Sleeping outside in winter is far more challenging than during the warmth of summer but the reward is well worth a little effort. Having made every possible mistake including developing hypothermia I’m slowly becoming fairly adept at it.

While camping out under a Tarpaulin is never going to be as sheltered as a tent the appeal of a hammock is one of being literally immersed in the nature experience.

The trick of being comfortable is protecting yourself from the cold both below and above. I use ‘Underblankets’ which are similar to sleeping bags, the difference being they are slung underneath the hammock to create a warm layer of insulation. Underblankets can be somewhat fiddly to get right as I found out the hard way one minus 7º February night so I often use the same backpacking mattress that goes in my tent, the only modification being the addition of a foam pad to insulate the area around my shoulders.

The Taste of Spring Equinox

the technicolour dream tent

The crunchiest walk in Dorset