Two person, weatherproof shelter?

ask the brits …

http://www.trek-lite.com/index.php?forums/shelters-accessories.12/

http://www.outdoorsmagic.com/forum/gear/5.html

http://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/i.php?f=11

they are the english speaking country with the most experience with heavy winds and rains combined … though the coastal PNW and Alaska does see quite a bit of rain, but perhaps less wind

;)

The TT Stratosphire is very windworthy, certainly more than any of the others you mention.  The modified mid design sheds wind well and the corner struts provide additional stability.  The double walled design is heavier but better for the rain (the inner can be removed easily but it sets up fly first).

Alternative to that would be the Mountain Laurel Designs DuoMid XL with attachable floor or attachable bug inner net.

Arguably the best in very windy conditions is the Mountain Laurel Designs Trailstar.  It is quite astonishing in the wind per its weight.  Floors and inner nets are also available.

All will be slightly over the 1KG mark you set but the performance will outweigh any additional weight.

I have the SMD Haven and it’s a fine shelter, but it’s tight inside, so if you’re facing wet and windy sustained for a day or two that would keep you in your shelter for an extended period then I’d look for something with more room than the Haven. If you just need it for overnights that might happen to be wet or windy then it should work well and keep you under 1kg compared to other silnylon choices.

Thanks guys – I am a Brit (Scotland) and I’m a regular on those sites you mention Eric – they are really helpful. But I also find that there are a lot more hikers with experience of UL gear in the US (bigger market I guess) and the cottage industry is much more developed, which is why many of us order shelters, packs etc from the likes of MLD, Zpacks and ULA. So its useful to come on this forum for the depth and breadth of experience.

You’re right about the Trailstar David, it has an almost cult following here in Scotland and is top of my list for a solo shelter. But for backpacking with my partner the central pole thing is a real issue. Also, I’m looking for something with a proper 2 person inner. The Tarptents look really excellent – I like the modular approach and the combined advantages of both a tarp and a tent. I know not everyone likes them – as I said originally, for soloing I prefer tarps/trailstar but for when it’s the two of us the Tarptents and particularly the Stratospire 2 seem ideal.

Thanks JR, good to know about the Haven. It is described as roomy on the Six Moons site so it’s good to hear an end user’s take on it. When the two of us camp then we like it to be a bit more comfortable, and one can get pretty storm-bound in Scotland and being pretty far North we can have long dark evenings, so it needs to be an ok space for two to hang out in. The Stratospire 2, I think, will have more room and plenty of vestibule space too. Looks good.

Pete, to clarify about the Haven’s space, the floor is only about 44″ across at head and foot and 48″ at center, IIRC. So enough room to lie side by side but not much moving-around room. The side walls are vertical so you do have that full width at sitting-up head-height. So it’s enough space for both to sleep and also for both to sit up and face each other, play cards etc, but no more “stretching out” space than that.

Hi Pete,

Having had both the Hexamid Twin and the Duplex, I’d say the Duplex is the better choice for two due to the double entrances. The Twin is very minimalist for the person in the back.

Judging by your choices, it might be worth looking at the Yama Mountain Gear Swiftline as it is in a similar vein. I have no personal experience (yet!), and it is currently unavailable for some reason, though.

pete … have you look at the trekker tent in the UK? … i just ordered a stealth from em, mark the owner indicated that he tests the stealth up to 65 MPH winds just fine … the 40D sil version is what he uses in his 4 season tents as well

i dont own a duplex but an interesting thing jumped out at me when i was researching it

Yep i’ve had the exact same problem, i asked for suggestions earlier in the thread, i’ve looked at possibly using velcro and have though about your idea of using loops on the inside of the door.

My new Duplex arrived earlier today so plan on experimenting, please keep us informed if you find a better solution.

This and the fact that you can’t have the bathtub floor upright with the tent set really low are my biggest worries with the Duplex.
We had a terrible time in strong winds and torrential rain, the rain would cause the doors to flap or even worse bow out which would then carry the rain in.

All our kit got drenched and there was not much we could do, in the end i positioned my rucksack and waterproof jacket so they were wedged against the hiking/support pole this prevented the worst of the rain getting in, but not all.

If i ever find myeslf in those sorts of conditions again in the Duplex i will stake out each door separately to try and get them tight and with some overlap.

I find it really strange that they’ve invested time and thought into making a version of the Duplex that’s free standing
http://www.zpacks.com/shelter/duplex-flex.shtml

But they’ve not addressed the 2 major problems with the tent in bad weather.

If they made a version that had doors that could be kept closed by zips or clips and had a bathtub that performed as a bathtub with the tent pitched right down to the ground i’d buy one straight away.

———–

Yes, in high winds, the outer door catches the wind and bows out. In addition to the stick-on-loops I also ordered the stick on Velcro patches thinking I would apply to the inside of the outer door and the outside of the inner door so they would attach and stay together. The problem with this is on level ground everything lines up. But on uneven ground, which is typical, the tent gets a little skewed, and the Velco pieces may not line up. I’ll experiment over the weekend and see how this works out.

https://backpackinglight.com/forums/topic/100642/page/6/#comments

and this is what happens when those brit conditions push a tent beyond its capabilities (not the duplex fault)

What tent was it?
Zpack Duplex (0.74oz cuben)

What failed?
Corner tore

Why?
Used in conditions it wasn’t really designed for

What was the weather like?
Some of the worst i’ve hiked in, after we’d dropped down from the tops we saw uprooted trees and a roof off one of the farm house outhouse buildings.
Read 90mph winds when we got back to civilisation, no way of testing
It was windy enough that when it gusted it took us off our feet and carried us around 1 meter airborne.
It ended up as a 12 hour exercise in dropping to the floor to hug a rock and having to hike between gusts

The wind and rain were bad enough, but around Sprinkling tarn it was being whipped around by the hills and was coming from every direction.
We’d have our heads pinned under the fly 1 min then our feet the next.
Been in windier conditions but always managed to find some shelter, no shelter at our location this time

Where?
Sprinkling tarn

etc etc
Returned tent to Zpacks, even though i told then it was being used in conditions it wasn’t designed for they offered either a full refund or a replacement tent.
Went with a 1oz replacement tent, they didn’t charge for the extra costs of the heavier material.
Great customer service

http://www.trek-lite.com/index.php?threads/tent-failure-thread-storm-damage-degradation-etc.1527/

i must say you brits REALLY test out a tent, no faffing around there … or you folks get too drunk at the pub to set up a tent properly then exaggerate the weather

;)

Eric, I suspect that Pete M is very familiar with Gixer from trek-lite…

@ Pete

Since you seem to like MLD mid shelters except for the pole in the middle, you should check out several DIY threads on this side about using PVC pipe and other material sto join to two poles together so that the hiking poles form an “inverted V” meaning the poles become two sides of an isosceles triangle. Search on inverted V for DuoMid.

I’ve been looking at the sil Haven paired with the dual inner. I think it’s a bargain and I like how the weight can be distributed between 2 hikers. Whenever holed up in my shelter, I like to fold up my bag and put it to one end and lean my xlite against a wall. Feels bigger to me.

Thanks chaps – this is getting quite exciting. A lot of very helpful info! I had a fairly typical week in Knoydart (West Scotland) last year – the tent flattend and flapping against me while I tried to pick off the 15 deer ticks that had latched on during the day’s hike. Great!

Thanks for copying in those reviews Eric. Yes, I’ve been quite taken with the Trekkertent line of shelters, particularly the Drift 2 Custom. It may well come down to a choice between that and the Stratospire 2.

Hi William – yes I know Gixer from trek-lite, and I’ve read your great Turkey threads too – beautiful, blue skies…I’ll have to head out there one day for a respite from the wind, rain and midges.

Bruce – that triangle support for a mid sounds really, really interesting, I will definitely check it out.