Tents, Etc. - Appalachian Trail

imported
#1

All of this discussion about the hennesy hammock has gotten my mind thinking about my next gear replacement. A shelter. Now i like the hammock, dont get me wrong, but i may want to sleep un a bald or in the open…or want to stash some gear inside. The hammock is a neat invention, but its not as versatile as I think i want. I do know i want a sub 4 lb solo tent. Some options I like are the TNF Slickrock, TNF canyonlands, Sierra Designs light year, Mountain Hardwear solitude, and Marmot Eclipse. ANybody have any experience with these??

Scruffy Sleeper

#2

Stay away from this tent. I used it for several hundred miles in the southern appalachians. Although it allows for wonderful room inside the tent, being so high and skinny makes it a sail. You cannot guy this thing out enough. It finally collapsed on Big Butt in Tennessee durring a mild wind storm. The only positive thing I can say is that it is positively monsoon-proof. If you use it in rainy conditions with NO wind, it is a nice tent, However, after getting rid of my eclipse, I took on a Integral Designs Sil Shelter and used it the rest of the way. It is also positively storm proof as well as wonderful in high winds. It is much stronger than any of the solo 3 season backpacking tents that I know of and only weighs 14oz. I saw both the slickrock and canyonlands fill with water on regularity and would stay away from these also (particularly the slickrock). The Light Year and The Solitude, very similar in design would be my tents of choice on your list, except, that I love my Sil Shelter too much to ever go back to a tent.

Walking is Freedom -Hungry Howie GA-ME 2000

Hungry Howie

#3

do you know where i can get info on integral designs???

THanks
SS

Scruffy SLeeper

#4

www.integraldesigns.com

They also have wonderful customer service (if you call them). They are an inovative canadian company. Sil Shelter is 14oz and $150. I would ditch the stakes that come with it and use kelty nobendum stakes, or titanium ones if you got’em

Hungry Howie Freedom is Walking

Hungry Howie

#5

I just saw the integral designs site and im very impressed by the silshelter. i was wondering though…how is it storm/windproof. it is floorless…and has no zips, did you ever get wet enough to curse it…i also like the 4x9 sack it stuffs into, which would help on my space savings.

I agree with the kneebrace thing. an ACE is all you need to get the day out.

SS
GAME 3/1/01

Scruffy SLeeper

#6

Let me re-interate: it is stormproof. I never, ever, ever, AMEN, got wet under this shelter. When using a floorless shelter, you are more aware of your surrounding terrain. You do not set up in low spots or puddles, instead you are forced to set up in more intellegent areas. I set mine up with a trekking pole as short as it would go in the rear of the shelter. This gave it ventilation and kept it off of my sleeping bag. There are millions of ways to set this thingy up though, it is one of my favorite toys. The advantages of using a tarp are many. For one, it is increddibly light; 1/4 the weight of a solo tent and with 2-3 times the covered space. If you use a tarp right, you will have little-no condensation in the morning. A tarp weighs only 1-2oz mroe when wet as aposed to a tent which can weigh several pounds more…and it only takes 30 minutes to dry. If it is raining when you arrive at your “camp” for the evening, you throw down your pack, get the tarp out (which I kept on the outside on rainy days), while leaving the raincover mostly on; set up the tarp providing a dry haven beneath. Walk inside and strip yourself of wet clothes, put on dry clothes, and do your thing. In the morning, you pack your pack, put on your rain gear and pack cover, step outside into the rain storm, and stuff the now 2oz heavier tarp into its sac. You stuff it into an outside pocket of your protected pack and then begin to walk. Nothing gets wet that doesn’t have to. Remember, it rained on me 100 of the 175 days that I was out there, and I used this tarp 70% of the miles from GA-ME. I NEVER got wet, even with sqweezing in an occasional second person. If you have anymore questions…shoot.

Freedom is Walking -Hungry Howie

Hungry Howie

#7

I’ve really looked hard at that silshelter. Reminds me of the old Canvas Army pup tents, two poles and no floor. I’ve used those for years without ever getting wet. Seems like some of the old designs still work well with new material and a new philosophy to use them.

SGT Rock

#8

Okay, you’ve got me interested, very interested. I was given a beautiful OR bivy, small litewt. But I only use an enclosed shelter in poor weather. And a bivy is a bitch in the rain for anything other then sleeping w/o some type of tarp. Now I consider myself a pretty intellegent woman, unfortunately a little “tarp” retarded. I would love this little baby (Sil Shltr) as a combo with my bivy for summer hiking. (Think I’ll keep the tent for the first month or so, since it is already a part of my purchased gear.) As I said me and tarps… I never seem to be able to get them tant enough and forget it if there is wind. So, HH explain again how EASY this shelter is to erect. Doesn’t the center hiking pole get in the way? How long does it take to get it all staked out (looked like there were alot of places to stake)? What about wind? Did I see a zippered entrance or was that my eyes playing tricks on me? I really am interested. The SilShltr, w/bivy, w/summer bag, w/pad could drop by entire sleeping system down to like 5-6 lbs.
Talk to me…

hamockhngr 2001 - 161d

hamockhngr

#9

Yes, the good old sil shelter. I saw this puppy last March and instantly loved it. I never bought one cause I thought it was a little pricey for a tarp. I did however make a hybrid shelter from fly scraps of an old coleman tent. If it worked well, I would buy 1.1 oz. nylon and use the original as pattern. Projected weight was under a pound. I combined assets of sil shelter, nomad, and critter comforts from Moss mountaineering tents. The result initially was awesome.

It was set up with two hiking poles like the nomad, but the entrance was like the sil shelter with a zipper. Two stakes were all that were needed most times. four would make it solid in gusts. Set up was quick. I used the OR bug bivy as ground and bug protection. I took it on a section hike thru the shenandoahs (a week behind Hungry and Lady bug). On a rainy and humid night, I slept on the best ground I could find. Water did come in under the tarp, but the bivy kept me protected. Condensation was a serious problem in the weather though. I realized it was a little too small for me. So I abandoned the design i went back to my sub 4 lb. Peak1 Cobra (A great tent for the money- highly recommended for those who prefer tenting).

Hungry says the Sil Shelter worked for him and I can understand it, it is bigger than my design. however, others i talked to that have used it do complain about the door letting in rain and wind. A quick solution is sew a patch of velcro. Also people complain of having to look long and hard for the ideal spot to set this guy up. From my personal experience, I can see this as being annoying… But Hungry has proven that it can work.

I’m interested in testing out this hammock because it eliminates these aforementioned concerns, but it also presents others. Different strokes for different folks. SGT. Rock has shown us how the hammock can work as a bivy with hiking poles on his page as well. I will post pictures of my hybrid design sometime so people can learn what does not work, but still has some promise… -Sweeper

Sweeper

#10

No adjustments needed. I would disregard about half of the stake out points. You may need those in extreme weather, but that’s nothing that twigs can’t handle. My Sil Shelter went through a tornado in Virginia with only 6 stakes, although I quickly bought 4 more just to have incase of extreme high winds again. This is the only drawback to the sil shelter (the number of stakes) and why I built my own shelter. But if you don’t mind carrying 8 stakes, this thing rocks. When I had my tent early on, I always searched for a good level, slightly higher site. SO after switching to the shelter, I was already used to how to find a good site. In order to set up one of the things, it is extrememly benificial to know how to tie a trucker’s hitch. I don’t know how to explain it, maybe someone else can. This knot allows you to easily re-tighten the tarp in a rain storm without having to get wet; it is extremely strong. I rested my pack against the main pole with the packcover on so that any water that dripped through would hit the pack and roll onto the ground. Just enough wetness would come through to wet the pack cover, I never really saw a drop fall. It took me about one minute to get it set up, and another 30 seconds, once inside, to finish tightening my pitch (this is where the trucker’s hitch comes in handy). It takes about 30 seconds to unstake it, another 20 seconds of shaking it dry, and about 30 seconds to stuff into its sac. When I first got the shelter, I set it up the standard way with one modification. In the back of the shelter, I stood my other trekking pole as short as it would go and made a triangle, staking the corners to the ground and staking out the pole to create tension. Near the end, I attached a five foot piece of string to each of the stake out points at the shoulder of the tarp (i.e. the main stake out points were your shoulder is) and tied those to stakes. Still using a treking pole in the rear, I raised the sides of the tarp about a foot, giving myself almost twice the room inside. This also allowed for more airflow and a better view. This is how I recomend setting it up. It allows for superior weather protection and living space all at the same time; more than any other shelter/pound that I know of on the market. If you have any more questions…shoot. It’s been a long day (working on my webpage) and I’m not thinking strait. Sorry if this doesn’t make sense.

Hungry Howie -Freedom is Walking

Hungry Howie

#11

This is really the Tautline (quite obvious what it does) Hitch. It is best used with a rougher rope…IE not slick nylon. Make one large loop, laying the loose end over the grounded end, run the loose end twice (two loops) on the inside of the big loop (round the rope), then one more small loop outside the big one (all these smaller loops go round the ground rope, finish off by putting the loose end through the new oblong loop created between the two small inner loops and the one on the outside so you see two “ropes” coming through the hole. This sounds incredibly confusing, but alas ask a boy scout…they can show you if you dont know. it works by sliding the know up and down the grounded section. careful not to overtighten or you may never get it out.

Scruffy SLeeper

#12

That is exactly what I was trying to avoid. I agree, ask a boy scout. To difficult to explain, To easy to tie…

Hungry Howie GA-ME 2000

Hungry Howie

#13

did you use a groundcloth with your silshelter??? ive heard of a tyvek…any clues? Thanks

Scruffy Sleeper
GAME 3/1/01

Scruffy SLeeper

#14

When I was using a Z-rest for my pad I did not. However, with a thermarest I would use a cloth. Tyvek is fine. So is 1.3oz Silicon Impregnated Nylon. It developes little holes but does not effect it’s performance. I also used a OR Bug Bivy for a while. I loved this little thingy. Highly recomended for the AT where it also comes into play in a shelter in the summer. Sometimes it was the reason I was able to sleep. You should note, however, that 2000 was an extremely wet year and thus spawned many more than normal bugs. It might not be as essential on a normal year.

Hungry Howie GA-ME 2000

Hungry Howie

#15

Well, the truckers knot threw me.

Alas, I am a girl scout and can tie a tauthitch.

Thanks guys. hamockhngr / 160 days

hamockhngr

#16

what is this stuff? im in the dark ages with tarps here…

SS
GAME 3/1/01

Scruffy Sleeper

#17

Tyvek is that Dupont poly fibrous fabric that is wind, rain, UV resistant and breathable. It comes on rolls and feels like thick paper. Machine washed a couple times, it feels like nylon fabric. It’s about 1.2-1.3 oz. per square yard. It is pretty durable. I question its breathability. When building a brick house, workers put this up to protect the frame and interior. Sometimes they have xtra left over and will give it away for free to weirdos like hikers who come by asking for the stuff. Here’s the real skinny: http://www.monmouth.com/~johno/Tyvek.htm

Sweeper

#18

I have a few questions about tarps and hammocks. I found my tent to be a safe haven from the bugs. Granted that most to time on the AT there wasn’t a problem but I remember a few shelters that were no-see-ums hell. I couldn’t imagine sleeping outside in the open with bugs, biting and buzzing all night.

I have been reading some PCT Journals and they mention a lot of mosquitoes. Thick clouds of them. HH mentioned a bug bivy that worked well. But doesn’t that bring you close to a tent set up? You’ll have a tarp, ground cloth, netting, rope and a stake or two. What’s the difference in weight between that set up and a solo tent or bivy?

Zip

#19

Zip,

The one combo I was once thinking of was the Sil Shelter by integral designs (14 oz.) and my OR bug bivy (13 oz.). Stakes, cord, and bag should bring the total to 30 oz… (1 lb. 14 oz.). The OR bug bivy that I have does have a waterproof bottom (hydroseal) although moving around in it at night might cause you to get the sleeping bag wet. So a 2 oz. tyvek ground cloth might be a handy thing to add. This brings the total to 2 lbs. even. This is about a pound lighter than most tents. I really like my bug bivy as it can be put to use in the shelters as well. This may be a system worth considering. Others may have lighter suggestions. Hope this helps. -Sweeper

Sweeper

#20

As Sweeper said, it weighs much less than a normal tent set up. However, I designed my own shelter. It is a waterproof Bivy Sac with the front half of a Sil Shelter sewn onto the hoop of the bivy sac. The face of the bivy sac is made of mesh because the tarp is covering it and it ventilates better. It is a single wall principle, which means that you cannot get the “tent body” soak=ed while setting it up. I think it will be pretty bombproof and take about 20 seconds to set up in ANY weather condition. It is a sivy sac with a vestibule. I haven’t made it yet but I project the weight to be 20-22oz. Like I mentioned in another post, I’ll update this site when my own webpage is reconstructed. It will have pics of my 20* One pound quilt and, after I make it, my shelter. Stay Tuned…

Hungry Howie GA-ME 2000

Hungry Howie