custom light alpine tents for big guys?

[david backes]

I need help!Looking for a custom (or stock)mountaineering tent which has these features- under 6 lbs,single wall,waterproof,as breathable as possible,has a footprint something like 96″/60″ preferably geodesik shape.I am 6’7″ tall and there is nothing out there that I know of that doesnt weigh 9+ lbs. I like the ID eVent tents but those are too small and are’nt available in that fabric anyway. I looked at the Stephenson Warmlites but decided no.I wish Hilleberg made their Saivo in a lighter fabric.In my search I ran across a pretty cool hard core climbing tool,ledge tent, bivvy manufacturer out of Washington state by the name of C&S Engineering that looked promising but their site looks out of date and my E mails have gone unanswered. Now that eVent is unavailable for tents, I am wondering about the Entrant fabrics. Is it available here in the US in small quantities? What about Paramo? I’m tempted to start producing my own big guy tents along with other outdoor gear. I can’t even find a stinkin’ soft shell that fits! No I’m not fat(not that there’s any thing wrong with that)-I have a 50″ chest and 36″ waist. I guess there aren’t any climbers out there over 6’3″.

[kevin davidson]

Well– you can at least get a soft shell that will fit you. beyondfleece.com They make custom sized
soft shell clothing of wonderful design and quality.

[david backes]

Thanks for that referral .I’ll check it out.

[E. H. Clemmons]

Have you called Integral Designs? Very cool stuff. And they make a lot of things both custom and for military/law enforcement. You might try sleeping diagonally in an existing MK1 XL or MK3. Or in a Bibler Ahwahnee or Lighthouse. All lighter than 6 pounds.

Another idea would be to contact Hennessy Hammocks. I bet their larger models would work for you. If you can sleep in a reclining chair, you can sleep in a hammock. Works best with trees. I love mine.

[Melissa Banner]

Hi David,

Have you looked at the brand new Sarvis by Big Agnes that is due out in May? This might be the tent for you. It is made with eVENT fabric, the solo version has a footprint of 90″x43″ so it should have plenty of room for your large frame, and it only weighs 2 pounds 10 ounces.

It is a really cool mix of single wall in the back, and double wall in the front with a vestibule. The only place I know of that you can see one now is at modernmountainman.com.

Here is a picture of it:
http://www.modernmountainman.com/images/sarvisSL1e_fly.jpg

Let me know what you think.

P.S. I think it will be a lot less expensive than an Integral design, or Bibler tent, though both of those are great tent manufacturers too.

[blah blah]

Maybe you should reconsider the Stephenson’s. I’m 6’5″ and have a Stephenson 3R tent and love it. Weighs in at 4lbs for more than 50 sq ft of palacial room. There isn’t a more versatile tent with the side windows and midpole option.

I guess if you have to have breathable material its out but you should take a second look. Condensation complaints about the tent are way overblown. Less so in the 3R I think than the 2R due to greater size. And I’ve never had a problem finding a place to pitch it

[david backes]

Thanks Guys & Gal, My first inclination was towards the 3R & I think I will take a hard second look. My main problem with it was the floored vestibules. I know all about mud on a tent floor. Also it has a huge (long) footprint for some mountain campsites. I like the MH EV2 but it has no vestibule at all. I’m still curious about the Entrant DT/XT fabric and If any tent manufacturers are considering it in light of the eVent supposed problem. It sounds like the next-best-thing. I also ran across mention of a CO2 gas permeable Goretex fabric but there’s very little news on it so far.

[Anonymous]

check out http://www.whycarrymore.com you will fit in this tent and you will be able to situp in it. and it is 8′-0″ long all useable.

[Author]

Posts