Considerations for silnylon/spinn/cuben tarps

[Andrew King]

Hello BPL folks. I am looking at various options for 1-man tarps. I'd like to have the option to use this tarp above the treeline for an upcoming Weminuche trip this summer. There is definitely a lot of skill involved here, and I am also in the middle of the learning phase, but would like to get a better feel for how to make these choices. I have already purchased a lightweight bivy sack with breathable upper fabric. I do currently own a Spinnshelter, but became concerned over comments about fabric failure in high winds. One option I have looked at recently is the Oware Cattarp 1.5, a nice sized tarp for which there is a Cuben Fiber option weighing only 5 oz. The fabric is supposed to be very resistant to tearing, but I am also concerned about care of this fabric, and sensitivity to puncturing. Would anyone care to comment about their experiences with this fabric?

thanks

Andy

[Chris Jackson]

Andrew, I think that the spinnshelter would be ideal for summer in the Weminuche. I have spent about six weeks (aggregate) in the Weminuche during summertime, much of it above treeline, and have yet to encounter winds strong enough to destroy a spinnshelter. (Highly electrical thunderstorms have driven me below treeline on several occasions.) If the winds do pick up, it should be pretty easy to beat a rapid retreat to treeline because treeline is quite high, nearly 12k. The exception would be if you're camped on a mountaintop surrounded by 3rd or 4th class terrain, in which case you'll be at the mercy of Zeus.

[Will Rietveld]

I agree with Chris, lightning is more of an issue above timberline in the Weminuche. I live next to the Weminuche and backpack there nearly every week in the summertime. I prefer to camp above timberline to get away from the bugs, and have used everything from a tarp to a tarptent. The Spinnshelter should work well, as will a tarp with a bag cover. There are usually some gusty winds with a thunderstorm (in August) which can blow in some spindrift. Unless you're a diehard, its much friendlier to camp just below timberline if thunderstorms are imminent.

[Andrew King]

I appreciate the feedback guys. I'm definitely no diehard when it comes to lightning. We'll be heading out there in the mid July timeframe, we may luck out and not get hit with too many of the storms. It sounds like my concerns about the reliability of the Spinnshelter in moderately windy conditions are unfounded. If you're not not interested in the poncho/tarp route, the weight of the Spinnshelter solution seems hard to beat.

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