What shelter for Nepal?

A mid sounds like a good option. I've trekked in Nepal a couple of times, but never camped. Teahouses are just too convenient and they are just about everywhere. Still it would be fun to do a bit of camping. But at higher elevations it will be friggin cold in a tent, so you'll have to take extra warm gear too.

Anyway, the main considerations should be weight, ability to shut out the wind, and ability to handle unexpected snow. A mid satisfies all those criteria. You are unlikely to get much rain in October (depending on where you are… early october you can still get occasional late monsoon rain in some places) so a floorless shelter should be ok.

You could also consider the Golite Shangri-la 3. Not sure on specific Mid recommendations because I've never actually used one.

HTH, Ashley

Don't get me wrong, I use my Megalite as a solo shelter, but I also use it for three adults, or two adults and two kids (8&10).

Maybe something like the Duomid would be a better option, especially if you're planning on only using it occasionally, but carrying it all the time. Don't forget the offerings from Six Moon Designs as well.

I'd only use the DuoMid as a solo shelter personally unless you expect fair weather. I have a Shangri-la 3 for duo use but the MLD or Oware options are also good, I just couldn't pass up the price on the GoLite. Since MLD is closed this week it would definitely be tight to get a delivered shelter by your deadline.

I'd first make a plan on where your actually going then decide whether you really need a tent. If you're on a tea house trek, it's a lot of work to carry an unused backpacking setup.

When I was there a few months ago, I thought the conditions outmatched my TT Rainbow. Winds were high, it was cold and it snowed. And our weather wasn't even bad. Those are HIGH mountains, when I head back to central asia I will be bringing a real tent.

October is clear skies, but can also be windy. You say "no extreme elevation", are you planning on trekking in the Tarai or middle hills?

I've led three treks in Nepal, all of them camping trips. On two I used the heavy cotton double A pole tents provided by the trekking company but on one I used my Phoenix Phreeranger tent, which is the same design as the TT Rainbow but with nine guylines. On those treks there were torrential downpours, thunderstorms, high winds and snow but overall the weather was better than I'm used to in the Scottish Highlands! I would think the MLD DuoMid would be fine as would any backpacking tent designed for exposed sites.

Would something like a Moment or Scarp be a better choice then for Nepal or something else?

Thanks for everyone's suggestions! Work has been trying to kill me and haven't had time to reply.

I have had several people suggest I do one or the other (tea house vs camp) given the extra weight of backpacking gear. I am guessing they are right however true to form I am going to try and do both. Experience good or bad is the best learning tool? Hopefully the extra weight won't be too dramatic split between 2-3.

So I ended up buying a black diamond megalight based on price, now needing to house 3 people and several good reviews/comments by users on this site.

I also read about the use of grip clips as mid panel tie outs which should increase wind stability some. Plus we are planing our sleep systems to handle -20c…just in case. The highest we are likely to trek is 5500m but pretty sure we won't try and camp on a pass…sticking to the yak pastures sounds nicer!

Thanks again for the suggestions!