Help with Mid tents?

In my opinion, storm-worthiness and livability are the same thing when you’re above treeline.  I’m not a pyramid fan, but I’ll say that Locus makes some dope gear, for sure; if I was gonna go that route, they’d be on my short list.

Yea i noticed that in most of the discussions everyone’s comparing 2P tents, speaking to the stormworthy and space quality. But copy that on Locus : )

out of curiosity what would be your go to for these circumstances?

I just sold my LG Khufu and while everyone knows the benefits of a pyramid style shelter there are some significant downsides.  If you’re tall (anything over 6′) the steep slope of the walls will be right in your face, especially if you use an inner.  The door opening is a pain in wet weather and takes away any vestabule space.  You really need to add a ‘peak’ or an additional tarp in very wet environments.  I never got used to the pole in the middle so almost always used the A-frame adapter which was not a very elegant solution when paired with a mesh inner.  I suspect this is a Locus Gear design fault as the MLD and HMG mids have better inners.  Everything worked well when I used a half inner with the pole in the center but they weight of everything was about 50% more than my Durston X-mid pro 1 which also had more space, was (sometimes) easier to pitch and arguably just as storm worthy.  Having said all that I have ordered a Khufu-Grande and they have recently released a matching Khufu tarp.  I have also requested they add clips to the inside of the tarp so I can secure the inner better.

Thanks for the beta Alexander! Yea I’m 5’11” and was nervous about the cramped nature of the Mid style tents, but I kinda resigned myself to them because they’re what I gathered was the only option for the elements above tree line. Honestly I’d love to go with something more comfortable like the x-mid or tarptent, if they’re just as bomber, I sadly don’t have experience with either. The bonfus middus 1p + MLD bug bivy 2 is 16.5 oz combined, But I’d for sure trade that modularity for a comfier set up given its comparably storm worthy

One of your fellow Alaskans frequents this forum and swears by the storm-worthiness of the TarpTent Notch Li. I’m not a trekking pole user, so can’t comment. The Zpacks Altaplex is the only Mid I’ve ever tried that I sort of liked, but I can’t fathom using it for your requirements. I do wonder whether the Bonfus Midus 1P might be a good choice though.

interesting! I have a tarptent dipole li right now (which is an absolute palace and i love it )that I was using I always thought it’d be amazing in the wind but haven’t really heard any accounts of people putting it to the test. The my two anxieties about both the notch and the dipole I have is if any trekking pole or carbon fiber pole brakes it’d be a BIG hassle cause the tent couldn’t pitch right, and the other is theres nothing to stop those little carbon fiber poles when they bore in the snow. I’ll have to try and find a way around the snow problem : ) Thanks!

…theres nothing to stop those little carbon fiber poles when they bore in the snow. I’ll have to try and find a way around the snow problem

Perhaps a mod similar to this one might work?

theres nothing to stop those little carbon fiber poles when they bore in the snow.
True, if you let them.
First I stomp the snow down fairly hard for the full tent area and let it freeze solid.
Then I socket the ends of my poles into a stiff bit of multi-layer fabric – which holds the poles bent to the right degree. That does not sink.

Oh well, except for one time when it suddenly started to rain in the night (in the snow) with warm water (for a given meaning of the word ‘warm’), and the water melted the snow and undermined the poles a bit. No wind, so I shrugged my shoulders and went back to sleep.

Cheers

If the reason you’re considering a mid style tent is for ‘bomb proofness’ I would look at a Hilleberg.  I have a Enan and while not ultra light it’s only just under 2lbs min weight and proven in the Scandinavian wilderness.

genius! thank you! I imagine any kind of funnel/cupped shaped piece would work excellent. This still is so helpful, I actually made a lot of headway in the decision making process, and will post that info in a few minutes.

you’re completely right, I needed to put more elbow grease into figuring out a solution instead of making a mountain out of a mole hill. Thank You! I’m absolutely going to make this mod

Just to be totally overkill about this, with the comparison of the structure of the Dipole li 1p and the Hilleberg enan I was totally lost of which shelter to pick. Youre definitely right that the Enan is more stormworthy than a Mid, but looking at the wildly similar design of the Dipole and the Enan suggests that the dipole shares this edge over the Mid designs for just under a pound of difference in weight and less robust materials. So naturally I made a pros and cons list, as a disclaimer paragliding ideally is done in sunny seasons, if I was facing different conditions I would lean towards the Dipole, or more ideal the Samaya Radical 1 (if I had that much dosh to throw at a tent), or maybe even a lightweight shovel to just build a snow cave.

General Disclaimer, paragliding is done in sunny seasons which is why I’m ever so slightly inspired by the Mid style tent, But its close and if I expected more rain I would bring the Dipole

Bonfus Middus 1p/MLD Bug Bivy 2

• Pros:
  • More guy out points, 8 solid stakes for fully guyed out least stakes brought
  • Weight 16.4oz (with DTPE 19.4oz,) 7oz lighter than Dipole
  • Uses One trekking pole, less variables/gear to fail/brake.
  • Catenary cuts
  • Could potentially lower the pitch or get more creative with pitch option
  • Modular system means I can sleep in just bug Bivy, this provides
    • Stargazing while having bug protection
    • Easier faster set up
    • If its only wind no rain then It’ll be more stormworthy but alot colder
  • Can use tent as groundsheet to pack up wing on as dry surface.
  • Uses 0.8 DCF – 20,000 waterproofness
  • Uses #5 Zipper
  • • Height 138-142cm
    • Livability
    • Offset design improves stormworthiness and livability?
    • Proven stormworthy Mid design, but Possibly not as stormworthy as Dipole?
    • More condensation

Tarptent Di Pole Li 1p

• Pros:
  • Less guy out points, more pole structure
  • The design suggests this structure could be more stormworthy than a mid style tent based off the similarities of design with the Hilleberg Enan.
  • Livability is on point, feels like a palace, no star gazing tho : (
  • Catenary cuts
  • Height 112cm
  • Better ventilation so less condensation.
  • Has two doors, but not biggie, if comparing; If i could have doors open I could be sleeping in just Bivy
• Cons:
  • Weight 23.4onces min weight no stakes
  • If its truly raining sideways would the rain come in through the end windows?
  • Uses more poles (trekking and carbon fiber), if one fails the pitch is skunked, no back up plans with the set up
  • Uses 0.51DCF for fly 8,000 waterproof
  • Uses #3 zipper

I also have come to the realization that while these tents are great, theyre not best in class as far as being stormworthy, If i wanted to be really hardcore about it I’d try to just bring a shovel and make snow-caves or invest way too much money into a radical 1 by samaya.

This is just where I’m at currently and am still open to feedback if anything jumps out at you or you have any ideas, I love nerding out and always being a student.

It’s a pop-up, and like most of them, if you open the door in pouring rain it would come in all over you. You would get wet gear.

Cheers

I think you will probably be fine with any of these choices. I find that it can be easy to over-think these decisions, but once I buy the gear and use it, I’m always happy. The quality of the gear being made these days is very high.

Thanks! that definitely sounds annoying, with how I only plan on using the mid fly which is only in case of rain, it’ll be a discomfort I’ll just have to live with, can’t make sleeping outside a 5 star hotel lol

Yea I think You’re so right, for me I like to sweat the details now so when I’m out there I can relax easier about sending stupid pioneering flight lines in deeper Alaska wilderness