I've been planing to hang a hammock under my deck (no trees in the yard, but 6x6 posts should work) to see if I could stand sleeping in one all night. And when I talk about it, people look at me like I am crazy. They always ask, "Why not go out to a campground or something?" Because if I do it at the house and I screw something up, or just really hate it, I can always walk back inside. Heck, I've even camped in my camper in my driveway. It's the best way to make sure I have all the bugs worked out.
Your father in law was very concerned about you pitching a whole camp in the pouring rain… Started questioning my abilites as a wife… 😂😂😂😂😂😂 Great video !
When I started hammock camping about 14 or 15 years ago I started in my backyard and slept out 3 or 4 nights per week including 2 winters to dial in the gear and develop confidence in it. On weekends and monthly scout trips I'd camp just far enough away from my vehicle to make it very inconvenient to get something, but not so far that you couldn't bail out if absolutely needed (1/2 to 3/4 mile is nice).
Picked up my first MSS system somewhere around 2003. I'm next door in Alabama and the only part of that system I have ever used is the Woodland bivy and the Jungle Bag. Like you I do the same thing I use the old school green roll up sleeping pad. The only problem I've ever had with the bivy is you have to make sure you leave it open at times while your sleeping, because it does retain the moisture inside of it. Georgia and Alabama seem to be the same in the winter you get that cold wet rain that just kills you to your bones. In the summertime I use the ranger roll probably more than anything else. Anyway always enjoy the videos keep it up
You definitely know what I’m talking about! Thanks for posting this- glad to read someone else is doing the same thing.. My green sleeping pad got cut down to go in my ultralight kit.. I do like the fact that you can regulate by using the snaps or the zipper with the MMS bivy.. They will hold moisture if you’re not mindful.. Thanks for watching 👊🏻🔥👊🏻
Great video. Far too often people will try to sell the video just for the likes and views but their heart isn’t in the content. I agree that we can simply use our own properties to test new ideas or gear without having to put ourselves in a potentially bad situation all for the sake of content creation. Keep up the awesome work!
I really appreciate you taking that- thank you. My heart is definitely in the content and people like you are why I do what I do. Thanks for the support 👊🏻🔥👊🏻
👊🏼🔥👊🏼 It's definitely better being away from civilization, but backyard camping for an overnight gear test really is the way to go. Good system on that ridge line to. You always answer my questions right when I'm thinking them. I knew you'd know better than fly it in the cold. 🤙🏼
I agree and thanks! I try to explain what I’m doing and why while still presenting options. Glad you approve of the ridgeline and as always- thanks for watching! I’ll get in the deep woods again very soon 👊🏻🔥👊🏻
As always, enjoy your instructions. I agree discipline in your unpacking and packing quickly. You will pay for it if you don't. Miss being out we need to get back at it.
I have used the foam pads, plain blow up mats, and the insulated self inflating pads. The self inflate style is warmer and much more comfortable to me personally. Whether on the ground with a tarp, or a tent. I also use it in my hammock instead of an under quilt, and stay much warmer, in our winter temps down here. I have used it down to6 or 8 farenheit without any problems. And it's going on 18 years for this particular one. No holes or leaks. But always use a ground cloth under it just to be safe, if I'm on the ground.
You did an amazing vid. This gear and setup was approached as you have always done, real world not a gear review. It's one reason I enjoy and learn from your content. Thanks. Take Care and Stay Safe.
Hey J.J.! What a nice video, you showed exactly what it needed to stay dry and healthy with little efforts. Thank you 🙏 so much for taking along, I think I will probably try out this setup with my personal gear. Stay safe and all the best from Austria 🇦🇹🤠👍🔥🏕
Your 10'x10' Tarp , ground sheet and Bivy is much the same as my setup , though I carry a heavier sleeping bag and liner for here in Canada . I like how you pre-rigged your tent stakes with the bungee cords , I think I'll follow suit . Even my ridgeline setup is pretty much the same as yours . Good advice and tips & ticks as always , thanks J.J.
Roger that- I do the same when I go up North.. The principles are always the same and I just add or takeaway wherever I end up going.. Down here it’s about seeing how little you can get away with.. Up there you have to be on point! Glad you saw something that might help you out- thanks for supporting the channel 👊🏻🔥👊🏻
Great video. Testing gear/set ups are well worth the time & effort. I went to the Tuff possum gear sit/kneel pad, but I still kneel on my sleeping pad until I lay it out...lol
in my area, it rarely drops below+20F and almost never does so during the day. In fact, it rarely fails to thaw out during later afternoon So things are often wet in winter, even tho this is a dry area. The debris all rotten by xmas and there's almost no coniferous trees here. Summertime really sucks, even tho mosquitoes are not bad if you avoid damp/grassy areas at night. The heat itself is horrific and the ticks suck ( literally) if you're anywhere but on bare ground. For nearly the entire year, it's warm enough for debris to be full of ticks and spiders. That's why the double layer of bugnet 'suits". Much of this area is open, which is the reason for the two camo nets. I just thought of a way to use these items as insulation , that's all. Neither they nor the tvek will absorb water, so that works out nicely.
That’s my regular coffee. Sometimes I get the Cafe Bustelo. This time I had a Pike’s Place one of my friends gave me.. Gotta say, it was pretty good but too expensive for my tastes 😂
I thought about that too!! Those are great. Also vegetable glycerine is an awesome sweetner. Wont affect glycemic index. Light weight, drop or 2 sweetens without aftertaste & can be used to heal wounds. In fact is found near the band-aids in most grocery stores
Good video. An ammo can or mailbox stove in the enclosed tarp with jack would help dry out your clothing at the beginning of the night, or from first light. Huge fire is a no go if avoiding visitors or detection, or to leave quickly..
Having a stove or improvised stove would be nice.. I usually reserve that kind of thing for up North when I have a sled or other means of transporting it.. The object here is to be light, fast and mobile.. I appreciate the kind words and thanks for watching!
J J, I live in the mid west and on my area it rains a lot so I was interested in doing it in the rain. In fact, I watched you twice. That was a good idea you had about initially putting your tarp high. I have a military foam pad like yours that I like. I need to get the military reflective tarp that you put under you. Anyway, thanks for the info. And, by the way, I’am a tarp and bevy guy.
when you have two membranes, the inner one being at least somewhat 'breathable' (like tyvek) and the outside layer being waterproof, (like plastic) with say, 2" of dry debris between those membranes, your body moisture DOES condense on the inside of the plastic, but the debris absorbs it and the tyvek wont let (much) of the moisture back in where it will soak your clothing. It's pretty rare to be in a place with no debris and it's also really cold. Youd have to be out on the ice pack, which means you need the full sealskin suit that the Innuit used, $3000 or so, That suit is of zero use to you anywhere else and any other time. So everything is a compromise and everything requires thought and judgement as to what will work best.
I thought you had a pretty good night and a smart way to test gear. I liked a lot of ideas you shared and your pack system. This was trimmed down but how would you pack for days?
That pack is set up for 72 hours as far as food goes.. To go longer I would have to ration, resupply, source or get a larger pack to support the caloric need
i can handle 34F, wind and rain with 10 lbs of gear, not counting my cammies and shoes. That includes the two packs 1 lb and 1.5 lb each = , the 1 lb net hammock. 1.5 lbs of extra clothing, the tyvek coveral, the camo nets, 1 lb each, the bugnet suits, 1/4 lb eacj .without any heat source. If you need the UCO, and its beeswax candle, or hot rocks/water bottles, it's best to rig the hammock from a single point of suspension, as a "slingchair", and put the hot stuff between your feet., with your body in a reclining position, like the astronauts use for weeks at a time. Put a pile of brush between your back and the tree trunk. Put your daypack between the brush and your back. Put the buttpack under you in the slingchair. Put your feet and lower legs up on another pile of brush. Hot air rises, so the heat from the UCO, the hot rocks and what's lost from your legs will rise to warm your upper body. Use a discrete Dakota fire pit to warm the rocks/water, and they will warm you for 2-3 hours. Then you'll have to warm them again, for about half an hour. This set up will also dry out about 1/4 of a bushel basket of wet debris, You need about a bushel basket of debris, between the two bugnet "suits' from amazon, worn as longjohns Then you need about much more debris under the wraps of the two Amazon camo nets that you wrap around yourself, outside of your cammies. which should be twisted so that the cut 'leaves" cannot "lay-flat" and then wrap them around you If things are really cold, the net hammock can be wrapped around you, too, with more dry debris between the netting and your other wraps. That takes a lot more debris, of course. Then if things are REALLY bad, you can put about 4 bushels of dry debris between the reflective tyvek bivy and its plastic 'envelope". This last measure tho, is not portable. If you need to move, you'll have to dump this extra debris. If you need to hide it, scatter it around or bury it in snow. Two of my 3 heavy duty drum liners are taped together and used to form the 6 oz "envelope' around the 1.5 lb reflective tyvek bivy (2GoSystems) I also have 4 stakes, cordage, tape, tape release-agent, (tiny, soft plastic bottle) and a 3x4 ft sheet of clear PEVA shower curtain. The PEVA is used with the Siberian fire lay, if it's REALLY cold or if I got wet. and it can be used with the morning sun, if I had to do caisthenics all night to stay warm. By means of the "greenhouse effect" of the reflective bivy, the sun and the PEVA, it'll be 20f degrees warmer by 11 Am than it was at dawn. So i can sleep from then unitl 5-6 pma If hostiles are why you can't have a fire, then you need to be doing your moving at night, and hide during the day. Brisk movement is worth almost 20F degrees. So I'd say that you're carrying at least a pointless 15 lbs that are unnecessary. The bivy and if need be, its envelope can be worn as a poncho. The PEVA and the third drum liner can be wrapped around your legs if you have to walk in wet brush. The netting as longjohns, or the dry debris, wont let your cammies get wet with sweat, if you take it easy.
with enough debris, I can handle sleeping ok at 10F and below that, the US military says that having an open fire is an acceptable risk, as long as you are GONE from that area by dawn.
I certainly appreciate the time it took to make this post. You certainly have a lot of good ideas based on your experience. You obviously have spent a lot of timing honing your skillset and gear. Thanks for watching and posting 👊🏻
I love where I live, but I wish I had your climate. It hits - 40 C here. 27 lbs for a winter kit out would be a God send. 'love the vids, God bless, take care.
My hatred of weight and bulk/burden of course led me to my weapons of choice, too. A shorty, silenced AR in 223, with a 22lr conversion unit, night sights, trigger job, scope OPTION, and a 1-lb pocket 9mm. When the longarms come out, no pistol amounts to a hill of beans, guys. 1.5 lbs is all that I'm willing to accept as pistol, ammo, and spare mag. 6 lbs of rifle, 3/4 lb of silencer, 3/4 lb of .22 unit, 2 lbs of ammo. 1 lb of scope and mount. 60 gr Nosler Partition softpoint 223 ammo, 60 gr Aquila subsonic 22 ammo, 50 gr, 2000 fps, solid copper hp 9mm, from Liberty arms (14 rds of it only) Single stack pocket 9mm. You have to bury more ammo at your BOL, just like a year's supply of food has to be buried there. Remain hidden if shtf, for a year, except for one hour per night, while you access a food bucket and cook a meal.
wet debris can be replaced, or it can be dried out, with hot rocks, a couple of Siberian fire lays ("aimed" at each other) or with just your body heat, and UCO lantern. Little twigs can serve as insulation, if you bust up their ends between two rocks, so that you're not constantly getting poked by those ends. Sometimes, my way of doing things takes effort, but when I CONSTANTLY save the effort of lugging around an extra 15 lbs of gear, I can live with the occasional need for extra effort. If I'm going to lug around an extra 15 lbs, I want it to be carried as fatty food, water, 22lr ammo, big game snares, netting, fish poison, stuff that's doing me some good. (or is likely to do so).
Check out the Snugpak Hammock Cocoon for winter camping in temperate climates. Question: There are often critters who want to share your accommodations overnight. Skunks for example. Do you have recommendations for dealing with them?
One of the worst mistakes the military made was removing the hot chocolate from MREs. We made "combat cappuccino". I was Air Force.. we're a little fancier. You mix the hot chocolate, coffee, creamer and sugar together. It was awesome on cold Korean nights. And, if you were blessed with pound cake, you could just add a little bit of water to the hot chocolate packet and make cake frosting with it.. throw it on the pound cake.. it was freaking heaven! Lol
I live in Wisconsin. Winter camping in my area basically requires a whole drag sled full of gear and a snow shovel. If I were to step outside right now in less than 4 layers of clothing, I'd be dead in about one hour.
It's hard to believe folks dis on the MSS bivy. I even got Jerry Wigatorn from Wiggy's (who is notorious for calling everything but his stuff crap) to say to not bother buying his Gore-Tex bivy if I already had the MSS bivy because it's just as good. If you like the military style roll mats, I strongly recommend the Finnish Defense Forces mat. It's pricey, but has a thick vinyl sheet attached to it and the pad itself is wrapped in a Hypalon-type cover that is sort of tacky so you won't slide off of it. You can still put the pad you have in the bivy for extra insulation and padding.
Do you think The woodland Bivy is Heavier than The Digital Pattern for The MSS? I have Both and the Other Day was getting winter gear around.., I like the Digital ACU pattern in winter, blends better. My woodland Mss Bivy seems Heavier 🤔
I haven’t actually weighed them but I have seen/felt differences in all of them at times.. I think it was who actually had the contract that makes the small differences.. Honestly it’s probably a nominal difference anyway.. I think both work well depending on the environment.. I’ve had this one for so long and it works so well I just haven’t felt the need to replace it.. I have been looking for the NSN for the XL version though and I would take it in any pattern…
If it will work in the woods? It will work in the yard too! Say it backwards, mess up their minds a little lol. When I first started making videos, I did it in my back yard, hardly anyone watched. I did the same exact setup, about 100 yards into the woods. And suddenly it was the greatest setup of all time. If you are trying to share an idea with someone, you need more space for the camera angle ( which you already know ), folks that make their own videos understand this. But I agree with, safty first, see what it will do, and how your body reacts. It's different with everyone. 73, Good bless, and Merry Christmas!!!
when you understand that it's trapped AiR that insulates you, not the wool, goose-down, etc, youu can find ways to lighten the load., by a lot. When the rest of the gear is reduced in bulk and weight, you dont need as big or heavy a pack to carry it all Some or all of the gear can be made to serve as a pack frame, or worn as clothing, depending upon the climactic conditions and what you're doing. Air basically weighs nothing, so what you're looking to do is find ways to trap air, which are as lw and compact as possible, which are multi-purpose. I used the two packs as sleeping pads, ideally when stuffed with dry debris, but they still help when all they contain are my spare T shirt, socks, and boxers. it helps a LOT if you're in coniferous woods, cause the bough ends can always be shaken-free of snow or water and then used as padding/insulation. If your diciduous tree leaves are not rotten or easily broken into dust, they are very useful. Sometimes loose bark, tall dead grass, reeds, etc, are usable, too, even if there's snow on the ground. If you've got big fallen trees, there's often dry debris under or inside of the logs.
The ideal way is to hang it in a garage with a fan or heater.. That being said, I don’t have one so I have a really long clothesline I use after the rain.. Right now I have everything spread out in the house.. Mold can form quickly if you don’t stay on top of it.. One has to stay disciplined
A question By a winter carbreakdown staying/ bivak in my car or outside in my 4season tent or Dutch army hooped bivy + tarp with modular sleep system, sleeppad!? When to stay by my car or hike to the nearest village/town Ofcourse, staying in my car on the highway could be dangerous (some car or truck could ram / hit my car)
Good question.. I would say it’s situational.. I would certainly try to get the vehicle in the safest position possible and utilize the heater until I couldn’t.. Then I would have to make the decision whether to shelter in place or hoof it.. There are many things to consider there like clothing, calories and water availability.. I try to be prepared for each scenario and decision
45 lbs is about all that can be handled and still be able to "run and gun" as vs foot-slog along with your head up your butt. I've done the latter with 90 lbs, too, However, if you have to run thru rough terrain, drop prone, roll over, jump up and run again, you're effed with that much weight on you. If it's shtf, there will be no supply sergeant to re-issue lost gear to you. No medical treatment, no safe place to rest, no motorized transport in and out of the combat-zone, no arty, air cav, etd, to call for help when you've screwed-up, no safe place to leave the other guns/gear.
piles of loose debris, as on a shelter, do very little for you, because they dont trap much dry AIR. The debris gets wet from rain or snow melt or just humid air. Then that debris weighs a TON and might well kill you when it collapses and smothers you. When you have two membranes, between which you can SEAL say, 6" of dry debris, and the inside membrane is "breathable'", you dont need nearly as much debris and the outide membrane, being waterproof, keeps the debris from getting wet. If you have yet a third membrane, preferably breathable or at least, a layer of trapped air between you and the breathable membrane, you'll stay warmer. If you have one breathable membrane and two membranes that are water proof, with dry debris between all 3, the "inside" membrane that is waterproof, will suffer less condensation than the outside membrane, because the inside one wont be exposed to the cold air outside. For condensation to become a real problem (ie, ,dripping on you, pusdling where it wets your gear or clothing) requires a fairly large difference in temperature. The much colder outside air wont hold as much moisture, so that's why droplets of water form on the membrane and might trickle down where they cause problems for you. With the dry debris soaking up this moisture, however, it can be a very long time before this becomes a serious issue.
That one came from the $10 bin at the Military Depot.. I have searched for another but have failed to find it. If you find a source, please let me know.. I love that compression sack- perfect size and works very well 💪🏻
@FueltheFires We both are stuck I'm afraid. I can't fi d one either. Does your phone have that picture search feature? You take a Pic of a item and it tells ya what it is and where to find it? WE need those dang sacs bro. REI and sea to summit have something similar bro.
There is absolutely no way id sleep on a thin pad. Talk about being prepared but can't patch a hole? Sleep is the most important thing. Everything will turn to hell if you can't sleep comfortably. As a soldier that has the ability to sleep in any configuration from standing to rigged to jump. Sleep deprivation is what the military uses to test soldiers. When I see these type of videos i can tell instantly their amount of real world training by their setup.
looks good to about 34F, as long as you dont have wind or rain. and as long as you dont have steep hillsides, thorns, snow, much, rocks, thorns, 27 lbs way too much, tho. for nor more cold than you can handle. Where's all of the weight coming from ? I didn't see the winter bag? are you including water and food, pack, etc in this calculation?
@@FueltheFires I want more coverage on the sides. Especially if the tarp is high and it's raining out. Wind blowing in rain and all. I dunno. We need a comparison video. Get Jason to do it. He ain't doing nothing anyways. 😅
No problem- I have gotten down to freezing. Not going to say I was warm as a fly on fresh poo but it was adequate.. I can go lower with the pad and bivy on the ground and even lower in the hammock with my woobie doubling as an underquilt.. I will do a video on that soon. Thanks for watching 👊🏻🔥👊🏻
Why don’t you just use a small one or two person tent. Seems faster to pitch and pack down. Also, more protection and a lighter base weight. Seems silly to have such a modular system that exposes your gear much more to getting wet.
I prefer hammock camping too. Sometimes when it is raining during my hike I set up my tarp in plow point just to get out of rain for a while. My sit pad is also a torso pad made from car windshield reflective sun shields, out the rain, eat, take a nap, whatever. Got down to 16 degrees once in my hammock and that torso pad helped prevent cold butt syndrome, it is nice addition to 20F underquilt & top quilt.
I love a plow point as well.. I will be doing a video on it soon- it’s what is used exclusively for rescue when working on a patient. I got another video on how I set up my hammock for winter as well with a couple tricks for staying warm.. So much more comfortable imho.. Great tip you posted there on the sun shield 💪🏻
@@FueltheFires I had to CHUCKLE at you when you were waking up. I'm a lot older than U, I know what I feel like after sleepin on the ground. TAKE CARE..
@@FueltheFires I'm 63. I've tried a couple hammocks, but my body bends the wrong way or somethin, I've never had a spendy 1 though. I use a pretty good pad on the ground. The Military pad is definitely better than nothing. TAKE CARE..
I hate every cubic inch and every oz of stuff that I have to carry, If it's shtf, there's another 20 lbs of guns, ammo, armor, night vision, batteries, solar charger, helmet, counterweight, Then there's 6 lbs of water and 1 lb of food per day that you have to carry and you have to replace the water daily, of course. When it's cold, windy, damp, there's very little point in being "out there" without several lbs of food, guys. You wont accomplish much in just one day. and it wont be very much longer than one day when your performance measurably falls off without food This is true both mentally and physically. Yes, you can lay around, doing nothing, for 3 weeks, if it's warm, dry, little wind., but you'll be truly in big trouble in 3 days without food, when you really must perform and the weather is bad.
I've been planing to hang a hammock under my deck (no trees in the yard, but 6x6 posts should work) to see if I could stand sleeping in one all night. And when I talk about it, people look at me like I am crazy. They always ask, "Why not go out to a campground or something?" Because if I do it at the house and I screw something up, or just really hate it, I can always walk back inside. Heck, I've even camped in my camper in my driveway. It's the best way to make sure I have all the bugs worked out.
It’s not crazy whatsoever.. I even have friends that have put hammocks literally in their vans or in their homes.. Couldn’t agree more with you 👊🏻
I've sat up a tent to do camping with my kids right next to the house and learned they don't want to go to sleep at a decent hour in a tent.
Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Performance
Hammocks are amazing to sleep in if you ask me
Your father in law was very concerned about you pitching a whole camp in the pouring rain… Started questioning my abilites as a wife… 😂😂😂😂😂😂 Great video !
Awww hell 😂.. He knows I be knowin’ what I be doin’- and you definitely are a super star wife 🤩
@@FueltheFires😂😂😂😂❤
@@vada27🔥❤️🔥
Maybe he is just upset, because you didn't invite him? I think that makes you a cool wife!
@@GrandFatherOutdoors😂😂😂 I am!!! Lol
When I started hammock camping about 14 or 15 years ago I started in my backyard and slept out 3 or 4 nights per week including 2 winters to dial in the gear and develop confidence in it. On weekends and monthly scout trips I'd camp just far enough away from my vehicle to make it very inconvenient to get something, but not so far that you couldn't bail out if absolutely needed (1/2 to 3/4 mile is nice).
Picked up my first MSS system somewhere around 2003. I'm next door in Alabama and the only part of that system I have ever used is the Woodland bivy and the Jungle Bag. Like you I do the same thing I use the old school green roll up sleeping pad. The only problem I've ever had with the bivy is you have to make sure you leave it open at times while your sleeping, because it does retain the moisture inside of it. Georgia and Alabama seem to be the same in the winter you get that cold wet rain that just kills you to your bones. In the summertime I use the ranger roll probably more than anything else. Anyway always enjoy the videos keep it up
You definitely know what I’m talking about! Thanks for posting this- glad to read someone else is doing the same thing.. My green sleeping pad got cut down to go in my ultralight kit.. I do like the fact that you can regulate by using the snaps or the zipper with the MMS bivy.. They will hold moisture if you’re not mindful.. Thanks for watching 👊🏻🔥👊🏻
Great video. Far too often people will try to sell the video just for the likes and views but their heart isn’t in the content. I agree that we can simply use our own properties to test new ideas or gear without having to put ourselves in a potentially bad situation all for the sake of content creation. Keep up the awesome work!
I really appreciate you taking that- thank you. My heart is definitely in the content and people like you are why I do what I do. Thanks for the support 👊🏻🔥👊🏻
That's a fall camping kit where I live but I do like it
Agreed! The mss bivy is where it is at in the winter. Totally worth the extra bulk and weight.
Agreed.. I’ve been searching for years to replace it but I just can’t find one better.. Those in the know- know 👊🏻
👊🏼🔥👊🏼 It's definitely better being away from civilization, but backyard camping for an overnight gear test really is the way to go. Good system on that ridge line to. You always answer my questions right when I'm thinking them. I knew you'd know better than fly it in the cold. 🤙🏼
I agree and thanks! I try to explain what I’m doing and why while still presenting options. Glad you approve of the ridgeline and as always- thanks for watching! I’ll get in the deep woods again very soon 👊🏻🔥👊🏻
As always, enjoy your instructions. I agree discipline in your unpacking and packing quickly. You will pay for it if you don't. Miss being out we need to get back at it.
Thank you! Some people love me and others hate me 😂 I appreciate the vote of confidence and thanks for watching 👊🏻🔥👊🏻
I use an inflatable pad inside the bivy. Super comfy and warm but I do worry about it failing.
If I were to have one it would definitely have to be on the inside.. I want one bad but I can’t make myself buy one 😂
I have used the foam pads, plain blow up mats, and the insulated self inflating pads. The self inflate style is warmer and much more comfortable to me personally. Whether on the ground with a tarp, or a tent. I also use it in my hammock instead of an under quilt, and stay much warmer, in our winter temps down here. I have used it down to6 or 8 farenheit without any problems. And it's going on 18 years for this particular one. No holes or leaks. But always use a ground cloth under it just to be safe, if I'm on the ground.
@@FueltheFiresJJ. I dont know if I posted this to yours, or Jason's comment. it was meant for both of you.
Jason , I'm not sure where my comment posted but it's for you and JJ.
Wow! What a luxurious setup. Beats the heck out of just a poncho liner. Looks like some great ideas! Thanks.
You did an amazing vid. This gear and setup was approached as you have always done, real world not a gear review. It's one reason I enjoy and learn from your content. Thanks. Take Care and Stay Safe.
Thank you so much! I prefer just sharing gear I actually use.. Authenticity and trust matter to me so thank you 👊🏻🔥👊🏻
Spot on brother! I especially appreciate the full size tarp!
Cool! 😎
Simple but practical solutions thanks for sharing this with us JJ stay safe outdoors God bless you always
It is my pleasure and I appreciate the positive feedback 👊🏻🔥👊🏻
Hey J.J.! What a nice video, you showed exactly what it needed to stay dry and healthy with little efforts. Thank you 🙏 so much for taking along, I think I will probably try out this setup with my personal gear. Stay safe and all the best from Austria 🇦🇹🤠👍🔥🏕
Your 10'x10' Tarp , ground sheet and Bivy is much the same as my setup , though I carry a heavier sleeping bag and liner for here in Canada . I like how you pre-rigged your tent stakes with the bungee cords , I think I'll follow suit . Even my ridgeline setup is pretty much the same as yours . Good advice and tips & ticks as always , thanks J.J.
Roger that- I do the same when I go up North.. The principles are always the same and I just add or takeaway wherever I end up going.. Down here it’s about seeing how little you can get away with.. Up there you have to be on point! Glad you saw something that might help you out- thanks for supporting the channel 👊🏻🔥👊🏻
@@FueltheFiresGood to see a video from you. Nice upper piedmont / foothills yard man! Rob in Loganville / Morganton
@@robertbates6057right on 👋🏻 and thanks for watching!
Great video. Testing gear/set ups are well worth the time & effort. I went to the Tuff possum gear sit/kneel pad, but I still kneel on my sleeping pad until I lay it out...lol
Thanks! Jay and his family make excellent gear and I fully support Tuff Possum 👊🏻🔥👊🏻
in my area, it rarely drops below+20F and almost never does so during the day. In fact, it rarely fails to thaw out during later afternoon So things are often wet in winter, even tho this is a dry area. The debris all rotten by xmas and there's almost no coniferous trees here. Summertime really sucks, even tho mosquitoes are not bad if you avoid damp/grassy areas at night. The heat itself is horrific and the ticks suck ( literally) if you're anywhere but on bare ground. For nearly the entire year, it's warm enough for debris to be full of ticks and spiders. That's why the double layer of bugnet 'suits". Much of this area is open, which is the reason for the two camo nets. I just thought of a way to use these items as insulation , that's all. Neither they nor the tvek will absorb water, so that works out nicely.
Once again great Info. Have you tried the Folger singles coffee. Makes a much better cup of coffee
That’s my regular coffee. Sometimes I get the Cafe Bustelo. This time I had a Pike’s Place one of my friends gave me.. Gotta say, it was pretty good but too expensive for my tastes 😂
I thought about that too!! Those are great. Also vegetable glycerine is an awesome sweetner. Wont affect glycemic index. Light weight, drop or 2 sweetens without aftertaste & can be used to heal wounds. In fact is found near the band-aids in most grocery stores
Thanks this was brilliant, feels like I've learnt 100 things from watching it!
Good video. An ammo can or mailbox stove in the enclosed tarp with jack would help dry out your clothing at the beginning of the night, or from first light. Huge fire is a no go if avoiding visitors or detection, or to leave quickly..
Having a stove or improvised stove would be nice.. I usually reserve that kind of thing for up North when I have a sled or other means of transporting it.. The object here is to be light, fast and mobile.. I appreciate the kind words and thanks for watching!
J J, I live in the mid west and on my area it rains a lot so I was interested in doing it in the rain. In fact, I watched you twice. That was a good idea you had about initially putting your tarp high. I have a military foam pad like yours that I like. I need to get the military reflective tarp that you put under you. Anyway, thanks for the info. And, by the way, I’am a tarp and bevy guy.
when you have two membranes, the inner one being at least somewhat 'breathable' (like tyvek) and the outside layer being waterproof, (like plastic) with say, 2" of dry debris between those membranes, your body moisture DOES condense on the inside of the plastic, but the debris absorbs it and the tyvek wont let (much) of the moisture back in where it will soak your clothing. It's pretty rare to be in a place with no debris and it's also really cold. Youd have to be out on the ice pack, which means you need the full sealskin suit that the Innuit used, $3000 or so, That suit is of zero use to you anywhere else and any other time. So everything is a compromise and everything requires thought and judgement as to what will work best.
I thought you had a pretty good night and a smart way to test gear. I liked a lot of ideas you shared and your pack system. This was trimmed down but how would you pack for days?
That pack is set up for 72 hours as far as food goes.. To go longer I would have to ration, resupply, source or get a larger pack to support the caloric need
i can handle 34F, wind and rain with 10 lbs of gear, not counting my cammies and shoes. That includes the two packs 1 lb and 1.5 lb each = , the 1 lb net hammock. 1.5 lbs of extra clothing, the tyvek coveral, the camo nets, 1 lb each, the bugnet suits, 1/4 lb eacj .without any heat source. If you need the UCO, and its beeswax candle, or hot rocks/water bottles, it's best to rig the hammock from a single point of suspension, as a "slingchair", and put the hot stuff between your feet., with your body in a reclining position, like the astronauts use for weeks at a time. Put a pile of brush between your back and the tree trunk. Put your daypack between the brush and your back. Put the buttpack under you in the slingchair. Put your feet and lower legs up on another pile of brush. Hot air rises, so the heat from the UCO, the hot rocks and what's lost from your legs will rise to warm your upper body.
Use a discrete Dakota fire pit to warm the rocks/water, and they will warm you for 2-3 hours. Then you'll have to warm them again, for about half an hour. This set up will also dry out about 1/4 of a bushel basket of wet debris, You need about a bushel basket of debris, between the two bugnet "suits' from amazon, worn as longjohns Then you need about much more debris under the wraps of the two Amazon camo nets that you wrap around yourself, outside of your cammies. which should be twisted so that the cut 'leaves" cannot "lay-flat" and then wrap them around you If things are really cold, the net hammock can be wrapped around you, too, with more dry debris between the netting and your other wraps. That takes a lot more debris, of course. Then if things are REALLY bad, you can put about 4 bushels of dry debris between the reflective tyvek bivy and its plastic 'envelope". This last measure tho, is not portable. If you need to move, you'll have to dump this extra debris. If you need to hide it, scatter it around or bury it in snow.
Two of my 3 heavy duty drum liners are taped together and used to form the 6 oz "envelope' around the 1.5 lb reflective tyvek bivy (2GoSystems) I also have 4 stakes, cordage, tape, tape release-agent, (tiny, soft plastic bottle) and a 3x4 ft sheet of clear PEVA shower curtain. The PEVA is used with the Siberian fire lay, if it's REALLY cold or if I got wet. and it can be used with the morning sun, if I had to do caisthenics all night to stay warm. By means of the "greenhouse effect" of the reflective bivy, the sun and the PEVA, it'll be 20f degrees warmer by 11 Am than it was at dawn. So i can sleep from then unitl 5-6 pma
If hostiles are why you can't have a fire, then you need to be doing your moving at night, and hide during the day. Brisk movement is worth almost 20F degrees. So I'd say that you're carrying at least a pointless 15 lbs that are unnecessary. The bivy and if need be, its envelope can be worn as a poncho. The PEVA and the third drum liner can be wrapped around your legs if you have to walk in wet brush. The netting as longjohns, or the dry debris, wont let your cammies get wet with sweat, if you take it easy.
with enough debris, I can handle sleeping ok at 10F and below that, the US military says that having an open fire is an acceptable risk, as long as you are GONE from that area by dawn.
I certainly appreciate the time it took to make this post. You certainly have a lot of good ideas based on your experience. You obviously have spent a lot of timing honing your skillset and gear. Thanks for watching and posting 👊🏻
Very Cool ! 🇺🇸From Northern Michigan .
I love where I live, but I wish I had your climate. It hits - 40 C here. 27 lbs for a winter kit out would be a God send. 'love the vids, God bless, take care.
It definitely takes skill to brave those kinds of temps with limited gear.. Ironically, I wish I could live where you do 😂
My hatred of weight and bulk/burden of course led me to my weapons of choice, too. A shorty, silenced AR in 223, with a 22lr conversion unit, night sights, trigger job, scope OPTION, and a 1-lb pocket 9mm. When the longarms come out, no pistol amounts to a hill of beans, guys. 1.5 lbs is all that I'm willing to accept as pistol, ammo, and spare mag. 6 lbs of rifle, 3/4 lb of silencer, 3/4 lb of .22 unit, 2 lbs of ammo. 1 lb of scope and mount. 60 gr Nosler Partition softpoint 223 ammo, 60 gr Aquila subsonic 22 ammo, 50 gr, 2000 fps, solid copper hp 9mm, from Liberty arms (14 rds of it only) Single stack pocket 9mm. You have to bury more ammo at your BOL, just like a year's supply of food has to be buried there. Remain hidden if shtf, for a year, except for one hour per night, while you access a food bucket and cook a meal.
This is a nice presentation on the hows and whys of what you are doing.
wet debris can be replaced, or it can be dried out, with hot rocks, a couple of Siberian fire lays ("aimed" at each other) or with just your body heat, and UCO lantern. Little twigs can serve as insulation, if you bust up their ends between two rocks, so that you're not constantly getting poked by those ends. Sometimes, my way of doing things takes effort, but when I CONSTANTLY save the effort of lugging around an extra 15 lbs of gear, I can live with the occasional need for extra effort. If I'm going to lug around an extra 15 lbs, I want it to be carried as fatty food, water, 22lr ammo, big game snares, netting, fish poison, stuff that's doing me some good. (or is likely to do so).
I dig this video, Hello from chinada, still waiting for a how to/parts list for that survival watch set up.
Cool.. I do have a video on the watch but I won’t be doing a “how to” on it.. It was a one off well over a decade ago
If your hammock is a poncho, it can also be a groundcloth. Or a poncho.
Great video. Thanks for the example.
Appreciate that 👊🏻Thanks for watching 🔥
Check out the Snugpak Hammock Cocoon for winter camping in temperate climates.
Question: There are often critters who want to share your accommodations overnight. Skunks for example. Do you have recommendations for dealing with them?
Nice set-up. Thanks for sharing and giving alternate idea's. 🤘✌
Roger that- thanks for watching! 👊🏻🔥👊🏻
Thanks JJ👊🔥👊
Great video brother. What's up with the 71 super beetle with straight pipes at 6am. No respect. 😂😂
Good Video, Good Advice
Thank you! 👊🏻🔥👊🏻
JJ --> Always making sense
😉👍🏼
Yeah I'm right here on the Alabama Georgia line and we got that same piss rain
You be knowin’.. I’m like make up your mind 😂
I like your set up. You have definitely given me something to to think about.
One of the worst mistakes the military made was removing the hot chocolate from MREs. We made "combat cappuccino". I was Air Force.. we're a little fancier. You mix the hot chocolate, coffee, creamer and sugar together. It was awesome on cold Korean nights. And, if you were blessed with pound cake, you could just add a little bit of water to the hot chocolate packet and make cake frosting with it.. throw it on the pound cake.. it was freaking heaven! Lol
I live in Wisconsin.
Winter camping in my area basically requires a whole drag sled full of gear and a snow shovel. If I were to step outside right now in less than 4 layers of clothing, I'd be dead in about one hour.
😮
It's hard to believe folks dis on the MSS bivy. I even got Jerry Wigatorn from Wiggy's (who is notorious for calling everything but his stuff crap) to say to not bother buying his Gore-Tex bivy if I already had the MSS bivy because it's just as good.
If you like the military style roll mats, I strongly recommend the Finnish Defense Forces mat. It's pricey, but has a thick vinyl sheet attached to it and the pad itself is wrapped in a Hypalon-type cover that is sort of tacky so you won't slide off of it. You can still put the pad you have in the bivy for extra insulation and padding.
Great video, common sense! Thank you.
Definitely honey smack digging it!
👊🔥👊
Great tips JJ as usual.
Thank you! 👊🏻🔥👊🏻
Love your videos.
While that top cover is super nice to have, the MSS is really all you need. But you know that. A big tarp sure makes things nice, though.
good stuff - thanks!
Thank YOU! 👊🏻🔥👊🏻
Good to see you again JJ. Nice video 👍. Keep your powder dry.🇺🇲🌲🔥🔪
Roger Wilco- thanks brother 👊🏻🔥👊🏻
Do you think The woodland Bivy is Heavier than The Digital Pattern for The MSS? I have Both and the Other Day was getting winter gear around.., I like the Digital ACU pattern in winter, blends better. My woodland Mss Bivy seems Heavier 🤔
I haven’t actually weighed them but I have seen/felt differences in all of them at times.. I think it was who actually had the contract that makes the small differences.. Honestly it’s probably a nominal difference anyway.. I think both work well depending on the environment.. I’ve had this one for so long and it works so well I just haven’t felt the need to replace it.. I have been looking for the NSN for the XL version though and I would take it in any pattern…
If it will work in the woods? It will work in the yard too! Say it backwards, mess up their minds a little lol. When I first started making videos, I did it in my back yard, hardly anyone watched. I did the same exact setup, about 100 yards into the woods. And suddenly it was the greatest setup of all time. If you are trying to share an idea with someone, you need more space for the camera angle ( which you already know ), folks that make their own videos understand this. But I agree with, safty first, see what it will do, and how your body reacts. It's different with everyone. 73, Good bless, and Merry Christmas!!!
when you understand that it's trapped AiR that insulates you, not the wool, goose-down, etc, youu can find ways to lighten the load., by a lot. When the rest of the gear is reduced in bulk and weight, you dont need as big or heavy a pack to carry it all Some or all of the gear can be made to serve as a pack frame, or worn as clothing, depending upon the climactic conditions and what you're doing. Air basically weighs nothing, so what you're looking to do is find ways to trap air, which are as lw and compact as possible, which are multi-purpose. I used the two packs as sleeping pads, ideally when stuffed with dry debris, but they still help when all they contain are my spare T shirt, socks, and boxers. it helps a LOT if you're in coniferous woods, cause the bough ends can always be shaken-free of snow or water and then used as padding/insulation. If your diciduous tree leaves are not rotten or easily broken into dust, they are very useful. Sometimes loose bark, tall dead grass, reeds, etc, are usable, too, even if there's snow on the ground. If you've got big fallen trees, there's often dry debris under or inside of the logs.
THANKS
How do you dry out your tarps in your humid environment? Do you get mold/mildew issues?
The ideal way is to hang it in a garage with a fan or heater.. That being said, I don’t have one so I have a really long clothesline I use after the rain.. Right now I have everything spread out in the house.. Mold can form quickly if you don’t stay on top of it.. One has to stay disciplined
Very good video thank you.
Thank you and you’re very welcome 👊🏻🔥👊🏻
A question
By a winter carbreakdown staying/ bivak in my car or outside in my 4season tent or Dutch army hooped bivy + tarp with modular sleep system, sleeppad!?
When to stay by my car or hike to the nearest village/town
Ofcourse, staying in my car on the highway could be dangerous (some car or truck could ram / hit my car)
Good question.. I would say it’s situational.. I would certainly try to get the vehicle in the safest position possible and utilize the heater until I couldn’t.. Then I would have to make the decision whether to shelter in place or hoof it.. There are many things to consider there like clothing, calories and water availability.. I try to be prepared for each scenario and decision
What an adventure.
45 lbs is about all that can be handled and still be able to "run and gun" as vs foot-slog along with your head up your butt. I've done the latter with 90 lbs, too, However, if you have to run thru rough terrain, drop prone, roll over, jump up and run again, you're effed with that much weight on you. If it's shtf, there will be no supply sergeant to re-issue lost gear to you. No medical treatment, no safe place to rest, no motorized transport in and out of the combat-zone, no arty, air cav, etd, to call for help when you've screwed-up, no safe place to leave the other guns/gear.
Two on the bottom is worth one in the bush?
I can’t remember the saying to save my life 😂
piles of loose debris, as on a shelter, do very little for you, because they dont trap much dry AIR. The debris gets wet from rain or snow melt or just humid air. Then that debris weighs a TON and might well kill you when it collapses and smothers you. When you have two membranes, between which you can SEAL say, 6" of dry debris, and the inside membrane is "breathable'", you dont need nearly as much debris and the outide membrane, being waterproof, keeps the debris from getting wet. If you have yet a third membrane, preferably breathable or at least, a layer of trapped air between you and the breathable membrane, you'll stay warmer. If you have one breathable membrane and two membranes that are water proof, with dry debris between all 3, the "inside" membrane that is waterproof, will suffer less condensation than the outside membrane, because the inside one wont be exposed to the cold air outside. For condensation to become a real problem (ie, ,dripping on you, pusdling where it wets your gear or clothing) requires a fairly large difference in temperature. The much colder outside air wont hold as much moisture, so that's why droplets of water form on the membrane and might trickle down where they cause problems for you. With the dry debris soaking up this moisture, however, it can be a very long time before this becomes a serious issue.
Thanks for Sharing
Thanks for watching! 👊🏻
Hey that bag you got your thermals in, where did you get it?
I need a couple of those.
That one came from the $10 bin at the Military Depot.. I have searched for another but have failed to find it. If you find a source, please let me know.. I love that compression sack- perfect size and works very well 💪🏻
@FueltheFires
We both are stuck I'm afraid. I can't fi d one either.
Does your phone have that picture search feature? You take a Pic of a item and it tells ya what it is and where to find it? WE need those dang sacs bro.
REI and sea to summit have something similar bro.
There is absolutely no way id sleep on a thin pad. Talk about being prepared but can't patch a hole?
Sleep is the most important thing. Everything will turn to hell if you can't sleep comfortably.
As a soldier that has the ability to sleep in any configuration from standing to rigged to jump. Sleep deprivation is what the military uses to test soldiers.
When I see these type of videos i can tell instantly their amount of real world training by their setup.
looks good to about 34F, as long as you dont have wind or rain. and as long as you dont have steep hillsides, thorns, snow, much, rocks, thorns, 27 lbs way too much, tho. for nor more cold than you can handle. Where's all of the weight coming from ? I didn't see the winter bag? are you including water and food, pack, etc in this calculation?
I would like to know if sleeping in fortress clothing would be comfortable all night long in freezing temperatures.
For IR purposes, seems you want the reflective tarp on top of your sleeping situation?
What water proof case is that? What your thermals are in
Why in the triangle position? So limited in valuable space.
It provides more overhead cover if you fly it in a diamond.. If you run it square you get more cover from the sides..
@@FueltheFires
I want more coverage on the sides. Especially if the tarp is high and it's raining out. Wind blowing in rain and all. I dunno. We need a comparison video. Get Jason to do it. He ain't doing nothing anyways. 😅
@@yakfishin4912that’s why I brought it down on the square in the video when I went to sleep.. I would love to see what Jason’s response would be 😂
@FueltheFires
Jason is a riot. I can't imagine
The results of a camp fire, some beers,
Quality camp food and Jason at the helm. He's a mess I bet. 😆
Do you have a list of all the items you use?
where's the winter? 🙂
in perry ga its bin in the mid 20s 30s at night
Hi there what temp would you be prepared to take the jungle bag + warm layers down to, I state you not anyone else thx
No problem- I have gotten down to freezing. Not going to say I was warm as a fly on fresh poo but it was adequate.. I can go lower with the pad and bivy on the ground and even lower in the hammock with my woobie doubling as an underquilt.. I will do a video on that soon. Thanks for watching 👊🏻🔥👊🏻
Why don’t you just use a small one or two person tent. Seems faster to pitch and pack down. Also, more protection and a lighter base weight. Seems silly to have such a modular system that exposes your gear much more to getting wet.
I prefer hammock camping too. Sometimes when it is raining during my hike I set up my tarp in plow point just to get out of rain for a while. My sit pad is also a torso pad made from car windshield reflective sun shields,
out the rain, eat, take a nap, whatever. Got down to 16 degrees once in my hammock and that torso pad helped prevent cold butt syndrome, it is nice addition to 20F underquilt & top quilt.
I love a plow point as well.. I will be doing a video on it soon- it’s what is used exclusively for rescue when working on a patient. I got another video on how I set up my hammock for winter as well with a couple tricks for staying warm.. So much more comfortable imho.. Great tip you posted there on the sun shield 💪🏻
Great idea car windshields sun deflectors😊
What tarp is that?
blowup pads why i dont have is the cost
Is that a spearside Ford back there?
It sure is!
GOOD MORNING ! L O L TAKE CARE..
Good evening! Lol… You have a good day and stay safe 👋🏻
@@FueltheFires I had to CHUCKLE at you when you were waking up. I'm a lot older than U, I know what I feel like after sleepin on the ground. TAKE CARE..
@@brushbum7508at 50 I’m starting to feel it when I’m on the ground.. The hammock is wayyyy better 😂
@@FueltheFires I'm 63. I've tried a couple hammocks, but my body bends the wrong way or somethin, I've never had a spendy 1 though. I use a pretty good pad on the ground. The Military pad is definitely better than nothing. TAKE CARE..
@@brushbum7508my Dutchware 11’ hammock changed my life- it’s better than sleeping in my bed at home… They are worth every penny 👍🏻
Ok
I hate every cubic inch and every oz of stuff that I have to carry, If it's shtf, there's another 20 lbs of guns, ammo, armor, night vision, batteries, solar charger, helmet, counterweight, Then there's 6 lbs of water and 1 lb of food per day that you have to carry and you have to replace the water daily, of course. When it's cold, windy, damp, there's very little point in being "out there" without several lbs of food, guys. You wont accomplish much in just one day. and it wont be very much longer than one day when your performance measurably falls off without food This is true both mentally and physically. Yes, you can lay around, doing nothing, for 3 weeks, if it's warm, dry, little wind., but you'll be truly in big trouble in 3 days without food, when you really must perform and the weather is bad.
Freeze dry fruit,
@@vickigonya9432 depends if it's cold, you want fatty foods. Like pemmican, gorp, coconut milk, not butters
?? Miniature Poodle ??
Wiener dog 😂
@ lol. Cool
Won't you save this old pick up just behind you???
She runs like a top 👍🏻
@@FueltheFires Nice to know, because i have though than it was abandonned.
@@RatsAndFunTVmy son rebuilt that one for his Grandfather.. I’ve also got a 1970 Ford Flatbed here at the house as well.. We love our old vehicles 🔥
@@FueltheFires Ho yes i see than you are on the good side , the keepers. 👍👍
LOL... winter? -40F is what you need to prepare for.
Been there done that.. This is for the SouthEastern portion of the States
If you're going to carry 27lbs why not carry F I R E?????
Why the tats on your fingers?