Floorless shelter update.

[George F]

Last spring I posted some pictures of my new shelter (MYOG Shelter, 3/28/2013). Now I’ve had it for two seasons and thought I would update how it has worked out for me.

It has been used on a three day trip in the Uintas, buggy, and week long trips in the Wind Rivers and San Juans, both stormy with above timberline camping. I have been very pleased with it’s performance. In bug mode with both vestibules up it was ventilated to the point of being down right drafty. In mountain weather it proved sturdier than I had hoped for. The pole by the head creates a second apex so sleeping in a storm put my head in the snuggest, strongest part of the tent, instead of having sloping nylon being pushed down on my face.
The dimensions worked out well. My feet don’t touch and when it is raining there is room to crawl in with my pack and do all my camp business out of the weather. If anything the head end could be a bit narrower. The final weight was 18 oz w/o stakes, which I am happy with for the multi-use shelter I was looking for.

[d k]

What a great design! Care to post any diagrams, measurements, etc.? I for one would love to see more on how it was constructed (unless you have plans to market it, of course).

[todd]

I, like you said in your original thread, like the Wild Oasis but long for more length inside.

I really like your design but can't quite follow the geometry of the shelter.

Any way you can post design details?

Great stuff.

[Franco Darioli]

I get it..
Gearge, if you don't mind sharing, an over head shot might make it easier to get the shape.
We had the same problem with the TT Strato Spire because of the pole placement.

Take a look at the external guyouts on the TT Notch and SS1/2.
You have more flexibility on your set up that way. (more work adding apex patches but might be worth it)
I like it.

[IVO K]

I got it, and it looks great.

I second the motion for a "helicopter view" overall footrpint photo, as it would further highlight the strengths of your design.

Can I assume that this pitches "fly first" followed by being able to attach the inner from under the fly?

Pole lengths/heights involved?

[Daryl and Daryl]

Very creative.

[George F]

The shelter is all one piece, with the net hanging from the fly. Setup is a mostly a matter of staking out the corners, popping in the poles and snugging it up. Then rolling parts up or down depending on what conditions call for. In the rain the netting goes up, making for a larger open living area. Often I have the netting up and head vestibule and one door down, making for a shelter that is still open for looking out but blocks the breeze.
The asymmetrical shape does make it hard to get a handle on. Unfortunately I can't provide any other sketches or dimensions as there is a tent maker working with the design. Until I have their go ahead I can't say who, but you can expect to see it this spring.

[d k]

I was wondering, since it seems like a very marketable design! Can you at least say whether there are zippers in the fly and/or netting? It's hard to tell…

[David Ure]

Nice job, George!

Looks like it would be ideal for tall folk and in managing condensation.

[George F]

Zippers in front only, head end just pulls up.

[spelt with a t]

Very clever use of asymmetry. Looks roomy and I love the free space above the head.

[George F]

Judy at LightHeart Gear is almost done with her prototype. When she has pictures or dates on her facebook page I will post links in the Gear section. All I know for sure now is that she plans to have the finished version with her at the AT kickoff in March.

Thanks for the positive feedback and sorry if it seems like I am blowing my own horn. But when I sat down two years ago to figure out why no one had quite the shelter I was looking for and what it would like if they did, I never dreamed this could be the result.

[d k]

Congratulations – well done! I'll be looking out for this one…

[todd]

A heartfelt Congratulations, George!

You're not blowing your own horn at all. The way I see it, you're just sharing your joy! It's a great design.

[Eric Blumensaadt]

The essence of versatility.

[Simon Kenton]

What a cool looking shelter, nice job!

[Jim H]

Very neat looking setup. Reminds me, wasn't there pics of a YMG prototype shelter making the rounds a couple months(?) ago? If my recollection is correct it had a similar asym design, but maybe with more cat cuts and steeper walls. Great job!

[William Chilton]

YMG Swiftline, IIRC. The website says coming Feb or March. Quite a few photos on the YMG Facebook page.

[George F]

It looks like their use of asymmetry achieves the same thing I was shooting for, lots of cross ventilation. It is nice to see some really different designs coming out, I am really looking forward to comparing their solo to what I ended up with.

[d k]

Well, George, I haven’t seen anything from Lightheart Gear or on Judy’s blog about the prototype of your design, so I’m guessing she’s been too busy to devote time to developing it yet.  Has anyone heard anything about it since last year?

[George F]

She managed one prototype last year but that was it. If you follow her Facebook you can see how busy she is. I got in touch with her just after the new year and she said she is still working with it and really hopes to figure out how to make the design something she can produce commercially. If nothing happens this season I will probably throw the SketchUp files up on MediaFire so other people can play with the concept. Thanks for remembering it.

[d k]

Oh, it’s much too pretty to forget!  :-)  I was reminded when I saw your response to Jen’s post.  Thanks for the quick response; it’s good to hear Judy’s still working on it.  And yes, she’s a busy gal!

[George F]

Well guys, it looks like it is not going to happen with Lightheart Gear. Here are some SketchUp (2016) files if any one would like a closer look or to play with the concept. The first are the plans I worked from, the second how it looks with a c-cut ridgeline. If I was to do it again I would make the head narrower by 6″ or so, but on the whole I am happy with the dimensions.

http://www.mediafire.com/download/cy8ib5lfsj64ij2/Prototype.skp

http://www.mediafire.com/download/7h717vrat0grw57/Prototype_c-cut.skp

[Rog Tallbloke]

That’s a really nice design George. Big thanks for sharing the sketchup file. I think I might have a go at making a prototype in tyvek. What height do you set your pole at?

[George F]

Thanks Rog. The main pole works well at 125 and the shorter one at the head ends up being around 26″.

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