Lightest fully enclosed shelter for one – complete tent or tarp + bug net?

[Yoyo]

In the effort to get the lightest fully enclosed shelter, I'm trying to decide between a complete shelter or one where you piece the components together. At present, I'm not really comfortable with the tarp + bivy setup, and it would be nice if I could get bug protection as well. Most of my hiking is done in summer Colorado mountains, where mosquitoes can be an issue from time to time. (Although a floorless shelter which reaches to the ground might solve this, I'm not sure). I would say that my shelter (including everything) should weigh less than 1.5 lbs.

Right now, the contenders are:

Six Moons Designs Lunar Solo (I have the Lunar Duo and love it)
Six Moons Designs Skyscape (X? I dig the cuben fiber but at $550?)
Yama Mountain Gear cuben shelter (new product, can't access their website however)
HMG Echo I shelter system (tarp + bug net)
ZPacks Hexamid Solo + Screen (little worried about the screen floor)
MLD Cricket Tent

Thoughts? My inclination is to go with a ready-made shelter such as the Lunar Solo or ZPacks Hexamid rather than try to piece together a tent + bug net, since it seems that the bug net will be more confining. But I could be wrong…

[michael levi]

Bearpaw Lair with sewn in floor, $200 16 ounces. It's basically a silnylon hexamid but with a waterproof floor.

[Edward Jursek]

My Hexamid tent has 2 seasons on without an issue with the net. Joe has the best customer service I have seen in a very long time and makes a great product.

[Ultralite Hiker]

You can ask Joe to sew in the Cuben Groundsheet if the netting floor bothers you. I did that on both of my Hexamids, although he had said at one point that he may no longer offer this service, as he believes the netting floor is more versatile.

Either way, I would not hesitate to owning a Hexamid, with or without a sewn in groundsheet, great shelter.

[Yoyo]

The more I keep researching, the more I'm lusting after a cuben Solomid. But the single attachment point at the top for the net has me a bit concerned about space.

I then ran across this user who had an inner custom made by Ookworks:

http://www.summitandvalley.com/2012/04/oookworks-custom-mesh-inner-oooknest.html

I'm curious if anyone else here (in the USA) has had this done. How much does it cost, and what about shipping to the US? This seems like the perfect solution to the Solomid–I wonder why MLD hasn't attempted something like this yet.

[Jeff Sims]

I have both a Hexamid Long(6 ft 5)enclosed tent with the screen and the cuben ground sheet, I also have the Yama Mountain Gear Cuben Cirraform SW shelter with the sewn in net and Silnylon. I must say that I bought them both thinking that one would really stand out and I would sell the other, but they are both extremely well thought out and the workmanship is top notch. I am having a really hard time deciding between the two. I have had the Hexamid out this year for a couple of nights in the Sierras, but have not had the opportunity to get the Cirraform on the trail. I have set it up in the yard to compare he two, and am looking forward to taking it out next weekend, also up in the Sierras to see how it differs in the dirt.

I do not think you can go wrong with either one,

[Yoyo]

How do you like the interior space of these two shelters? It seems that the Hexamid, being a side entry tent, might feel more spacious. But I like the looks of the Cirraform. The whole mesh floor of the Hexamid isn't terribly attractive to me.

The Cirraform is the only single wall cuben tent out there I can find in stock right now that suits my needs. At $420, it isn't cheap but is cheaper than the Skyscape X at $550. Not to mention that the Skyscape seems always out of stock.

[Randy Martin]

I don't have either one but having owned front and side entry shelters I can unequivocally say front entry shelters are terrible IMO. Advantage Hexamid.

[Rusty Beaver]

Here's what I came up with: http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=62945&skip_to_post=567295#567295

The shelter (including stakes) + poncho (serves as floor) = 13.31 oz. I use a trekking pole.

[Buck Nelson]

One of the lightest enclosed shelters out there. I've spent a few months in mine and really like it.

[David Ure]

But with a screened floor is it really enclosed?

[michael levi]

That's why the lair is good, you can get a waterproof bathtub floor. Plus the lair is cheap 230 ish and you could get it in cuben.

[Buck Nelson]

"But with a screened floor is it really enclosed?" It's enclosed if you're talking insects which is why I want an enclosed shelter.

I used a Hexamid for months including in rain and snow and didn't use a groundcloth, either. I had a closed cell pad to keep me off the wet ground and slept dry and bug-free every night.I just made sure I set up in spots with good drainage and where it wasn't spongy ground if wet. On some trips I want a waterproof floor/groundcloth. On others I don't.

[William Chilton]

"Plus the lair is cheap 230 ish and you could get it in cuben."
The cheapest cuben Lair (i.e. grey) + cuben floor (.74 oz/sqyd, probably not heavy enough grade for a stand alone groundsheet) is $390.
Hexamid with netting and a cuben groundsheet (1oz/sqyd) is $390.
I was surprised when I worked out these prices as I'd always thought of BPWD as the cheap option.
Family guy, you can get the groundsheet sewn in with the Hexamid, if you wish.

[USA Duane Hall]

Buck, did you angle your tent pole/hiking pole out a little to lower the shelter and stretch it out some, to provide more covered ground when it was raining? This seems to flatten the Hexamid out a little.
Duane

[Jeff Sims]

Side entry vs ft entry, I thought this would be a huge difference, especially after spending a couple of days sliding into the Hexamid. I was surprised at how easy the Cirraform was to get into. (Mind you I was in my front yard). The Hexamid LONG is a palace for one and would comfortably sleep 2 possibly a dog as well. I, like you really like the look of the Cirraform and it seems to slice through the breeze without a sound. At 6 ft 5 I can sit up comfortably at the head end of the YG to change clothes, however I can sit-up on my knees in the Hexamid Ling. I think in the big picture I will keep the Hexamid Long, and sell the YG SW. I will then buy a Cirraform tarp for use in the non bug season with a polycro ground sheet or bivy. I think then I will have the best of both worlds.

Bad weather or bugs… Relax in the palace

Moving fast and light. Cirraform..

Like I said earlier, either way you will NOT be disappointed with the quality of the quality of the shelter

[Author]

Posts