Gatewood cape or something else?

[John Taylor]

Find myself pondering the Gatewood Cape lately. Simplicity in spades and dual use for sure. Still, the weight of the cape and nest together equal some 1 person tents on the market these days. The old poncho tarp may be in need of retirement, especially since the likelihood of rain on my weekends out will be greater this year.

Your thoughts?

[todd]

It is great and the advantages of using either piece by itself, both together, and the poncho are wonderful.

How tall are you?

I'm nearly 6'2" and eventually sold mine – was always wishing for a few more inches of length when in shelter mode. Otherwise it is nearly perfect. Light, functional, and not expensive.

[John Taylor]

Length shouldn't be a problem for me at 5'11. Side sleeper too, so even less room is needed.

[todd]

Then I believe you'll love it.

[Edward Jursek]

I love my Gatewood. Even if you opt to pair it with a inner net and the weight equals a one person shelter, you will still need to add rain gear if you go the tent route. In the end, the Gatewood/inner net weights less then the 1 person tent and the rain gear you now have to carry. Plus, I think ponchos are better rain gear then "waterproof" jackets and pants.

You can also save weight and money by using a polycryo ground sheet and a Sea to Summit Bug Net instead of a pre-made inner net by MLD, Bearpaw, Zpacks etc. Or, opt for a bug bivy, some of those are pretty light and affordable. If I don't expect too much bug pressure, I will just carry a bug head net and sleep in that.

[Andy Blackwell]

Any other recommendations for what to pair with it for bug protection?

[todd]

Are you against the SMD Serenity for some reason?

[Matt Dirksen]

+1 on the Gatewood + S2S net combination.

I added some small 1 inch "male" Velcro squares to the underside of my cape & pad, to better control the netting so it isn't as annoying. And I only rig it when needed. (The net sticks right to them, and doesn't tear up when I pull it off.)

While I'm 6'2 and I just barely "fit" inside, I can't justify getting anything more $$ any time soon. Besides, as many have mentioned, it's hard to beat the weight/dual use of the system.

[Aaron Sorensen]

Why not just get a Wild Oasis?

[Dale Wambaugh]

The Gatewood works for UL because it is dual purpose, knocking the weight of a rain shell off your spreadsheet (and pack cover too if you use one). It is a far better shelter than a poncho alone, with 360° coverage and lots of vestibule space.

I went with a Titanium Goat Ptarmigan bivy with the netting head end option for bug protection. I can use the bivy for cowboy camping in good weather, etc. It weighs 4.5oz less than the Serenity inner nest, costs $30 less, provides more weather protection and is faster to deploy.

If you aren't going to use it for rain gear, then the Wild Oasis makes sense.

[Edward Barton]

What else out there is lighter than the Gatewood with similar coverage? Anything in cuben? Also wondering how easy it would be to do a MYOG copy of these. If anyone has made a poncho tarp pattern, let me know!

[Dean F.]

Instead of an inner, use a lightweight bivy like a SuperLight or something. There's your bug and spray protection, and it's much lighter.

That said, I have a Gatewood Cape from my more lunatic-fringe days, but I rarely use it now. Mostly I carry it when I expect NOT to need it for either use, like desert camping. It's a very tight shelter, certainly not much room to wriggle around in to change clothes or whatnot while it's raining. It's fun to pull out every now and then when you're feeling fantically ultralight but as a dedicated shelter- and especially for you back east where water falls from the sky quite often- I'd consider something more optimized. I like 2-person mids as solo shelters, coupled with a lightweight bivy (the inners are too heavy).

[Monte Masterson]

The MLD Cuben Pro Poncho is supreme. Weighs 8 oz and is quite wide for a poncho/tarp (5'2" wide at head), but expensive at $330. Ron also makes a silnylon Pro Poncho which is far cheaper and weighs 12 oz. Add an MLD Bug Bivy and you're as light as can be.

[John Taylor]

I have used a number of bivy sacks over the years starting with the OR bivy in the late 80's early 90's and going progressively lighter. I'm done with bivy sacks at this time in life. Made the switch to quilts quite a few years back. Started with a Golite, and now one from Thermarest. More elbow room, ability to roll around some, better ventilation, and overall comfort is better. Ditched the bivy sometime back too. Can't see going back to one.

Sleep is one of those areas where comfort matters more than weight these days. A nice pad, comfortable quilt, fluffy pillow are the order of the day. I wasn't always this way, having slept on bare ground, picnic tables, and other strange places over the years. That all changed in my later 40's, and more so now that I'm on the back nine so to speak.

[Dean F.]

Actually, I am very much with you on sleep comfort- we may be kindred spirits. I have said many times on these forums that "if you can't sleep you aren't enjoying camping- you're enduring camping." That said my bivy is a size LARGE Superlight with cuben floor. I am not a size LARGE guy, more like average, and a very acrobatic sleeper. I find that the big bivy gives me the freedom I need.

From what you are saying I sort of wonder even more if a Gatewood is for you. As I mentioned, I consider it more for when I'm in a fanatical mood and willing to "endure" a little. But clearly, HYOH, Brother.

[Adam Kilpatrick]

I've ordered a used Gatewood, its on its way. I'm pretty keen to finally try it. I like the idea of the simplicity of it all, with excellent shelter coverage, I think it will work well for most of my trips.

If it works really well, for me, I might go down the path of MYOG a mythical cuben gatewood, with the sil version as a template (and no doubt a hood design more improved and tailored to my personal liking). Yes, I did just speak again of the UNICORN!

[Sam Riggle]

PLEASE make a cuben Gatewood Cape. I would throw money at you if you could duplicate it in cuben. I've always wanted to get a Gatewood Cape, but I've come to realize that I HATE wet silnylon. Such a hassle. So please, for the love of humanity, make a couple cuben Gatewoods. :)

[Adam Kilpatrick]

Haha. I was expecting someone would say "make me one too".

Yes, wet silnylon is annoying and stretchy, and holds more moisture, there is that advantage there too with cuben.

I want to try the sil gatewood for a while first before I decide to take that plunge. I want to be sure that I'm happy with dimensions, that it fits my style, etc. Its a lot of cuben yardage, which will add up to a fair material cost, there are big seams to do, its a fair time investment for me, etc. Will probably only save somewhere in the order of 4-6oz.

It is probably more feasible and worthwhile me making a ~solomid/gatewood hybrid in cuben. Four instead of 6 panels makes the math much easier, and only four corner seams instead of 6. I prefer the idea of putting four pegs in the ground as a minimum rather than 6. In reality when worn, as long as its not too long, then whether its for or six panels, or one flat poncho panel, doesn't matter two much.

[Sam Riggle]

Duplicating the Gatewood in Cuben would appear to be s challenge. From what I've seen of the gate wood, it's geometry looks better suited to silnylon. You're hybrid idea sounds like a good one though. Good luck

[Adam Kilpatrick]

Yeah, I've read a couple of posts by people who've mentioned issues with pitching it…this tends to suggest to me that the ability to stretch will help. Not sure if there are caternary curves in a gatewood? They would help. But again, tricky to get right on a complicated shelter.

[Edward Jursek]

Adam – Steve Evans over at Suluk 46 made an interesting cuben poncho/shelter prototype. You might want to reach out to him.

[Adam Kilpatrick]

Yes, thanks for bring that up Edward (I have seen it on his site before). Be good to hear his thoughts on having such a beast in cuben, whether he still uses it, etc.

Personally I'm not a fan of the top crossing pole and two trekking pole requirement, though I understand he is very tall, so that would be quite a benefit to him.

Here's the link for anyone reading this thread that might be interested:
http://www.suluk46.com/RandD%20-%20RD17%20ALL-WEPT.html

Last night (last night of an Easter Bushwalking Competition we run for Venturer Scouts in South Australia) I slept in my Oware Mid. Its a great beast. Poured with rain. Anyway, I was reminded again in the morning just how much water silnylon soaks up. Its crazy. Shelter weighs a ton.

Actually, its raining outside now, I might go hang it over the clothes line to get it properly wet again then weigh it for comparison. I figure its at least a 50% addition in weight to the shelter.

Not too much of an issue if you have standalone rain gear, but a bit annoying if your shelter is also your raingear, eg Gatewood.

EDIT: A non scientific test, 60 seconds in light rain outside, me just flipping the mid over a couple of times over the clothes line. It was moderately wet on the outside, dry inside (eg no condensation). It could have definitely been wetter. But that added 30% of the weight to the mid. I gave it a quick shake before I stuffed it under the verandah (in the field, if its raining this is less effective).

Another thought; with a gatewood/poncho when you put it on wet, the back of it goes over your pack, so less of an issue. Even an uncoated pack fabric isn't really going to be bothered by that level of moisture and it will keep it off your back, at least.

[Adam Kilpatrick]

So it arrived in the mail yesterday. I bought it second hand (though its near new) off gear swap, so it had guys prepared to the appx length recommended by SMD.

Pitches quite easily, I pitched it in about two minutes first run on the lawn, with just two peg replacements after I got it up. So pretty good, though I have a lot of experience pitching a Trailstar (which I no longer have) which is definitely a tricky pitch. Six sides is a LOT easier to visualise on the ground as you stake it out than five.

I really like it so far! As a shelter, I think it is plenty big enough for me inside (I'm ~175cm). Coverage is fine. Even hunkered down (all but the door guy/stake to the ground) there is enough room in there for me, just. Hunkered down it will give perfect protection through ~270 degrees, and pretty good protection on the beak side…thankfully the part with the least coverage is furthest from where you would be sleeping. It seems fine worn in the backyard, though I haven't had a chance to test it with a pack on for fit, nor rain, nor actual field conditions.

Compared to listed dimensions for shelters like MLD Solomid, Zpacks Solo Hexamids, even the Zpacks Pocket Tarp, the weight is pretty light for something made from 1.3 silnylon. Using conversion factors to .51oz or .75oz cuben, and taking into account about an ounce for the peripherals, the gatewood uses a lot less material overall. The dimensions of all these shelters alude to why, and I think the low pitch height and general flatness of the gatewood contribute a lot to a geometry that is sparing on fabric while still keeping a fair amount of floor area. The raised door beak also helps compared to say a MLD solomid. The lower overall height means less head clearance-for me I think there's enough (I can sit up and clear it, the process of getting up I might just skim it if I'm not careful. I wouldn't if I used one of the panel guy outs).

I have to hand it to Ron at SMD, he designed a really clever shelter, there's no doubt about it. His careful use of the stretch of silnylon is sensational…it pitches really tight, despite the back four sections of this six sided mid actually being ONE PIECE of silnylon with NO SEAMS. Only the front two door flaps are seperate, single panels. Really impressive design from Ron, I bet there were a few failed prototypes to get it right…

All this leads me to a few of conclusions at this stage.

1. I like it so far and its dimensions. I think they would work for me. If I was to MYOG, I would probably give the beak 2-5 inches more length, just because I could and I don't think I'd regret it…there are plenty of other ventilation options for non blustery conditions.

2. A cuben version would require 6 proper panels. Cuben doesn't stretch, the big rear panel would need caternary seams carefully measured out. So its not a perfect pattern for a cuben copy.

3. I'd have to do a lot of careful calculations to determine if a mid would save weight or not. A lot of geometry. A mid of the same dimensions as an MLD solomid clearly wouldn't (it weighs 10.5oz without a hood in place in .75oz cuben). For a mid to beat this, it would have to cut down on peak height to be about the same as the gatewood. I think the gatewood also works well and saves weight, in that it makes up width through the angular parts of the extra side corners. This is possibly more useful space than the four corners of a mid, and like a circle vs a square, the edge/area ratio is better the more sides you add.

4. I could save miniscule amounts of weight, by doing things like using lighter material for the pocket. For some reason this is of a heavier fabric than the main 30D silnylon, I'd guess at 70D and about 2oz, but I don't have any of that fabric on me to compare directly. This could be done with .34oz cuben without hassle I think, unless you weren't careful putting sharp things in it. More minscule weight from using kamsnaps instead of metal snaps.

5. Assuming 1 once for all the peripherals, and the other 10oz for fabric weight, a .74oz cuben version would weigh in at 0.74/1.3*10+1=6.69oz. So, about a 4.5oz weight saving.

6. Assuming the panels work out perfectly (they won't), its perhaps 8 sq yards of fabric by weight, so at least $200 of cuben fabric alone.

I definitely will think about MYOG a cuben version, but will give it some time, won't start for at least a season. I have other projects further up the pipeline that are more beneficial/already have the materials for (eg, a sub 10oz quilt project….).

[Ron Moak]

Just for the record, we are working at bring out the Gatewood in Cuben. I know there is a great deal of interest. We've made a couple of them here and I took one to Spain for 6 weeks last fall. Not sure if I'll use it on the CDT or take the Deschutes CF instead.

We can do it with the same geometry of the existing Gatewood and without using lots of separate panels. This significantly simplifies assembly. Overall weight is about 7 oz. I've got no idea at the moment about the cost. Or when it'll hit the market.

Ron

[Monte Masterson]

Ron, this is about the best news I've heard in a long time! Count me as a for sure buyer.

A cuben Wild Oasis would also be a big hit.

[Author]

Posts