Cuben Lightheart Solo

[10-K]

After thinking about it, I'd rather see the plastic piece sewn in with the ends of the tubes on the outside of the tent which would put the trekking poles outside the tent instead of on the inside and make any mishaps with inserting the tips less catastrophic. I'm going to have to setup the tent again to see if that's even feasible.

It would also help if the ends of the crossmember were flared and maybe an inch longer. I'm going to go to the craft store (don't laugh) and buy 2 cake icing decorating tips which are shaped like a cone and put one in each end of the crossmember. This will allow my pole tips to fit and if I screw up fumbling around in the dark it'll give the cuben a split second more to relax before coming into contact with the tip of my trekking pole....

One thing about it - Judy is very responsive and open to suggestions. I really, really enjoy buying gear from companies like this.

[10-K]

Here are the promised photos... The side with the LH Solo patch is pitched using all tieouts. The backside is pitched just using the 1 required..... There are 2 unused because I was short 2 stakes.

[Furlough]

[QUOTE=10-K;1137933]So, today my Lightheart Solo in cuben fiber arrived.
Cons: The cuben fiber material feels like it is more fragile than regular silnylon but that may not be true in practice - we'll see. I did get the silynylon floor so I'm not terribly worried about floor punctures based on my previous tent experience (never use a ground sheet, never had a problem).
QUOTE]

10K - thanks for the updates. Now that you have had a chance to test drive the Cuben how are you feeling about the fragileness of the material in comparison to silnylon?

Furlough

[Singletrack]

It's huge, I'm 5'9'', 160. I would get lost inside. I like it. To understand the stake situation, you have 3 stakes on each side, and a stake each at the ends? What is the difference of your trekking poles, and Lekis, as far as fitting in the cross beam?

[HeartFire]

It's breen.

They are forest green, not breen. I had Cubic Tech do a special color run for me.

Judy - www.lightheartgear.com

[Tinker]

From 10K:
After thinking about it, I'd rather see the plastic piece sewn in with the ends of the tubes on the outside of the tent which would put the trekking poles outside the tent instead of on the inside and make any mishaps with inserting the tips less catastrophic. I'm going to have to setup the tent again to see if that's even feasible.

It might be feasable, but the tent gets a lot of support from the poles being inside in the wind. Outside poles would allow the seams of the tent to bow inward, flattening and catching wind instead of forcing it down either side of the seam (unless you sewed on a full length pole sleeve which would add weight (as well as not being feasible for all pole designs).

[Tinker]

That's a very low bathtub for a fly that doesn't go all the way down to the ground. Seems like there would be a lot of splash-up on hard ground.

I had a prototype tent which I purchased from Judy because I thought it was such a smart design. The bathtub floor angles inward so splashes from outside the fly have farther to go to get over the sides. I tried the tent in the remnants of a tropical storm and had no problem with leaks. The two areas I mentioned to Judy that I thought could use improvement were:
1) I thought the tent interior could be more roomy and the tent itself made more wind-worthy if she included pullout tabs on the fly with an attachment to the tent body at strategic points, and,
2) The spreader bar could use some velcro strips to hold it in place.
Both ideas have been implemented.
After having a friend sew some pullout tabs on the tent I owned (see my photo section here for pics), and being satisfied with the result, I sold it to a Whiteblaze member for a nice, low price.
Here's the link to my test:
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?t=52867

[leaftye]

It might be feasable, but the tent gets a lot of support from the poles being inside in the wind. Outside poles would allow the seams of the tent to bow inward, flattening and catching wind instead of forcing it down either side of the seam (unless you sewed on a full length pole sleeve which would add weight (as well as not being feasible for all pole designs).

Even if that were not a concern, it would likely reduce the interior space of the shelter unless the poles could be extended further.

[Tinker]

Even if that were not a concern, it would likely reduce the interior space of the shelter unless the poles could be extended further.

Yes, the poles would have to be incrediblylong to go outside (or directly under) the fly of the tent. Maybe 10K meant that the poles could go between the fly and the tent body and be velcroed to the tent body .

[10-K]

What is breen???

[10-K]

Yes, the poles would have to be incrediblylong to go outside (or directly under) the fly of the tent. Maybe 10K meant that the poles could go between the fly and the tent body and be velcroed to the tent body .

Yes, that's exactly what I meant.... They'd be where the are now except on the outside of the tent. (that makes no sense... but you know what I mean...)

The plastic cross piece would be sewn in on the outside of the tent and not be removeable. This would provide the same amount of interior space that's available now and eliminate the possibility of jabbing a pole tip through the roof - or bumping into the pole and knocking it out of place during the night.

And again, I'd have to set it back up to see if this would even work.

[hobbs]

10-k have to say. you have some gear i wish I had..I read why and good for you..I will just be happy I have my virga tarptent. But I will live viacariously through your gear purchase's...

[HeartFire]

What is breen???

Cubics color "breen" is a brown-green, or olive drab.

[Tinker]

Cubics color "breen" is a brown-green, or olive drab.

I thought it was "grown" - oh wait - that's a real word.

[10-K]

Fatal flaw in my idea.. The bottom of the trekking pole wouldn't give the tent the right shape if it were not on the inside. So.... if the pole was on the outside there'd have to be a way to attach the outside of the tent to the pole.

I think I'll leave the tent making to the tentmakers...

[mad4scrapping]

I have the regular Solo and I must say that it is the best tent ever!!

[10-K]

Here's my first attempt at a solution to the issue w/ my Black Diamond trekking poles being too big to fit good in the crossmember.

I heated the plastic piece to soften it up and held the cone over the flame on our gas stove and got that sucker almost red hot - it went into the crossmember very easily and when it cooled it contracted around it. I twisted and pulled pretty hard and they didn't fall out.

Marc at Lightheart gave me another idea which I'm going to try when I can get another crossmember (it's in the mail...)

[HeartFire]

Fatal flaw in my idea.. The bottom of the trekking pole wouldn't give the tent the right shape if it were not on the inside. So.... if the pole was on the outside there'd have to be a way to attach the outside of the tent to the pole.

I think I'll leave the tent making to the tentmakers...

10K - you can hop right over the mountain and I'll teach you how to make tents!

Judy

[Tinker]

10K - you can hop right over the mountain and I'll teach you how to make tents!

Judy

WOW! I'd jump at that invitation!

[maybe clem]

Bottom line is that the tent held up well in the wind and no water came in.

What's going to matter with that low bathtub is a hard rain coming straight down - not blowing rain. The hard, straight rain is when you'll get splash-up, if any.