10 oz. Tent?

[Roughin' It]

I am currently thru-hiking, and at Partnership shelter there was a man there who PCT'd in 2009 and he showed me his tent he used. I know it wasn't homemade and it was a light green color. It was a single wall tent set up with one trekking pole I think, and it weighed 10 oz. When he threw it to me so I could hold it, I couldn't believe how light it was.

Anybody know what this might have been, or know anything similar?

[Feral Bill]

tent or shaped tarp? hard to picture a floor and bug net at that weight, even in a coffin size.

[Lugnut]

Lunar Solo?

[Franco]

Could be the Mountain Laurel Design Solomid in Cuben
http://www.mountainlaureldesigns.com...roducts_id=137
Franco

[Roughin' It]

ok i think I found it: http://www.zpacks.com/shelter/hexamid.shtml

[Miner]

That Z-pack shelter isn't a tent which was probably throwing people off. I've had a chance to see 3 of them at the ADZPCTKO gathering last month and its a nice shelter for those who are use to small tarps or tarptents. I've bought things from Z-pack before and recommend the place.

However, there is no way anyone used that shelter on the PCT last year. Joe of Zpack was testing a prototype while thru-hiking the CDT in '09 and didn't start to sell it until this past fall. So I think you were misunderstanding what the guy was telling you. That guy you met probably did hike the PCT in '09, but started to use this shelter this past winter.

[Roughin' It]

yeah you are probably right. either way, sweet shelter.

[STICK]

This is a very nice shelter. I have been checking them out on the site. It is a lot of stakes, but still. Maybe this would be a worthy choice over the TT Moment. At least I have a while to decide which tent I will use for my Thru in 2013, so I can watch how these pan out. I am wondering about the bug netting on the bottom. It seems like it would be a pain in rain and mud to have to repack every morning.

[butts0989]

it had to be the zpacks hexamid. the lightest tarp/tent out there. ive seen 3 green ones to count, im guessing thats what you saw. good luck getting one any time soon though, poor joe has got quite the waiting list for those and his new cuben packs right now.

[SouthMark]

Heartwalker who is thru hiking this year was using zpacks hexamid twin weighing in at 10.5 oz. Sweet setup for one. He is off the trail now recovering from a broken ankle but will return.

[Red Hat]

Check out Heartfire's Lightheart tent, about the same weight, using trekking poles.

[SouthMark]

The Lightheart tent solo weighs 1 lb 10 oz and the duo weighs 2 lbs. The Zpacks Heximid solo weighs 8 oz and the Heximid twin weighs 10.5 oz. Big difference but the Lightheart tent is a double wall, very light for a double wall.

[Mountain Wildman]

This is a very nice shelter. I have been checking them out on the site. It is a lot of stakes, but still. Maybe this would be a worthy choice over the TT Moment. At least I have a while to decide which tent I will use for my Thru in 2013, so I can watch how these pan out. I am wondering about the bug netting on the bottom. It seems like it would be a pain in rain and mud to have to repack every morning.

I would think the Moment will offer better protection from rain and keep at least some warmth within the tent, 10 ounces sure looks appealing as long as you don't mind getting wet and having virtually no warmth retention at all. Looks like the perfect setup for the west where it is mostly dry. From the journals I have read about the A.T. it is pretty wet a good portion of the time. Looks like a better option than just a tarp and groundsheet though. Personal choice I guess. To each his own.

[Miner]

I 10 ounces sure looks appealing as long as you don't mind getting wet and having virtually no warmth retention at all.

Just because you can't imagine it doesn't make it true.
There is no reason why you would be wet in this shelter if you are using it properly (ie. don't set the entrance up towards the wind). After all, some of us have no problem staying dry with a small tarp. And I think you'd be warmer then you think though certainly not as much as a tent, but definitely far less condensation.

[Mountain Wildman]

Just because you can't imagine it doesn't make it true.
There is no reason why you would be wet in this shelter if you are using it properly (ie. don't set the entrance up towards the wind). After all, some of us have no problem staying dry with a small tarp. And I think you'd be warmer then you think though certainly not as much as a tent, but definitely far less condensation.

Get much rain in Cerritos?

[Miner]

Get much rain in Cerritos?

Thats sorta childish. Just because I live in California you assume we never have bad weather or that I don't travel to go backpacking. You do realize that even in sunny Southern California, we have a ski industry and our local mountains go up to 11,500ft. When we do get rain, it's usually a strong system that dumps alot in a short period of time. I've actually hiked in your home state of New Hampshire as well as a large portion of the US and parts of Europe. So don't just discount my experience based on my zipcode.

I've hiked in several days of hard almost non-stop rain with shifting winds that made the trails looking more like a stream then a pathway. I've been camped on an exposed saddle at 10,500ft with 50mph wind gusts causing the falling snow to blow upslope towards my camp. I've hiked numerous times on trips where we had days of new snow dumping on us. I've been literally several days away from the nearest road so there is no quick exit out some sidetrail when conditions change. So yes, I've hiked in bad weather and somehow always stayed dry with just a small tarp.

So if you have relevant experience with minimalist shelters like the Zpack Heximid to qualify your comments about it, I'm ready to be taken to school over it. Otherwise, I'll have to go with my own experience with similar type shelters in making a judgement. That and the fact that I know some of the weather that Joe faced on the CDT when he was testing the prototype.

[Mountain Wildman]

Thats sorta childish. Just because I live in California you assume we never have bad weather or that I don't travel to go backpacking. You do realize that even in sunny Southern California, we have a ski industry and our local mountains go up to 11,500ft. When we do get rain, it's usually a strong system that dumps alot in a short period of time. I've actually hiked in your home state of New Hampshire as well as a large portion of the US and parts of Europe. So don't just discount my experience based on my zipcode.

I've hiked in several days of hard almost non-stop rain with shifting winds that made the trails looking more like a stream then a pathway. I've been camped on an exposed saddle at 10,500ft with 50mph wind gusts causing the falling snow to blow upslope towards my camp. I've hiked numerous times on trips where we had days of new snow dumping on us. I've been literally several days away from the nearest road so there is no quick exit out some sidetrail when conditions change. So yes, I've hiked in bad weather and somehow always stayed dry with just a small tarp.

So if you have relevant experience with minimalist shelters like the Zpack Heximid to qualify your comments about it, I'm ready to be taken to school over it. Otherwise, I'll have to go with my own experience with similar type shelters in making a judgement. That and the fact that I know some of the weather that Joe faced on the CDT when he was testing the prototype.

My original post was simply an opinion regarding the 10 oz. Shelter and the TT Moment in terms of better all around protection, It was not meant as a personal attack on anyone who chooses tarp and ground sheet setups or shelters like the Zpack, My response to the post by Stick was an opinion.
Your response in regards to my post seemed to me to have an aggressive undertone, Hence my Cerritos comment. So you could say that my childish post was a response to an equally childish verbal attack.
Happy Trails!

[Miner]

My original post was simply an opinion regarding the 10 oz. Shelter and the TT Moment in terms of better all around protection, It was not meant as a personal attack on anyone who chooses tarp and ground sheet setups or shelters like the Zpack, My response to the post by Stick was an opinion.
Your response in regards to my post seemed to me to have an aggressive undertone, Hence my Cerritos comment. So you could say that my childish post was a response to an equally childish verbal attack.
Happy Trails!

I'm sorry I came across as aggressive towards you in my first post. I only wanted to challenge the idea that one would be wet if they use a Zpack style shelter that seemed to be implied.

[Mountain Wildman]

I'm sorry I came across as aggressive towards you in my first post. I only wanted to challenge the idea that one would be wet if they use a Zpack style shelter that seemed to be implied.

I guess I was saying that you get wet with that type of shelter but I have only ever used tents so I should have indicated that it seems like a person may get wetter than if using a tent. I like the idea of a 10 ounce shelter and I read the instructions on the website where they say you may have to move your groundsheet around if water does intrude into the tent and use water bottles or other gear to hold the groundsheet to block the access. I tend to speak my mind too quickly and from time to time may come across in a negative way. I apologize as well since I never intend to be hurtfull or offensive in any of my posts. I have spent my fair share of time in the outdoors both camping and some hiking, But I am new to Backpacking and Long Distance hiking so I have the utmost respect for those who have experience. I hope to be a whole lot more experienced if my Thru-Hike goes as planned for next year. No Hard Feelings.

[sbhikes]

The thing with ultralight gear is that it does take more effort sometimes to stay warm and dry. That doesn't make ultralight gear less worthy. Much ultralight gear is not made for people who don't want to think about the external issues involved.

Ultralight tents in particular depend on you adding a few crucial ingredients, including choosing a good camp site where there is limited wind, katabatic air, condensation etc, and choosing a good spot in the site where there won't be a puddle of water forming and where trees and bushes can provide some additional warmth, shelter and condensation protection. Very frequently this means that the typical backcountry campsite that most people aspire to, such as a nice lakeshore site or a spot in a meadow, are rejected because these sites will be cold, wet and uncomfortable. Much better will be a mid-slope site protected by trees. Sometimes you have to pass by the nice lake-side site or select a tent site a small walking distance away to be able to attain the kind of warmth, dryness and protection that a more robust and heavy tent will provide. Not a problem to me because the hours I spend at night are unconscious while the hours I spend hiking are enhanced by a small pack.

You can't just throw up a shelter like a hexamid any old place and expect it to work as well as a heavy, double-wall shelter. But with care you can choose a good site, arrange the ground sheet and other items well, and sleep warm, safe and dry. That is the trade-off. Easy warm safe and dry with a lot of weight, or warm safe and dry with a little extra thought and care. So it's only with the thought and care added that ultralight and more traditional shelters can be compared.