The advice to sleep naked comes from a bygone era in which boy scouts and green army recruits were wearing thick cotton clothing which they had soaked with sweat. No change of clothes. No clothing which would dry out quickly. The only dry thing in their kit was a sleeping bag. So, strip off the wet stuff. Do some jumping jacks. Dive into the only dry thing around. Thank goodness we know better and have polyester gear and a change of socks. Also, a person we both know who camps in Minnesota keeps a sort of bib near his mouth and nose to collect the frost from his breath, and to keep it off of his top quilt.

@dutch3323

4 ай бұрын

Great info! Thanks for sharing! Yes, love the frost bib!

For a man of few words, Dutch, your enthusiasm for winter hammock camping had you waxing poetic. Thanks for sharing your wisdom and encouraging fellow hammockers to get outside and enjoy nature in comfort.

@dutch3323

4 ай бұрын

Hey, thanks! Nothing like time in the woods!

I have invested in alpaca clothing, and it is better than wool, because of its natural moisture control! It expels moisture so quickly that it's an amazing material!

@dutch3323

4 ай бұрын

I have heard great things about alpaca!

Hi Dutch Excellent video. It shows your passion for Winter camping. Best time of year to be outside in the woods in my opinion. That said here are some tips I've garnered over 50 years backpacking in Winter and base camping. First I'm sure you know about Nalgene water bottles . They are lighter and much easier to handle in Winter. Put a zippered water bottle insulater by OR around it and your water won't freeze. I hesitate to put a heated bottle in my bag at night as I had a leak one time and it was near catastrophic. If you still want to use metal put duck tape around the circumference .i do that on my liquid fuel bottle as one time i got frostbite when i grabbed the can at minus 30. As far as boots go get some with Thinsulate insulation in them. Hunting boots that are insulated and waterproof are the way to go. I've had Plastic Mountaineering boots for many years. They weigh a ton and are really hard to work with. In the woods its all about the feet . If feet are cold you want to pack it in and go home. I like your fleece mitts that peel back. To go one step warmer mine are down . They are super lightweight, pack small and have a waterproof coating on them. Regarding sleep clothes always pack thin Merino wool top and bottoms used for sleeping only. At the end of day change into those and exclusively use for sleeping. It's critical to be dry . I wear my Torrid Apex insulated pants ,down booties and that's the hot setup there. If bone chilling cold I'll wear my Torrid jacket by EE in my bag. I've found bringing those disposable hand warmers to he very effective to put in your boots in the AM to warm them up. After usage you cut the tops off and sprinkle the contents on the ground so almost zero carry out weight. Hand warmers can be used to warm a hand that has gotten wet too. They work for about 10-12 hours of heat. Can't beat that. Your assessment of Underquilt is spot on. Bring one that's 10 degrees warmer than the expected low. I use my Winter pod over the Hammock and that seems to keep heat in best . As for head gear get yourself a down hood. It's down filled goes down to your shoulders and can be cinched closed around your face. Trust me you will not find a warmer setup than that. Moisture will get on the mouth area but next morning hang it on the line and let the Sun do its job. They can be gotten for about 20 bucks on the A online store. Well so much more to share but that's what you covered. Hope this helps, Teamgreen. ..

@dutch3323

4 ай бұрын

Thanks! And thanks for sharing!

Good info Dutch. Almost everyone will be able to get at least one new trick from this. The winter covers are AWESOME and make a big difference. As you say, venting at your head is really important. Do not get a winter cover that doesn't have venting right near your head... Not a little piece of mesh way at the peak.... Right at your head! Also this allows you to see outside without opening the cover. I had the frozen blocks of boots in the morning many many years ago up in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Now I bring a stuff sack... Put the boots in the stuff sack and down into the foot of the sleeping bag they go. A little clunky now and then, but so nice in the morning. Also, if you carry a nalgene bottle with eggs... That goes in there too. Great tip on the upside down water bottle in the snow.! Guys and girls, you don't need a dedicated tip quilt. A good sleeping bag works just fine. If you have an expensive down sleeping bag, it's absolutely fine to use that as your top quilt. Lastly, I almost always use the A-frame pitch with a rectangular tarp on a ridgeline. Put the tarp OVER the ridgeline so that snow load doesn't rip the tie down tabs off... Also means you can hang stuff from the ridgeline inside... Very useful. The ends of the tarp can be folded back as little triangles to make doors at the ends and completely seal off the tarp. Or if you want more air movement and it's not too cold leave one or both open. See you out there!

@dutch3323

4 ай бұрын

Thanks! And thanks for chiming in! Great tips!

All you winter people keep trying to convince me. You’re winning. NE/ADKS MY WHOLE LIFE. I just hated being cold because unless I was skiing - wrong gear. I’m learning! (Learned the other stuff enough to set a date for the AT - see you in 2028. In my Chameleon!)

@dutch3323

4 ай бұрын

Yes! Good gear gets you out any time of year!

I like to throw a couple Zippo 12 hours hand warmers (the gas ones, not batteries) in my sleeping bag about half an hour before going to bed. In their pouch of course. Works like a charm. Toasty warm all night and they will usually run until 8-9am the next morning. Still using them when having breakfast. Mini furnaces. 👌🏼

5:17 I think that Dutch means that it doesn't go BELOW freezing in deep snow. I believe that it does, but, if your water is, say, 34 degrees F. the snow is such an efficient insulator (because it traps air and limits its circulation so well) that it takes all night for that 34 degree water to drop to 32. Whatever the reason, I had long ago developing the habit of boiling (or, at least heating) water in a stainless steel, single-walled bottle, insulating it in a foam cozy (coozie, for those who don't contemplate the origin of words, using what is familiar), and using it as a hot water bottle to keep me extra warm while sleeping in my preheated, insinuated hammock. The next morning, my water is nice and warm and comes to a quick boil for breakfast. Sleeping with your fuel guarantees a stove that operates almost like it does in the other 3 seasons. Tinker, Appalachian Trail section hiker 1981-2022, Thruhiker, 2023 (halfway, before injury), and enthusiastic winter hammocking hot-tenter.

Very informative video for winter hammock camping! Regarding moisture management, my TQ is not long enough to allow me to pull over my head & venting it to the side loses heat for me. I prefer to use a frost bib made of recycled fleece - lay across my body from chin to chest & it catches the expired breath as it falls from my mouth/nose. Better to wet a piece of fleece than outer layer of your down TQ. Other tips to minimize heat loss: - Nutrition: have your supper meal closer to bedtime than during 3-season camping to "fuel your furnace" & have a snack available if you feel cold or hungry at night (something with fat + protein like nuts or a Snickers bar works for me). - Nature call: when your bladder urge forces you to leave the hammock, you can avoid having to put on outer layers & wander to the privy or tree beyond your hammock. I carry a wide mouth plastic bottle with lid to pee into at night while still sheltered under tarp. Store the bottle on the ground if needed more than once. It can be emptied in a suitable location in the morning...if not frozen! Gents have the anatomical advantage here but ladies can learn to use a funnel-like urinating device such as a disposable coffee cup or non-disposable product like She Wee or Go Girl.

Great video! Winter camping is a special experience that I very much enjoy. My advice would be to consider factors other than just the temperature. Wind, rain, snow, altitude, etc. can make a 30 degree night worse than a 10. Best advice I got from the video is to make sure your choice of equipment builds in a 10 degree safety factor. And don't do it unless you have the right attitude!

Lol ive been a preacher at the church of wearing layers in your sleeping bag for years. Preach brother preach! Ask if they have a moment to talk about our Savior insulation

Yes alone on the trail and even bigger then that NO BUGS

My introvert self regrettably missed out on meeting you at Hangcon 2024, but I’ll definitely have to check you/your products out, Sir Dutch. The details 🤯😎

@dutch3323

4 ай бұрын

Thanks!

I always sleep naked, same concept as glove vs mitten you want your limbs and core together, sharing warmth. if that's not enough then yes you can add your coat, but again be mindful of moisture content if you were sweating on the way to camp or collecting firewood. This winter I tested out using my old 0 degree UGQ under-quilt as a top cover and the results were great, although the temperature here this winter didn't go below 12°f (lowest temp last night!) however only below 20°f have I felt the need to even wear a hat, so that should tell you how successful it is. no condensation issues whatsoever. I also hang my Galaxy tablet from my ridge-line. for this test I found an app that provides battery temperature, and while the tablet screen is on, the battery stays above 32°f below which it will no longer charge to protect the battery. as I type this outside temperature is 20°f, battery temperature is 45°f instead of switching out my bug-net for the top cover I just put the old underquilt over top, with the quilt suspension clipped as normal to keep the quilt stretched out. because it's an under-quilt it's not as long as the hammock so there's some gaps for venting at either end. the only issue I've had is that I have to be careful while zipping the bug-net closed. obviously this is not a setup you want to take backpacking or bike packing but if you're like me with a permanent or semi-permanent campsite, this is definitely the way to go the only thing better would be to have a purpose-made insulated down top-cover. to add to dutch's tips, I often put a water bottle and other things in my underquilt (though keep in mind I use a gear hammock the contents of which helps support the weight of items I put in my under-quilt) to either dry them out or keep them from freezing. I would not put food in there because rodents will chew their way through your quilt to get to it rather than look for a non-destructive route, as evidenced in one Shugs videos where a mouse chewed through a jacket pocket to get to a cereal bar if you do risk it(be absolutely sure there's no danger of bears!), make sure it's scent proof. Your quilts will keep a water bottle warmed with your body from freezing for a full day. once it freezes though it takes a really long time to thaw out, make sure there's no gaps that let the cold air in. in your under-quilt, the water bottles won't be directly touching your body I would not put anything that's saturated in there, but if it's just a little damp from being active, like your hat, gloves, socks, base layer your body heat will help dry it out. you do have to be careful in extreme cold because the moisture will freeze in the outer layers of your quilt, and the freeze will slowly work its way through the entire quilt from the outside in.

As far as wristies go my new Down parka is from Outdoor Vitals which has thumbholes built in. Another tip about gloves is to consider Temress waterproof gloves. They are made for the Japanese fishing industry with fleece lining and gauntlets. 23 bucks on the A online store. They are now my go to for Summiting mointains. I always purchase a wide mouth Gatorade bottle to bring with me. Ill drink contents on the way in to base camp and then use it as a pee bottle for night time duties. Its important to not get put of your bag at night as it increases your exposure. Most dont realize that exposure is cumulative . As you accumulate exposure it wears you down and you begin to make bad decisions. Bad decisions in the bush can spell disaster. Hope this helps.

@dutch3323

5 ай бұрын

great tips!!

As an avid winter camper, absolutely spot on video from Dutch. The only thing I would have added is expanding on the capabilities of the chameleon. I would probably have to travel to Antarctica to find a temp my double layered chameleon with 0 degree zip on UQ / closed cell pad slid in / moonlight / winter tarp / and sock can't handle. Two tree straps up, anaconda bag deploys hammock/quilts. Slide in a pad and I'm set with the fastest set up time.

Snow is a very good at insulation why your bottle doesn't freeze. Doesn't work in very cold temperatures. But its a nice tip.

I love the professional production and the enthusiasm that have been put in to this tutorial. Thank you. One thing I found that is essential to sleeping in cold weather is fresh socks. I always sleep in socks in my hammock, even in the summertime, because I’ve found that you may think you’ve given yourself a professional pedicure, but your toenails may snag the inside of your top quilt In the winter, fresh socks are critical because of the issue of moisture management that you stress in this video. You may think your socks aren’t damp from perspiration throughout the day, but as soon as you settle into that hammock with the socks you’ve worn all day, you’re going to find otherwise. And if you have down booties I think it’s even more important because you don’t want the nastiness of a dirty, sweaty sock rubbing off into those expensive booties. You focused your suggestions on the integrated underquilt but there’s always the option to layer underquilts to add insulation. Something I’ve done is use a folding reflector like you put in your car’s windshield between my hammock and underquilt. It’s best if you try this set up at home first to get the flat reflector conformed to your body shape but can prove valuable to keeping you warm. That’s the couple of things that I have learned over the years. Once again, love the video and thank you to the Dutchware crew for making my hammock camping journey so enjoyable.

@dutch3323

4 ай бұрын

Thanks! Awesome insights!

Wow, that's a cool setup. I have been using an underquilt in my recent videos. Sure helps. Much of my hammock camping is more of the stealth variety, which narrows down selecion - lol. Was really hoping to build a snowfort this year, but the winters aren't what they used to be. Nothing beats a cozy keyhole fire, a hammock and listening to the snow whispering as it tumbles down through the branches and pines, above. Been listening to that and the coyotes on my last couple outings.

@dutch3323

4 ай бұрын

True! Something special about being out in winter snow!

Hello Dutch! Thanks for the great video…good reminders and some great new ideas. Also liked seeing the winter chameleon options. And thanks for coming to HangCon 2024. I enjoyed seeing you and all of your new ideas!! Be well. Be warm.

Great video Dutch, thank you.

Awesome vid

Great wisdom with a smattering of common sense.

@dutch3323

4 ай бұрын

Thanks!

Awesome tips Dutch keep the good advice coming!!!

I like your orange patagucci coat. 😁 I think sleeping naked is dumb because you'll stink up your down quilts faster that way on a multi-day trip. Plus, if i sweat any at night, itll absorb into my baselayers at my crotch or pits. I tend to layer up with a balaclava so my sinuses and throat stay warm overnight and a beanie over that. My arms like to curl around the outside so a jacket and gloves help too...or the down sleeves from Jacks R Better work too. Im surprised no one has made larger single use handwarmers for wrapping around a nalgene all day for a hot drink, or a 12x12 to lay in a grocery bag with damp clothes to dry overnight. Probably a weight or environmental issue though.

Thanks Dutch! I actually got a new trick from this video (the cooker by the tent)! The rest was confirmation I am doing it right and that is always nice to have.

@dutch3323

5 ай бұрын

Excellent!

The BEST advice! Thank you Dutch! ❤️

@dutch3323

4 ай бұрын

Thanks for watching! Love helping people enjoy their adventures!

Winter hammock camping is actually my favorite kind of camping! I've taken my Chameleon out in up to -20f and loved every second of it. You absolutely nailed all the biggest things to know before planning a trip out in the cold in a hammock. Thanks for doing your part to open up this magical time of year for more hammock campers!

@dutch3323

4 ай бұрын

Thanks!!!

I beg to differ with you on sleeping layers. I do sleep on dry pj’s - easier to wash Jammie’s than down gear. But when I wear down jackets and other layers, I give up comfort - because I loose that blanket of warm air that surrounds me. I’m warm, but not comfy, “wrapped in spiritual arms” warm. Of course there’s a difference between 20 degrees and minus 20 degrees. But for my local winter weather, 0 degree gear with silk or smart wool pjs is enough. Everyone’s mileage will vary. And yes, a sleeping cap too (balaclava that will cover my nose if it’s really cold.

@danielkutcher5704

5 ай бұрын

Wearing a balaclava keeps the inside of your hood, down hat, whatever, clean, too. I use an ultralight fleece or sun hoodie as my base layer in winter (sun hoodies are too warm for me in the summer), and I build out from there. Sometimes it's MUCH colder than the forecast predicts. That's when my 6 oz. down pants and 3 oz. booties go on. Ideally, on the coldest night of the trip, I will be wearing all of the insulation that I carried, to keep the weight as low as possible.

Awesome video. I love my winter backpacking/hammock trips. I use my xenon bonded ultralight winter tarp with doors from some guy named Dutch.

And no biting bugs.

When I first started riding motorcycles, we used wrist sweat bands to keep the gap between our gloves and coat sleeves warm. Cheap and easy to come by.

@dutch3323

5 ай бұрын

Good stuff!

Great info, Dutch. I'm using your Banyan Bridge hammock on my 24 thru hike of the AT. Counting on the extra comfort to get me through. Really like your hardware for both the hammock and your tarp. Thanks for the tips.

@dutch3323

4 ай бұрын

Thanks! We love getting people out in comfort!

Great tips here. Down booties haven't done it for me but I have a loose pair of wigwam wool socks that are perfect for me on those really cold nights. I don't have a top cover but I did pick up your sock a few years ago and that has been a very useful tool in my winter camping.

Really excellent vid especially the tip about opening up your boot laces. Happened to me years ago on a camping trip at -20f. Tried to get into my frozen boots. Had to sit on one boot at a time to warm up the leather and laces which was horribly uncomfortable. I use your Dutchware winter tarp and winter sock which are game-changers and very versatile for cold weather hammock camping. Thanks Dutch!

@dutch3323

5 ай бұрын

Some of the best tips and tricks come from experiences like sitting on frozen boots. haha

Excellent advice my friend. I had to cancel a camp this weekend because it was -2F and I am not currently set up for below 20. I missed you at HangCon but maybe I will get to chat with you at another time. Be well. 👍

3:58 Where did you get your wristies?

Great stuff as always!! Looking at side entry, but really curious as to the benefit or necessity of internal pole mod and external pole mod. I assume this video is of all the above?

Where did you get those wristies?

Recommendation on wristies? Overmittens, too?

@dutch3323

3 ай бұрын

Hey, I just emailed you! 😃

What tarp is that?

1st time to cut the tree down 2nd time to move the log 3rd buck the log then 4 from the fire

Really like those zip on underquilts but it looks like you guys have been out of stock for a bit....??

Do you recommend drying your wet clothes by keeping them in the hammock with you overnight? If so, where do you find it is best to place them?

@TennesseeSlim

5 ай бұрын

On your side laid flat

@danielkutcher5704

5 ай бұрын

Super wet clothing should probably be on your ridgeline, not up against you insulation. Keeping it warm might be even more important. You can put it into a plastic bag and take it to bed, if that's the case. When I was thruhiking the Appalachian Trail, I put on damp base layers almost every morning, unless I got into camp early enough to 1) wear it dry, or, 2) line dry it. I carried a second base layer to sleep in, and I would put it on just before bedtime.

The argument fo sleeping in less clothing is to allow for body heat transfer. It's easier to stay warm when you can transfer heat from one part of your body to another.

@TennesseeSlim

5 ай бұрын

It's a dumb argument

@TennesseeSlim

5 ай бұрын

Every layer is another layer of trapped air which means more warmth. Stopping radiant heat loss is the only way to get warmer.

@danielkutcher5704

5 ай бұрын

​@@TennesseeSlim Let's just say that it's an overly simplistic solution to a more complicated problem. If people want to sleep naked, then they have to figure out how to dry their damp daytime clothing and be willing to carry the extra weight of single purpose daytime clothing. Most people don't see negative zero (Fahrenheit) temperatures on a regular, extended trip.

@Mrjrphawk

5 ай бұрын

Layering is somewhat a personal situation. I could not layer as much as Dutch does in this video or I would be sweating which would cause another issue. I must be a warmer sleeper.....

@buaboy

5 ай бұрын

@TennesseeSlim as someone that has circulation issues and winter camps in the White Mountains, I can assure you that I get more warmth from a proper sleeping bag without wearing a bunch of layers. It also takes a lot of energy to warm up multiple cold layers of clothing. This is why most people up here wear mittens instead of gloves while hiking.

Y NOT