Need Help creating my first "ultralight" setup

[Alok Karnik]

So I’ve been getting lighter and lighter as the years go on and my experience and confidence increase. I live out West in the LA area and frequently do solo trips into the mountains on the weekends. I like the ease of just packing everything up into a small 30L pack and hitting the trail. I really enjoy bagging peaks, and one thing that makes it even more special is being able to camp at or near the summit. SO with that in mind, I’ve been exploring different ultralight sleeping options…

I’m currently testing out the OR Helium Bivy, but I am looking at the Z pack’s Solo tents and think that may be the better option…

My main question is:

Would the Soloplex tent or the Hexamid Solo tent with the bathtub groundcloth be the better option?

Maybe something else would be even better? //

I’ve really got nothing else other than a 30L backpack right now so its wide open

I’m just getting back into gear so I don’t really know what is available right now… I’ll continue to explore the site, but I really just want to get into the mountains! Thanks for helping me get out there instead of in here!

[Hoosier T]

If you plan to see any snow then as I understand it, you’ll want to avoid the Hexamid as the mesh can get frozen into the ground.

[Peter H]

I’ve gone through alot of gear. The one thing I never felt I had to change was my Enlightened Equipment Revelation quilt. Best purchase I ever made.

[Greg Deitrick]

I am also looking for a solo-ish UL shelter setup.

The OR Helium bivy at 18 oz. seems to me to be a rather heavy option.

I found lots of options under 2 lbs not counting the treking poles that they use. There are some tents and flies under 1 lb that provide no floor or bug protection. Zpacks tents offer bug protection and floors at about 1 lb.

To me that seemed like a good reference point: tent with floor and bug protection at 1 lb. If that is the configuration that works best for you, I’ve not seen a significantly better option. But your personal circumstances might push you towards a different optimum choice. I camp with two busy dogs and I’m going with a MLD DuoMid with a small innernet or bug bivy (MLD or DIY; I haven’t decided) in the hopes that the tethered dogs can freely access a portion of the tent while while my sleeping area stays clean, dry, and bug-free. If bugs are not much of a concern to you maybe a different floorless shelter would be better. If cost is more of an issue to you have a look at TarpTent.

[Peter H]

I will +1 Greg’s comment on Tarptent. Great tents.

[James holden]

if you camp on summits and ridges make sure whatever tent you get can handle pretty decent winds ….

also the fewer stakes it needs to setup on summits/ridges, which is often rocky ground … the better … while you can use rocks, positioning such rocks on limited ground, and finding such rocks too can be a challenge (theres a reason why so many rocks end up at the bottom of mountains, ie scree/talus) … not to mention you risk trundling stuff

in fact your OR bivy may even be the best solution for summit/ridges/ledges where space is at a premium

if what you mainly do is fast and light peak bagging which tends to be in not too wet conditions … a bivy works just fine …

my advice … just go out and use what you have … to put it simply you wont be able to NOT scramble up and camp on the summit because of the lack of a tarptent or hexamid …

;)

[Link .]

Here is a very good BPL series MOUNTAIN SUPERULTRALIGHT BACKPACKING PART 1: CONCEPTS AND SCOPE. Links to the rest of the series are at the beginning of each one.Part 2a is backpack, shelter sleeping bag and sleeping pad, Part 2b is rainwear, insulation, headwear, handwear and footwear, Part 2c is cooking, water, trekking poles and accessories , Part 3 SUL base weight gear list, Part 4a is gear reviews for 2a and 2c, Part 4b is gear reviews for 2b

[Link .]

Here is a Jamie Shortt’S Thread for MY FIRST SUB 5 LB TRIP! with photos using his 25 Liter Golite Ion

[Link .]

. HERE is a link to general info that I have posted in previous threads, it contains a lot of links on lightening up it is worth looking through.

[Link .]

. Glen Van Peski’s Gear List 4.92 lbs typical gear list is for a summer/fall trip of 3 – 6 days in the Sierra or other western mountains, typically mostly above tree line.  Temperatures range from freezing to 85 degrees Fahrenheit

[Diane “Piper” Soini]

I’m sure both tents would be fine. The thing with So Cal is you can so often sleep out without a tent that you can let a lot of features slide. If it were me I’d get the bathtub floor because you never know when you’ll go hiking in the PNW.

[Alok Karnik]

Hey Guys! Thanks for all the HELPFUL Replies!!! So I took the OR Bivy out to Yosemite a few weeks ago, and ended up returning it after the trip. It seemed just a bit heavy for what it was offering… If I’m going to do a bivy, I’ll go for something lighter… OR I’ll go down the Z Packs ultralight tent route…

…Speaking of ultralight tents…

Is the Z packs competitor Hyperlite Mountain Gear worth the extra cost?

I have no problem paying the additional cost if its something that adds real value

Best!

[Jeff Jeff]

Do you want simplicity? If so then a bivy is the way to go. Unless there is a probable chance of rain, in which case a tent is a better choice. Sleeping under a tarp would actually be the next simplest option, but they have a high fiddle factor for getting set up right.

OR lists their weights so you know what you are getting before you even take it out.

[Don Burton]

Hi Alok

i live in the LA area too and love getting up in the local mountains and Los Padres NF for quick trips. I really like shaped tarps because we’re lucky to not deal with many mosquitos all year. Currently, I’m using a CF Deschutes tarp with a ground sheet. I took this on my JMT thru hike this July too. If there are lots of bugs I just put a headnet on and it’s good. Most of them are gone by dark. You can also pair this with the Serenity net tent for full protection. A total weight of 18 oz for a modular set up. I also really like mids for the same reason (modular). The Duomid is great and so are Locus Gear mids. If I lived in a more buggy and wet area like the PNW or back East I’d probably go with a Solplex.

[Author]

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