Gimme Shelter

[Kenneth Gurney]

I was able to see REI’s Gimme Shelter last night and had a chuckle:)
It looks stikingly similiar to proven products on the market (Squall II ?), but is twice the wieght… with no pole? (Yes, I realize I would be using my Trek pole, but atleast I can knock off 1.8oz from the Squall w/out the pole provided)
Made from “coated” ripstop nylon it is overly reinforced, adding to its weight of 2lbs. 10oz..
This may make a good starting TarpTent?
Am I missing something? Am I overlooking an advantage to this Tarptent?
Or is this a failed attempt by REI to recreate the wheel?

[dan kutcher]

As is the case with most hiking/camping items spec’c and retailed by the big name shops out there, they’re afraid of:

1) Equipment failure and the subsequent high return/repair rate.
2) Lawsuits issued due to using extremely flammable fabrics (silnylon, in this case would be much lighter, but REI would lose any lawsuit made against them due to using a known flammable material.

Not necessarily in that order.

[Barrett Willet]

Flammability requirements are only in place for 7 states. Fear of lawsuits is not the concern. In order to sell a “tent, tarp, shelter” in these states the materials must meet the CPAI-84 standards. Since REI isn’t going to say “Sorry California REI stores we can’t ship these to you” the obvious choice was to use a PU coated material.

Also note that the 2lb 10oz weight is the total weight including stakes, cords and REMOVABLE FLOOR. The tarp portion only weighs 22oz including cords and a very cool cord cleat at all tie outs.

[Anonymous]

This tent is heavy duty and well made. It can be pitched with treking poles or tied out to trees. Everything is reinforced and the detachable bathtub floor works well. I would reccommend it for people who outfit groups and need something for repeated use like the scouts or high adventure camps. It would not be the best choice for the lightweight gearjunkies that hang around here :) When pitched with poles the floor space gets cut in half. It is very easy to bump a pole out when you move sideways or enter and exit the tent. And there is no bug mesh.

[EndoftheTrail]

There’s just something about an “anonymous recommendation” that detracts from its credibility…

[Ken Helwig]

yep, and I still would rather support a cottage industry company than some big retailer.

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