View Full Version : Tents on thru-hike.
Studley stomper
01-05-2016, 11:56
Is freestanding tent better for AT thru-hike?
Slo-go'en
01-05-2016, 12:44
There are always pros and cons. In general, free standing are heavier and bulkier then non-free standing since they need a frame of some sort and are generally double walled. The advantage is double walled tents have less condensation problems, you can pick them up and move them if you don't like the spot you set up at or need to tweak the orientation and they are easier to use on tent platforms which are common in NH due to the rough and rocky terrain.
I see zero advantages to a free-standing test. Yes, double-walled tents have less condensation, but there are plenty of free-standing double-walled tents with mesh inner netting nowadays. Tarptent makes several, as does six moon designs and gossamer gear. The great thing about going with a tarp/inner net combination (that's basically what these non-free-standing tents are) for thru-hiking is that you can leave your inner net at home for the first couple of months until bugs become a problem. So for a big part of the trail, all you need is a the outer tarp section and a ground cloth, which means you carry way less weight.
The changing spots thing is silly. If you are careful with site selection (lay out your mat and lie down before pitching the tent), you will never have to move your tent. In all my long-distance hiking, which has exclusively used tarps or tarptents, I can't remember a single time I moved my tarp after pitching.
PS Some will say that you need a free-standing tent for all the tent platforms on the AT in New England. Not true! If you have long enough guylines, you can pitch your non-free-standing tent on any platform.
For me the better question is "how necessary is a freestanding tent?". To which I would reply "not necessary at all". I can always find some way to put up my tent, and very very rarely with any hassle. 95% of the time "just normal stakes" does the job. Otherwise the use of local stumps, logs, rocks, etc works. In snow or sand I can resort to a deadman anchor.
In terms of the tent platforms --- yes, a PITA, but only one or two nights of that if I recall correctly? And you just get a little creative --- extra cord is helpful. I think a tent platform just adds maybe 5 minutes tops to my setup, depending on the dynamics.
So if a freestanding tent isn't necessary, are there downsides?
Per above, they're typically heavier.
I think a more incompassing indictment is that there are just relatively few freestanding tent models. If you drop that as a requirement, your options open up wonderfully. There are a variety of criteria in selecting a "best" tent, and in my experience a person that demands a freestanding tent will inevitably compromise (too much for me) on other criteria.
And can cost more sometimes .
Thom
Water Rat
01-05-2016, 13:24
Is freestanding tent better for AT thru-hike?
:welcome to White Blaze!
No. Not better. Freestanding and non-freestanding with both work just fine. The question is - What will work better for your hike? What are your requirements for the shelter you choose? Will you be hiking with trekking poles? Many people will respond, but you need to decide what works best for your hike. There is gear out there for everyone, but the only gear that works "best" is the gear that works for you.
BobTheBuilder
01-05-2016, 13:25
I've used a freestanding, a tarp tent, and a hammock, so I have experience in all. Keep in mind that once the NOBO herd thins out, a lot of thrus stay in shelters because it saves them time setting up and taking down. In that case, the lightest version of a shelter available would be a good choice, since most days it is just dead weight. The freestanding tents can be a little heavier, but they are also frequently less expensive and can be more comforting in bad weather. In the off-season, you frequently see people set up freestanding tents in shelters to cut the wind, but that would be pretty inconsiderate during busy times.
I would probably take a single-wall tent for a thru, but you do see a lot of people with freestanding tents.
daddytwosticks
01-05-2016, 17:39
Freestanding vs. non-freestanding...personal choice. Having used tarps, hammocks, tarptents, non-freestanding double wall tents, and now freestanding double wall tents, I prefer the latter. :)
4eyedbuzzard
01-05-2016, 17:50
PS Some will say that you need a free-standing tent for all the tent platforms on the AT in New England. Not true! If you have long enough guylines, you can pitch your non-free-standing tent on any platform.
8 x 10 Tarp rigged as semi pyramid on platform at Liberty Springs Tentsite (NH). Took a bit longer to pitch than normal but worked just fine. Note the tie down rings on the platform sides, rock used as tie point to right side, etc.
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Slo-go'en
01-05-2016, 18:39
PS Some will say that you need a free-standing tent for all the tent platforms on the AT in New England. Not true! If you have long enough guylines, you can pitch your non-free-standing tent on any platform.
I carry a half dozen 1.5" long roofing nails for tent platforms. Tap them in with a rock and pry them out with a tent stake. Roofing nails are good as they have a large head to keep the guy lines in place and the extra weight is inconsequential.
I carry a half dozen 1.5" long roofing nails for tent platforms. Tap them in with a rock and pry them out with a tent stake. Roofing nails are good as they have a large head to keep the guy lines in place and the extra weight is inconsequential.
Isn't this a pretty big LNT violation? If more than a few people start hammering holes in the tent platforms, pretty soon their structural integrity is going to be ruined.
Don't put holes in the platforms. Just carry some extra cord and put your stakes in the ground where they're supposed to go.
Last time inused a tent platform for the tarp, I put the stakes in the spaces between the slats and tied off the ridges to a big tree. Worked great. No need to drive naols into anything.
Heliotrope
01-05-2016, 20:15
8 x 10 Tarp rigged as semi pyramid on platform at Liberty Springs Tentsite (NH). Took a bit longer to pitch than normal but worked just fine. Note the tie down rings on the platform sides, rock used as tie point to right side, etc.
33212
Nice photo! Never camped on a platform and use a tarp primarily.
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SWODaddy
01-05-2016, 20:42
I carry a half dozen 1.5" long roofing nails for tent platforms. Tap them in with a rock and pry them out with a tent stake. Roofing nails are good as they have a large head to keep the guy lines in place and the extra weight is inconsequential.
Sucks for the next person if you bend a nail and can't pull it out/splinter the wood and they are trying to pitch their tent over it.
8 x 10 Tarp rigged as semi pyramid on platform at Liberty Springs Tentsite (NH). Took a bit longer to pitch than normal but worked just fine. Note the tie down rings on the platform sides, rock used as tie point to right side, etc.
33212
My guess is that the Kalhua and Vodka didn't get opened until after that fine pitch. What did you use for cream?
4eyedbuzzard
01-05-2016, 21:00
My guess is that the Kalhua and Vodka didn't get opened until after that fine pitch. What did you use for cream?Mini Moos :D
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