Highest Peak in the Catskills & also 2 other 3500 peaks

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.627237608816.2122410.17506531&l=43eddc825f

Bryce, it was a good hike. Thanks for the photos. I'll post a couple later. I look in pain at Slide mountain because when I did Cornell Crack, I know I must have pulled or stretched my knee too hard getting up the crack. I'm short and that must have been what made my knee start to hurt. I never fell on the hike and can't think of anything else that stressed the knee. I'm feeling twice as good today as I did last night, I'll see how I'm doing tomorrow.

One thing I learned to appreciate is the beauty of a tent setup like the SixMoonDesign Tent Haven and Inner Net Tent versus the netting being sewn into the tent wall like the Duo Hexamid. I got stuff wet in my tent that night, and I think it was a combination of water coming down the netting and water coming up through the ground cloth via hydrostatic pressure penetration.

For holding up in severe rain, one wants a totally waterproof tent floor and that tent bathtub to be 100% independent of the outer tent/tarp ceiling. I know that Joe makes a inner tent for the Hexamid Solo but does not show one for the Duo. I'm going to contact him if he can make one similar to how Ron Moak makes one for the Haven Tarp.

I had to repair a 1/4in hole in my .51 CF tarp (no clue how it got there, it's only been used for 1 wknd prior, may of been there from start, who knows).

I used tenacious tape, about a quarter in size to patch it from the top. I cleaned the area w/ alcohol prior. Well it never leaked during the torrential downpour (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0YsRC4L4VU) for hours and after inspecting it this afternoon, it still look perfect. Not sure how sheathing tape holds up, but I'm very happy with how this performed. Plus it is clear….you'd be hard pressed to find the tape on my white tarp!

Doesn't Roleigh have a Packa? Disappointed that he didn't take that along.

He had a nice RAB eVent rain jacket and CF pack cover plus CF kilt.

Re: "I would of gotten soaked in my old GoLite poncho/tarp, even with a bivy I think."

Maybe not. If you make sure to pitch it on high ground and re-pitch at the first sign of rain you can stay quite dry even without a bivy, but the tarp would have to be re-pitched very low with only a few inches above you. This makes it very difficult to get in and out of, so a pee bottle comes in handy.

I was planing on using my Monk(5×9) tarp/Metwor Bivy combination next week when we hike through there, but I wanted to try out the new stealth modifications of my Spinnshleter. I am still up in the air about bringing the Meteor as well. The bugs can be bad in the Catskills during a rainy summer.

I'll bet you guys were glad you had the bug netting for this trip.

I was camped about 20 miles south of you guys and also experienced the cats and dogs that you did, but my shelter was in a more protected area, on a tent platform:-)

I think I am uber spoiled with my shelter, so perhaps I am over exaggerating. I can sit up, crouch and I even stood for a few seconds while packing up in the pouring rain….so nice! hehe.

We were stuck on a slab of rock so the biggest problem was splash from the rock bouncing under the tarp/tent. There was some gusts that blew wind, but not terrible as I recall.

Bugs were 1/2 as bad as our memorial day wknd hike in Harriman State Park, but yes still moderately buggy once you stopped moving.

For "bomber" rain protection I'll be rocking my "low pitch" next time there is chanceof nasty rain:
http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=47924&startat=25

(Just gotta figure out how to seal off open big netting…perhaps use my pack)

Yes, your new shelter is definitely the more comfy choice when you have to sit out a storm. You would have been very cramped in the poncho tarp when pitched tight to the ground.

Re: "Just gotta figure out how to seal off open big netting…perhaps use my pack"

I tend to hang my rain cape gear near the opening and if the rain is blowing or splashing in, fasten it so that is blocks most of the opening.

That my not be an option for you unless you modify your rain gear with tabs.
Mine has a couple of loops that make it quick and easy for me.

A pack laying along the bottom can reduce the splash significantly.

One of the things that I tend to do is always assume that a storm can come through without notice at any time as it is quite common in the north east and many other areas.
You can't go by the weather forecasts around here as the forecast always seems to be "chance of thunderstorms".

Of course I cut off the tassels that were used to tie back the bug netting on either side of the zipper to save weight, haha. In hindsight I would of left the inside tassel (cut off the outside one) so I could somehow tie my rain jacket to it and prevent splash like your stated. Oh well, normal rainstorms would still be cake as I had a good deal of room to move to the back of the shelter, it was just the hours of splash that intruded a bit.

Also, you could do as my uncle used to say when we would cowboy camp and rain would come through "just ignore the water and it won't bother you":-)

Hhe was spot on for the most part. I have slept fine with a fairly wet bag cowboy camping in the summer, but was still warm. But then again, this was in the south west where you can always dry your bag out when the sun came out.
That is often not possible in the north east.

Haven't tried it yet, guess I am a wuss with my nice down quilt, thinking it'd never dry out on a trip if it got wet.

And you are probably right about your quilt not drying out.
Places light the Catskills are too humid and you don't always get sun during the day.
So stuff just stays wet.

But, you usually have lots of good water sources to choose from:-)