View Full Version : Shelter selection: what would you do?
BenOnAdventures
11-27-2015, 23:47
Hey everyone, I hope you had a great day! So I'm deciding on shelters now for the Continental Divide Trail. I'm debating between solomid from Mount Laurel designs or waiting for Sierra Designs to come out with their new shelter in the spring, from what I read it's supposed to be another mid style shelter, when comparing the two brands, which would you choose and what is your reason why? Thank you again! All of the advice has been great
1. How exactly do we compare and contrast a piece of existing gear to vapor/phantom gear?
2. Decide for yourself what you need in a trail shelter. Then research shelters that meet your needs.
3. Try to cultivate an original thought. We can't spoon feed you answers to your personal needs in gear.
4. We don't know your direction or start date. That figures in to your gear selection.
Wayne
Sent from somewhere around here.
1. How exactly do we compare and contrast a piece of existing gear to vapor/phantom gear?
i guess you'd do it the same way you compare and contrast whether OP will actually go on any hike, let alone the CDT.............
BenOnAdventures
11-28-2015, 00:40
1. How exactly do we compare and contrast a piece of existing gear to vapor/phantom gear?
2. Decide for yourself what you need in a trail shelter. Then research shelters that meet your needs.
3. Try to cultivate an original thought. We can't spoon feed you answers to your personal needs in gear.
4. We don't know your direction or start date. That figures in to your gear selection.
Wayne
Sent from somewhere around here.
1. I spoke to someone at Sierra Designs and they are in fact coming out with a mid style shelter in spring.
2. I've did that and as I talked about in the original post, i'm asking others opinions.
3. Again, asking opinions, not to be spoon fed.
4. SOBO
I was meaning this as a question to compare companies, shelter wise, have you had any experience with either company and if so which would you pick? Thanks!
BenOnAdventures
11-28-2015, 00:41
i guess you'd do it the same way you compare and contrast whether OP will actually go on any hike, let alone the CDT.............
I hike just about every day. I thank you for your comment, I appreciate the feedback. And yes, planning for the CDT is well underway. Thank you and I hope you have an awesome weekend!
BenOnAdventures
11-28-2015, 00:50
For anyone in the future who is going to comment I meant to make my question more simple. For a shelter, would you select Mount Laurel Designs or Sierra Designs? Thanks.
And yes, planning for the CDT is well underway
good............glad to hear it............hope it goes as well as your planning for the PCT trail last year went....
I hike just about every day.
so do i............i call it "walking"....
i just figure that someone who has a name such as "onadventures" and runs a blog----would at least post something about said hikes.........
BenOnAdventures
11-28-2015, 00:53
good............glad to hear it............hope it goes as well as your planning for the PCT trail last year went....
so do i............i call it "walking"....
i just figure that someone who has a name such as "onadventures" and runs a blog----would at least post something about said hikes.........
You're so sweet. If you looked at any previous posts, any talks of PCT were directed towards 2016, not 15. So you're saying you can't change your mind on something that is over a year away? That's interesting. Don't worry, when I'm thru hiking the CDT next year I'll be sure to specifically send you several pictures so you can keep up with my journey. It'll be great to talk adventure with you and share my journey. You just made me even more excited to hike it, thank you! This truly has been a thankful Thanksgiving weekend to me. You're the best! Have an awesome weekend buddy!
Don't worry, when I'm thru hiking the CDT next year I'll be sure to specifically send you several pictures so you can keep up with my journey.
sure ya will.......
ill be looking forward to seeing them....................
You're so sweet. If you looked at any previous posts, any talks of PCT were directed towards 2016, not 15. So you're saying you can't change your mind on something that is over a year away?
no............trust us........we know you can change your mind on a bunch of things........
BenOnAdventures
11-28-2015, 01:03
sure ya will.......
ill be looking forward to seeing them....................
no............trust us........we know you can change your mind on a bunch of things........
Good i'm glad you're looking forward to it!! It's gonna be a great time! Gonna get to enjoy one of the best parts of our beautiful country. Thanks buddy you're the best. Thanks for answering my original question on Sierra Designs vs MLD shelters. You're the best. Have a great night!
cmoulder
11-28-2015, 08:56
MLD, since it actually exists.
But get at least a solomid xl or a duomid, if you're taller than 5'2" and need room to change your mind.:)
Personally, I have a Duomid and a Zpacks Duplex. If there were ANY chance of bugs I'd take the Duplex. I hate the hassle and weight of innernets.
The pitching speed of a mid is useful if you have a lot of afternoon thunderstorms and need something you can throw up pronto.
MuddyWaters
11-28-2015, 09:25
For anyone in the future who is going to comment I meant to make my question more simple. For a shelter, would you select Mount Laurel Designs or Sierra Designs? Thanks.
No shortage of mids out there. And SD wouldnt make first cut with a nonexistant shelter.
I would get what fits your budget,size and weight requirement . New designs might cost more then last years design. SMD has some nice Mids.
Thom
i guess you'd do it the same way you compare and contrast whether OP will actually go on any hike, let alone the CDT.............
[emoji106] Thanks. [emoji41]
Wayne
Sent from somewhere around here.
For anyone in the future who is going to comment I meant to make my question more simple. For a shelter, would you select Mount Laurel Designs or Sierra Designs? Thanks.
You forgot:
None of the above.
I'm getting closer to a shelter decision and my short list does not include either of those companies.
You have made me think about reconsidering the whole pyramid shelter concept.
When I did look at pyramids, I recall being impressed by Seek Outside in Grand Junction, CO, HMG in Maine and Locus Gear in Japan. I'll have to look at my notes.
SOBO Rocks!
I do hope that the snow levels next year are manageable. Prepare to be flexible and creative.
Good luck!
Wayne
Sent from somewhere around here.
I'm getting closer to a shelter decision and my short list does not include either of those companies.
You have made me think about reconsidering the whole pyramid shelter concept.
When I did look at pyramids, I recall being impressed by Seek Outside in Grand Junction, CO, HMG in Maine and Locus Gear in Japan. I'll have to look at my notes.
SOBO Rocks!
I do hope that the snow levels next year are manageable. Prepare to be flexible and creative.
Good luck!
Wayne
Wow! Very nice but expensive. And cf packs big Deschutes Plus $ 143. 16oz
Thom
BenOnAdventures
11-28-2015, 11:12
MLD, since it actually exists.
But get at least a solomid xl or a duomid, if you're taller than 5'2" and need room to change your mind.:)
Personally, I have a Duomid and a Zpacks Duplex. If there were ANY chance of bugs I'd take the Duplex. I hate the hassle and weight of innernets.
The pitching speed of a mid is useful if you have a lot of afternoon thunderstorms and need something you can throw up pronto.
I'm 6'3, 215. So duomid? The MLD 2016 Solomid on their site. These are the dimensions: 109" Long
44" Wide
50" Tall
Also here's the link if that helps: http://www.mountainlaureldesigns.com/shop/product_info.php?products_id=213
BenOnAdventures
11-28-2015, 11:14
You forgot:
None of the above.
I'm getting closer to a shelter decision and my short list does not include either of those companies.
You have made me think about reconsidering the whole pyramid shelter concept.
When I did look at pyramids, I recall being impressed by Seek Outside in Grand Junction, CO, HMG in Maine and Locus Gear in Japan. I'll have to look at my notes.
SOBO Rocks!
I do hope that the snow levels next year are manageable. Prepare to be flexible and creative.
Good luck!
Wayne
Sent from somewhere around here.
Thanks i appreciate it i'll look into those. And this is the link to the one i was looking at: http://www.mountainlaureldesigns.com/shop/product_info.php?products_id=213
BenOnAdventures
11-28-2015, 11:15
I'm getting closer to a shelter decision and my short list does not include either of those companies.
You have made me think about reconsidering the whole pyramid shelter concept.
When I did look at pyramids, I recall being impressed by Seek Outside in Grand Junction, CO, HMG in Maine and Locus Gear in Japan. I'll have to look at my notes.
SOBO Rocks!
I do hope that the snow levels next year are manageable. Prepare to be flexible and creative.
Good luck!
Wayne
Wow! Very nice but expensive. And cf packs big Deschutes Plus $ 143. 16oz
Thom
Thanks i appreciate the suggestion, i'll look into it!!
Studlintsean
11-28-2015, 15:02
For anyone in the future who is going to comment I meant to make my question more simple. For a shelter, would you select Mount Laurel Designs or Sierra Designs? Thanks.
I have pretty limited experience with it but I recently picked up a Duomid second hand. I used it one night so far and it fit my dog and I with plenty of room. I'm planning to get a few more night in it before the end of the year. It's goes up very easily which I like (make sure you square up the back corners). I'm still working out the dual pole use and hope to get it squared away tomorrow when I cut the adapter longer. Also working on a groundsheet. I'd recommend looking into a duomid if you plan to be living out of it for a few months on a thru hike. Good luck.
Studlintsean
11-28-2015, 15:04
I have pretty limited experience with it but I recently picked up a Duomid second hand. I used it one night so far and it fit my dog and I with plenty of room. I'm planning to get a few more night in it before the end of the year. It's goes up very easily which I like (make sure you square up the back corners). I'm still working out the dual pole use and hope to get it squared away tomorrow when I cut the adapter longer. Also working on a groundsheet. I'd recommend looking into a duomid if you plan to be living out of it for a few months on a thru hike. Good luck.
and don't listen to these old grumps. I've seen some of them ask the same types of questions (multiple types of gear) over the years.
Totally correct. Never never ever ever listen to someone old enough to follow the evolution of gear. The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.
Wayne
Sent from somewhere around here.
cmoulder
11-28-2015, 15:47
I'm 6'3, 215. So duomid? The MLD 2016 Solomid on their site. These are the dimensions: 109" Long
44" Wide
50" Tall
Also here's the link if that helps: http://www.mountainlaureldesigns.com/shop/product_info.php?products_id=213
I am all too familiar with the MLD website.:)
Specs don't say all. If you look at the Duomid, it is actually listed as 104" in length, 56" tall. It's all about the slope of the wall, and those few inches here and there have a large effect on the geometry. Remember, the photos on the website show a 6'1" guy, yes, but with the shelter pitched a couple inches off the ground and, more importantly, without an air mat. Take away 4" or so in height, add in a puffy sleeping bag and you're wiping condensation off the wall with your megabucks Western Mountaineering bag. One thing about pyramids is that overhead and end space start to diminish rapidly, such that the real, usable length and headroom are significantly less than 109"/50".
capehiker
11-28-2015, 15:54
Check out Stick's Blog on YouTube. He has a vid on the duomid, with solo innernet.
cmoulder
11-28-2015, 15:55
I have pretty limited experience with it but I recently picked up a Duomid second hand. I used it one night so far and it fit my dog and I with plenty of room. I'm planning to get a few more night in it before the end of the year. It's goes up very easily which I like (make sure you square up the back corners). I'm still working out the dual pole use and hope to get it squared away tomorrow when I cut the adapter longer. Also working on a groundsheet. I'd recommend looking into a duomid if you plan to be living out of it for a few months on a thru hike. Good luck.
Tyvek housewrap makes a decent ground sheet. I've been using this one for a while and it's holding up fairly well. Using 2.5mm shock cord and plastic hooks to keep it in place, offset toward the back wall several inches. Made it a bathtub by squaring the corners and using some cut-down bamboo chopsticks for corner stays.
BenOnAdventures
11-28-2015, 21:15
I have pretty limited experience with it but I recently picked up a Duomid second hand. I used it one night so far and it fit my dog and I with plenty of room. I'm planning to get a few more night in it before the end of the year. It's goes up very easily which I like (make sure you square up the back corners). I'm still working out the dual pole use and hope to get it squared away tomorrow when I cut the adapter longer. Also working on a groundsheet. I'd recommend looking into a duomid if you plan to be living out of it for a few months on a thru hike. Good luck.
Thank you I really appreciate the first hand account from you. It'seems great to hear
BenOnAdventures
11-28-2015, 21:18
and don't listen to these old grumps. I've seen some of them ask the same types of questions (multiple types of gear) over the years.
Thank you for the kind words. Much appreciated!
Duo mid information:
http://sectionhiker.com/ode-to-the-mountain-laurel-designs-cuben-fiber-duomid-a-long-term-review-and-goodbye/
Compare to the space available in the Lightheart Gear Solong 6 or Duo and the TarpTent Stratospires.
Wayne
Sent from somewhere around here.
Studlintsean
11-29-2015, 00:23
Tyvek housewrap makes a decent ground sheet. I've been using this one for a while and it's holding up fairly well. Using 2.5mm shock cord and plastic hooks to keep it in place, offset toward the back wall several inches. Made it a bathtub by squaring the corners and using some cut-down bamboo chopsticks for corner stays.
Thanks. I saw your updates on BPL also. Right now I'm planning on using a sheet of 3 MM painters plastic that I cut for an upcoming trip since my dog is coming. I'm thinking of putting some loops on the 4 corners so I can hook it into the shelter but not too sure yet. Otherwise, I have a baby I can use if needed when solo. What are you using for the 2 pole setup? I cut some PVC to mimic a setup 10K did but with my BD poles set to 140mm it's still not working right (even with an 18 inch piece of PVC vs a 14 inch piece he used).
cmoulder
11-29-2015, 11:17
For the 2-pole setup (the only way to go, IMO!) I'm using some REI (Komperdell, actually) carbon flicklock poles and 16-inch Ruta Locura CF pole jacks. I had to narrow down the pole tips a bit with a Dremel drum sander in order for the jacks to slide on.
baby=bivy?:) I considered that, but even solo I still like having the floor space, especially on snow where things just skitter around and slide out easily. Also the Tyvek tub weighs 7.5oz, which is lighter than all but a handful of specialist bivvies.
The painter's sheet won't last very long. 7 mil Polycryo is much more durable. However, I tried polycryo on snow and found it to be super slippery... very annoying. Seems that all roads lead to cuben, eventually.:( A 1oz-sq/yd cuben tub of similar size weighs about 4oz, but I think I'll just live with the Tyvek.
BenOnAdventures
11-29-2015, 12:28
Duo mid information:
http://sectionhiker.com/ode-to-the-mountain-laurel-designs-cuben-fiber-duomid-a-long-term-review-and-goodbye/
Compare to the space available in the Lightheart Gear Solong 6 or Duo and the TarpTent Stratospires.
Wayne
Sent from somewhere around here.
Thank you I'll check it out. I'm making mu shelter decision this afternoon.
JohnHuth
11-29-2015, 17:21
Ground cloths - four ways of going (in my mind):
1.) Nothing - claim is that the newer tent bottoms are waterproof enough that you don't need 'em.
2.) Order from manufacturer - I always lose them after a year or two, however
3.) Tyvek - noisy, and doesn't fold well, although I've gone this route
4.) Visqueen - easier to configure than Tyvek, lesss noisy - my "go-to" - make sure you use 4 mil, though.
There are probably other options, but the above are my gamut of 45 years of camping/backpacking/sea kayaking... (and I'm only grumpy when I get up in the morning, never trust a fart over 50 and all that stuff).
Hangfire
11-29-2015, 23:19
I'm 6'3, 215. So duomid? The MLD 2016 Solomid on their site. These are the dimensions: 109" Long
44" Wide
50" Tall
Also here's the link if that helps: http://www.mountainlaureldesigns.com/shop/product_info.php?products_id=213
As a tall person myself, be careful with how much length gets lost in the edges of the tent. Also if you are sleeping on an inflatable pad you lose even more of your end to end room. I went with the LH solong6 which is billed as having enough room to fit a 6'8 person which if you are laying flat on the ground may work, but once I got onto my neoair I was suddenly right at the edge of fitting...
capehiker
11-30-2015, 13:04
There's nice flexibility in a tarp/net combo, but I would suggest a Zpacks Altaplex. It's 17oz, built specifically for the taller hiker, and is easy to set up.
Hey everyone, I hope you had a great day! So I'm deciding on shelters now for the Continental Divide Trail. I'm debating between solomid from Mount Laurel designs or waiting for Sierra Designs to come out with their new shelter in the spring, from what I read it's supposed to be another mid style shelter, when comparing the two brands, which would you choose and what is your reason why? Thank you again! All of the advice has been great
just my 2 cents.......i would, at least, talk to MLD now. "Now" being like the next few weeks, before their order/production cue builds up. I ordered a product during their busy time and my order slipped through the cracks, which resulted in some anxiety, but everything worked out.
I would talk to MLD and tell them your needs and talk about if exchanges are possible to a larger size. Otherwise, you run the risk of getting caught in a bind. I am sure MLD will appreciate you and your questions much more during their slack time.