There is something about being on the Ice Age Trail in single degree weather

Wife sent me packing with a buddy for my birthday. I think she started a dangerous precedent.

43 lbs missed the ultra light mark by a shade but that had food for a week, not two days. A pound of summer sausage weighs a pound. Who knew?

I was packing for -7f. Clouds rolled in last minute and it only got down to 3. But windy! Likely negative teens to twentys windchill in a hammock without one of those nice wrap around tarps. In fact, my 'tarp' was a wool blanket.

I fell in love with bits of my gear and learned to trust it better.

I got cold, but never froze. My buddy with twice the weight froze his butt off. He was cold for a full week after the trip.

Oh, the unexpected clouds? I drove home into a blizzard. #irony

In album 2/20/15

Yes, that is cast iron in the middle. Gotta hang onto that friend that is willing to pack cast iron!

Hanging out on a ridge between two lakes.

I need to practice my photo spheres.

This just looks cold.

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5 Comments

  1. Yep. Short. It is a wool military blanket draped over the ridge line.

    The thoughts being 1) I don't own a 'proper' hammock tarp 2) I own the blanket 3) it can't rain 4) I want to hold as much warm air close to me as I can 5) no condensation.

    5 turned out to be false. The outside of my sleeping bag was frosted up terrible for a foot around my head in the morning.

  2. The wool drape was nice and warm. I had a thermo rest under me and a space blanket under that. No under quilt.

    I could see where a fleece cocoon could be nice. Creates a bubble of warmth.

    My wool drape was open on both ends. Wind gusts along the length of the hammock would strip the heat out of my little shelter. Across was not a problem.

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