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So, it seems that SMD have updated the fabric on their Gatewood Cape. Not much detail, and it seems like detail on their website hasn’t been fully updated (different weights listed…). But apparently a 2oz drop in total weight and 40% reduction in volume. Otherwise seems much the same.
Be great to see a confirmed weight, HH of fabric, etc.
Also, hopefully they update the Serenity Net. Its decidedly heavy these days.
Wonder if it is silpoly.
It’s either silpoly or a 20d silnylon.
Silpoly would be better. The Gatewood is fairly tight inside… although it gives good 360 protection, because of the cape sizings and tight dimensions, I find Silnylon sag to be bothersome; that’s with me at 175cm. The Silpoly would end that issue, effectively giving everyone more comfortable dimensions by reducing the amount of sag through the night. Yeah, you can use shock cord etc, but keep adding more things in and the weight advantages are no longer there…
My trick with the Gatewood Cape is to have my trekking pole a little too long so that it’s at an angle when I set up the Cape initially. If things start to sag I simply slide the handle of the pole in a little closer to me and it raises the Cape and snugs the walls nicely.
I just talked to Brandon at SMD. He says the new Gatewood is made of 20d silnylon.
The grey and green colors are available.
I’m glad it’s silnylon instead of silpoly because I just don’t trust the strength of the light silpoly. I’d rather deal with the stretch of silnylon.
Monte did he give you a fabric weight?
Looking at the new 0.77 MTN silnylon from ripstop by the roll…and I’m thinking of getting some and then using my existing 12oz Gatewood cape as the template for a new one out of the MTN sil. With a few little mods (inc I’ll probably make the doors a few inches longer for slightly better covereage).
If I assume that the 20D silnylon is ~1.1oz, then its a significant weight savings and I can tweak a few things to how I would prefer. No way I’d attempt this if I didn’t have one already as a template though.
Turns out Brandon was wrong, the new Gatewoods are 15d silnylon. Ron would have known but he’s off the grid these days. I found out what material they’re made of from ultralightoutdoorgear.co.uk.. Most 15d’s weigh 1.05 oz. per square yard. 20d’s are about 1.25 oz finished weight.
Thanks for the info Monte!
Notions not withstanding, that would put a 0.77 MTN Silnylon Gatewood Cape at around the 8oz mark.
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