Hexamid Shelters for taller hikers

[Coffee]

So after weeks of dithering, I am almost ready to order a Hexamid Twin. I want more room than the Solo provides so it is either the Solo Plus or Twin for me. And with just a 0.9 ounce weight penalty for the Twin, I don't see why I wouldn't go with it over the Solo Plus.

Anyway, I'm looking for some input on color choice. The material is offered in white, blue, or olive drab. Generally, I would like to blend into my surroundings so I'm leaning toward olive drab which I also suspect provides a moderate amount of additional privacy (I realize all of the hexamids are somewhat see through). On the other hand, white might be very nice in terms of looking at stars at night. I can't think of why blue would be an advantage. Anyway, any thoughts on color would be helpful.

[Sandy of PA]

Olive blends into the woods best. I stealth as a solo woman, it looks like a big rock with moss, I used black cords.

[Lyle]

And with just a 0.9 ounce weight penalty for the Twin, I don't see why I wouldn't go with it over the Solo Plus.

Keep in mind the overall footprint the tent takes. It is a pretty wide tent, no matter what version you get. The bigger the footprint, the fewer options for appropriate site. Just another thing to think about.

[Coffee]

That is true, the footprint is on the larger side. I'm hoping that the length is going to be substantially better than the Copper Spur UL1 along with, of course, being quite a bit lighter.

I think that I will go with the Olive to blend in better. I doubt I will stealth camp much but maybe I'll get the black cords as well in case I end up doing so.

[Coffee]

Ordered the Twin in Olive yesterday! Joe provided great feedback over a series of emails to help me select the right shelter for my needs. Can't wait until it arrives! Initial testing will be in Shenandoah National Park in early May but I'm really looking forward to my Grand Canyon trip later in May. I'll be camping on the North Rim for a couple of nights before shuttling to the South Rim to start my rim-to-rim hike. Spending one night each at Indian Gardens, Bright Angel, and Cottonwood so it should be an easy hike with lots of time for side trips.

I am a bit nervous about being able to stake down a non-freestanding shelter in the Grand Canyon but I've read about people using rocks as anchors if the ground is too hard.

The weight savings should make my JMT thru hike much more pleasant this summer. My base weight is now down to 15.5 pounds for the JMT and a little over 12 pounds for Grand Canyon!

[mxracer33x]

Did you receive yours yet? Im 6'7" and was going to order a Twin and sleep corner to corner if necessary. Joe talked me out of it. If he gets time He will try to put together an Idea he has for a Hexamid Long that doesn't need the extra poles. If not Ill have a standard Long. Either way Im sure Ill be very happy. Id be interested to hear your thoughts on how yours worked out.

[Coffee]

Did you receive yours yet? Im 6'7" and was going to order a Twin and sleep corner to corner if necessary. Joe talked me out of it. If he gets time He will try to put together an Idea he has for a Hexamid Long that doesn't need the extra poles. If not Ill have a standard Long. Either way Im sure Ill be very happy. Id be interested to hear your thoughts on how yours worked out.

I've had the Twin set up a few times now and spent one night in it a couple of weeks ago. Here's a picture of it set up at camp. At 6'1" there is plenty of space for me and even with an imperfect pitch, I did not feel like my long sleeping bag was at risk of brushing up against the sides as long as I am careful. The extra headroom at the back of the tent is very nice and worth having the twin vs. the solo plus IMO. But at 6'7", I think it may be difficult to make the Twin work. There was no condensation at all when I was out for the night.

Hexamid1.jpg

[Coffee]

I just wanted to post a follow up to close the loop on this thread. I slept in the Hexamid Twin for 16 nights on the John Muir Trail which included a couple of nights of pretty heavy wind and a few afternoons of light to moderate rainfall. The shelter performed admirably in all conditions! I did get condensation on two occasions when my site selection was probably not well thought out (fairly close to lakes on days when there was light rain). But otherwise, there were no issues. Here is the shelter set up in a VERY exposed and windy spot at Thousand Island Lake. I would recommend this shelter without hesitation. And now that I've used it for a total of 25 nights, the effective cost is getting down to around $20/night and I'm sure I'll be able to use it for quite some time to come as it is showing no wear except for the guylines that have some abrasion from tying out to rocks.

2013-08-29-12-1000IslandCamp.JPG

[leaftye]

It looks like you really got a hang of pitching it well. My solo can be finicky, and I get lazy sometimes.

[Ercoupe]

I have the white/gray model duo. Love the room inside for the pack at night. Sleeps two easily. Prop up mid ties with local sticks for more headroom. I use a sol single emergency blanket inside tent for rain conditions and outside under mesh to avoid sap or pine needles sticking in fabric. Condensation can be a problem but you deal with that with any tent. A micro fleece towel works great. Check seams before extended hikes, the thread holes enlarged on mine after 50 nites, allowed a few drips into tent. A better pitch might have helped. Top ridge can sag at times.