What do you actually use for hiking & camping in cold weather?

[draketungsten]

I do hammock camping 4 season a year. For the winter I use a tarp, hammock, closed cell ground pad (between me and the hammock), and a rectangular sleeping bag. You pretty much use the sleeping bag as a cocoon around the hammock and you. This provides adequate insulation under and on top of you to keep you warm. I've taken this configuration below freezing.

If you need extra warmth, fill up your water bottles with hot water placed in a sock for insulation. Sleep with this between your legs. It will warm your blood as it passes through your femoral artery and carry the heat to the rest of your body.

Also, eat right before bed. Digestion causes a rise in body temperature.

 

[fjw2]

I keep an empty Gatorade bottle in the tent at night. That way, I don't have to get out of the nice, warm tent to pee.

 

[teddy12b]

Coffee filter would be a heck of a lot better than a bandana.

Good point. I tend to think in terms of what I've got readily available and I never use coffee filters. I should probably pick up a few.

 

[melensdad]

Good point. I tend to think in terms of what I've got readily available and I never use coffee filters. I should probably pick up a few.

Nice thing about them is they are cheap & lightweight, they are very effective strainers and if you have a campfire they can be used for kindling (when dry) or burnt in the fire to dispose of used ones so you don't have to pack them out with you.

EDIT: I should have written "very effective PARTICULATE strainers" as they remove debris, sand, slime, mud, etc from water but all the bacteria, germs, molds, etc will still go through them so you still have to boil, micro-filter or purify in some other way. But they catch a good amount of the stuff that makes water taste nasty.​

 

[teddy12b]

Nice thing about them is they are cheap & lightweight, they are very effective strainers and if you have a campfire they can be used for kindling (when dry) or burnt in the fire to dispose of used ones so you don't have to pack them out with you.

EDIT: I should have written "very effective PARTICULATE strainers" as they remove debris, sand, slime, mud, etc from water but all the bacteria, germs, molds, etc will still go through them so you still have to boil, micro-filter or purify in some other way. But they catch a good amount of the stuff that makes water taste nasty.​

You're not kidding about being cheap. 700 filters for less than $9 delivered. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001UBNRH6/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A30N2LHQ125S3D

I'm going to pick up some of these filters for sure. The last time I did this trip I was solo and chugged water before walking in. Once I got there I drank all that I brought with me that night and the next morning. Boiled some water to top off my container and have a little drink before hiking out with a mostly full container. In all reality, this trip is going to be so short that we're not really even going to go through that much water. I'd be surprised if we had more than one refill of our canteens on the whole trip. I know I will just so I stay very hydrated, and I'll recommend it to the other guys, but you can only lead a horse to water so to speak.

For what this trip is, I know I'm way overpacking. I know I could cut things down quite a bit between gear and weight, but I want to make sure these guys have a nice good time.

 

[woodsie57]

Folding chair, radio, whiskey, meat