Help me design a vestibule for my Stephensons 2R

[Diplomatic Mike]

I've been meaning to get a vestibule made for my 2R, but never seem to get around to it. I'm determined to do so for this winter.
Anyone have any ideas? I'm thinking of something along the lines of the Black Diamond vestibules.
I want to use my trekking poles, and not carry a seperate pole. The material could be cuben or sil.
I use a 5' X 8' tarp at the moment, but it is a windcatcher, and i take it down before sleeping. The ideal vestibule would be a wind resistant shape that i would feel safe leaving up overnight. We get lots of fast moving storms here.

I've got a couple of ideas, but maybe someone can throw in an idea i haven't thought of.

[Jeremy Osburn]

It seems to me that the hardest part would be how you would attach it to the tent. The easiest would be to sew it on. I would think that a permanent attachment would help stabilize it a bit. I am picturing a sewn own vestibule that has stake loops for the existing front pole (red), then 2 more for two additional stakes by your poles (green), and then too more for the entrance.

You could add a few tie outs to the tunnel part for stability. Basically the vestibule on the MSR Dragontail

[Franco Darioli]

Not as easy as it may appear.
Essentialy the Warmlites use what it would normally be the vestibule as floor space, so you cannot just modify it as it is suggested above ( MSR Dragonfly way) , nor add a BD style vestibule because of the front pole configuration. .
Note that the front pole of the Warmlites slopes outward whilst the BD have the poles sloping inward.
I borrowed some of Douglas Ide pics to illustrate the point.

So in my view is you are after a vestibule that you can keep attached at night (ie not an added tarp) you need to modify the front of the tent and that is going to change completely the way it works.
Franco

[Diplomatic Mike]

I don't want to modify the tent. It's a removable vestibule i'm after.
You're right Franco, it's the forward leaning front pole that's giving me headaches. I don't want to exert forces on it that it isn't designed to take.

[Jeremy Osburn]

You could sew a few D rings to the tent right behind the front pole and then clips to the edge of your vestibule. Since you want to use trekking poles as support, your vestibule could be designed to have less slope away from the door until you have the distance you are looking for. Then just go strait to the ground. with the fabric from there. The only issue I see with this is there would be alot of extra fabric for little gain in vestibule.

Another option is that if this tent is for winter use only you could leave off the vestibule front and build a snow wall. Still seems like a heavy solution though.

[Sam Farrington]

Have you thought about something like the front awning on the MSR Fling?

This would not be a full coverage vestibule, but it would help solve a drawback of the 2R: Entry and exit in the rain without flooding the bathtub floor. It would also allow some coverage for cooking in sheltered areas when the rain is not wind blown. The vestibule would not be removable, but could be rolled up and secured at the front pole seam. One or both (A-frame) trekking poles would support the front point of the vestibule.

Coincidentally, I spoke with the Warmlite folks about this, but they were not interested in designing and making one. Someone else might have more luck.

[Diplomatic Mike]

Thanks for the feedback folks.
I'm looking for a 'down to ground' vestibule, Samuel. I think an 'awning' would be as much of a windcatcher as my tarp.

[Sam Farrington]

In an earlier conversation with Warmlite folk, they ventured that the 2R already has a vestibule, a vestibule with a floor no less.

They may have been getting at the length of the tent, head to foot, being quite a bit more than most others, so that you can lay down in the tent with your feet close to the narrow end, and have quite a bit of space between your head and the front door.

If that be so, then the solution might be to shorten the floor, and place a bug screen inside the arch of the front pole. It would add some weight, but certainly a lot less than conventional add-on vestibules.

They were so keen on thinking of the area under the front door as a vestibule that they might be willing to make such a modification. Assuming again, that the floor is still long enough after shortening.

[Jared Withrow]

http://www.exped.com/exped/web/exped_homepage_int.nsf/0/2293d97cd9533b52c12578570052a51a/contentLeftTop/0.B4!OpenElement&FieldElemFormat=jpg

seems like something like that should do ya pretty well. I'm considering something like it myself.. just a fyi its off an exped tent. the link to the page wouldn't work

[Franco Darioli]

That Exped Arc tarp is 1.33kg (almost 3 lbs) with the front pole but no pegs.
So with pegs it is heavier than the tent itself.
You also need to take it down before you go to sleep.
(please don't ask why…)
Franco

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