Adjustments

After going over the shortcomings of my sleep system, I've decided to go with an option that corrects both the hammock and sleeping bag issues at once, and get this. It's specifically designed to fit my hammock, and this company is a small business owned and run by two retired Army vets here in Virginia.

As an added bonus, it covers another dilemma; that of whether or not to take a seriously warm, big down parka "just in case" (specifically, the one I'm wearing in the photo at right). But with this system, the top quilt can double as a down boreal jacket in an emergency (as in, temperatures dropping way below zero on a windy mountaintop miles from anywhere suitable for camp). Also, I didn't mention this in detail before, but the combination of sleeping bag and insulation system I have made it a very complicated and slow process to get out of the hammock, and I hate the feeling of being trapped in there and not being able to get out quickly if I need to. Old habits, I guess. Military sleeping bag zippers, for instance, have a quick-open feature which allows you to just yank the two sides of the bag apart and it comes right open.

Unfortunately, the best option is also the most expensive option, and I've more or less wasted the money I spent on my sleeping bag and wool liner. But, they might still be useful someday in some other situation, so it's not that bad. I think I will, however, return the insulating underlayer portion of my hammock system, as I'm within their ten-day return window. But I'll keep the over-cover, as it's extremely light and small when packed, and will still be useful for extreme cold.

I've also ordered a better set of lighter-weight, more flexible and packable gore-tex top and bottoms to replace my military-style ECWCS ones. The ones I've got are just too heavy and bulky to pack efficiently when they're not being worn, and too loud and stiff when they are. Also, the hood is designed to be worn over a helmet and is annoyingly in the way without one, always falling in my eyes and blocking peripheral vision.

It seems (and feels) like a lot of money to get ready for this trip. But I'll be using this stuff for years to come, only tweaking or replacing a piece here or there for other trips and activities, so it'll pay off in the end.