Gatewood Cape questions?

I’ve used my Gatewood Cape a number of times, but I always hike when bugs are at a minimum so I’ve never bothered with a interior net.

Why do you need additional tie-outs on the Cape?  I’m just curious…it comes with two “extra” and I’ve only ever used the one over my head:

If the weather is going to be bad I’ll pitch the Cape either much closer to the ground or, if it’s really nasty, touching the ground, but the existing tie-outs have always been sufficient.

Hey Kevin,

I want to have the option of having a double wall tent and can just pitch the cape if need be.

Would like extra tie outs on the inside to hold up inner net tent.

I am 6ft and 180lbs and have only taken the cape out on 2 3day trips so far.So far so good and plenty of room.

Do you use a bivy, and if so which one.

Cheers Kona

Sorry – I should have figured that you’d need additional tie-outs on the inside for the inner net. Hopefully someone will help you out and let you know how the Hexanet works with it.  I see that SMD still sells their Serenity Net Tent – $120 and 11 ounces.  It seems like a great option (since you know it will work with the Gatewood Cape) and it’s $80 cheaper than the Hexanet (for a 2-ounce weight penalty).

I don’t use a bivy with the Cape.  It’s not so easy to see in the photo, but the bottom foot of my quilt is made from eVent fabric and has always done a good job of keeping my feet dry.  I’m also 6 feet tall but, sadly, I have about 100 pounds on you.  I tend to sleep on my side with my legs bent so I’ve never had any length issues with the Cape.

With that said, I did purchase a 4′ x 8.5′ Monk tarp from MLD (7 ounces with stakes and guylines) to create a porch for my Gatewood if it looked like the weather was going to be really lousy for a couple of days during a trip.  I knew that would give me a lot more flexibility than a bivy for the weight because I could use the tarp as cover during lunch breaks as well.  Although I carried the tarp on a couple of trips when I used the Cape I never bothered to configure it as a porch so I can’t show you any photos.

I use a Titanium Goat Ptarmigan bivy with the insect net option. It is 7.4oz, quick to deploy, gives another layer of protection, works for cowboy camping in good weather and stows easy.

Inner nests need the top support and staking out the corners, losing much of the elemental simplicity of a shelter like the Gatewood.

The advantage of the Serenity Net Tent is that the stake loops are in the same position as the Gatewood so they actually share stakes.  If I wanted an inner mesh tent for the Gatewood I’d buy the Serenity in a heartbeat.  If you don’t need the Cape in poncho mode then you can leave the Serenity in place to make your next setup even easier.

Hey Kevin,thanks for the response as it is appreciated.I was looking at the hexanet
because it is 36 “s wide and the serenity is 28 I believe.Your points are all valid and good ones.It is a nice feature that the serenity can use the same stakes.I like the use of your trekking pole to tie out the cape as I saw in your pic.I also like the idea
of the tarp and please let me know if you do ever pitch it that way.

Dale, thanks for the knowledge.I have always wondered about a bivy and would definitely
want the bug net as well.It must breathe well also as I see you are in the PNW.I agree
the nice part of the cape is its ease of use and dual purpose.

I reckon it is all about getting out there, using your gear and seeing what works for you.

cheers and thanks for the great advice.

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I was using the Gatewood Cape during my “go as light as I possibly can” phase (my pack was very light, but I wasn’t so comfortable) and haven’t carried it for a couple of years (since I switched to hammocks).  I may pull it and my Monk tarp out to set it up and see how well they work together.  I’ll be sure to post pics if I do.

I have been using a Sea to Summit Nano Bug Net under my Gatewood. It is inexpensive, is a tad under 3oz and does the job. It does have a higher fiddle factor and no Cowboy camping options though.

Have you or anybody else ever added a bottom to the s2s bug net?

Would it be possible to make a bottom of polycro or silnylon with a zipper?

Cheers Kona

Yes.  The hexanet works great with the gatewood, well tested for 2700 mi.

The tarp/bug net combo is awesome.  Still have bug protection when no rain, with the benefits of being under the stars.

Edit.  There is a snap on the inside of the gatewood just above your face (which is used to convert to poncho mode).  I have planned to add a small loop to the net tent to connect to that snap, but haven’t had the ambition.

I’m 5’10 — you may find more need to do this.

” I see that SMD still sells their Serenity Net Tent – $120 and 11 ounces.  It seems like a great option (since you know it will work with the Gatewood Cape) and it’s $80 cheaper than the Hexanet (for a 2-ounce weight penalty). “

Just an FYI, if the spec’d 11oz weight of the Serenity Nettent turns you off, mine actually weighs only 9.7oz without stuff sack (newest/current version).  That was a pleasant surprise.  Hexanet is 9oz, not much weight savings for $80.

Personally, I would go with the Serenity.  Not only because it is cheaper but I prefer a silnylon floor over cuben.  There are going to be a lot of differing opinions on that one.

Hey Kona, did you see that someone had a SMD Serenity Nettent for sale?  Quite the deal…

I also prefer Sil nylon floors over cuben.  Cuben doesn’t have as good of puncture or abrasion resistance as Silnylon.  It is initially more waterproof but that doesn’t last long when it gets pinholes.  Cuben does seem to work well for shelter canopies.

I used a Gatewood Cape for a few trips and it was a really neat design.  I never used it with a inner of any kind so I can’t comment on that.  In the end I found that the fact that it was a little too short for me, and it didn’t do great as raingear either.  That coupled with the fact that when it was raining it was hard to set up without getting your gear wet (but it could be done) and after it was set up you didn’t have any raingear was a deal-breaker for me.

It does allow you to get a decent shelter and raingear for the weight of just one of the two for when you really want to go fast and light.

Thanks to all for the great input it is appreciated.

I have heard that silnylon holds up better for a floor bottom and cuben for the fly.
I guess like alot of things it is up to trial and error and what you use it for.

I would love to have the dimensions of the hexanet with a silnylon floor.

Looking at the dimensions for the serenity, it appears to be the same size as a tt notch inner and I felt claustrophobic.

cheers to all.
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