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I assume OP was exaggerating about # of breaths to inflate her pad, but if it’s really an issue then just get one of those lightweight inflator bags. I use my pack liner (i.e., trash compactor bag) to inflate a large pad (XLite or Klymit) since I really don’t want excess moisture inside it anyway and I don’t want to pass out at elevation. :) I also use it for my pillow, which used to be just a 2L water bladder but is now a Klymit pillow.
If you use a bag with a draw-cord like the one below, any time you are using the hood you draw the bag tight around your shoulders, trapping in the heat and ensuring that it turns with you during the night.
If you really mean a drawcord around your shoulders vs above them (i.e., base of neck), I can say that I’d never heard of bags with that feature (though haven’t looked at bags in 10 years) and believe I would not like that at all. It’s clear there isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution to this issue. :)
Big Agnes also does false bottom bags.
So I really can’t understand the case for quilts in cold weather, unless for some reason you just can’t get comfortable with the restrictions of a mummy bag.
I guess that is the case for me. Back when I used my bag as a bag, it was very frustrating to roll over but not have the bag follow me so that my face would still be in the opening. I’d end up breathing inside of the hood, which clearly isn’t desired. Never found a solution until I read about someone else just using their bag as a quilt so I’ve done it ever since and find it more comfortable overall as well.
Both of these issues have been positives of using Apex more than down now for me. I knew moisture would be less of an issue, but I didn’t realise how much i’d appreciate the simplicity of insulation that doesn’t migrate.
Certainly true I’d imagine. I’ve never considered using synthetic since it doesn’t last anywhere near as long, weighs more and takes more space unless you really compress it, which then makes the first point happen even quicker. Too bad we can’t have a perfect insulation for all conditions – LOL.
Maybe I sleep warmer than I thought but I’d never guess that from being cold sleeping in my house. Or maybe my bag, which I use as a quilt, is plenty wide? Had it down to 18 F at 11,000 in my tarp with just a thin beanie on my head but I did keep all my normal hiking clothes on and a fleece vest I believe. The problem I have is since I toss and turn a lot, the down shifts over to what would be the sides instead of staying on top of me, and that night was my breath freezing on the outside so almost the whole bag was covered in frost.
I’ve tested it to -2 F, but that was in my garage with an extra pad and puffy clothing and a fleece balaclava. I was actually quite comfy that night.
You don’t need the four corners of the ground to be on the same plane, you need the four corners of the tent to be on the same plane.
I had wondered why you couldn’t do that. I assumed it had to be pitched to the ground for some reason. That makes more sense, but I do agree the slender ends of the Notch would likely allow it to fit into tighter spots.
The X-Mid has been steadily getting lighter as we tweak it
What changes have you done so far?
neither is what I’d recommend if you’re serious about wanting a spacious tent for stretching out
I don’t need a palace or I’d just take the Lunar Duo. :P While I’m not claustrophobic, I was meaning no tiny little thing you can’t easily sit up in as I read, journal and look at maps a fair bit. I do use a larger pad so that needs to fit and most gear could go in vestibules if needed.
The thing about the X-Mid’s footprint is it’s a crucial part of the tent’s structural integrity. In other words, you need a full rectangle of flat ground with every corner part of the same flat plane.
I could see that being a significant issue for the X-Mid as it’s often hard to find that much flat ground.
Thanks for the thoughts everyone. Some good info here and looks like the notch still has the edge (for me) so far despite being silnylon instead of silpoly and being more expensive than the X-Mid. I might also still consider a used Solomid XL + nest.
@ryan, thanks for the clarification. This won’t be used for winter or regular extreme conditions; I just need to survive the surprise extreme thunderstorms or snowstorms that CAN occur at any time (June-Sep for me) in the mountain West of the US. Rainstorms would be much more common than snow. I always use MSR Groundhogs for all major tieout points.
@opagobalus, thank you for your insights. I didn’t know the Notch was so difficult (impossible?) to pitch the fly lower. Why did you get rid of both the Notch and X-mid?
@hop, most of what I’ve read suggests the Notch is smaller inside. Apparently there’s a way to pitch the 1P X-mid inner to almost fit 2 pads.I should have also noted I’ve not been a fan of straight mid designs (e.g., MLD Solomid) since I don’t want to have to move stuff out of the way if I need to get out while it’s pouring down though I do see on the Solomid XL page it specifically notes, “This offset design allows entry and exit in rainy conditions to help keep the sleep side of the shelter dry!,” so maybe I should consider it since I know MLD mids are highly regarded. I suspect its footprint is larger though and adding the inner puts it well above $300.
I vote for keeping some test post capability, with automatic 24 hour expiration or something. I find testing more-or-less out of the public eye is critical for long, complex forum posts
MOST forums include a Preview function so you can view your post as it would look before submission.
Wow. I didn’t think it was that busy in Sept. There were many cars all the way out in the meadow when I went in. Those were all gone when we came out. I got extremely lucky in finding a space directly across from the TH! :)
@ryan I’m kind of puzzled by your tent choice as well. You replied to Ken that “it’s probably the best balance of weight and weather protection for any tent I own.”
However, knowing you expected to experience “unseasonably cold temperatures and a winter storm warning,” this seems to totally contradict what you wrote in your Notch Li review:
Having used the silnylon version of the Notch in snowy fringe-season conditions, I can’t say that it’s a shelter I’d recommend for any amount of snow. Silnylon simply has too much stretch, and more structure is needed to support it under even a small snow load. For any conditions where snow is expected, and I had to use a silnylon shelter, I’d upgrade to the Tarptent Stratospire 1 model, which offers additional stability afforded by more fabric stability resulting from an increased number of stake-out points. (my emphasis added)
Please elaborate on what changed your opinion so quickly.
I also believe on Field Note #7 you meant completely solid inner rather than “full-mesh inner”. At least that is what you said at 25:48.
Glad you enjoyed it!
I see you must have found the tarp video I had just posted. Some of us here have been working on those for years now. 2010 was my first version if you look way down my videos.
The Winds is my favorite place so far. 20 days is a big chunk for your first time. Keep it up and you may reach Eric’s milestone. :) Hopefully, I’ll see your reports when you get them done.
@arkheel1 We did indeed pass 2 ladies atop Macon Pass. What a small world! Your climb up was steeper than our’s had been and didn’t seem to have phased you two. What was your pack weight? Do you have any kind of trip report somewhere?
I did the Black Mountain Crest Trail here in NC near my parent’s house this past weekend. I didn’t like it as much as I hoped I would (too many trees) and posted that video 2 days ago.
Rev 4 worked just as expected in the Wind River Range again. I realized on a recent overnight that I had never done a video so here it is.
I probably will go with something else for the Winds in the future in case I ever get hit with a monster storm that does tear it, causing me to bail. So far I’ve only had 30+ MPH winds and pea-sized hail.
I might consider going back to LDPE like my first prototype in 2010, which is shown in my avatar, if I can find a large enough piece that isn’t orange. It is still very light and won’t catastrophically fail though will likely flap more. Maybe I’ll just break down and buy a “normal” tarp/tent. I just don’t get out enough still to justify the expense.
@gearmaker You wrote, “Scotch “Tough” Transparent Duct Tape (their glow-in-the-dark duct tape works well too)”
I assume you meant the Duck brand GITD rather than 3M/Scotch?
I discovered that my son used my last roll of 2120 and bought me Duck’s transparent version to replace it with. It doesn’t seem quite as strong to me. The local store where I got 2120 no longer carries it, but has several other “all weather” options. Lowes has some “Tough” but not the transparent (aside from “repair tape” without fibers like that Gorilla that failed early) and the only “all weather” one appears to be the one you tested above that didn’t do too well.
@gearmaker I’m surprised that I never posted on this thread!
Did you ever try several strips of tape narrow enough for a smaller D-ring and aligned at different angles as proposed by @autox. I also missed on the polycryo tarp tested thread that Rene had also suggested linelocs. It looks like those weigh 1.35 g so an additional 6 g for your 8 tieouts.
Any more tips you’ve learned? It didn’t look like you were selling these anymore when I checked your site. I’ll be making Rev 4 in the next couple weeks. It looks like 3M 2120 (e.g., TOUGH transparent duct tape) is still the winner for tape.
With the forum software change, the link to Brian Camprini’s trip report no longer worked, nor did the one for the trip report on Pierre Lakes basin so those have been updated in this post since I sometimes refer people to this thread.
I figured since I’m here already that I may as well add a few comments with regards to my Part 3 outline at the bottom of my OP and how things differ 7 years later. :)
– I now train before trips and haven’t had any knee issues to speak of despite rugged terrain – duh! That is usually doing bleachers or hills at a city park.
– Re sticking to the Neoair it’s not really an issue since I wear long pants and sleeves
– I switched to using a 2L Platy for my pillow though I’ve recently splurged for a larger Klymit pillow
– I now take a midweight fleece vest for extra insulation sometimes
– I stick with no- or light-cushion Darn Tough Vermont socks – lifetime warranty FTW!
– Inov-8 did replace those particular shoes and I bought 2 more pairs and am still using the second pair. I also bought enough Roclite 295 shoes since the 315 are discontinued to last the rest of my hiking life (unless my youngest ends up with feet my size)
– I’ve continued to use the OEM Inov-8 insoles and they hold up very well. I’ve found I sometimes need to clean the little “airholes” in them if tiny rocks get stuck
– dropped the plastic spoon for an iced tea spoon
– never carried “gatorade” mix unless a son was with me.
– I’ve gone to an ursack so I don’t have to bother with finding a suitable tree which is difficult where I like to go.
– still using the same light I think and don’t recall ever having it switch on again
– not sure I’ve used any bandaids since then
– I don’t think I’ve tried bread bags yet since the thinner socks I use now don’t stay wet. That would be a good test in winter snow someday.
– back to just using the trial size toothpaste
– I’ve tried to take less food over the years but have always come back with some. I figure that is just insurance should I have to wait out a storm or get injured.After going down some more since this trip my base weight has increased maybe a pound for some luxury items – I use a large Neoair now (for the width) and bought a Delorme inReach, for example.
Michael Ray: I’m aware of the prohibited use of alcohol stoves during BSA activities but have made several “homebrew” stoves with them so that they have an inexpensive and easy to use stoves on their own outings.
I did use this setup with the Starlyte to boil water for three scouts who forgot to bring dinner at our last campout.
The way you worded that sounds like this was an official BSA activity. It makes no difference whether you use it or a Scout does. Or this was one of those non-BSA campouts that happened to include mostly Scouts?
I collected a bunch of cat food cans and made some with our Boy Scout troop.
FYI, sadly alcohol stoves have been prohibited in the Guide to Safe Scouting for several years now. One could try to argue these are “commercially manufactured”, but it’s clear what the intent is. I still use one when out with my son on our own trips.
