Tent Choices

If I was looking for a tent with some livability for you dimensions, at "300ish", I'd probably go the Hexamid Plus route. $320, tons of space, 10oz.

I take it MYOG is not an option?

The solo+ is pretty sweet. I kind of like the idea of privacy, which the cuben doesn't help, but that wasn't a big deal to me in the bivy/poncho and would be equivalent. With beak/screen and tyvek goundsheet we're at $390 17.7oz. Cuben ground sheet adds something like $100, takes away about 3-4 ounces. Without beak saves $60, might use my umbrella to fill the gap there. Something to think on, but more expensive and less one piece / more to have to adjust and set (which could prove to be a positive).

DIY isn't a foreseeable option in my tiny apartment with no sewing machine or experience. I'd like to work towards this eventually, but not for this project.

That's a good choice if a TT Moment seems to small.

Hang your rain coat up inside the door instead of a beak, and I will mail you a strip of tyvek for free, save some money!

also, have you looked at the solong? seems like a lot of tent for the weight, and at the same price point (in sil)

You might want to give Yama Mountain Gear. I have 2 of his bug tents. They work really well.

What's more important, weight or money?

I just ask because I saw on one of your other posts that you were looking at the Gatewood Cape, which I think is kind of short. I'm one foot shorter than you and weight more than 100 lbs less, and I've held off on the GC because I thought it may be tight for me. So if you're looking at SMD, maybe the Lunar Solo, which is bigger now in the 2012 model or their Skyscape Trekker would work for you at more than $100.00 less than the Zpacks options, for about a 6 ounce total weight penalty, tops.

Also curious, since I'm doing the JMT this summer, where were the bugs the worst?

thanks.

Susan, I hear it varies by year, but the worst for me was around the sunrise camp area, then again by most streams, and I do stress the word most. For the time of year I went (August) I hear they were intense due to the high snow year and so later than normal melt period.

I'll check those options, thanks all

Thanks, Michael

I'm going in August this year. did you need a head net, or we're mozzies only a problem at dusk?

Susan, we are expecting to have a semi-dry summer this year. There will be some bugs, but they will be early in the season rather than late. Still, you want to avoid camping too near streams where they thrive. Lots of Sierra Nevada mosquito populations seem to be temperature sensitive, so there is maybe one hour in the evening when they get lively. If they come around in the morning, that means that it is time to get out of camp and get on the trail.

–B.G.–

If I was 6'2 + I would strongly consider the lightheart SoLong6. Available in Sil or Cuben.

Thanks, Bob

you always post great advice. Oh, how I wish I could do the whole PCT this year! it seems like a great year for it.

You could fit two of you in a solo Tarptent Rainbow.