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Looking for a 2-person shelter for the CDT


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  • #1288089
    Scott S
    Member

    @sschloss1

    Locale: New England

    My girlfriend and I are planning a CDT thru-hike for next year, and we’re looking for a shelter. Specifically, I want:

    – a tarp with a separate bug net
    – 360° protection; something that can be pitched to near the ground (so no A-frame type tarps)
    – ability to withstand strong winds
    – around 2 lbs. or less for the complete tarp and inner net

    Some tarps I’ve considered but have doubts about:

    SMD Haven: I like the design, but I’m not sure if it would be stormworthy
    MLD Speedmid or Supermid: meets my criteria but the footprint is huge
    Bearpaw La Garita 2: with that flat front, it doesn’t look very stormworthy
    MLD Trailstar: cat-cut panels might make it hard to pitch to the ground
    MLD Duomid: too small for 2 people?

    I think the ideal tarp might be a 2-person GG Spinnshelter or a lighter version of the old Golite Shangri-La 2 canopy. Of course, neither of those are being made now! Maybe I’ll get in touch with John at Bearpaw to see if they might make one for me.

    Any thoughts? Are there tarps I haven’t considered?

    #1861586
    Chris S
    BPL Member

    @bigsea

    Locale: Truckee, CA

    I've never seen one in person, so take this with a grain of salt, but the YAMA Terraform 2P seems pretty similar to the 2P Spinnshelter you mentioned.

    #1861595
    Scott S
    Member

    @sschloss1

    Locale: New England

    I saw that one–and it might be what I'm looking for–but I don't think that they're making it anymore. There's a message on the front page that they've shifted to DIY support instead of making equipment.

    #1861612
    Ben Wortman
    BPL Member

    @bwortman

    Locale: Nebraska

    Golite Shangri la 2 would be super storm worthy.

    #1861615
    David Ure
    Member

    @familyguy

    +2 on the Golite.

    #1861629
    Steven McAllister
    BPL Member

    @brooklynkayak

    Locale: Arizona, US

    Our two person shelter is the SMD Haven. Preferred because it is roomy and has two entrances. The two entrances makes it so you don't have to crawl over your partner when you get in and out. That is the main reason it is preferred by us. It is also quite light for a double walled two person tent.

    We have used and liked the TarpTent Rainshadow and the Golite Shangrila-2.

    If I was going to be sitting out strong winds on exposed plains without any wind break, the Shangrila-2 would be my choice, but is much heavier with the bug inner.

    The Haven does OK in extreme conditions if you run extra lines and if you can deal with some splash. It is roomier and much lighter than the Shangrila-2.

    Most on this list agree that the Trailstar and Mids are popular storm worthy designs.

    You may or may not want to think about some form of bug protection in the form of a bug bivy or mesh inner with the Trailstar or mids.

    #1861709
    George Geist
    BPL Member

    @geist

    Locale: Smoky Mountains

    A couple comments to add to Steve's on the SMD Haven.
    The 2011 redesign eliminated the splash issue in the earlier model.
    There are also extra guy-outs on the 2011 model.
    As a test of the 2011 Haven's storm-worthiness, I set mine up
    in a field when the tornadoes came roaring across Tennessee
    last month. No tornadoes came through my area, but the
    Haven was subjected to 55 mph straight-line wind and large hail.
    I had it drum-tight and it did not flap or budge.
    I had it staked down with six groundhogs and I used
    a setup trick I figured out where I run the side guylines
    out the vents rather than under the vestibule.
    This allows a much wider stance for the tarp's side stakes
    which improves the Haven's stability in high wind.

    Here is a picture of the setup trick if folks are interested
    in trying it:

    SMD Haven with guylines run out the vents

    #1861831
    Scott S
    Member

    @sschloss1

    Locale: New England

    Thanks for the tips, folks. Any more?

    Also, George, what's the advantage of running the guylines out the vent instead of under the vestibule on the Haven?

    #1862288
    George Geist
    BPL Member

    @geist

    Locale: Smoky Mountains

    >George, what's the advantage of running the guylines out the vent instead of under the vestibule on the Haven?

    Hi Scott,

    While the Haven works fine with the guylines under the vestibule,
    and I like the compact structure of the Haven not having guylines to trip over,
    I have found three advantages of running the guylines out the vents.

    1. wider stance on the side stakes increases tent stability in storms.
    I measured and I typically get an extra two feet wider stake
    placement running out the vents vs under the vestibule. And
    by using longer guylines than the ones that come with the Haven
    you can get as wide a stance as you want when the guylines are outside.

    2. more stake placement options. If there is an underground rock
    right under the stake or like last week when I wanted to move the
    stake over a foot to get into firmer ground, having the line
    outside the vestibule makes this easy without affecting the shape
    of the tarp.

    3. less interference with the vestibule zipper. When underneath,
    the line runs right under the vestibule zipper. Thus when I
    zipped the vestibule closed I needed to push the guyline back to
    keep it out of the way of the zipper. With the line outside
    there is no interference.

    Kudos to Ron for designing the Haven so that it gives us
    several guyout options.

    Al

    #1862328
    Scott S
    Member

    @sschloss1

    Locale: New England

    Thanks, George. Great info.

    #1862440
    Steven McAllister
    BPL Member

    @brooklynkayak

    Locale: Arizona, US

    The older model Haven with extra ties to weather a strong wind storm that was heading our way:

    Haven Side View

    #1862554
    Brian Lewis
    Member

    @brianle

    Locale: Pacific NW

    "If I was going to be sitting out strong winds on exposed plains without any wind break, …"

    I bought a new tent for the CDT, driven initially by the same concern, but ultimately I compromised to find an overall good tent to sleep in in general, and went with a Lightheart Solo. I forget who it was on BPL who said at some point that any lightweight 3-season tent is going to handle wind only to some degree, i.e., if you're really really concerned about wind, get a four season tent and eat the weight penalty, else recognize that you have to take more care with any 3-season tent.

    In any event, I'm glad I went with the Lightheart Solo, and in fact, you might consider their Duo model. It certainly is windy on the CDT (!), but in fact it was quite rare that it was really, just fiercely windy where I was actually sleeping. You're doing a lot of miles, you can generally find somewhere to sleep where it's not howling, big-bad-wolf huffing and puffing and blowing you down type of wind.

    So bottom line is I would pick a light 3-season tent that handles wind above-average for a 3-season tent, but make sure that you get something you're comfortable spending time in in general too.

    And I would make sure that your tent is really well seam sealed. Some pretty intense rain there at times, and I found that I had a small seam sealing gap that only showed up under intense rain.

    Best of luck! It's a hell of a trail. You going NOBO or SOBO? Keeping a journal?

    #1862759
    Scott S
    Member

    @sschloss1

    Locale: New England

    Thanks for the tips, Brian. All good points. Yeah, odds are I'll go with the Haven or something else that's not really 4-season because I want to keep my base weight under 12 lbs. I like the design of the Lightheart tents, but I want a separate tarp/bug net so I can save weight outside of bug season.

    We haven't decided yet on NOBO or SOBO. I'll have a journal of some sort, but not til much closer to the hike (in 2013). I'm sure I'll post a full gear list before then. Can't wait to get out there.

    #1862867
    Joe Clement
    BPL Member

    @skinewmexico

    Locale: Southwest

    Why not a Shangri-la 3? Most 2 man tents aren't really for 2. Unless one is a GF.

    #1862869
    drowning in spam
    Member

    @leaftye

    Locale: SoCal

    I like Joe's recommendation, especially since there's one with the inner tent going for $200 or less in the Gear Swap right now.

    #1862871
    drowning in spam
    Member

    @leaftye

    Locale: SoCal

    In addition to the reasons George gave for having the guyline further from the tent, it also makes it easier and safer to stack rocks on your stakes.

    #1862946
    Scott S
    Member

    @sschloss1

    Locale: New England

    I doubt we'd need anything bigger than the SL2 or Haven. My girlfriend is pretty small, and I don't need a lot of space (I'm a bivy user when I hike solo).

    #1863199
    Steven McAllister
    BPL Member

    @brooklynkayak

    Locale: Arizona, US

    By the way, I would definitely consider the Shangrila-2 a 4 season shelter.
    I just can't justify the weight when combined with the bug-net inner for 3-season use.

    The Haven with the bug-net inner is significantly lighter, and a little roomier.

    My wife and I have put almost 100 nights in our Haven and love the dual entrance and the fact that we can both sit up without bumping into the wet walls in the AM.

    Now if it was me, we'd be under a tarp, with bug bivys when needed, for the flexibility and roominess, but I can't convince the wife, so I only tarp camp when I'm solo.

    #1863542
    Scott S
    Member

    @sschloss1

    Locale: New England

    I agree about the weight of the inner on the SL2. If I did go with that one (which I probably won't), I'd either get a custom inner made or see if I could jury rig a light inner made for another tarp, like the one from Hypermountain Gear. That would keep the total weight for tarp + net to somewhere around 36 oz. versus 32 oz. or so for the Haven + net (8 oz. lighter for the cuben Haven).

    #1863551
    David Ure
    Member

    @familyguy

    The inner on the SL2 is a pound. That is not bad given the floor construction.

    #1863565
    Michael Schwartz
    BPL Member

    @greenwalk

    Locale: PA & Ireland

    Several good options already mentioned. I'd take a look at an MLD Trailstar combined with a Pear Paw Wilderness Designs PyraNet2 with the "Trailstar" mod. The Trailstar is a star for a reason, one of which is that it handles strong winds well from any angle. A versatile lightweight set-up with pleny of room for two IMO. You will probably be able to pick up one or both here in Gear Swap if you keep an eye out or post a WTB. Enjoy the beautiful CT!

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