Down and Dirty

Summer nights were spent suspended in the air. Now it was time to hit the ground.

Sleeping in a hammock is my favorite way to spend the night in the forest while backpacking. It’s easy to hammock camp on the East Coast versus the West. We have trees! I have refined my hammock setup over time, and being of a “mature age,” sleeping on the ground is less comfortable than hanging a hammock. Sleeping on the wet, dirty Earth is also another downer, along with packing up a damp or muddy tent.

The Northeast grows colder in late August and September. Cooler air circulating under the hammock can lead to “Cold Butt Syndrome” Your insulation, (such as the sleeping bag you’re in) becomes compressed. Your body in contact with the hammock fabric can become chilled through convection cooling.

An insulated sleeping pad and/or extra quilting wrapped around the outside of the hammock can solve the problem, but the extra quilting is bulky and increases carry weight.

When temperatures drop below 15°C/60°F, I choose to switch to a tent or ground solution. I still will need an insulated pad, but won’t need to carry more insulation other than the sleeping bag or quilt to cover my body.

As a minimalist, I choose not to carry or use a large tent. A mesh bivy with a full bathtub liner is my preference. When car camping, everything goes in the vehicle for the night. In the forest, food and packs get hung high above ground level, away from animals.

A thick and comfortable sleeping pad that is rated for use in colder weather is a necessity when sleeping on the ground. Body heat is lost through conduction cooling when in contact with the ground.

A mesh bivy is very light, but requires slightly more setup time for me, and works best on a nice flat surface. This can be difficult to find hence the easier setup for hammocks. Two sturdy trees about 10-12 feet apart and you’re good to go!

A good nights sleep while enjoying the outdoors is essential. As temperatures grow cold enough to bring snow, Old Jack goes back indoors at night, preferable beside a warm fireplace!