Six Moons Gatewood Cape Shelter

[Dale Wambaugh]

I was surfing off a thread on Six Moons Design’s new backpack and saw their new poncho shelter. See http://www.sixmoondesigns.com/shop/shopexd.asp?id=45

It’s actually a shaped tarp with a hood and evidently works as a cape — that is a poncho with closed sides. From their description on their web site, they won’t have it out until March.

I’ve been looking at poncho shelters and I couldn’t see using one without some sort of bivy sack unless it was in the middle of August and I wanted a poncho and shelter as backup for an overnighter. Rain is to be expected in my climate and 360 degree protection makes the difference between a comfortable trip and a mud-fest.

My existing setup is A GoLite Hut1 and Marmot Precip raingear. This new setup would knock 23oz off my base weight if I use it for primary shelter and rain gear.

Anybody laid eyes on the Gatewood Cape yet?

[paul johnson]

No. Just the SMD website. However, I’ve already let Ron Moak know that I’ll be ordering one. My only concern is air exchange on 80-90 deg.F rainy days in summer. The poncho might be better from that perspective given its open sides. However, the cape has a zipper for ventilation. It might (?) be nice if the zipper were a dbl-slider type so it could be unzipped from either end for ventilation purposes.

[Ron Moak]

>> It might (?) be nice if the zipper were a dbl-slider type so it could be unzipped from either end for ventilation purposes. << Paul, there are two zipper pulls so you can zip from either end. One pull to allow entry when used as a shelter, the other allows you to vent the cape when worn. Ron

[Dale Wambaugh]

Good idea on the zipper. It’s still an open-bottom shelter, so no problem jacking it up for ventilation in the summer, plus being able to open the side in good weather. Add a chunk of bug netting and it’s home.

[paul johnson]

>>”two zipper pulls”

Perfect.

>>” One pull to allow entry when used as a shelter”

Any reason why it can’t also be unzipped in an upward direction when worn as a cape? The idea here being to zip one pull partway down and the other partway up.

[Franco Darioli]

Can someone please get Henry and Ron and lock them up ? They are driving me crazy. I can just see PJ going on and on about the cape and force me to get one. Not fair.
Franco
Ron we want 27 pictures of your cape, I can do it for you, if you like …………

[Dale Wambaugh]

Ron, any more particulars for price and availability? This design bridges the gap for those who hike in wet climates and need 360° weather protection as well as good walking raingear.

[Ron Moak]

Dale,

The Gatewood Cape goes into production tomorrow. I won’t have pricing until I plug in the number for cost of manufacturing, hopefully by the end of the week.

Compared to everything else we make, it’s pretty simple to manufacture. So I expect to see production units later in February.

As to photos, well it’s been raining and raining and raining and raining and you get the picture. If it doesn’t clear up some today, it’ll be pushed back a couple more weeks as my one good prototype is headed to manufacturing.

We’ll see.

Ron

[Dale Wambaugh]

I’m in Seattle, so I understand about the rain. Not only is it sloppy to hike in, but it also has raised the river levels and it is damaging the trails. I don’t think anything has been truly dry since September. Some of the best hiking areas in the North Cascades have had roads out since floods in 2003. A number of bridges had the approaches washed out when the rivers changed course, leaving them as platforms to nowhere. Bush is too busy invading the Middle East to take care of roads at home.

[Thick Eastern European accent] “Only in America do they need sunshine to make photos of rain gear!”

I’ll just have to wipe the drool from my chin and feel like a 5 year old waiting for Christmas morning :)

“Mommy, will Santa bring me a tarp? I’ve been a really good boy!”

[Robert Patton]

ATTN: Ron & Dale

Heres you official invite to Florida were bone dry here as we were in 1998 when we burned down over 400,000 acres would be perfect for you pictoral. But Murphy’s law states that when you would get here we would have a hurricane in the middle of Jan. – Feb.. (Damn that Murphy…. sorry for the language)
The product sound very interesting good luck in production

Rob

[Dale Wambaugh]

I see that Six Moons is taking orders on the Gatewood Cape Shelter with “availability in late February.”
( see Six Moons Designs ). $110 and available colors are green, gray and blue @ 11oz (w/o stakes and poles).

I’ve ordered one (they take PayPal too). Can’t wait! I’m hoping this will break the poncho/shelter/bivy sack loop. I use a GoLite Hut1 which meets my needs as far as real shelter and light weight (15/20oz without/with stakes and utilizing trekking poles), especially for two people. I use Marmot Precip jacket and pants for rain gear. I need real rain protection, so a poncho shelter would require a bivy bag, added to the weight of the poncho.

If the Gatewood Cape does the trick, I can drop 4oz on the basic shelter, 5oz on a pack rain cover, 12oz on the jacket, and 7oz on the pants for Summer trips, for a 28oz saving for Summer or 21oz for Fall/Winter/Spring with the pants.

The design uses one pole, six stakes and no guy lines. I see added value for day hiking survival back-up too. The prospect of spending an emergency rainy night bivoac in this setup appeals to me a lot more than a flat poncho tarp shelter– use your day pack for ground insulation and wrap up in a Space Blanket with all your clothes on and you might even get some sleep :)

[paul johnson]

Dale, I just ordered one also – thanks for alerting me to it being now for sale. Remember you may want to add a bugnet that’s a little larger than a headnet.

Also, one question for you on the GoLite Hut1. What is the rear configuration of that tarp. Is it open, closed, or user configurable? I’ve seen pics of the front (a zippered vestibule), but I’m curious, I’ve never seen or read what the rear of the Hut1 looks like.

[Dale Wambaugh]

A bug net is part of my kit for any shelter other than fully enclosed tent and good advice. I have a “Mombasa” bug net from REI that works pretty good for a two person shelter, just draped over the poles as the tarp is pitched and tucked under our sleeping pads. I have a big sheet of bug netting for one man outings, again draped to suit.

The Hut1 has a closed foot. It is easy to vent in warm weather by adjusting the flaps that form the front vestibule/beak and I have added short lines to th estake loops to aid in jacking the whole rig up to aid ventilation. It is easy to pitch taut and tight to the ground for good weather protection.

I think the Hut1 really hasn’t had the market exposure it should– it has a lot of interior room, packs to a tiny bundle, weighs just 15oz without stakes (20oz with the factory stakes) and gives 360 degree wind/rain protection. The front vestibule is big and there is enough room at the foot to stash your boots. There is enough room to sleep between the poles, making it seem even more spacious. I pitch it by putting down a ground sheet, staking the major corners, extending the poles inside and running fore and aft guy lines. It may take another round of stake tweaking to get it nice ‘n’ taut.

I saw a lot of the same features in the Six Moons Cape– the ability to vent it well, pitching it tight to the ground or raising it for more venting options, and that wind-shedding Stealth fighter profile. I really want to see what they have cooked up for the hood area and the center pole support.

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