LytW8.com

[Jamie Shortt]

I've started a website called LytW8.com. Right now it's focused mostly on my personal experiences with lightweight backpacking. In the future I want to expand it to be much more. It's still a work in progress (one week old) so any constructive criticism is welcome.

LytW8.com

Thanks for taking a look.

Jamie

[Rod Lawlor]

Jamie,

It's looking great. I'd love to see some more pics from those trips you have posted, if that's possible.

I look forward to watching it in the future.

Rod

[Mark McLauchlin]

Looks good, I like your "mini tent"

Cheers

[David Lutz]

NIce job!

[Jack H.]

Sweet dude, I like seeing people's personal backpacking websites. I'm visitor #71!

[Jamie Shortt]

Many thanks guys! I'll try to add more pics and trip details (i.e. route, where to park, regulations, etc.)

Thanks, Jamie

[CW]

You should setup an @lytw8.com email address.

Also, some of your weights are a good bit off in your spreadsheet. Ex. the precip jacket and pants. You have the jacket @ 8.8 and pants at 5 but the real weights are closer to 13 for the jacket and 9 for the pants. Another is the Marmot Hydrogren. You have it at 19 ounces but the real weight is more like 25 ounces.

[Philip]

Looks great Jamie.

[Steven Evans]

visitor #122…very nice nice mini tent you have there.

[Jamie Shortt]

Chris, Thanks for catching the weights. I copied over one of the tabs this morning to add the LW tab. The weights were left over from the other gear. I will get this fixed.

edit: it should be fixed now…with corrected weights the LW list is now right at 12 lbs.

Thanks, Jamie

[Luke Schmidt]

I like it just fine as is but I'd second the motion for the rest of the pictures. Also I'd be curious to know exactly how you made that tent? I for one might try and make one of those at some point.
Luke

[Franco Darioli]

Nice kit !
Cute mod of the Virga.
Looks to me that the guyline from the bottom tip of the beaks could be tied a bit lower on the pole for a more even tension.
Please disregard this suggestion if you find it offensive.

Franco

[Jamie Shortt]

Franco, Thanks for checking out the website. I have changed the front guyline so it runs to the ridgeline. This seems to improve the pitch significantly.

The inspiration for the tent came from the book …

"How to Make your own Lightweight Camping & Hiking Gear" by Vick Hines copyright 1981

The book shows a tent with beaked front narrowing to a small end with beaks that sets up with a single pole from 1981.

I reworked all the dimensions and changed the way the floor worked and added vents along the side of the floor. I would also like to give credit to Ron Bell's Serenity Shelter. Though the concept is really different, the Serenity size gave me insight as to what were the minimal dimensions a person could work within. I didn't replicate the Serenity size though. My dimensions are more appropriate for a tent versus an interior net tent.

I am working on a new design that should improve on the current design. Keep checking.

Jamie

[Franco Darioli]

Yes, that provably did not sound the way I meant it…
The Virga was certainly not the first modified A frame shelter on the market.
As you hint at, with the comment about the Serenity shelter, most tents now start with a certain design in mind and then trying to improve or adapt that for one's own use. Same with most things really.

Franco

[Acronym Esq]

I really like the presentation. The colors and the layout are slick.

If it's not too late to offer constructive criticism… In your left menu, add a new section called "Technique." Things that go in Technique are:
– "LytW8 Process"
– "How to pack LytW8 gear…"
– Tarp Pitch methods (lifted from Lightweight Testimony and expanded on)

Impressive site.

acronym 5/16/2010 3:54 AM

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