Hexamid Solo or Flat Tarp?

[Jason McSpadden]

I'm trying to lighten my load some more. I can do so with either a cuben fiber flat/shaped tarp or a Hexamid Solo tarp both by Zpacks. I would probably just get the Hexamid with no netting. Those of you who have chosen a Hexamid over a regular flat or shaped tarp, what was your thinking in the decision? How is that working out for you now? If I chose a flat tarp it would be a 9×7 so that I would not need a bivy. Does the Hexamid solo need a bivy?

Any advice on this is welcomed.

Jason

[Jason McSpadden]

I know that I haven't given this much time but I'm impatient!

Thanks for any help or advice.

[Mark Verber]

I got a hexamid solo with netting because it was the lightest shelter I could find which would protect me from bugs and be fast and easy to pitch well. Shaped tarps tend to be easier to pitch, but you have less options in how you pitch. As to using the hexamid without a bivy… it's possible to use without a bivy. In a bad storm, especially with blown rain I would want either a bivy, a door, or the extra beak… mostly because I move a lot when I sleep, I overheat so my quilt is often open so it extends beyond the edge of my sleeping pad. It would be possible to manage without one of these IF you don't move much when you sleep and you use a ground cloth which is small enough to it doesn't collect the blown rain, but keeps your quilt / bag from touching the ground.

–Mark

[Ed Schmidt]

Jason,

I hiked the PCT with a 5×8 tarp and the CDT with a hexamid solo (tarp only).

>a Hexamid over … a tarp, what was your thinking in the decision?

I prefer the hexamid to a tarp because it offers more usable space with less fabric. A tarp (esp. a flat 9×7) would offer a wider range of pitches at a marginal campsite or in poor weather.

>Does the Hexamid solo need a bivy?

This depends on your trip and your own preferences. I did fine on the divide without a bivy – site selection is key.

-ed

[Jason McSpadden]

Mark and Ed, Thanks for sharing your thoughts and experiences with the Hexamid and the tarp. There are all of these wonderful decisions and the near gear available just adds to the process. I currently use a bivy and a MLD Pro Poncho. I like the flexibility of that system but once again I'm looking at getting even lighter.

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