ErnieW
Trail Wise!
I want to backpack
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Post by ErnieW on Feb 17, 2024 12:30:50 GMT -8
I have given up on shepherds hooks as near useless. I have some Easton nail stakes that I used with my retired non-free standing tent. I needed two stakes that I could trust to get in the ground and stay there with that tent. They can handle rock pounding them in.
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reuben
Trail Wise!
Gonna need more Camels at the next refugio...
Posts: 11,160
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Post by reuben on Feb 17, 2024 12:34:59 GMT -8
The Eastons I had were hollow, and bent or broke with minimal pressure. But that was a long time ago, so maybe they've changed if you can pound them with a rock.
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ErnieW
Trail Wise!
I want to backpack
Posts: 9,928
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Post by ErnieW on Feb 17, 2024 12:52:45 GMT -8
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Post by High Sierra Fan on Feb 17, 2024 16:19:27 GMT -8
My issue with high strength shepherd hook stakes is they’re such a narrow profile if the ground is less than perfect they can cut their way out. I like the extra resistance of a T profile for anything where the structure is relying on the stakes versus a freestanding tent.
ETA: ooh those toaks look nice.
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Westy
Trail Wise!
Diagnosed w/Post-Trail Transition Syndrome
Posts: 1,960
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Post by Westy on Feb 17, 2024 18:01:28 GMT -8
Still the one...Hilleberg Enan, a very light, very strong and remarkably comfortable three season tent. At 2 lbs. 10 oz. a tad on the heavy side. My heart has wandered from time to time, twice I almost cheated. The first time it was a crush on Zpacks Duplex. I called Mr. Zpacks, She was on stock out. Phew, imagine getting stuck with that! Then there was that afternoon in Hiawassee, GA. Nemo Hornet Elite was looking pretty good, I must have spent an hour or two googling at the Trailful Outdoor Co. I left in the nick of time. I still love Enan. It's the fiddle factor! Simple to pitch and takedown. One feature I like is that the inner and outer tent are connected. That means if it's pouring rain during the pitch, the inner tent is not exposed to the elements, result, you dive into a dry tent. It's my snug little hideaway, that always works. On the long trails it's common to observe all the fancy-dancy popular tents pitched in a protective or semi-sheltered area. Hikers put supplementary rocks on their tent pegs "just in case" as a component of their standard, everyday pitch. With Enan, I can pitch just about anywhere and often pick open, exposed windy locations. Rock free, except for that rare sandy spot. Old age is setting in. We've been going steady since 2016 and been together somewhere north of 6,000 trail miles. Have replaced the inner tent zippers twice and outer tent zippers once. This past season replaced the guy line loops. Props to Rainy Pass Repair! Each year it gets thoroughly cleaned including a multi hour, two cycle soak in the bathtub, a quick bottom seam seal look-see, checked for puncture, tears and rips and properly sprayed with Nikwax Tent & Gear Solarproof. Another annual maintenance task is replacement of the guy lines and guy line sliders. CDT - Deerlodge NF, MTRecent Total Guy Line Arthroscopy (4) new guy line attachments.Still together and going for the Crown!
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Post by oldbill on Feb 18, 2024 5:32:39 GMT -8
Still the one...Hilleberg Enan, a very light, very strong and remarkably comfortable three season tent. Great transverse hoop tent. I'd still like to drop the weight of the hoop and use my poles, but I'd also probably be one of those looking for more protection behind some trees!
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Post by trinity on Feb 18, 2024 11:18:34 GMT -8
Westy , beautiful love story!
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rebeccad
Trail Wise!
Writing like a maniac
Posts: 12,684
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Post by rebeccad on Feb 19, 2024 2:20:31 GMT -8
I shifted to the TT Protrail Li in 2020 and remain happy. I admit the main thing for me is weight—the lighter (and more compact) the tent, the more food I can carry and the longer I can stay out. Pitching it can be fussy though I improve with practice each season. The single wall means being very conscious of where I’m putting it for avoiding condensation. And I really prefer a side-entry tent.
But at just a hair over 18 oz for what is (for me) a fairly spacious tent, I can’t argue.
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swmtnbackpacker
Trail Wise!
Faber. The forgotten Ivy!!
Posts: 4,914
Member is Online
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Post by swmtnbackpacker on Feb 22, 2024 14:05:32 GMT -8
Reviving an old-but-great thread. Been thinking about replacing my SMD Skyscape Trekker (original version) with another trekking pole tent. Good tent except the single wall part doesn't handle snow that well (low angle) and needs to be guyed out to pull the foot higher or sleeping bag can get wet. Not always possible. Good headroom sitting up. Great price/weight ratio, sturdy in high wind, storms, durable. Outside footprint is reasonable but fitting a tight space with proper tension is challenging with rocks and roots. Goes for most trekking pole tents. Usually requires spending an extra half hour trying to find a suitable location. Pitching into prevalent wind also limits pitching options and winds also change in/after storms. My friend's Rainbow takes less space and goes up fast while I'm still trying to orient my tent reasonably. Still, the Trekker seems more comfortable, etc. but that moment was instructive, as was my last bit of wet snow that collapsed the foot (couldn't orient properly to get it guyed out - or failed to find a proper solution 'cause I was beat!) Stumbled onto a tool for comparing tent interior "useable space" (how much area there is in sitting and sleeping positions (3' and 1' from ground)). Might supplement reviews of actual use. Only addresses space, not quality, weather worthiness, outer footprint, etc... But may be useful vs just using measurements of max peak height, length and width .. in the Fitmytent database, but worth considering, though the Dipole is 1/4 lb heavier than the others. Heard some users don't care for the struts. Of course, a strut for the Trekker might fix that annoying collapse of the foot! Like everything else in gear it's a set of compromises. In addition to "typical" conditions, I also like to know it can handle something a bit worse! Thoughts on alternatives, magic unicorns, etc...? … … Nice website. Having a longer torso (“sit up height”) was kinda amazed at the suggestions the database your post showed. I’ve just finished using a Zpacks Hex “Pocket” w/unaffiliated bivy and though remarkable, alas .. the tarp is too short. Another thing the database brings up is sleeping pad height. I’m using the Xlite inflatable but the newer version is “taller”, puffier, etc. which will limit my preference for “mid” tarps geometrically due to all walls slanting. May need a bigger mid, or something like the single wall Protrail (probably sil-poly) or double wall Notch Li. Been kicking around the old waterproof/breathable bivy upon recommendation from wildlife biologists following snowmelt in the Sierra, .. but those can be real condensation traps if cinched down against a storm. Continued from above … My more challenging backpacks are in the Wind Rivers in Sept. Being able to withstand hail and wind and maybe a few inches of snow with limited cover is key. Like to keep total weight near 2 lbs. Not a fan of single wall - need at least netting. Dyneema is expensive and there have been several reports of not doing well with hail and abrasion. Use may also play a role. A thru hiker using one every night for 3 months causes 90 days of wear, whereas a weekend hiker using it one weekend for the 3 summer months may only expose it to 9 nights of wear. 0.5 DCF is thinner than 0.75 DCF and can get messed up via deformations. Believe 0.75 is relatively sturdy (one hiker got a triple crown plus from a MLD 0.75 DCF tarp ~ 300 bag nights? .. though not used every night). I’m really looking at sil-poly for only a slight weight gain myself.
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Post by oldbill on Feb 22, 2024 15:38:37 GMT -8
Another thing the database brings up is sleeping pad height. I’m using the Xlite inflatable but the newer version is “taller”, puffier, etc. which will limit my preference for “mid” tarps geometrically due to all walls slanting. May need a bigger mid, or something like the single wall Protrail (probably sil-poly) or double wall Notch Li I use the Xlite NXT as well. Definitely not helping the foot situation in the sil-Ny Trekker! Hoping that DB gets more additions, but it probably has to come from the manufacturers. Classic mids shed snow and wind well, like other here noted but large footprints to get decent floor size. Still leaning towards the X-Mid-1 or the TT-Dipole (good ventilation, but a new tent so not many field comments). Larger footprints for these might be an issue. I'm stubborn in adding the weight of a pole for the Rainbow DW, etc. since I always use poles. Getting old...
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Post by dustin on Apr 23, 2024 9:21:24 GMT -8
I actually think about this a lot. Every year I wonder if I want to look at a new tent, but I'm satisfied with the SMD Gatewood I got about 17 years ago. Every time I use it, I find it's just enough for my needs and it's just versatile enough. I can set it up low or high. Doors wide open or closed down tight. A lot of adjustments can be made from inside if the weather changes overnight. I use either a splash bivy or net tent inner. And I can wear it as a BIG poncho. And yes, I can set it up while I'm wearing it if absolutely necessary, but that's kind of a tough parlor trick.
Of course, I've got a hammock setup and am trying to work out a WP bivy that works for me, but those are for more narrow scenarios.
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Post by nickhowes on Apr 23, 2024 13:37:40 GMT -8
I have a Hilleberg Anjan3, which is a very nice tent. But I mostly use a Black Diamond Eldorado because it handles the wind well, and I often camp in very windy places (Beartooths).
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Post by trinity on Apr 23, 2024 14:04:47 GMT -8
I'm satisfied with the SMD Gatewood This has become my go-to, when I am not expecting the bugs to be too bad. I typically pair it with a small piece of polycro under my pad. Have you ever used it as a rain poncho? I have not used it in this capacity.
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Post by dustin on Apr 24, 2024 6:07:20 GMT -8
trinity I have used the Gatewood as a poncho/pack cover. TLDR: It's a lot of great, airy coverage, but a little awkward. The Gatewood Cape is my main rain gear. Overall, it's huge and kind of awkward, but it covers me and my pack down to my knees. I find it necessary to snap the corner loops into the mid-panel tie-out snaps to shorten the sides. It feels a little odd to have your hands go through the middle of the side panels, but this gives better arm and body coverage than a traditional rectangular poncho since the tarp is conical and the sides aren't open. Mine came with a thin shock cord which I sometimes use as a belt if it's windy, but mostly I just let the breeze ventilate from the bottom. The front zipper/door is great for ventilation when needed because it can unzip from bottom, top or both. The hood is huge and pretty basic. The big pocket is positioned inside over the right-side chest and can be used to store a map, hat, etc. I accidentally became a poncho fan 40 years ago when I picked up a cheap, rubbery poncho at a surplus store for about $8 and wore it all summer working in Yellowstone Park. It took awhile but I figured out that a poncho keeps the backpack suspension dry, which is nicer than using a pack cover and jacket. Never liked putting a wet, cold pack on after the rain. Oh, and I learned to appreciate being able to just squat or sit down and be completely sheltered during stops. Also, Katabatic Gear used to be just a couple miles from home, so I picked up one of their bivys. It pairs with the inner snaps of the Gatewood like they were made to go together. I use that when I need extra warmth and a little space to get away from the mosquitos until the temp drops and they can't fly; then I unzip the mesh and have all the headroom back.
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Post by dustin on Apr 24, 2024 7:09:48 GMT -8
nickhowes I'm a little jealous you are able to get into the Beartooths. I spent a couple of weeks up there while working up in Yellowstone and it was one of the most memorable times.
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