Alpinlite Tarps

I have a Stratiform I tarp.

Light, easy to set up, looks kinda cool.

I have always used my Katabatic Pinon bivy under it.

I have the SpinnShelter but also have a custom size Alpinlite Bug Tent and one of my hiking buddies has a Terraform, Bug Tent, and a custom Alpinlite Tarp. Gen is a great guy and the quality is as good or better than most other cottage companies.

@David

Do you think that you could go without a bivy under the Stratiform 1? Maybe the Stratiform III would be better.

@Bradford

I saw your posts about your custom bug tent under the Spinnshelter and I like how they fit together. Since the Spinnshelter appears similar in dimensions to the two, do you use a bivy under your Spinnshelter?

This is for the future as some things have come up recently and I have been selling some gear so when I'm able I will need to purchase a new shelter. Nothing wrong with doing research though:)

You could also consider the SMD Meteor bivy.
It is roomy and has a huge open bug net.

You don't feel like you are trapped in it.

I usually use mine open as just a ground cloth/bag cover, but I can zip it up for bugs and additional warmth as needed. I hang the Meteor from a ridge line that I run down the center, giving me lots of room and ventilation.

I own Bradford's old Spinnshelter. He sold it to me so he could get the newer model.

It is my favorite combination for rough weather backpacking.

P.S. Although I am a fan of silnylon, spinnaker and cuben have the distinct advantage in that they don't expand when wet or cold.

Silnylon shelters tend to sag when the temperature drops or when it gets wet. So you can end up with a sagging flapping shelter if the wind picks up in the middle of the night.
There are ways to get around this, but…

I have considered the Meteor bivy and it does look like it may work. Is it easy to vent yourself from under your sleeping bag in it? I'm worried that it may be too hot during the summer. I guess the reason why I'm a little weary of spinnaker is, having never used it, I'm not sure of it's strength. I have read about it and I know it's plenty strong but I like how silnylon has that stretch and give that allows you to apply a large amount of tension and not tear it.

Unlike other bivys, the top of the Meteor is half mesh so it is cooler in the summer than a full coverage bivy.

When I use it on hot summer nights, I either sleep on top of my sleeping bag in the bivy on buggy nights, until it gets cooler. If bugs aren't an issue, I open the mesh all the way. Or just use it as a ground cloth with your bag/quilt on top.

As I stated previously, I hang mine from a ridge in my shelter. I do this at two points and because the bivy is loose, especially the head net section, it creates a good sized gap above allowing lot's of air to flow inside. If I pitch my Spinnshelter high, the breeze blows right through.
It probably isn't as cool as a large bug net, but is pretty close. I do own an SMD Serenety bug net, but I find I prefer the flexibility of the Meteor in most cases.

As far as the strength of Spinnaker. It is designed to be used for sails on racing yachts. It has to be pretty strong to do that. Much stronger than required for a shelter.

The reports that I have heard of spinnaker failing have been on the seams off early models of shelters. The manufacturers have all improved their process and covered any repairs necessary. I personally have had no problems with mine. I did add diluted silicon to my seams just in case, but I doubt they needed it.

No need for a bivy with the SpinnShelter.

Hey Bradford.

Re: No need for a bivy

I agree, but you my want something for bug protection and a bug bivy is lighter than a net tent.

Ya a bug bivy will be lighter but sometimes the bugs can be crazy around here and I'm not sure how I would like the bivy. For bug protection I usually go with a net tent but you do take a hit on weight. I have never played with spinnaker so I do not have any experience with it. Is there enough room to sit up inside the Meteor?

The top bug net section of the Meteor is pretty big and can reach the top of the shelter when suspended. So yes you can sit up, but the net will be close to your face. So it could be kind of annoying if you had to sit up for a long time.

I find that I can move quite freely in the Meteor. In fact, now that I think of it, I don't feel any more confined than I do in the SMD Serenity or BearPaw Minimalist 1, either of which would be slightly cooler on a hot summer night and I would recommend them as well.

The Meteor has the advantage that if you pitch your shelter wide open or use it without any shelter, it will offer some protection against drizzle and dew. The bug nets will give some protection as well, but not as much as the Meteor.

For me the, the real difference is the weight and flexibility, but if I were primarily hiking in hotter climates, especially in scorpion country, a net tent would probably be my choice.

Everything is a compromise:-)

That's good to know that you can sit up even if it is a bit tight. I was worried that the netting would prevent you from sitting up.

"Everything is a compromise:-)"

Ya I guess the only way to solve this is to buy every shelter made as soon as I win the lottery:)

I think I'm leaning towards the Stratiform III. Gen is being very helpful with answering my questions.

@ Steve

Thank you, so much. I've been up in the air about purchasing the net tent or the meteor from SMD. You've provided a lot of pretty good answers to a lot of the back and forth in my head

All Good Wishes