By Integral Designs. See it at: http://www.integraldesigns.com/
and: http://www.thru-hiker.com/ where it has an independent review.
For one person PLUS GEAR or two very close friends for a short time.
No floor, light at about 14 ounces for your shelter.
Mine is the older version without the additional higher tie-off at rear of the tarp which the newer ones have so I sleep on the diagonal inside and still have more than enough room. Very comfy. Sets up in seconds once you determine how high to put your hiking pole as front/center pole. Or, dangle it from a tree limb. No floor but none is needed. I have often thought that it needs a short piece of netting in the front which the George Tarp uses so well but I dont know how to sew. A future project maybe?
SGT Rock
10-01-2002, 22:17
The interesting thing to me about the Silshelter is the fact that years ago this would be a tent. The Army still uses a pup-tent which is basically a canvas shaped tarp that uses two poles.
A year ago I was thinking of making a sil-tarp tent that used one pole instead of two based on the army pup-tent. I drew up the plans and started looking for material when I saw the ID SilShelter. It looked almost exactly like what I had drawn, except mine has the net you are talking about. I planned the door pannels a little different and had a sew in pannel exacly the same size as the sil-nylon pannels. That way you could open up 1/2 of the front door with a bug net.
It is difficult to say what is "tarp" and what is "tent" anymore. I just, arguably, selected whether it had a floor or not to determine whether it was a tent. The shaped tarps sure look like tents, anyhow.
But, unlike with the old shelter half, the silshelter user carries all the tent and does not have to team up with a buddy to make a shelter and the hiking pole does double duty as tent support. Pegs, I guess, are still the same. And the silnylon sure is lighter.
If the silshelter had the netting on the front for venting it would be great. Little water comes in through the close woven net anyway as the user hopefully was a little careful in situating the front out of the prevaling wind. The pole cap needs to have a wrap of para cord to secure the hiking pole in it but that is a minor fix. For the money and weight i found it very servicable for when I used it. And, when the weather is to cold for hammock use, I'll still use it.
Trail Yeti
10-03-2002, 12:32
Got one and used it until I got my hammock. Absolutely loved it.
Definately my coldweather or 2 person option. I used it w/one person, 2 people and gear and never got wet in some driving rain storms. I used a bug bivy for when it got buggy, but on the trail was brainstorming on how to incorporate a removable bug net. When I get the idea/design figured I will post it.
anyway, this is a great tarp, very versatile and very light.
life is good, WEAR A KILT!
Trail Yeti
I have both the Silshelter and the George Tarp. I can actually get my bicycle in the George Tarp and still have plenty of room to sleep. You can pitch it so that the peak is 7ft. I am contemplating sewing noseeum netting around the perimeter of the bottom and then sewing a silnylon floor to this. I asked Integral Designs if they would do this when I bought the George Tarp from them but they declined. This is my favorite shelter now as I can stand up in it, semi-shower and dress in it. With noseeum and floor it still should come in around 2.5 lbs. Not bad for a biking tent that you can put your bike in and sleep in!