Publisher’s Gear Guide (2023)

[Backpacking Light]

Companion forum thread to: Publisher’s Gear Guide (2023)

The Publisher’s Gear Guide has been updated. This gear guide contains recommendations in various categories by Backpacking Light Publisher and Founder Ryan Jordan. This is the gear he actually chooses to use on his own trips.

[Alexander L]

Can you update us on your thoughts and status of your Locus Gear Djedi?

[Ryan Jordan]

Publisher’s Gear Guide has been updated November 3, 2023 to include some winter gear, including shelters, apparel, sleeping, and other gear.

[nunatak]

The Crossbow is innovative is some respects – truss frame – but unless I’m missing something it’s still another dome in the long lineage of  ‘American’ style tents: raise inner first then throw a sheet of fly material over and attach; all while handling clips and biners. There is also a third pole supporting the vestibule spaces that needs attention, possibly before the fly.

Is this interpretation correct?

[Ryan Jordan]

I’m not using the Crossbow in 3-season conditions so rain isn’t really an issue for me.

Cold, dry snow isn’t a problem if you want to pitch an inner-first if you have a solid fabric inner tent.

But if it is heavy, wet snow, and you want to protect the inner, it does attach to the fly (unlike many “American” tents) and it’s easy enough to pitch it with the fly attached so the inner tent doesn’t get wet.

The brow pole can be rigged in this config as well.

The dome style is still more wind- and snow-load resistant than a hub-and-pole tent, but once you rig the eyebrow pole to trekking poles as struts this becomes a very strong tent in winds and high snow loads.

It is lighter but granted not as strong as geodesic tents, however. But I’m not really camping in places where a geodesic is needed to withstand 2 ft overnight snow loads or 80 mph winds.

[jscott]

I’d really like to see the Durton Xmid pro with a nylon half wall. It adds no weight and really blocks wind and adds warmth.

[Bill Budney]

+1

[nunatak]

Okay, fair enough. Glad this type works for you. Yeah, few folks on here would consider the Crossbow for the other 3 seasons.

Since we like to have more room in winter I assume most will use this solo. Two vestibules is not something I really need when alone in a 2 person tent, but sure, it may enhance convenience. On the other hand I really value a small footprint since there’s almost always a fair bit of digging and compacting going on when setting up.

I use a single side entry, two pole dome with a significant fabric upgrade over the Crossbow (30d/30d/70d). The square footage is called a 1.5 person. It comes out a little lighter than the Crossbow, and I can apply the ski poles for guying out as opposed to the strut thing.

 

 

[Ryan Jordan]

I think for solo travel, a single vestibule would be fine for me, but want some flexibility for traveling with a partner.

What tent are you using?

[nunatak]

It’s the Unna from the H-brand, lol

2050 g excluding stakes/snow anchors as I have other things for those 6 points: 2 skis, 2 poles, shovel blade, shovel handle.

Feb 2023 trip

[Alexander L]

I was going to get an Unna but not sure about the lack of a vestibule?  How do you cook, etc. if there lots of wind or a storm?

[nunatak]

In stormy, snowy weather I unclip one of  the front corners of the Unna inner tent and peel it back to expose snow/ground. One can create several sq ft of safe cooking surface this way quickly and easily. Typically I dig out a small footwell in the tiny vestibule so I can sit in relative comfort while cooking to my left on the exposed snow area.

I use liquid fuel in snow melting scenarios, so I leave the outer tent door half opened at least. Mostly I avoid getting any snow into the sleeping area.

 

[Chris K]

but want some flexibility for traveling with a partner.

I’ve been eyeing the Crossbow for this reason. Struggling to find a better 2P option for the weight/price, despite the pitch sequence. Maybe the Scarp or a secondhand Hilleberg.

Jan – does your Unna inner stay quiet?

Slingfin inner seems to pitch quite taut, but no firsthand experience.

[nunatak]

Pretty quiet. It improves as the snow piles up around it!

The Hillie GT tents with the extendo vestibules are amazing for winter/2 person use, but they get up there in weight – except the Yellow Label (summer use) Anjan 2 GT, which at 2000g is less than the Crossbow.

The Yellow Label tents do 20d/10d/70d fabrics, so comparable to the Slings, but will have mesh that are not sealable. Although one could remedy that with some quick MYOG’ing

See this guy for a breakdown on winter use: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4oa57gMr9ZE

[Chris K]

Anjan vid – thanks for the link. Love the wooden garden stakes as anchors.

Ryan – curious if you’re testing other shelters this winter. Tarptent and Durston are both working on dome designs. Hopefully they will be double wall, they might fit the niche. Maybe Henry or Dan can chime in.

[Paul S]

My wife and I have been using the crossbow 2 for our winter backpacking/snowshoe trips here in WA state for the last 2-3 years. We chose it because it can be set-up in windy conditions without self-destructing, and it has those great trekking pole attachment points that strengthen the tent a lot. It is roomy “enough” for my wife and I. The vestibules are big enough to boil water in (i.e., “cook”  ), and it is quite lightweight for what it does. As far a winter-ready tent, for above treeline, there is no other tent we know of that is as light AND robust in the wind.

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