second night i decided to sleep on the ground. i used the 2x3 tarp to set it up like a lean to but the right and left side of the tarp were also pegged down to the ground (don't know what this set up called). and i attached an other tarp to front to close it. it was pretty good as it kept me dry all night in that storm.
temperature was up 1 C at night. still needed both sleeping bags but with less clothes. and for me it was much comfortable to sleep on the ground.

since that i used hammock many more times, but still prefer to sleep on the ground.
this was a very cool camping trip. i really enjoyed it and learned a lot. this winter we are going for an other cold weekend but now the target is dartmoor park.

i did film during camping and made a video about this trip


[video=youtube;-SWNqNpgAl8]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-SWNqNpgAl8[/video]
 

Robson Valley

Full Member
Nov 24, 2014
9,959
2,664
McBride, BC
The air was -6C all around you in the hammock.
If the ground isn't frozen then the soil temp has to be 0C or warmer. So is rain.
Believe that you should be warmer on the ground with insulation.
Looks relaxing and peacefully quiet.
 

Tonyuk

Settler
Nov 30, 2011
933
81
Scotland
Seems like a good weekend, like you found i've always been more comfortable sleeping on the ground with a good mat underneath. For hammock use you might be better with an underquilt, but can't recommend since I've never used one.

Tonyuk
 

Lacijag1

Forager
Seems like a good weekend, like you found i've always been more comfortable sleeping on the ground with a good mat underneath. For hammock use you might be better with an underquilt, but can't recommend since I've never used one.

Tonyuk

i did look at the prices of underquilts and decided to stick with with the mat in the hammock method:)
but when i can i rather sleep on the ground. and i just found the perfect solution:) bought a sleeping pod (basically an extra wide sleeping bag) and made a liner from a fleece blanket which is also very large. gives me all the comfort i need to toss and turn and stay in warm. that is the way for me!

Robson Valley:
ur welcome, i am glad u liked it!
 

Highbinder

Full Member
Jul 11, 2010
1,257
2
Under a tree
The air was -6C all around you in the hammock.
If the ground isn't frozen then the soil temp has to be 0C or warmer. So is rain.
Believe that you should be warmer on the ground with insulation.

Yes that's my thinking, plus the fact that the air will circulate much more freely around a hammock, so it whips away heat much more readily than a ground set up.

I like my Exped down mat in my bridge hammock, or down UQ for gathered end. I will never go back to putting a mat in a gathered end - it's just not comfortable!
 

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