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I prefer winter and shoulder season camping. I love the cold, hate the crowds, and enjoy snow. I always use a hammock. Depending on temperature, I use either a 0 or 20 degree top and under quilt. I use a cuben fiber tarp, but silnylon works just as well. Effectively, this reduces my winter shelter and sleeping kit from:
tent: Zpacks Duplex: 21oz
stakes: 4oz
quilt: 19.35oz
pad: 27oz
4.45lbs
to:
hammock w/ suspension: 12.5oz
tarp: 9.7oz
top quilt: 19.35oz
under quilt: 23
4lbs
Plus, I find hammocks much more comfortable to sleep in. So they're cheaper, lighter, easier to use because you don't have to worry about finding flat ground and condensation is never an issue because it has the best ventilation and it's off the ground. I only ever use my tent setup when a woman is involved or if I'm sleeping above treeline.
The #1 tip I could teach anyone about winter camping is the old boil-water-and-put-it-in-a-Nalgene trick. I camped in a blizzard in RMNP that maxed out my thermometer at -36 last year with a 0 degree bag and fleece liner and that water bottle stayed hot for a solid six hours and kept me alive. On a normal night, it will last 8-10
