Lightest full featured tent?

[Steven Diogenes]

Hey all, I currently have a Seedhouse SL1 (at 2.5 lbs) but I have some money to blow so I was wondering if anyone could suggest something lighter that is still a full tent. I was thinking about the Hexamid with netting, beak, and bathtub groundsheet, but I feel like it won't give me the sense of enclosure, 'protection', privacy, etc. that I desire, for totally comfortable sleeping. I guess a one wall shelter is going to need that openness for airflow.

I should mention that I'm not a regular hiker. I just travel (hitchhiking, etc.) and live outside a lot so I'm not going for total ascetism. It feels good to have a little private enclosed space sometimes, but I think the Hexamid would leave me a little too open to achieve that feeling. I wish I could try one. Anyway, any suggestions? It would be great to reach 24oz or so.

Edit: I'm 5'9" and I just need it for 3 season weather. Nothing extreme. 25f to 100f?

[Bob Gross]

Steven, you might want to mention your size. A tent that is good for somebody 5'6" tall may not be good for somebody 6'6".

You might want to mention whether this is for four-season use, Alaska, or Florida.

–B.G.–

[Steven Diogenes]

The MLD Solomid looks pretty good but I don't use trekking poles and sticks aren't always available. I wonder if I could use the Zpacks carbon fiber poles?

[Bob Gross]

You can get carbon fiber poles from different companies. Zpacks offers only four different lengths, so if you need an in-between length, it is a problem. Fibraplex makes up poles to custom lengths, and there is an on-line design calculator.

–B.G.–

[jh]

It might be worth checking out the Yama cirriform single-wall tent. Lots of room and good ventilation on the sides. It is only in cuben, however. I have a silnylon cirriform and use it with a 1.25 net tent underneath. The terraform combined with a net tent would offer more privacy.

I've read somewhere that Gen at Yama is working on a side-entry shelter too.

You might also consider the MLD duomid with a solo net insert.

Several will suggest a TarpTent and probably for good reason. I don't have one but find the sublite sil and the moment DW very enticing.

[Franco Darioli]

"It feels good to have a little private enclosed space sometimes"
Here is a suggestion :
Go to Google Images an type in the name of the tent you have in mind and see for yourself what sort of privacy you can expect.
look in particular for tents with someone inside
(there is a hidden clue in there, sorry I can't be more transparent with my hints…)

[Richard Fischel]

i'm thinking the mld duomid could be the way he'd go. simple, low key and would blend with his aesthetic.

[Miguel Arboleda]

I think the Hexamid would leave me a little too open to achieve that feeling.

I'm perplexed by this statement. The Hexamid is a fully enclosed shelter that you cannot see inside when the door is closed. I'd guess it's much more private and "enclosed-feeling" than the Solomid.

[Steven Diogenes]

Miguel- it's really just the gap between tarp and ground I'm talking about. It may seem neurotic but I just think it would feel different than something like the Seedhouse. ….but I don't know. Maybe with the bathtub groundsheet it would be fine. I'd like to try it out.

The numbers on these tents really start climbing with cuben!

Also, quotes like these: " I have a Solo+ with a Beak. Even so, I've gotten splashes half way up my netting and ample spray inside. I would not want to have been there without a Beak."
(from http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=79956 )

[BlackHatGuy]

Have a look at the Lightheart Gear Solo shelter. Plenty of room for someone 5'9", including plenty of room for any gear you want to bring in the shelter with you. In cuben it's around 20oz. Easy to set up, great ventilation when you want it, privacy when you need it.

Still my favorite all-around ground shelter.

[Manfred]

Steven,

There are several options in Cuben that are below the weight threshold of 24 oz. It all depends on how much money you have to blow.

Have a look at these options from SMD (all weights without stakes):
Skyscape X: 15 oz
The same tent in Silnylon is 9 oz heavier but costs $325 less.
Skyscape Trekker: 24 oz
This is another option in Silnylon that is modular. So you don't need to bring the inner net outside of the bug season.
Gatewood Cape: 19 oz (11 oz for cape + 8 oz for Serenity NetTent
Here is a two person option in cuben that allows you to leave the inner net at home.
Haven: 24 oz (10 oz for tarp + 14 oz for Haven NetTent)

Very interesting is also the "Duplex" that Zpacks is working on
Duplex: 22 oz (8 oz for tarp + 14 oz for inner net)

The Zpacks Duplex is obviously not yet available, but the SMD Haven (Cuben) and SMD Skyscape X (Cuben) are rarely available on the SMD website.

So there are many choices in the 24 oz range to choose from – depending on how much money you want to spend.

Manfred

[Derek M.]

"Nothing extreme. 25f to 100f"

This sentence is just hilarious to me, though I know what the OP means.

Still, I challenge anyone to sit in a fully enclosed tent when it's 100 fahrenheit outside. Yikes.

[John S.]

The hexamid does not look like a shelter that can be pitched all sides to the ground. Maybe with options added?

[Steven Diogenes]

lol Derek, thanks to my handy UL Air Conditioning unit, 100f ain't so bad. I forgot to mention the tent I'm looking for needs an AC port.

Thanks for all the tips y'all. After browsing for so long, I really wish I could test out a Hexamid. The Hexamid Plus with pole is 20.7 oz and the Solo is only 18oz with pole. So tempting! I actually just found out my hometown, where I'm heading next to visit family for the holidays, lives in the same town as Zpacks! It's a sign!

[Mark Ries]

I second Doug I on the light heart solo I have the poormans version in sil with no awning 27oz Its has every thing I need. I'm 5'10" its got a lot of space

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