Pyramid tarp for 6’1″ person?

[Peter S]

First, a thank you all for a great community – i have been reading the forums for many years, but only recently started to participate. I hope i can contribute and give something back myself. This is my all time favorite forum!

I'm looking for a pyramid tarp with optional bug-net(or fabric) inner for 1 person (or as light as possible) that sets up with preferably 1 hiking pole.

When it's in storm-mode (all the sides pegged all the way down to the ground, AND mounted with bug-net inner, there should still be plenty of space length-wise so my down bivy bag doesn't touch the tent/bug-net.

I currently use a MSR Huppa HP that weighs 2.8 lbs / 1269 grams on my scale (without stuff sacks, but with guy-lines and pegs). I love how long it is!

If it's not possible to go lighter than the Huppa HP, then fine, i'll keep my tent and be satisfied with it).

Regarding how to measure the weight of the pyramid setup:

– Outer tent + inner tent + guylines + pegs (+ trekking pole?)

It would be nice if even with the trekking pole the whole setup would be lighter than my Huppa HP, but i doubt this can be done…

I really like something in the style of MLD Duomid and the Locus gear Khufu.

/Peter

[Jerry Adams]

I'm 6'2". Use MYOG pyramid 9 feet long, 5 feet high, long enough with a little room to spare. Duomid at 8.9' and 4.5' should be fine for you

Duomid+liner = 30 ounces. + pegs = 33 ounces?. I use a 7 ounce Easton pole = 7 ounces so slightly less than Huppa.

I never use a liner which would save 13 ounces.

Pyramid is better in rain – you can set it up and keep everything dry better.

[Brian Johns]

Trailstar with Pyranet from Bearpaw Wilderness Designs might get what you're after, but could be a touch heavier than you're after. Definitely roomier than the Duomid, though.

[David Ure]

Peter – you will have no issue fitting in the MLD Duomid with respect to your height / length, even if pitched to the ground. You can actually pull out the end panels a bit with the mid point guyouts. However, the MLD inner Solo net tent is quite a bit shorter so as to provide about 5" space between the walls of the DuoMid and the bug inner net. You will touch both ends of the inner net but will not touch the potentially wet walls of the DuoMid. In other words, you would not get your bag wet but would be gently pushing on the sloped walls of the inner net with your sleeping bag.

If you were to use the Duo inner net and set up two poles as an inverted 'V' shape, you could sleep at an angle and have more than enough length in the inner tent. But that would require using two poles.

[Peter S]

Jerry: Thank you for the weights, lengths and realtime experience for that size of pyramid. I definitely need a bugproof inner here in Scandinavia during the summer…

Brian: I have been looking at the Trailstar a lot, but i like the simplicity of a classic pyramid, the door and the one-pole setup. For 2 persons i find the Trailstar more interesting, but then there's the Laufbursche Lavvu…but the Trailstar IS a nice shelter!

Dave: That sound okay regarding the size of the Duomid. I think i read somewhere that the Oookworks inner utilizes more of the space in the Duomid…i'll see if i can find that again. As i sleep on a neoair that does take out a little of the lenght…If i could only try one in real life!
Btw: You have the Solomid right? (been looking at that too, but i really like the extra space of the Duo – Is it correct that the Solomid requires 2 trekking poles?)

Edit: Added an extra O to Oookworks…

[Peter S]

Browsing Oookworks homepage, makes me I think i'm mistaken about the Oookworks inner utilizing the Duomid space better.

Edit: maybe i was right, check out Summitandvalley thread in later post…

[Peter S]

Jerry – i found a nice surprise in your calculations.

I think you used the DUO InnerNet at 13 oz + DuoMid at 17 oz + 3 oz pegs = 33 oz (935g)

I would only need the SOLO InnerNet at 8.5 oz + 17 oz + 3 oz = 28.5 oz (807g)!

[Peter S]

I'm a little surprised to see that the Speedmid weighs 18 oz, Duomid 17 oz, but for that 1 oz (28g)you get 8 feet 9 inches width instead of 5 feet (that's 114cm more!)

[Roger B]

And the size is the reason why I prefer the speedmid. I also like the BD Megalight, goes up in a flash and its weight on my scales is 710 grams. Not including pole or pegs.

[Peter S]

I've contacted Sean at Oookworks to hear what he can do to maximize the space in the Duomid.

I'm thinking of getting a Cuben Duomid with a personalized inner from Oookworks.

I'm leaning towards a Duomid instead of a Solomid bacause of the 1-pole setup (i don't hike with poles now, but 1 pole would be great for saving knees and crossing rivers.)
The reason for not getting a Speedmid is because i like the smaller footprint of the Duomid, and because as far as i understand, the Speedmid is only wider but not longer, hence i don't get more effective sleeping lenght.

Edit: explaining my Decisions so far…

[Peter S]

Utilizing the space better in a Solomid with custom Oookworks inner, check this out:

http://www.summitandvalley.com/2012/04/oookworks-custom-mesh-inner-oooknest.html

[Kevin @ Seek Outside]

Shameless self promotional post

Check out the Lil Bug Out http://seekoutside.com/products/ultralight-tipis/little-bug-out-shelter/

I've used it in many different iterations and am over 6'0 myself. Several 6 ft plus folks have tested it as well. It can be configured, just about any way you want really from a light tarp to a fairly large shelter.

Here is a link to a video as well

[Roger B]

But with a speedmid you have more diagonal space, as well as storage space. In the end of course it depends on your needs, and the locale for planned trips.

[David Ure]

I am with Roger on this. Having used both the Solo and Duo, they have their plusses and minuses. The Solo does take a smaller footprint overall, but it is smaller and effectively shorter than the Duo. It also requires two poles to set up or to be hung from a tree. If I only did overnight trips, it would probably be the one.

The DuoMid has more functional length (due to the height as you mentioned) and can be set up with two or one pole. However, setting up with two poles requires pole extenders and a fiddle factor that most won't put up with. With one pole you can angle it to provide more room but remember that all sides slope so usable space will be compromised regardless of the configuration. The DuoMid provides much more gear storage and a better ingress / egress in the rain.

However….the SpeedMid weighs the same as the DuoMid and provides considerably more space for both living and gear storage. No need to angle poles. I would also argue that if you can find a place for the DuoMid, you can find a place for the SpeedMid. I would also argue that the wider profile does better in shifting high wind conditions but this is pure conjecture.

If I had to do it all over again, it would be the SpeedMid for even solo use.

[D G]

I had a duomid and sold it, replacing with the speedmid. Like the speedmid way more, even for solo use.

I think the small weight difference is because the duomid has some fancier construction at the peak vent (speedmid has no peak vent) plus a few other things small things that add an ounce or two.

[Peter S]

You're absolutely right – shameless selfpromotion…too agressive Kevin…

[Peter S]

Roger, Dave and Daniel: Very rewarding to listen to all of your adventures in "pyramidding", i guess i'm currently at a state you have all been in before – this i what a great community is all about :-) – thanks!

One thing that still counts in the favour of the Duomid though, is that you can get it in cuben fibre…

So, let's play with the speedmid setup: I really like (as you mentioned Dave), that you would not need to set the pole at an angle: +1 for simplicity.

Question: (Regarding what you said Roger about getting more diagonal space), Using the Speedmid in 1 pole setup and with an optimized inner (fictive so far) could you get more effective sleeping lenght sleeeping diagonally inside the inner compared to the Duomid in the same setup?

[Peter S]

Okay guys, first of all, i now know so much more about pyramids – thanks!

To keep it all real: I started with a mission: "Beat the Huppa HP in weight!"

Well this is definitely possible, but i'm not so sure about the compromises i have to make to make this happen.

Still, keeping it real, a fair comparison to the Huppa HP Fly would be to compare it to another fly in the same material. In the most obvious case, that would be the MLD Duomid Sil:

My HP fly weighs 405 g (that's with all the guylines i need)

The MLD Sil Duomid weight with guylines (guesstimated from http://blogpackinglight.wordpress.com/2011/05/30/duomid-and-oookworks-inner/) weighs 585 g

HP Pegs: I use 6 DAC V poles at 11g, makes 66 g in total (could easily be lower)
Duomid Pegs: well, i'll (guesstimate again, this time from Rogers Webpage)…let's say 100 g total.

Pole Jack: 22 g

So far:

HP 405 + 66 = 471 g

Duomid: 585 + 100 + 22 = 707 g

On to the Inners…

HP: 450 g

Dumid: well, this is very personal, but i would say that a realistic comparison would be the Chikara PU edition from Oookworks at 380g

So totals thus far:

HP: 471 + 450 = 921 g

Duomid: 707 + 1087 g.

This is the most direct comparison in my view.

Now on to the tricky part…the trekking poles/tent poles

Let's say i was going to use a regular trekking pole at around 200 g (this i pretty low)

The HP Poles are 348 g

The new total..:

HP: 921 + 348 = 1269 g

Duomid: 1087+ 200 = 1287 g

But if i were to not include the trekking pole in the weight it would come to:

1269 g vs 1087 g : 182 g in favor of the DuoMid

Well…that's not a big saving…hmmm

My conclusion thus far:

I would have to buy cuben fibre to really feel the difference!
And this is not going to happen until i have seen a Duomid in real life – new mission…

/Peter

[David Ure]

Peter, you would have to compare the Hubba to the SoloMid. The Hubba is much smaller than the DuoMid.

[Peter S]

You're absolutely right Dave, i'll just never use 2 trekking poles (never say never…).

The size difference between HP and Duomid, as you mention), deffinitely makes me want to see one in real life.

[Jerry Adams]

You could make something the same size with cheap polyethylene just to see what it would be like, if you couldn't find a real one to try.

[Peter S]

Ah, Jerry, this is a very good idea! I think i'll start with making a model out of the Oookworks Duomid inner first. Thank you! This should be fun…:-)

Edith: Spelling…damn you smarthphone…

[Jerry Adams]

This could be the start of a very bad thing

You could start making your own

I am so sorry to infect you with this : )

[Peter S]

Haha ;-)

[Peter S]

for a response from Sean at Oookworks for now. Will post when i hear from him. (He currently doesn't have internet access and have just moved location, so a late response is very understandable!)

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