I guess I'll ask for tent advice here as well. Right now the two that interest me are the MSR Hubba Hubba, and the REI Quarter Dome t2.
I've heard good things about both. They'll be coming with me on backpacking trips as well as cycling tours, and for that reason the Quarter Dome wins a few points because it's not as flashy, better for those roadside pop-up situations.
So, anyone have any insight on tents in that price range?
-O
The Big Agnes SL1: http://www.rei.com/product/734816 and the Big Agnes Fly Creek UL2:
http://www.rei.com/product/796087
For ground cover, consider a military warm weather rain poncho. It's light, indestructible, and will cover you and the rear rack and panniers in the rain. It's also versatile: Three will snap together to make a two person tent complete with ground cover. I wrap it around my air mattress (Thermorest Camp Rest 3/4) and place them in a light waterproof bag on top of the rear rack along with tent, stove, fuel, bicycle pump, etc.
Ah, those were the days - when I owned nothing but a poncho, and went truly ultralight. Kept me alive, and worked OK in timber, but talk about some miserable
nights up on the glaciers!
The folks who've tried the 'mids so far swear by them -- they're saying pretty much exactly the opposite of what you're saying here. There's also a post somewhere in the BackpackingLight forums where Ron Bell, owner of Mountain Laurel Designs, let one of the Cuben solomids he makes sit out while it snowed almost 4 feet on top of it, and it was nearly buried, but still standing the next morning.Originally Posted by Drew Wiley
http://www.andrewskurka.com has a discussion about his gear choices -- and describes the Solomid (Mountain Laurel's one-person pyramid) as being very stormproof. Several folks have tried these out in Scotland, in stormy areas, with good success. Structurally they seem to be holding up extremely well to harsh weather.
Condensation will probably be the biggest problem with anything made of any variant of Cuben, since Mylar makes no pretense at being breathable. That's probably why just about ever Cuben shelter has vents in it.
For heavy-duty alpine use, I'd wait for the feedback from actual users before trying out something like the Brooks Range Rocket tent, but I would trust a well-built pyramid for the sorts of places I'll be heading to in the near future. I figure it will be throughly tested and updated by the time I have need for that level of protection from the elements
- Original poster
What is all this discussion about heavy snows, severe storms, Mt Everest quality gear, and expeditions? The original poster is talking about a few overnight trips.
There's a big difference between expedition gear and backpacking gear. I've done my share of both, including several trips to Nepal, Alaska (work as professional geologist), Iceland, and survived many dozen storms, some in which people in other parties died. I understand the need for heavy expedition gear for appropriate outings.
But I don't think it is appropriate to recommend such gear for the OP. I think that he can probably get along fairly light and fairly cheap. Look into lightweight backpacking gear.
Rakesh - a steep-sided pyramid will obviously shed snow, just like a steep-roofed building. But high winds are another matter completely. There's just too much profile
to them, with no way to internally buttress. I guess you could say that I've already
been through the school of hard knocks, and learned all this the hard way. I rarely set
up a tent, but have myself been cozy in storms where other people in the same storm died due to substandard gear. Even a "gentle wilderness" like the Sierra Nevada catches a few people each year off guard.
Also noted from the andrewskurka site that he was referring to using an ultralight in
a snow trench, not freestanding or out in the open. This is similar to how backcountry
skiers do it, and not very practical for many types of weather. Encountered a couple
of young guys who managed to do the Muir trail early last year that way, when deep
snow was still on all the passes. Kept them alive, obviously, but otherwise they were
downright miserable; and my hiking companion remarked how they were probably evolving into marmots, rather than thinking as humans any longer.
Sheeep, The Hubba is great three-season tent by most measures, although I don't image it would hold up to strong winds. I use one for solo adventures; if you need the extra room I imagine that the Hubba Hubba would be a good choice. I see that the Amazon price is a bit better than REI's, or maybe you can wait until REI has another 20% off one item coupon.
I've not read every post, but have you considered a bivvy bag/shelter.
I bought a bivvy bag last summer with the intention of using it as a 'lifesaver' if I was sleeping rough in Europe. It was army surplus, fully waterproof. In fact a few times I was stuck with really cold nights in October in Denmark/Copenhagen, and the bivvy alone added just enough warmth & protection to stop me getting too cold. In fact I used it in winter, indoors where it was around 0-5degrees celsius, sleeping in a London hostel's unheated recreation room (we'd got in but had no money/room to sleep in) that was as cold as outside.
Also in January I sat on it on snow and my butt kept warm, no snow melted through or soaked into the material.
Anyway, in case nobody else mentioned it, a bivvy and a groundmat may save you a lot of weight and provide just enough warmth/protection. Maybe a tarpaulin is more what you want for the tent kinda thing though.
Scuse me rambling again, but when there is a clear forecast and I'm out on a short trip, especially below timberline, I just take a reinforced plastic tarp and some nylon
line. Weighs only a pound and cost under $10, and does just about anything an ultralight tent will do, provided you have trees or rocks to string the line on.
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