Winter Hammock Camping – Amok Draumr XL – Snow on Unknown Pond

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3 Days of Winter Hammock Camping, Backpacking, & Snow Hiking in New Hampshire’s White Mountains using the Amok Draumr XL Hammock.

For this 3 day, 2 night spring snow camping trip, I’ll be hiking a section of trail in northern New Hampshire to setup a winter base camp in the remote Mt Cabot & Unknown Pond region of the White Mountain National Forest.

For sleep and shelter I packed in my Amok Draumr XL hammock, paired with the Amok Borg tarp and Amok Fjol XL sleeping pad.  I had never used the Amok hammock on a winter trip before, so I figured this would be a good opportunity to test it, as the forecast called for a decent amount of snow and temperatures a little bit below it’s recommended temperature range of 20°F.  More details on my winter backpacking gear can be found at the end of this post.

Unknown Pond Route Overview – Sintax77

No permit is required to camp in the White Mountains NF, but there are rules and regulations regarding backcountry camping. You can find more information on the USFS White Mountains website here.

Full GPS track data, including campsites, water sources, etc, for this trip and many others can be downloaded on my Trip Data Page.

Trailhead Used: Berlin Fish Hatchery, 44°30’07.9″N 71°19’52.4″W
Milan, NH 03588

There is room for a few cars just outside of the gate to the Berlin Fish Hatchery, which is locked daily from 4PM to 8AM. The Mill Brook trailhead is located down the road about a half mile and has additional parking if you expect to be out by 4PM. Trail begins behind the fish hatchery. No parking fee or permit required.

Trails Used, Day 1

  • Begin at the Berlin Fish Hatchery Parking Lot
  • Mill Brook Trail
  • Setup Camp along Mill Brook Trail
    • I simply chose a random spot on the ridge with some decent trees for my hammock.  Camping is permitted in this area so long as you’re 200 feet from the trail or the brook.

Day 1 Mileage: 3 miles
Day 1 Gross Elevation Gain: 725 feet

Unknown Pond Day 1 Elevation Profile – Sintax77

Trails Used, Day 2

  • Continue Mill Brook Trail.
  • South on Kilkenny Ridge Trail
  • Snack Break at Kilback Pond.
  • Continue on Kilkenny Trail.
  • Visit Unknown Pond
  • Hike out the same way.
  • Return to base camp on Mill Brook Trail.

Day 2 Mileage: 9 miles (round trip)
Day 2 Gross Elevation Gain: 1,796 feet

Unknown Pond Day 2 Elevation Profile – Sintax77

Trails Used, Day 3

  • Hike back out on Mill Brook Trail
  • Return to the parking lot.

Day 3 Mileage: 3 miles
Day 3 Gross Elevation Gain: 17 feet

Unknown Pond Day 3 Elevation Profile – Sintax77

Grand Total Mileage: 15 Miles
Grand Total Gross Elevation Gain: 2,538 feet

Notable Backpacking Gear

Disclosure: A commission may be earned on some of the links on this post.