New to BPL – gear list help

You might want to hold on to the REI tent for your Shasta/Rainier trips, as UL tents aren’t really designed for above treeline conditions.

If you do decide to trade in your tent, you could stick with REI. Check out the review of the Quarter Dome T2

But really, tarptents are totally the way to go for someone who wants to lighten up but isn’t ready for a tarp/bivy. The Scarp 1 and 2 are double walled like a conventional tent and along with the Moment and Rainbow could likely handle moderate below treeline winter conditions.

As far as a sleeping bag, i’s just about impossible to get around owning at least two if you want to camp in both summer and winter conditions. The closest you might be able to come is to get a full zip 20 degree bag(or quilt) that you can unzip and quilt in the warmer temps, and use the insulation you’re bring along on colder trips(down jacket and insulated pants, using your shell jacket/pants as a vapor barrier) to bring the temp rating of the 20 degree bag down to 10 degrees +/- how much insulation you are wearing. Myself, even quilted, I couldn’t stretch a 20 degree bag past 35-40. I’d just get too hot. So it’s 2 quilts for me.

The thing about two bags is that you can combine them. Get a 40 degree synthetic(or down)bag for summer. Get a 15-20 degree bag for winter. Sized appropriately, you could layer the two bags to take you close to zero. (Again, combined with the insulated clothing you’d be bringing anyways)

If you really like the Thermarest, consider going with the shorter 47″ length and saving 9-10oz. Do you sleep on your back or side? I use a 47″ Neoair and sleep on my side/stomach. At 5’10”, the NeoAir pads me from my head to my knees. Use clothes or your pack under your legs.

I've decided that I am going to keep the REI tent. I only use it when backpacking with another person and the weight can be shared. It's still not near the ultra light weight option of a tarp and bivy, but its at a manageable weight.

Nevertheless, I also decided to branch out and consider a tarp and bivy setup as well when I'm solo or want to go really light, so I did some research. I was getting really excited about being able to cut down a lot of weight, but then I got thinking. I can get claustrophobic easily and I'm thinking that I may not be able to handle sleeping in a bivy if it's covering my face. Would I be alright with it only partially zipped up if I was under a tarp and it was raining? If a bivy doesn't work, is a tarptent the only other really lightweight option for me?

Get a bivy with a side zip and it'll pretty much be the same as your sleeping bag.

If you get claustrophobic a true bivy might not be the best option for you. I recommend looking at looking at the line of Alpinlite Bug Shelters. You can get them made with a solid silnylon ends for added protection under a tarp and they are nice and roomy inside like a tent. I have the 1.25 and love it.

Another route is the tarp-tent style shelter route. There are other companies besides Tarptent making these styles of shelters. For solo use I might recommend looking at:

Tarptent Contrail
Tarptent Moment
Six Moon Designs Lunar Solo

For most conditions a 8' X 10' tarp does not require a bivy, espcially if for one person only.

When my new cuben Nano gets here, along with my Marmot Essence rain jacket I will have good 3 season coverage for around 13 oz of rain gear and shelter.