franco
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Post by franco on Jan 5, 2020 13:07:20 GMT -8
There are similarities but the SS Li is has a bit more complex shape than it might appear
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driftwoody
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Take the path closer to the edge, especially if less traveled
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Post by driftwoody on Jan 5, 2020 14:14:31 GMT -8
Looks like Bucky Fuller designed the tent in the first pic.
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franco
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Post by franco on Jan 5, 2020 17:40:12 GMT -8
Henry Shires does have a taste for aesthetics but there is also a very practical reason for that design. it creates more usable interior space as well as having smaller, than many, wind deflecting panels . The most semi-geodesic two pole tent I can think of.
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driftwoody
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Take the path closer to the edge, especially if less traveled
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Post by driftwoody on Jan 5, 2020 17:52:45 GMT -8
it creates more usable interior space as well as having smaller, than many, wind deflecting panels . The most semi-geodesic two pole tent I can think of. Wind direction does not seem to matter with that symmetrical design. I was in the design school at Southern Illinois, where Fuller was a professor 1959-71. That was before my time, but I saw him lecture not long before he passed away.
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BigLoad
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Pancakes!
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Post by BigLoad on Jan 5, 2020 18:10:20 GMT -8
Wind direction does not seem to matter with that symmetrical design. That's good, because the wind never keeps blowing in the same direction that it was when I set up the tent.
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panatomicx
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Less noise and more green
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Post by panatomicx on Jan 5, 2020 18:45:33 GMT -8
Still waiting for the Stratospire I in DCF
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franco
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Post by franco on Jan 5, 2020 19:39:42 GMT -8
If you look at the footprint of the SS1 and compare it with the SS li you will find that there isn't all that much difference between the two . (the SS Li is about 10" wider , same length)
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davesenesac
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Our precious life is short within eternity, don't waste it!
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Post by davesenesac on Jan 8, 2020 11:12:44 GMT -8
August 21, 2019, camp spot without fly atop Tyvek sheet at Big Pothole along Shepherd Creek, John Muir Wilderness ~11k.
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Post by hikeer on Jan 27, 2020 3:42:55 GMT -8
Solo trips I take the Tarptent Moment DW, otherwise a Tarptent Double Rainbow.
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gabby
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Post by gabby on Jan 27, 2020 9:21:30 GMT -8
There are similarities but the SS Li is has a bit more complex shape than it might appear I really like that tent, franco, and I like your shot even more - even if I suspect that you "captured" it from the video on the Tarptent page for the SS Li, which starts directly above the tent. A comment and question: I notice that the SS Li has the (what do you call them?) "alternating doors"/"offset doors", and I fully understand why: the tent is intended for 2 persons, and the best way to accommodate 2 persons is with their heads at different ends of the tent, thus a door for each makes absolute sense. My Scarp 1 (an older version) has the doors opposite each other, and I really enjoy that because it means I can have one door closed with gear and the like over there on my left, but still have an open vestibule for my stove, water, etc. over here on the right so that, when I wake in the morning, I can simply reach out and get whatever I need, and even cook in the open side if I want. (I try to position the open door to the east for sunrise, but not always. If there's a stiff wind or other consideration, I "wind position".) My assumption was that the "alternating" vs. "opposite" was strictly a "multiple" vs. "single" tent thing, but I see that the SS 1, Moment DW and the Notch/Notch Li have the "alternating" doors, but the Scarp 1 shown on the TT website still has the "opposite" doors. Why is that? Is it a manufacturing decision, given that the mesh has to be sewn somewhere, and it's just easier to have one instruction for the sewing process instead of two? Or is it something else I am not imaginative enough to see?
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Post by trinity on Jan 27, 2020 10:35:26 GMT -8
gabby , if you're interested, give a listen to the latest BPL Podcast, an interview with Henry Shires. He speaks a little bit about the design process that went into the Stratospire. It's a really good interview.
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Post by ukpacker on Jan 27, 2020 11:44:52 GMT -8
For windy and exposed hills in the UK or areas of Scandinavia far from woods I take my trusty old Hilleberg Akto, if I don't expect to be more than an hours walk from sheltered woods then the lighter Enan is good enough , in winter Scandinavia I have only used my Soulo, not light but good for powder snow conditions. I also have a Vaude Power Lizard which has oodles of room but other shortcomings so I may just keep it for campground packing.
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franco
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Post by franco on Jan 27, 2020 13:03:47 GMT -8
Gabby, That overhead shot was indeed a screen grab from the video on the product page, however I was the first to post a similar photo , in 2013 , of the SS silnylon to give a better idea of it's shape. I stood on top of a ladder to do that. As for the doors, some people like it one way others like it the other way....
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gabby
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Post by gabby on Jan 27, 2020 19:46:39 GMT -8
Thanks for the response, franco. I get it, I guess, and I understand that having lots of customer options means a lot of additional overhead. Still, why would someone want the "alternating" doors? Maybe I'm making more out of this than I should, considering that I've never used a tent with the "alternating" doors - maybe I'd find out it wasn't a really big deal.
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Post by oldbill on Feb 13, 2024 9:31:10 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!) 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. 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 since those don't account for tent shape. FitmytentIn playing with the recommend feature, I didn't see better options. (A)The X-mid 1p has less sleeping room, bigger sitting area (that means larger outside footprint). Essentially same price and weight. X-mid apparently has it's own challenges as well with pitching if a perfect large rectangle can't be formed. Of course most tent setup videos are on mowed lawns so aren't all that helpful. (B) The One has had mixed reviews for handling storms. (C) TT Notch and Dipole 1 were not 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...?
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