MLD Duomid or Trailstar

Ah, yes the Ti Bivy, it easily fits in the daypack. I had one, but it was overkill for Arizona, I needed more Bug than Bivy.

I, too, am waiting on my Trailstar to come in. The many pitching options and it's simplicity sold it for me. Also, no-zip means it can't ever fail.

Hendrik, I was kinda pleased with that pitch actually ;-) The lens covers it slightly, but note the curve in the 'back' vertical seams on the DuoMid, caused by the centre pole being off centre. Not a show-stopper, but does ever-so-slightly affect the interior headroom, particularly when pitched tight to the ground. The side pull-outs help to mitigate this.

The Trailstar has a profusion of hanging loops inside, ideal for suspending a bivy bag head net (I use the TiGoat Ptarmigan wih full mesh) or creating a decent gear-drying clothes line.

Does anyone know how far off the ground the inside hooks are when sides are pitched to the ground? I might look into a MYOG bug protection project with the Trailstar.

OT –
"Camping is illegal in most of the US, especially where I live…"

True where private land predominates.
True adjacent to high density areas that are easily overrun.

But once you get into large tracts of state and federal lands, you will find very few restrictions.

…end drift (I hope)

"But once you get into large tracts of state and federal lands, you will find very few restrictions."

– Just out of curiosity, and as a foreigner living in the US often bewildered by the complexities of the BLM, are there any other state or federal lands other than the obvious state parks, national forests etc. which I might be missing?

I'm in Minneapolis, and the nearest large tracts of land as far as I'm aware are up around the BWCA and North Shore. I'd be happy to find something more 'local'.

"Just out of curiosity, and as a foreigner living in the US often bewildered by the complexities of the BLM, are there any other state or federal lands other than the obvious state parks, national forests etc. which I might be missing?"

National Forest and Wilderness are also good bets.

If you chat with local National Forest or National Park rangers, they'll give you a lot of advice. Every once in a while you'll run into an ornery one, but they're rare — the vast majority of the rangers very much want to help you visit the wilderness.

Another resource is a local chapter of the Sierra Club or the Mountaineers. Check the national sites, and see if there are chapters in your vicinity. Those folks usually know the area really well, including who to talk to for back country permits and such.

This thread is perfect since I'm going to place an order for one of these in the next few days and have a decision to make.

I will be living out of this thing a LOT this summer in Wyoming working on trail crews and generally doing lots of backpacking and want a comfortable and versatile tent. One thing that I want is a decent sized opening. With a simple A-frame tarp I can sit upright at the head end and have the tarp completely above my head. At 6'1", I wonder if the Trailstar can still offer an opening this large, or is this how high the center pole is usually set to?

Also, sewing bug netting to the bottom of the Trailstar seems like more of a hassle than the Duomid. Since there is no dedicated door, I guess you would have to make a point to always using the same piece of fabric as the door opening, which is where you'd have a larger piece of netting? With the DuoMid it seems so simple. Ryan Jordan posted something on his blog where he did this to his SuperMid, just sewed netting to the bottom edge of the tarp…dunno about the door situation. ANYWAYS…does anyone have experience rigging bug netting to this thing other than just crawling inside your bivy with bug netting (not comfy in hot/humid climates!!!)?

Eric,
I should be receiving my Trailstar in a few weeks, and I've been debating on how I want to add bug protection.

I've got some ideas about attaching a removable netting–it attaches halfway (or somewhere in the vacinity) up the canopy. It then can attach to a silnylon groundsheet fit just big enough to sleep on. Why half way up and not at the very perimeter? I'm hoping to get the best of all worlds: bug protection that will work with most or all of the possible pitch configurations of the Trailstar, some covered yet floorless space to cook on, and a modular shelter.

Now, upon receiving my shelter and inspecting dimensions, I may find that my ideas will not work at all. I'll just have to wait and see. Please post with any of your ideas, and I'm going to be sure to do the same.

Eric, I reckon you could sew netting around the edges and add a center-opening bug door once you had your pitch sorted out. It would mean that you'd have to stick to one pitch height all the time, which would limit the versatility. I think a single-person inner net hanging from one or two of the inside hooks would be a better option. I need to push that to the top of my projects list, bug season is coming up fast.

As for door height, it really depends on the pitch. If you set the pole high and the sides high, you could have a very tall door. If you want the edges close to the ground, you can still have a taller door by creating a straighter ridgeline between the center pole and the upper guy point of the door. The edge corners by that door can be set close together, making a tall and narrow door, or up and further out, creating more space and ventilation.

It's hard to describe the differences in space fairly subtle variations in pitch and rigging will make.

Wouldn't a bug bivy work?

Bug bivys are probably the easiest option, but I'd like a bit more bug-free space. I'm also trying to make it work for 2 people. I've got a SMD serenity shelter that would most likely work for solo use, but if the girlfriend wants to come along….

T-Funk: I don't see the need for a floor with the Trailstar. Well exceptions would be places with ABSURD ant problems like Southern Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, etc…but thats a different story. Just let the mesh drape to the ground, and if there is an issue with bugs being able to sneak in an air gap, just weight the loose mesh down with shoes and spare gear.

"Just let the mesh drape to the ground, and if there is an issue with bugs being able to sneak in an air gap, just weight the loose mesh down with shoes and spare gear."

The Trail Star is pretty big – you would need a lot of gear to do that!

+1 SMD Serenity Bug Net- 7oz, groundsheet and bugnet, variable pitching in a tipi tarp.
I use mine in my ShangriLa 3, which I bought before the Trailstar came out, but I'm sure it would work just as good. When my wife comes along, I sleep in my bivy and she gets the Serenity (and the DAM!!).
I hope this helps.
cheers,
fred

Anyone tried the Simblissity Inner Peace bug net with a Trailstar? http://simblissity.net/images/inner%20peace/ip-occupant-up.jpg

Looks like a much cheaper option than a SMD one, but not as much living space either!

Funny that John says you can use the SMD bugnetting when others say you can't use the MLD, but the MLD looks nearly identical….

Another interesting review http://www.stevenhorner.com/?p=1003. Comments specifically on performance Vs Atko and Duomid.

I haven't had much chance to use my Duomid yet, but may consider changing to a TS, as strong wind performance is a biggie for me.

That's a really nice review!

One of the things that I've noticed is the relatively large discrepancy in weight for the Trailstar between MLD's website and every other measurement. MLD claims 15 oz, but the shelter usually comes to around 18-20 ounces with guylines, stuff sack, and seam sealing. Stakes will add another 3-5 ounces.

In order to get it down to 15 ounces, you couldn't seam seal it, have no guylines, no stuff sack, and cut off the linelocs!

Granted, seam sealing and guylines are variables so it's hard to list a weight for those, but I still think 15 ounces is a little too low.

The weight breakdown of mine:
Seamsealed shelter in silnylon stuffsack: 18 ounces
Guylines: 0.75 ounces
Stakes: 4 ounces

All in all, its still a low weight considering the protected space you get, versatility, and bombproofness.

Jason, did you see the thread describing how you can set up the Trailstar as a Mid? You don't get a nice zippered entry and have to squeeze in and out of the side, but it works perfectly well. You end up with a 7×7 Mid, whereas the real Duomid is about 9×5.

Travis – yes I did see the set up thread thanks. That sized mid would be fine for me as I am hiking solo.

My sealed Duomid with guylines weighs in at 20 oz with pegs as extra. It was about 18.5 oz before guylines and sealing, so again a bit heavier than expected.

I ordered a duomid but am pretty certain I want to change that to a trailstar. I thought it was too big, but finding more pictures and reviews online, I don't think it is. I hike and camp near a lot of sierra alpine lakes, space occasionally is cramped between the rocks, but a tarp can go between the rocks. I wanted this as a winter tent, but do far more three-season hiking and they both look pretty good for winter time use.

So … any reason not to cancel and change my order? Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

Can't go wrong with either, Brian.

That said, there is a simple elegance to the Trailstar that I like.

I, too, thought the TS was too big but it really isn't in all but the tightest woods or alpine environments. There will be spots where the Duo would fit better, but I believe you'll be fine with the TS.

I have the TS in yellow but would go with grey if I were to do it again. The yellow is awesome in the morning but the bugs are absolutely drawn to the color and you'll be sharing your space with a lot of them. I go with a Borah net bivy if hiking alone and use the Oookworks TS bug inner if hiking with a partner. Not cheap and not particularly light, but utilizes all of the space of the TS. http://oookworks.com/2OookStar.html

nm

As much as I hate to agree with a socialist, I'd also stick with the Duomid. I've had both (still own a Trailstar), and I think the Duomid is the better overall choice.

I appreciate the replies. Unfortunately, there's no consensus. I will consider the bugs fondness for yellow. I had not thought of that and, especially with the Trailstar's lack of doors, it could be a big deal. Probably just need to buy both at somepoint. Ron at MLD assured me I have time to think about it, so I'll do just that. That ookworks inner does look nice. It'd be a prerequisite to getting my wife to fall asleep under a doorless, floorless tarp.