Critique please

Mark,

I too like the design you mentioned. I first saw a tent with this design in a sporting goods store in Vancouver BC in the early 1970s and have been making and buying tents with this design ever since.

I'd suggest making a two person first. I think you can get it down to the 2-3 lb range(tent, fly and poles) easily using the lightweight materials you are proposing. You can use it for 2 person or solo trips and then consider the 1 person options.

I'd give the Tarptent Scarp 2 a good look and then modify as you see fit from there. Using the Scarp 2 as a reference I would make one for my use that was smaller, had no carbon fiber struts on the ends, had lower ends, did not have end walls on the fly, did not have straps for winter pole use and had a cuben fly.

The Suluk 46 tent has two poles. My experience is that adding a cross piece is well worth the small extra weight. Steve at Suluk 46 was also considering the addition of a cross piece. I think the Scarp's hooped pole is the best option, however. Pole is easy to make and easy to replace and interferes less with entering and exiting the tent than a straight poles.

Best of luck.

Daryl

I am thinking of doing something similar and having had a goilite inner with noseeum had decided on using 8d.

I like the Haven style design as well. See this link on a MYOG design that I developed. I am still in design.

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=62531&skip_to_post=534689#534689

Regarding width: my calculations are that a foot of width adds 1oz (ie 12 square feet) on the fly using .75oz cuben, so I fully agree with going wider.

Regarding the inner net. The haven inner is 14oz, compared to only 10oz for the fly. The inner also reduces headroom and floor space. My recommendation is to go with perimeter netting and raise the fly six inches to minimize condensation. Attach polycryo to the netting for a ground sheet. This solution cuts the inner weight in half and solves your dilemma of having one person and two person inner nets. Finally, this eliminates the second zipper and entry point, making it easier to get in and out of the tent.

Here is a link to a similar thread from Daryl Clark. He has implemented what you are considering. Non coated inner net material seems to work well.

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=42163&disable_pagination=1

I am curious whether you are considering a cross bar. If not, how do you plan to secure the trekking poles?

Edit: more direct response to op

Thanks all for the feedback. I think I will buy a cuben Haven fly and build my own inner for it. I looked at building my own fly with a cost saving of around $150 but being time poor I think I will spend the dollars rather than the hours.

I am unsure how the poles are anchored at the top of the Haven but it should possible to add in a cross piece. I use Ti Goat poles and have worked out a simple way to connect them – it is just a matter of how this will fit into the peak of the Haven.

I will build my own 2 person inner using 1oz cuben for the floor, 8D for the roof and nanseeum for the doors but may make the bottom 30cm of the doors in 8D to minimise drafts and splash. This should weight 300g plus attachment elastic/cord etc. giving an all up weight of under 700g, This is comparable on a per person basis to a Hexamid and net inner combo, a combination I have been considering for solo use.