Calling Henry Shires

nm

Thanks, David.

Henry was supposedly working on a family 3-4 person tent, based on the Rainbow. I suspect, though, that with the Sublite this other project has stalled. Has anyone heard more about this project? He has 18 months left before my youngest grandchild is old enough to come backpacking with me and his two older siblings!

I've also heard from Grant at Gossamer Gear that Henry is tweaking the design of the Squall Classic. It will have a zippered "beak," hooray!

nm

David,

Since you seem to have the inside p00p, any word on when the Spinaker Contrail would be for sale? I'll be in need of one for my JMT hike next year. 8-)

Henry has never mentioned even considering a spinnaker Contrail; that's just a wish on someone's part.

If you want a spinnaker one-man tent, wait for the re-designed Gossamer Gear "The One". It's due out shortly. Alternatively, look at Mountain Laurel Designs' offerings in this area.

nm

If I am not wrong, I recall reading that he has given up designing tents and now spends his time playing golf in Costa Rica or something like that.
Franco

And what is with the "normal" Squall 2? Any changes?

So Franco, you think Henry is camped out on a Costa Rican beach! Well then, the big question would be, which model of his tents did he choose?

Micheal
My "guess" is that it's a new model.
Franco
BTW, sorry to see that you need poles to stand up on flat ground

I spied Henry in Costa Rica sleeping in a Winnebago, brushing his teeth with a toothbrush with no drill holes in the handle and he was wearing COTTON!!! This is worse than when I found out that smokey the bear was just a guy in a suit.
P.s I love my rain shadow.

Yes, sorry , it could have been Costa Rica, all those communist Central American countries ( like Spain) sound all the same to me.
Franco

Isn't Henry staying in that interesting "tent" with the Australian flag of which you posted a picture last March 31 (April 1 in your part of the world)?

Mary,
That version was ignored by HS like all my other maybe unusual but almost practical suggestions.
Franco

I actually give HS a bunch of ideas about what could be improved over the Squall.
When the Squall 2 came out, my jaw dropped seeing that it looked exactly like I was explaining what should be done to the original Squall.

Wow, so basically Henry updated the whole thing with no orginal ideas of his own? Really? :)

Aaron, my comment , as usual, was not meant to be taken seriously…
Henry definitely listens to his customers, even gear tragics like me. Note that when the Squall 2 came out some still wanted the look of the original ( hence the GG Squall Classic) . For one I appreciate the extra headroom of the current version but esthetically the original is still the sweetest design of them all. In fact I changed the tail end of the Contrail so that the added mid tail guyout strut gives it a catenary ridge and a Squall "look" .
Tarptent, I think, is in a fortunate position that they can make products that are designed to be functional without the restrictions imposed by the mainstream consumers.
Note how all of his designs evolve without needing to completely change. For example the Contrail has had two minor but very practical "face lifts" ( well tail adjustments mostly…)
Anyway, the best is still to come.
Franco

Oh,
I know. I love the humor.

I had probably one of the first 20 squalls that came out so the upadated Squall 2 didn't come out for 3 years or so.

Henry actually still had the email I sent him when I talked to him about it and he informed me that although he couldn't fully understand the whole concept I was trying to give him with ideas on the Squall he also said that he thought about what I told him and it did come in to play when he designed the Squall 2.

So will I take the credit for it. ABSOLUTLY.

I am glad some of my ideas worked. Actually the tarp is pretty much identical to what I was implying he should do for improvements that made it over to the Squall 2.
They were just ideas though, nothing else.

Henry said thanks and that is enough for me.
But you can thank me too if you like it.

That does it, I'm taking up golfing lessons.