Six Moon Designs Serenity Shelter Is In!

Odd that both SMD (Serenity NetTent) and MLD (Serenity Shelter) offer netted shelters called "Serenity". The products have very similar purposes, and it's too bad their names will cause some confusion among prospective buyers. Or maybe that was the plan?

No such thing as a SMD Serenity Shelter? It's a net tent on their website..correct me if wrong.

I apologize for any confusion in naming. We do a pretty intensive google search before finalizing on a product name. I understand that MLD did sale a net tent awhile back of the same name. But has been off the website for sometime. At least it wasn't listed when we under took our name search.

I guess Ron decided to resurrect it recently and add it back to his product line. Unfortunately after we already completed our naming. Hopefully people won't get too confused.

Thanks,

Ron (SMD Ron that is. Incase you're confused.)

PS. Yes we do need to make a minor mode to older harness so they work better with the new NetTent.

This tent is aesthetically pleasing generating fantasies of a trip to happen. Would the new owners and Ron, too, post more photos, especially in use with the Gatewood cape.

John,

I have to agree, when I first saw a photo of SMD Ron's Serenity Shelter, it struck me as a beautiful design, one that opens up new possibilities in my relaxing/enjoyment of nature. Sometimes in the afternoon of a backpacking trip, I have wanted to slow down and take a nap. Usually the bugs prevent that, and the thought of having to fully set up my shelter keeps me hiking. The alternative fully enclosed net designs are too heavy for what I'm looking for, and mosquito head nets are of limited help when trying to lay down near a buggy meadow.

The Serenity Shelter will, for 7oz, allow me to fully relax in a bug free zone that I can sit up in, stretch, and enjoy the views, in a design that stands upright on its own. I've spent several afternoon's trying to come up with a design that would accomplish this, and I never came up with anything in this weight category or with such a simple setup. Hats off to Ron on this one.

Also, in the past I wouldn't have considered the weight penalty of a separate bug net inner to be worth it; one of the way Tarptents and the Lunar Solo achieve their light weight is integrating the bug netting into the tent. But not only is the Serenity-Gatewood combo lighter than these tents, the Gatewood Cape doubles as a poncho, further reducing the weight from a rain jacket. I'm still not sure how Ron managed to get the Serenity-Gatewood combo to be 5 oz lighter than his Lunar Solo e.

Actually, one of the places I think I will use the bug shelter the most on is long day hikes. Sometimes it's just simpler to hike one very long day than backpack two moderate days. The Serenity Shelter would give me a place to take a nice two hour nap in the afternoon before returning to my car.

Pictures, pictures!…please.
Also, any short people out there using the Gatewood Cape? I'm planning to ditch my GoLite poncho/tarp and go with Ron's Gatewood and Serenity but I'm curious how it works for short (5'4") folks.

As a shelter no problem. But for rain protection and pack cover that might be a problem. I would email Ron at Six Moon Designs with your questions. Also on the site is pics of the shelter. As a shelter it is awesome. Used it all last summer and it did a great job!!!

John, I do not have photos with the Cape in use. I guess you are asking about it in rainy conditions used as a cape? If so no. I do have photos of the Cape set up as a shelter though. Let me know if that is what you want.

"As a shelter no problem. But for rain protection and pack cover that might be a problem. I would email Ron at Six Moon Designs with your questions."
I did and he said it has been used successfully by people my size. I kinda wanted to hear it from a fellow vertically-challenged person.

Ken and other owners and SMD:

I was hoping that maybe the new owners would rush out to their back yards and pitch the Serenity and the Gatewood as you would any other two wall tent and then shoot off a bunch of shots at various angles posting them here for us to view. Thanks in advance for these anticipated photographs.

Sorry John, I don't have the Serenity yet. I purchased it and it won't be delivered until mid March. I did post pictures of a hybrid that I used with great success in the Sierra's last summer. I used a Sea2summit bug net done practically the same way as what Ron has done with the Serenity. I posted a bunch of pics on here somewhere if you're interested. Until then, I will do it when it gets delivered in March. Hope that helps.