Help a Poor College Student Out!

Had a Contrail first for 3 years. Sold it & got the Moment which is an amazing tent and THE fastest tent to adjust to the wind. Pull one end stake and pivot it on teh other end stake, re-stake and you're done.

Great vestibule space for your pack. Enough space also to cook in it out of the rain.

Great ventilation, better than the Contrail.

Hey all thanks so much for all replies I really appreciate it. Given me a lot to consider.

on Packs: The ULA Circuit and Ohm have jumped into the mix along with the Gorilla and Mariposa. So any advice regarding those would be AWESOME.

Tent: I love the looks of the TT Moment but its a tad heavier than the Contrail and also I am now really loving the looks of the Zpacks Hexamid Solo Tent w/ Screen.

All advice is welcomed!

I have a Circuit and a Gorilla copy and I've owned a Mariposa Plus. For what its worth, the Circuit fits/feels the best. I use it for longer trips and the Gorilla for shorter trips. I like the design of the Circuit the best.

Thanks Jeff,

Obviously the downside to the Circuit is that it is 38oz relative to the 24oz of the other packs but I really love all of the features that it has. I really want a pack that I am going to have for all my trips and that means carrying loads from 15 pounds all the way up to 25-30 range.

How does your Circuit carry relative to the Gorilla? And do you think the extra weight in the Circuit is worth the added comfort?

Thanks

Clint,

If I could only choose one, it would be the Circuit. It carries better for me and is more comfortable. The extra weight would be worth it. After stripping the unnecessary bits of the Circuit, mine weighs 33 oz. and I could probably get it a little lighter with some more trimming of the straps. I need the extra capacity for a bear canister though. If you could fit all your gear in a gorilla/ohm sized pack, I would definitely take a look at the Ohm. The 2.0 version could be a good compromise.

Hmm choices..

One thing between the Ohm and Circuit is that the Circuit is roll top which I think I would prefer. How water resistant is the Circuit?

And was there anything about your Gorilla that would make you get the Ohm instead of it?

"After stripping the unnecessary bits of the Circuit, mine weighs 336 oz."

Good Grief, Jeff! That sounds heavy.

–B.G.–

"Good Grief, Jeff! That sounds heavy."

I work out. ;)

Or, maybe that should say 33 oz.

Are these what you are referring to Bob?…http://thru-hiker.com/kits/lr_pants_kit.php

I would actuallt prefer the tarp/bivy combo but I cant find anything that is in the same neighborhood price wise as a tent because both of them put together are pricey. But if I found a tarp and bivy thatwere in the budget I would go with them for sure.

Also when using a bivy, some of them online look like they just sit on your face when you sleep. Im sorry but that would drive me mad how do yall put up with it??

Most bivies have a tie out that you can connect to your tarp to keep it off your face. Check out the picture here (scroll down). You could probably add a small tarp to the bivy in the link and get close to the price of the tents you’re looking at. I prefer more ventilation in bivies because I hike in hot weather with little rain, but if that net hood looks too breezy, check out Tigoat here. They offer a bivy with less netting, as do other companies. Oware has a 5×8 flat tarp here for $54, or an 8×10 flat tarp here for $102. They also offer cat cut tarps. BearPaw offers 6×10 and 8×10 tarps for $82 and $87 respectively here. I have products from both of them and they are excellent quality.

Thanks for the post I hadnt seen any of these before. I will most likely go with the tarp/bivy combo because they seem so versatile my main concern with the tarp though is weather protection but I assume you can set them up as close to the ground as need for protection right?

Also what is the difference btw normal and cat cut tarps?