Big Agnes Fly Creek "Fast Fly" Setup w/o Footprint

[Todd S]

Anytime I’ve seen the question asked here if a “factory footprint” for a UL tent is worth it, there’s been a resounding no – the consensus is that tent floors don’t need the additional protection. For those that disagree, the answer has historically been Tyvek or polycryo, because they’re $5-10 instead of $50. You can of course buy Tyvek precut and even grommeted to the exact size for various tent models.

However, it seems that rarely is the footprint appreciated for the “fast fly” setup that the manufacturers tout. All aftermarket ideas are simply groundcloths that, while attaching to the poles, won’t support them and the fly without the tent. I can’t find a single DIY/MYOG example for a rig that will allow a “fast fly” setup without the manufacturer’s footprint.

I thought about making this footprint with PU nylon or Tyvek, then saw somewhere here someone suggested doing away with a groundcloth entirely and just tethering the poles directly with a grosgrain “skeleton”. Then I can use my polycryo sheet as usual – should be lighter than either of those materials.

I have a Big Agnes Fly Creek UL1 – the poles anchor in grommets set in grosgrain webbing coming out of three corners of the tent, and the fly clips into buckles on the same three webbing straps.

(This is the goal)

I asked for, and received, a few “replacement” buckles from BA, and got some 5/16″ grommets to duplicate this functionality at the ends of three long pieces of grosgrain, and attached them into a “Y” shape harness.

(Original is orange, mine is black)

I’m calling it the “Fly Y” and it weighs 1oz. Along with my polycryo groundsheet that’s 2.63oz, instead of the 4oz BA claims for their footprint. Cost me $12.50 in materials. I can now set up the Fly Creek UL1, fully guyed out and protected from rain on all sides, for 1lb6oz, which was the weight of my CF tarp and trekking poles. But this is better because now when bike touring I don’t need to take trekking poles, and a fully enclosed cover is more luxurious than an open-ended tarp :)

[Robb Watts]

That is an ingenious solution. I have a gigantic Sierra Designs 3 man (truly a 3 man, even 3 men and a couple of dogs) winter tent that I rarely use because it’s too damn heavy. I have a Supermid for winter group camping but there are times when I wish I had something with a structure (kinda hard to ski when your poles are holding up your shelter; guess I could use a big stick as the center pole…). I’m gonna try to make a suspender set for the tent’s fly and see if it makes a winter palace.

[J-L]

Well done! I could easily see Big Agnes selling something like this as an “accessory” item.

I did something similar for my old Fly Creek, but your implementation is more refined:

http://backpackinglight.com/forums/topic/59825/

[Scott N]

There is another reason I did something similar with my big agnes fly creek, which is that the usable area of ground cover with the factory footprint is designed to match the footprint of the tent… but you’re under no such constriction with a DIY, allowing you to get much closer (but not too close!) to the edge of the tent. It’s downright palatial to not have to be tied to the dimensions of the inner tent.

As Robb points out, this can be done with bigger tents too. I did this with my old marmot EOS 1p, which pretty much turns into a small two person tent there is so much room under the fly!

[Gregory Hardy]

Todd, John nice work! I also do something similar when I bikepack. Its a little different and only weights 0.1 oz. Its just a cord with two loops at the end to catch the end of just the front poles only. The rear pole end doesn’t need a connection. The lone rear pole end slides nicely into the small loop already existing on the grosgrain from the fly. This rear pole end then bites very well into the ground and is held in place by the fly when the front pole ends are connected by the cord. No need to run cord all the way to the rear. Look for the bright orange cord in my instagram screenshot. Distance between the loops i like to use is 38.5″

 

 

[John S.]

Good info Greg.

[Mark M]

Are you willing to make these custom for people?

[Cameron M]

FYI: Some years ago I made an attached tyvek footprint with a Mountain Hardwear tent that was basically the same design as the Fly Creek. It worked great until the night I experienced strong winds. It turns out that that inner-tent provides a lot of essential bracing to those spindly poles. To survive the night I had to use all of my cord to create an elaborate spider-web of bracing inside the tent.

[Franco Darioli]

Yes. If you try moving those poles, side to side,  when attached to the inner there will be some resistance. Without it they will move freely.

[Cameron M]

I am reminded by this photo- I even had to use my pole to stop the tent from imploding.

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