no hammock. no tent. thoughts?

[flemdawg1]

If you prepare and set up your hammock properly you can use it in lower temps or just use your pad and rainfly to sleep on the ground if you want to, you can always hang if you wanted to...Using the pad in your hammock keeps alot cold off your back but not all. Most people will recommend getting underquilts but those can run 145-250 dollars. I managed to make one for alot cheaper than that with old gear. Check out HammockForums.com they got a ton of good info for making your own quilts.

I am testing my system out this week and its around 25 degrees tonight.

+1 take the hammock, go to ground when necassary. Used a BA 15 deg bag and self-inflating pad down to mid-20s successfully in my hammock afew months ago.

[Portie]

I prefer a tarp for 3-season camping (Fall-Winter-Spring), and I have tarp camped in -20F weather in Northern Wisconsin and Minnesota and enjoyed myself (I had a -20 sleeping bag, and a closed-foam pad, and a space blanket ground sheet).

[QiWiz]

If I start with a hammock, I'll be cold. If I decide to buy a tarp tent, it means buying TWO shelters for one hike since I want to hang as much as possible and need a hammock as well.

How about this:

I buy a hex rain fly for my hammock. I buy my hammock. Then I get my hammock mailed to me at some point after Roan Mountain TN and up until that point, use the hex as a shelter with just a Tyvek ground cloth, pad, and bag.

My assumption is that it will be too cold for bugs until then.

Tell me I've figured out something that will work?

You have figured out something that will work. Just make sure the fly is generously sized so that it provides adequate coverage for ground-sleeping.
As a testimonial, I have used a ZPacks cuben hammock tarp (have the version with "doors") to shelter two people sleeping on the ground.

[Coosa]

Watch Shug's videos .... you CAN camp in freezing weather with a Hammock.

https://www.youtube.com/user/shugemery

[Meriadoc]

If I start with a hammock, I'll be cold. If I decide to buy a tarp tent, it means buying TWO shelters for one hike since I want to hang as much as possible and need a hammock as well.

How about this:

I buy a hex rain fly for my hammock. I buy my hammock. Then I get my hammock mailed to me at some point after Roan Mountain TN and up until that point, use the hex as a shelter with just a Tyvek ground cloth, pad, and bag.

My assumption is that it will be too cold for bugs until then.

Tell me I've figured out something that will work?

That will work just fine. I used my OES hex tarp (MacCat Deluxe) to go to ground for a big section of my thru. To keep it easy I still strung it between two trees but low to the ground to provide shelter. Using trekking poles works too. Site selection is more important than with a fully enclosed tent.

[goheelz]

you can supplement your pad with refectix (metalized bubblewrap insulation) available at the big box home stores. It's pretty light weight. you can lay it under your shoulders for a boost or run it the length of the hammock. It helps to have a double layer hammock to hold the pad securely.

[DavidDillow]

Spoken like a true Ray Jardine follower. BTW...I'm one too!

[Tinker]

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Last weekend in Maryland. Of course it was only about 29 degrees, so I didn't carry my 1# full zip summer sleeping bag which I usually carry on winter trips. To see what my hammock looks like with my sleeping bag around it, look at my avatar to the left. In temperatures down to the teens I use the summer bag inside the outer bag, as a top blanket, and usually heat up my stainless water bottle by the fire and put it in an insulated hip belt water bottle holder when I take it to bed so I don't get burned by the bottle, which is probably around 190 degrees when I hit the sack. In a 10x12 tarp with the ends closed I have slept comfortably (with a light hooded down jacket and down booties) to +5 degrees on a windy night.