1 pound shelter under $200?

[nastynate]

I've got a LHG Solong6 that I love. Easy to setup, roomy for me and adequate for me and my son. But I think I'd like to have a minimalist shelter for fast and light solo trips. Budget is no more than $200. Bearpaw Lair looks nice. Or a smallish flat tarp and bivy, or just get a 8x10 silnylon for the versatility. Would love a hexamid tarp but with the extended beak it's over my budget. Oh so light and simple.

[Studlintsean]

I just got a 5.5 x 9 tarp from Borah Gear and planning on spplementing with a bivy. Total cost around $135 and weighs roughly 15 oz.

[CenAZwalker]

If you are OK with a tarp and bivy, Borah Gear is the way to go.

[Malto]

I chose to make a cuben version of the MLD Solomid to meet almost an identical set of needs that you listed.

[nastynate]

Will I regret no getting something in cuben? Any downsides other than price? Malto, any details on your mid? I am worried about condensation with a bivy here in the southeast.

[Malto]

Will I regret no getting something in cuben? Any downsides other than price? Malto, any details on your mid? I am worried about condensation with a bivy here in the southeast.

Pit is very close to a Solomid except I did a 60/40 peak vs. the peak being in the center on the mid (50/50) Here's a picture with the bug inner installed. The shelter and inner are each about 9oz. It was made with .74 cuben
image.jpg

Ps. I made this after spending a miserable night with both heat and bugs. This is the Achilles heal of bivies.

[nastynate]

Would a shaped tarp like that, or a hexamid, solomid, etc provide enough coverage without using a bivy? I love my so long, and the MLD little star seems to almost the same shape minus the floor.

[theinfamousj]

image.jpg

That looks an awful lot like my Gossamer Gear The One, though a lot lighter. I think the general layout of such a tarp tent is genius and am glad to see the idea promoted.

Sent from my SGH-I777 using Tapatalk

[moocow]

Pit is very close to a Solomid except I did a 60/40 peak vs. the peak being in the center on the mid (50/50) Here's a picture with the bug inner installed. The shelter and inner are each about 9oz. It was made with .74 cuben
image.jpg

Ps. I made this after spending a miserable night with both heat and bugs. This is the Achilles heal of bivies.

Did you sew or use tape? Where did you get your pattern? I'm kind of jealous.

[LoneWolfe]

I have an LHG Solong 6 as well and I love it as well. If I were going to go minimalist solo for<$200, I think I would try to pick up a used Tarptent Notch - light, easy to set up and you can pitch the rainfly by itself when you don't have to worry about mosquitoes/gnats.

[Starchild]

Pit is very close to a Solomid except I did a 60/40 peak vs. the peak being in the center on the mid (50/50) Here's a picture with the bug inner installed. The shelter and inner are each about 9oz. It was made with .74 cuben
image.jpg

Ps. I made this after spending a miserable night with both heat and bugs. This is the Achilles heal of bivies.

Just to mention one thing I liked about the Heximid is set it up then decide which way I was going to sleep, it is not always so cut and dry.

The other thing is with the Heximid I had 'just enough' room from head to toe, if I set it up a bit off I didn't have enough room, but made do. Is there a length penalty to 60/40?

It does seem your beak is superior to the Heximid offering, giving more protection against rain.

[SunnyWalker]

Try a tarp from Wal-mart.

[chall]

I just got a 5.5 x 9 tarp from Borah Gear and planning on spplementing with a bivy. Total cost around $135 and weighs roughly 15 oz.

I got a 6.5' x 10' tarp from BearPaw and a side zipper bivy from Borah Gear at 12oz and ~7 oz., respectively., for $175. The system kept me perfectly dry in rain.

[QiWiz]

Gatewood Cape

[Shonryu]

I haven't tried it but I've been looking into the six moon designs wild oasis. They have them on sale right now until the end of the year for $140 and weight is 13oz.

[Malto]

Just saw the replies....

this was my own design. I basically did all the math in excel, pretty straightforward.

Yes there is a theoretically weight penalty for a 60/40 vs 50/50 but I don't think there is in reality. Having the steeper angle at the head is more important than at the foot. I also wanted the height to be as low as possible. I can sit up but there is no additional head room. This was important more from a storm worthiness vs the weight.

[dmax]

I use a hexamid tarp or a Borah gear Borahgami tarp. Just depends on the hike. The Borahgami when set up in the a frame position, doesn't need a Bivy. So when using this tarp I don't take the Bivy. If I need it in storm mode, no problem. The hexamid tarp with Bivy weights almost as much as the Borah gear tarp. And I have Alot more room under the Borahgami.

[Mountain Springs]

I have found that it is a better use of weight to go for a larger tarp and skip the bivy. More room inside for your stuff and you can use your outerwear (jacket, etc) as a half bivy or groundsheet is necessary. A flat tarp can be set up to be dry in pretty much any conditions and then you can have a view and airflow when it suits.

[q-tip]

You canget a Tarp Tent Contrail for $200, 28 oz total with stakes and tie outs. Best tent for the $$$$$$$$$$$$$$