I have been trying to assemble the "perfect shelter system" for many years now, but it has always seemed to elude me. When I started to convert to ultralight backpacking in 2002 I bought a Dancing Light Gear Tacoma tarp. I liked it well enough and got many years of good service from it but it did not have bug protection so I used a A-16 Bug Bivy with it — ok solution, but not ideal. Moving on, I got a Gossamer Gear One shelter. Loved its light weight, but the set-up was fussy for me, and so I moved on to the Gossamer Gear Spinntwinn, with a Yama Mountain Gear Bug Shelter 1.25 inner. This combination was close, but the bug shelter really cuts down on the headroom inside the shelter, and the Spinntwinn lacks beaks. So, I decided to try a YMG Cirriform with a bivy. Well, I found out I don't like bivies. However, the Cirriform is an awesome tarp, so I decided to make it the starting point for my PSS (perfect shelter system). Based on my preferences, my PSS should have the following attributes:
1) Light weight
2) Easy set-up
3) A-Frame (because I prefer max headroom above my face)
4) Bug protection when needed
5) Removable ground sheet because I cowboy camp whenever possible
So, I sent my Cirriform back to Gen at YMG and asked him to convert it to a single wall tent using all no-seeum. Gen was extremely accommodating and did the modifications for me in one week! I had a custom cuben bathtub groundsheet made that clips in to the inside (on top of the mesh) of the tent. The groundsheet can be easily removed and used for cowboy camping.
The entire set-up including tent, removable groundsheet, 8 Ti Stakes and stuff sack weighs 22 ozs. For me…Perfect.
