New Six Moon Designs Shelters….

You took the thought right out of my head there!

I also would love to see a Gatewood Cape design in Cuben that you could use as you chose with an inner or bivy.

I too don't use it as a cape/rainwear.

A Cuben Gatewood Cape without the rain-wear faff would be tremendous!

Yeah, I love my Cape's side entry. Soooooo much easier than a front entry tarp.

What does the two pole set up offer over a single centre pole set-up? I was wondering if the two poles are more, or less stable?

Will the pole sleeves / set-up work with the handles of pacerpoles?

Steven,

The Coleman Peak 1 Cobra sounds similar to what you are asking for.

Two person, two side entries. Weight-tent (24.2oz), fly (19.6oz), poles (7.6oz) for a total of about 3 1/4 lbs (51.4oz).

I like the tent but would prefer less mosquito netting.

Not sure if it currently available.

Here’s a photo. Not sure if the tent in the photo has the same specs as mine because I bought mine some years ago (maybe 10?).

tent
Daryl

This is close to my idea of the ideal two person tent. It's based on the Coleman Peak I. It weighs about 2 lbs 4 ozs including pole, stakes, and fly. It's a very cozy two person tent (like best w a wife or significant other). Someday I'll learn to sew or find someone to make me a custom Cuben rain fly for it and make it even lighter. Or maybe someone will manufacture something real close.

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=11839&skip_to_post=176960#176960

I too still use a Coleman Cobra Peak 1. No longer made. Later versions of the Cobra added a second pole in the front of the tent . The more current Inyo has that second pole as well. I find I don't need a second pole if I do a taut pitch to the front. If you wanted to add a second pole it could be built out of PVC or aluminum and be pitched on the outside of the fly through the 2 front guy-outs. The Cobra is great in that it has two doors and vestibules. Some time back here at BPL someone had a new fly made for one out of Sil.

This has some of the features I really like about my GG The One (side entry, off-center apex, twin trekking pole setup) and adds width, length, and a mesh inner that allows both sides to be open for views and cooling.

Really nice.

Cuban already out of stock!

** Edit: Not sure why I thought it would be in stock, as these are pre-order. Sending my pre-order for the cuban version once I get the registration conformation email. **

Richard,

Thanks for the link to your previous post on the Peak 1 Cobra. I read the entire thread and was pleased to see you got the weight so low.

The relatively flat and wide ridgeline makes the tent very attractive for two people. A single pointed pyramid shaped roof doesn't work as well for two, in my opinion, although it works fine for 1 person.

I'm a fan of the side entry, one hooped or shaped pole tent design. I've made and bought several 1 and 2 person models over the past 40 years. I like the Scarp, for example.

Different strokes for different folks. I considered making a new inner tent for the Cobra from solid fabric. I seek warmth in a tent.

Daryl

Very interested in the tent. But I want to ask about the ventilation.

Why no ventilation at the top of the tent? How to ensure the airflow when the canopy is fully closed?

I ordered the Trekker this morning with the porch…now come on July…

Since he's become one of the more visible gear junkies on the forums I frequent, I thought I would make fun of Stick for buying another tent. Instead………..I just went and ordered a Scout. Enabler.

Hey Andrey,
Re:
"Why no ventilation at the top of the tent? How to ensure the airflow when the canopy is fully closed?"

I suspect because top vents often seem to let in spray when the wind is really bad in a rain/snow storm. This is often debated in shelter designs.

The bottom seems to have a gap that provides significant ventilation when fully closed.
I think in general, you would only have it fully closed when you really needed it in harsh conditions, wet wind or cold

Hey Ron,
Re:
"That doesn't mean I won't look to offer a lower price two person tent. It depends upon how well the Scout does."

And I guess it's hard to really improve upon your other two person shelters except to have material options like cuben and polyester.
But would they sell well enough to make it worthwhile?

I already made my major gear purchase for the year…. (living in the glutinous lap of luxury with a new exped snynmat 7 DLX with the integrated pump), so wifey won't be too interested in what I have in mind for mitigating those added numerous DLX ounces. The scales will be tipped back in my net favor if I just splurge on the Skyscape X. At half the weight of my current squall 2, I am seriously being tempted….. Don't know if I could justify dropping $450 on a tent though.

I almost pulled the trigger on a wild oasis/gatewood cape/lunar solo in the past, but kept getting steered away by comments by tall owners who were hitting the sides of the tent with their feet/heads. I almost pulled the trigger on the hexamid as well, but saw those same type of comments. Ron Moak, you are an evil man. You tempt me so.

I love the offset side entry, the extra long interior, all the netting and the porch option.

It is very interesting to see traditional construction weight vs. ultralight weight vs. fringe lunatic weight. This is the first tent that I can think of that has been offered in 3 different versions. There are differences between the models in things like netting used and floor weights, but the main difference is in the canopy materials. Very cool.

Scout
34 ounces, 190T canopy, 190T floor, 40D netting

Trekker
24 ounces, 20D sil canopy, 40D sil floor, 20D netting

X
16 ounces, CT2K.08 cuben canopy, CT2K.08 cuben floor, 20D netting

RE: Since he's become one of the more visible gear junkies on the forums I frequent, I thought I would make fun of Stick for buying another tent. Instead………..I just went and ordered a Scout. Enabler.

haha… Glad I could be of assistance…

@Daryl & John

Coleman still makes a version of the old Cobra, but it is sold overseas. It is called the Bedrock 2 and they went really cheap on the materials. A polyethelene floor and fiberglass pole… http://coleman.eu/UK/p-23590-bedrock-2.aspx

Also take a look at the Falcon X2. Kind of in kind of a similar vein, although it appears to be made with better materials. http://www.coleman.eu/UK/p-25800-falcon-x2.aspx

It is interesting to see what is still available overseas as opposed to the US. The The European Eureka line also has some interesting stuff you don't see stateside.

Yes very similar . You may want to edit your first link _the period at the end messes it up if you aren't careful . It might be interesting to see what kind of spare parts are available on these tents. Coleman US still has some Cobra parts.

So I bought the Scout. Its the heaviest of the 3 new tents, but at 34 oz, thats not too bad…or is it? I thought about the price and decided that I could get the Scout for $90 or two Scouts for the price of one SilNylon version. I decided its not worth the extra money. The only time I plan to use it is during the buggy months, and typically my kit is lighter anyway. Its definately heavier than my Golite SL2 and tyvek ground sheet. I think it was the price that put over the top. $105 shipped. I will never go sub 5 with this tent, but I can still go sub 8, possibly sub 7, in comfort. I'll keep the Gatewood Cape around to make me feel "hardcore" but when it comes down to it, I think the Scout will be in my pack on most trips.

Wow! It's almost like Ron designed the Scout just for me… A budget-minded guy, new to the UL scene, who wants to go lighter, but isn't willing to go tent-less. I was hoping to eventually find a good deal on a BA Fly Creek UL 2-man, but this comes in at roughly 1/3 of the price!

Ron, I hope you're still reading this… I have a few questions about the design that I can't discern from the photos. Is there a second door allowing access to vestibule storage? If not, does the back-side vestibule open to allow gear access, or do you just tuck stuff up under the edge? Is the 48" width measured at the shoulders or feet? Whichever it is, what is the other measurement? The SMD website sells a 45" pole. My geometry is a bit rusty, but that seems too short to reach a 45" peak height when the base of that triangle is 48". What is the actual pole length needed?

Finally, when packed, will it fit in the left-side long mesh pocket on the Traveler that I want to order as soon as that next production run comes in (using the hoop stay instead of the individual stays)?

Thanks,
Ken

Ken,

There is no door in the backside of the Skyscape. However, that vestibule is fully zippered. This allows it to be completely rolled back. So access to gear stored on that side of the tent is a bit more awkward but possible.

The 48" width is the widest part of the floor. The width of the floor at the foot is 32".

Your geometry is correct. The actual height is about 43" due to the incline of the pole. The peak is not a triangle because there is a bar across the top of the tent that separates the two poles. The Skyscape models are designed to use a 45" pole. We'll also be offering a lower cost aluminum pole in addition to the Carbon Fiber version.

As to the Traveler, we're currently in the process of converting our existing Travelers from the dual stays to the newer hoop stays. Once we've got some done we'll post an announcement on the website. Probably after we're back from the ADZPCTKO.

And yes the tent will fit into the side pocket of the Traveler.

Ron

Thanks, Ron! I love the vendors that participate on forums like these.

Also, thanks for putting on a sale I can actually take advantage of! It seems most discount prices come and go before I can work that gear into the budget (my kids spend the fun money as fast as I can make it). With this intro price going until the end of May, it's a break I can actually work into the plan!

Now I'm torn… Which one do I get first? The tent? The pack? Either one saves me three pounds, and both max out on the cool toy scale. ARRRGGGGHHHH!!!!

I have a question related to Scout and the failure to ensure seam sealing. If possible, please describe in more detail the consequences:

– Does this mean that one will have a lot of water on the floor in case of rain?
– Or is assumed that water will flow along the outer side of the net?
– Or maybe there is something that the end user can make with seam sealing?

In other words, how one will deal with water when it rains?

Thank you.

Andrey,
Many silnylon shelters are not seam sealed from the factory. It is incredibly time and space consuming for a small manufacturer to do this, but some companies will offer this service for an extra fee. It is likely that if you do not seam seal any shelter, you will have water dripping through the seams when it rains. Water soaks into the threads and needle holes that are created in the seams, and it soaks through until it drips into the inside of your shelter.

You'll need to buy some GE Silicone II and some odorless mineral spirits. You mix them with a ratio of 1 part mineral spirits to 3 parts silicone. Basically, the ratio isn't that important, but you want to get a mixture that you can "paint" onto the seam. Not too runny that it's dripping down your shelter walls, but thick enough to paint on. After letting dry overnight, test with a garden hose. On some seams, you may have to apply the mixture more than once to ensure a good seal.

Here's a Tarptent video of mixing the silicone and paint thinner. (Sorry Ron!)

Marc,

Thanks for the links to the heavy and light versions of the Cobra selling overseas. I checked out both and did some more googling to find out what I could.

That Falcon X2 is tantalizing. Hard to get a clear look at it but it appears to have more solid nylon in the tent, which I like, and it comes in at 2.9 lbs.

Looks like they might have removed a door, however. That's a bummer and might explain the reduction in weight.

Daryl

Where are the skyscape shelters manufactured?