Post by neneboricua on Jan 26, 2016 19:20:19 GMT -8
Wow! What great feedback. Thank you everyone. I thought I'd done my homework but it seems there is still more to investigate. Spent the last couple of days researching many of the suggestions that you guys have posted.
The Zpacks Duplex seems like it would be the perfect tent for me, but it's way out of my price range. Maybe justify it if I ever get to the point where I'm living out of my pack for 3-6 weeks at a time or accumulate 60+ nights outside in a year. The same goes for the Warmlite 2R. It's just more tent than I can justify. It'd be like driving a Ferrari to the grocery store - sure you could do it, but it's overkill for the trips I'm likely to take in the next few years. I need to level up my backpacking stats first.
Crap... Under what circumstances can this happen, other than being careless and snapping a pole between two rocks while walking? Is it possible to fix them in the field or would I have to scavenge for branches to support my tent? I'm currently using Black Diamond Trail Shock Pro poles because I found them on super-sale at REI a couple of years ago. They've been good so far and I haven't had any slippage yet, but they've probably got less than 100 miles on them right now.
Average nights per backcountry outing: Weight savings are a terrific objective however on an outing of less than a week with average daily mileage less than 15-12 miles it may not be a significant benefit.
Normally I would be very much in favor of splitting shared gear up between hikers and do so when I go out with friends. But with my wife, I want her to be as comfortable as possible so she enjoys the experience more. I'm trying to limit her pack to her personal gear only and I carry all of the shared items with the exception of food, which we split more or less evenly. She's totally willing to help but at the same time she's just not used to carrying much weight on her back. As she gets stronger, she can take on some more items. As far as distance goes, the furthest we've ever gone in one day is like 8 miles. But I'm trying to make the experience comfortable for her and slowly increase weight/mileage/intensity as she gets stronger. So for now, I'm the designated Pack Mule! hehehe.
Well yes if the stakes pull out on ANY non freestanding tent, the tent will collapse, if they do on a freestanding tent and it is windy (and empty) it will fly away...
I can see what you mean about the stakes. That's a good point. Stakes are a simple upgrade that can really pay off.
I was really excited about the Haven Tarp but there seem to be some issues with weather resistance, durability, and ease of use. Being a relatively inexperienced backpacker, the learning curve with this shelter might be too steep for me. The Lunar Duo looks interesting, too, but I wonder if it would suffer from the same issues. Since it's made of silnylon, the large flat panels would tend to sag if it's wet or just really damp outside.
I'm having a hard time seeing how the side of the tent with the awning avoids getting rain inside. Is there a waterproof inner zipper on the door or do you rely on the fact that the awning juts out kinda far and just hope there isn't much wind? Also, how do you keep your gear dry since the other vestibule is super tiny?
The Tarptent Squall 2 looks like another good option that I hadn't looked at all that closely before. Sigh... more research... hehe
The Zpacks Duplex seems like it would be the perfect tent for me, but it's way out of my price range. Maybe justify it if I ever get to the point where I'm living out of my pack for 3-6 weeks at a time or accumulate 60+ nights outside in a year. The same goes for the Warmlite 2R. It's just more tent than I can justify. It'd be like driving a Ferrari to the grocery store - sure you could do it, but it's overkill for the trips I'm likely to take in the next few years. I need to level up my backpacking stats first.
A word about trekking poles in lieu of tent poles: Trekking poles will fail, not if, but when, causing an inconvenience.
Crap... Under what circumstances can this happen, other than being careless and snapping a pole between two rocks while walking? Is it possible to fix them in the field or would I have to scavenge for branches to support my tent? I'm currently using Black Diamond Trail Shock Pro poles because I found them on super-sale at REI a couple of years ago. They've been good so far and I haven't had any slippage yet, but they've probably got less than 100 miles on them right now.
2-Hikers: This means you can level load team gear. Sharing team gear can reduce average individual pack weight allowing you to increase your tent weight specification.
Average nights per backcountry outing: Weight savings are a terrific objective however on an outing of less than a week with average daily mileage less than 15-12 miles it may not be a significant benefit.
Normally I would be very much in favor of splitting shared gear up between hikers and do so when I go out with friends. But with my wife, I want her to be as comfortable as possible so she enjoys the experience more. I'm trying to limit her pack to her personal gear only and I carry all of the shared items with the exception of food, which we split more or less evenly. She's totally willing to help but at the same time she's just not used to carrying much weight on her back. As she gets stronger, she can take on some more items. As far as distance goes, the furthest we've ever gone in one day is like 8 miles. But I'm trying to make the experience comfortable for her and slowly increase weight/mileage/intensity as she gets stronger. So for now, I'm the designated Pack Mule! hehehe.
I found the spot in the Outdoor Gear Lab test were the DR had collapsed "we suspect that the problem had to do with the stakes.."
Well yes if the stakes pull out on ANY non freestanding tent, the tent will collapse, if they do on a freestanding tent and it is windy (and empty) it will fly away...
I can see what you mean about the stakes. That's a good point. Stakes are a simple upgrade that can really pay off.
I was really excited about the Haven Tarp but there seem to be some issues with weather resistance, durability, and ease of use. Being a relatively inexperienced backpacker, the learning curve with this shelter might be too steep for me. The Lunar Duo looks interesting, too, but I wonder if it would suffer from the same issues. Since it's made of silnylon, the large flat panels would tend to sag if it's wet or just really damp outside.
I have a Lightheart Solo and since the awnings roll up, I have a hybrid double wall that works great -- good visibility, good weather-proofness
I'm having a hard time seeing how the side of the tent with the awning avoids getting rain inside. Is there a waterproof inner zipper on the door or do you rely on the fact that the awning juts out kinda far and just hope there isn't much wind? Also, how do you keep your gear dry since the other vestibule is super tiny?
The Tarptent Squall 2 looks like another good option that I hadn't looked at all that closely before. Sigh... more research... hehe