Survey of lightweight one-person shelters?

[Brian Johns]

@the other jack Elliot … No. You CAN use four poles and an optional "porch" they sell to create an awning on either side to sit under outside of the tent. I have never tried this, but I have and use the optional CF poles that are 1.8 oz. each. So I could set up this way with only 2 trekking poles.

[Dale Whitton]

Here are some pics of the Notch in outback Australia with a healthy dose of dust.

…and sharing a campsite with a Stratospire II

The semi solid inner kept the dust out pretty well, so I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it for this sort of environment.

[Diana Vann]

Dale,

Thanks for sharing the photos. Have you experienced high winds with the Notch? Any other comments you (or other Notch users) can provide would be of interest.

[Mark Verber]

> hexamid… Entryway looks mighty low.

it is. if I was going to switch from the hexamid to something else, this would likely be what drives me to it. entry hasn't been a problem, but it seems like I have yet to exit without rubbing against the top of the doorway. No fun when it's covered in dew or wet from rain.

–Mark

[Jack Elliott]

(Killing time here, waiting for the report to come out on Wednesday.)

To tell the truth, I resent having to sleep under/inside any shelter. I started backpacking in the early '70s in SoCal and did most of my hiking there. The weather tends to be mild, the chance of rain low outside the rainy ("mudslide") season so I almost always was able to sleep under the stars.

The climate here in Central Oregon is more changeable, goes through much wider temperature swings; without warning it can switch from a calm, clear evening to an early-morning shower of rain. This happened to me on the second night of my recent seven-nighter in the Eagle Cap Wilderness, and thar I wuz, awakened by the spatter of raindrops on my down bag, getting up and banging up my Paratarp in the middle of the night, muttering.

Wind, below-freezing temps, unpredictable precipitation all resulted in my sleeping under the tarp from that night on.

I missed laying in bed, watching the stars on those moonless nights. The little sliver of sky I could see in the shelter opening showed the most spectacular skies I've ever seen.

I need the tent equivalent of Wonder Woman's silly invisible airplane.

[Tom Lyons]

What some people do to see the stars is to sleep in the bug-netting inner tent, with the outer "rain fly" tarp setting next to it.
This allows seeing the stars on a clear night.

If it begins to rain, they go out and quickly put up the rain fly.
It can often be done in a minute or so.

It might not be a perfect solution, but it's what other people do.

[Jack Elliott]

Tom, it's probably what I'll end up doing, too. As you say, it's not perfect: looking through mesh ain't as good as looking through clear, dry 8,000 ft. elevation air, but ya gotta do what ya gotta do.

[Jerry Adams]

You don't need mesh most of the time in Oregon.

Mosquitoes just after the snow melts, then those obnoxious black flies. Rest of the time not a problem.

If conditions are marginal, set up tent, then undo it setting it aside so you can quickly put it back up.

[Tom Lyons]

Jack,
I just thought about the Lightheart Solo as a possibility.
It has a very open format for the bug inner, and has what they call "stargazing mode" with the rain flaps open.
I thought perhaps it might be of interest.
http://www.lightheartgear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=15

[Jack Elliott]

Hey, thanks Tom — another option.

I like that "Poles are inside the tent to protect them from the elements and night critters that like to chew on them."

My poles are aluminum, nylon, and closed-cell foam. One wonders what kind of critter would find that recipe tasty.

[Gary Dunckel]

It's the salt on your pole handles that they're after, Jack.

[Jack Elliott]

Never had a critter-nibbled handle on a trekking pole before. Maybe my handsalt tastes "funny."

[Jason Elsworth]

Don't think the MLD Cricket has been mentioned yet. I have seen a picture of a Hexamid with a full zip to make for easier entry and exit.

Good Notch review here http://www.nielsenbrownoutdoors.com/2012/09/reflections-on-use-of-tarptent-notch-in.html. The call for guylines seems to be growing:).

[Jack Elliott]

Thanks, Jason,

The MLD Cricket doesn't look to be substantially different than my Kifaru Paratarp, and I said I am looking for something with a floor.

Thanks for the link to the Notch review. Barring anything revolutionary in Wednesday's upcoming BPL survey of solo+ shelters, the Notch is the leading candidate for my next shelter.

[Dale Whitton]

@ Diana – the weather has behaved itself so far around my Notch so no useful information for you !

[Henry Shires / Tarptent]

Thanks, Jason, for the link the nielsenbrownoutdoors site. I posted this response there but I'll post it here too.

Just to let you all know, we are happy to install the apex pullouts on request (no charge, just ask for them in the comments field on the order form). Later this year we're going to make them standard on the Notch as they are now for the StratoSpire series. However, I'm not sure I agree that they are completely necessary for a strong pitch. As noted below, the trick to a taut ridgeline and fly panels is to make sure that you don't over-tension the ends during initial setup. Stake one end and then pull out the second end to where you just begin to feel a little resistance from the underlying floor strap. And I do mean JUST. If you over-tension the ends you have no hope of a taut, slightly curved ridgeline. Also, the vestibule guylines are a little too long for optimal pitch if you use them fully extended. Shortening them a few cm before staking will better align the tension with the slope of the vestibule and put more tension on the apex points (and less stress on the buckle).

Henry Shires
Tarptent

[Jack Elliott]

Henry, thanks for taking the time to address the point.

Would the apex pullouts provide any benefit vis a vis a taut pitch if the ground under the shelter isn't flat or level? I've had to camp on some pretty bumpy spots.

[Jason Elsworth]

and I said I am looking for something with a floor.

The cricket has an inner net, same as the Notch.

[Jason Elsworth]

Thanks Henry. The Notch is currently on my new one person shelter short list and the Stratosphire is one an even shorter short list of two adults and a kid shelters. The Notch seems to be getting great reviews.

[Diana Vann]

Hi, Henry.

Thanks for taking the time to comment on this forum. I've been reading about the Notch (and considering one as my next shelter purchase). The double vestibules are very attractive since it would be possible to store gear in one side and have unobstructed entry (and exit) via the other side. And, as pointed out in one of the videos, in a pinch one of the vestibules could be used to house an additional person without limiting access for the occupant of the sleeping compartment.

One thing I noticed in some of the reviews is that some users have felt a bit cramped inside the sleeping part of the shelter. Do you have plans for either of the following options for the Notch anytime soon?

1. A slightly larger interior size (a little wider sleeping compartment).

2. A larger sleeping compartment would mean additional weight. Do you plan to offer a cuben fiber model?

Thanks

[Henry Shires / Tarptent]

> 1. A slightly larger interior size (a little wider sleeping compartment).

No. Widening the middle is technically not a problem but widening the ends would require longer struts and make for a longer packed size. Not going there. The StratoSpire 1 is the solution to more space at the same packed size.

> 2. A larger sleeping compartment would mean additional weight. Do you plan to offer a cuben fiber model?

No. I refuse to jack up the price.

[Henry Shires / Tarptent]

> Would the apex pullouts provide any benefit vis a vis a taut pitch if the ground under the shelter isn't flat or level? I've had to camp on some pretty bumpy spots.

Yes, I suppose for securing the apexes although it seems to me that the slope would need to be pretty severe to start interfering with vestibule tensioning provided you lengthen/shorten the vestibule guylines to suit conditions. As long as you can get the guylines to follow the natural slope of the vestibules then side to side shouldn't bother you. The other point is that you can raise and lower each pole independently to adjust fly edge height above ground for side slopes or weather direction.

[Eric Blumensaadt]

To avoid dust in your tent do NOT buy a TT Moment. Mine got as much dust inside as it did outside in Utah's Coyote Gulch dust storms.

The perimeter floor-to-walls netting strip & netting front door let all the wind-blown dust in. Nasty and gritty. Gets on everything.

Otherwise the tent is great. But windblown snow would be similar to dust.

[Jack Elliott]

Thanks Harry, you wrote, "As long as you can get the guylines to follow the natural slope of the vestibules then side to side shouldn't bother you."

How about the case where one corner is higher or lower than the other three, or two diagonal corners are higher or lower than the other two? That often seems to be the situation I face.

The Notch does seem to garner a lot of praise. Must be a good design!

[MFR]

Have any of you Notch users had a chance to test how the Notch handles snow loads? It looks like an excellent design, and I think the headroom it provides is invaluable.

That said, I may need to go with something like the Duomid for my next shelter because I am looking for something that can also go deeper into the winter months.

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