Wet Weather Shelter Philosophy

@Franco (or anyone else): how do you fit a StratoSpire 1 in your pack? The packed length is listed at 16'', which I assume is because of the carbon fiber struts.

I like to keep my shelter packed at the top of my pack and I don't see how that would work with the SS1 unless I strapped it on the outside.

The tents I use are all around 16-18" long.
I almost never have a tent inside the pack but carry them across the top (yes outside strapped and with the cinch cord attached to another strap just in case…) or in the front pocket.
Keep in mind that they are only a few inches in diameter.
I also keep all the bits inside the stuff sack, it does not make any sense to me to separate them.
(I set up the tent, then I put the pack inside the vestibule and then I open it…)
The reason I do that is so that I can set up my tent, then watch others do theirs as I prepare a cup of coffee.

Kevin,

Nice work on stove. Couple of Qs:

1. What packed dimensions? Does funnel fit in bag. Would be nice to see full package packed.

2. How far does it have to be from tent wall?

3. Not sure I understand how weight is saved from standard to u turn. Is it simply the connections of 4 edges being dispensed with.

4. Would be nice to see full video of setup from storage bag to funnel setup to fire burning.

Thanks,

Derrick

>> I like to keep my shelter packed at the top of my pack and I don't see how that would work with the SS1 unless I strapped it on the outside. <<

This was one of the biggest concerns I had when I bought my TT Notch (it has the same struts). I have always liked to drop my shelter (loosely) into the bottom of my frameless pack (I don't roll it up) and was concerned about the struts preventing me from doing this (I hate to change my system!).

It has actually worked out fine. I just hold onto all four struts when I drop the tent into the bottom of my pack and then tip the struts up to run along the side of my pack (to avoid putting gear directly down on top of them). This hasn't really created any issue at all for me and my pack is quite narrow (MLD Burn).

As far as wet weather goes, the Notch has actually solved an additional problem for me. I used to take a small tarp when I knew it would be pouring but since the inner of the Notch removes so easily and can be added back in while the fly is up, I don't need to take a separate tarp any more (overall weight saving). The Notch fly offers enough coverage to comfortably hide from the rain and is really fast to set up and take down (only 4 stakes required).

Ray Jardine's book on tarps covers pretty much everything that has been mentioned here and why he chose tarps over tents in the first place. Last winter I decided to try out tarp tenting…most of my hiking time is fall thru spring, no bugs for the most part, so I played around with a cheap tarp and discovered the very thing mentioned here and in Ray's book. The best part is that I actually felt like I was sleeping outside. It took a bit of time to get ridd of the 'willies'…by that I mean going solo and being in the dark , watching my mind race about things going bump in the night. But once I settled down, listening to the wind, or trees in the breeze, the coyote howling…I just fell in love with it.

Donna, I know what you mean by changing shelters in the outdoors.
I used to spend most of my outdoor life in drier climates and so almost always cowboy camped with a poly ground cloth that could be pulled over me if it rained in the middle of the night.

I never liked being in a tent because I felt helpless and vulnerable, not being able to see what was making that noise outside.
So I would wake up a little freaked at times when I felt enclosed/trapped knowing the tent would provide no protection from the animal outside and it would be difficult for me to defend or escape while trapped.

Of course reality doesn't come into play when you are half asleep:-)

I envy those who live in environments where bugs and mosquitoes are not an issue. The tarp/mid concept is very attractive to me but mosquitoes and a wet environment are ever present at least for late Spring through early Fall.

I hike in the Adirondacks where you are always under the canopy of trees, have lots of bugs and it is always wet. Wind is not an issue here like it is for those of you who are above treeline or in more open terrain.

It's the bugs, rain and wet ground that one has to calculate in the formula for the lightest, most spacious and protective environment possible.

I've considered:

1)Trailstar and bug bivy.

2)Pyramid and bug bivy

3)ZPacks Hex twin

4)TT Stratospire 2

Still waiting to pull the trigger.

> I never liked being in a tent because I felt helpless and vulnerable,
Odd – we have the opposite reaction.

> not being able to see what was making that noise outside.
Who cares?
It helps that in Australia I know that I am the peak predator in the bush.

Cheers

I find a tarp to be the most luxurious shelter for rain without wind. You can set up a large canopy where you can stretch out and cook under. When it gets real windy and you have to pitch in storm mode, it gets much less comfortable.

Great discussion and wonderful to get the collective wisdom from everyone.

I've been using a tarp and bivy for while and like it, but during a 12-13 hour rain storm at the base camp below Mt. Whitney, I really was envious of a friend's MLD Duomid because he was able to sit up, cook, and generally had more room to move around.

I was going nuts laying on my side, back, and stomach under my tarp for all those hours. I could have pitched the tarp higher, but it did illustrate the short comings of a tarp in heavy, prolonged rain.

Since then, I have been considering a MLD Solomid for really heavy and prolonged rains, but wanted to know if people would recommend a polycro ground sheet or use the bivy?

Just curious as a ground sheet would be a lot lighter than my 13 oz MLD eVent bivy, which I love, but would seem unnecessary in a Mid.

As always, thanks for your thoughts and advice.

Tony

I just went through a similar thought process. I opted for an MLD cuben DuoMid. I will be using a ground sheet and no bivy. I really like the large amount of interior room. In prolonged foul weather there is lots of room to move around, change, spread out your gear and to cook. There is very little weight penalty to go with the DuoMid for the extra space it provides. A review of posts showed a lot of BPL members preferred the extra size of the DuoMid over the SoloMid.

Edward,

Thanks for sharing your sights and letting me know that you use a ground sheet with a Mid.

The DuoMid definitely would have more room for sure.

Interesting, the MLD eVent bivy that I have and MLD cuben tarp would weight about the same as the solomid….more protection for about the same weight, but at the expenses of being a little colder than being in a bivy.

Tony

Solomid is small. I tried one and realized this was like using a Gatewood cape in some respects. You can get by if that is your style, but personally, like others have mentioned, the space is worth it. I will use an 8×10 tarp in case of rain so that I can have more space even if one side is lowered or if it has to be lowered. My ground sheet only is large enough for my pad and maybe my pack. Otherwise everyting sits on the ground.

I have done some long hikes with a Gatewood and as Donna states, it's similar size to a Solomid.

I have weathered much rain with the Gatewood and have been quite happy with it.

BUT, these type shelters are not good to lounge in, for sleeping only. This is fine by me, but others may not like that aspect.

My hammock hanging friends always tell me to investigate a hammock and let me tell you, I can sure see benefits.

How often do you hike for miles trying to find a place to pitch a tent, while the hammock hangers have unlimited possibilities and can hangout and cook relatively safely under their tarp.

But is it worth the extra weight?

If I know it is going to be wet I will bring my golite shangrila 5 outer and my borah bug bivy. All total the shelter weighs 38 oz so it isnt that light but it is 80 square feet of covered space. I dont do too much wet weather hiking so normally its just the 9×7 siltarp and bivy.