View Full Version : Wouls you go without a tent inner
wordstew
03-03-2018, 10:10
Probably hitting the GA AT sometime this month. Got a Big Agnes FlyCreek.
Looking for opinions/advice.
Will the tent inner make that much of a difference or will the fast fly setup be sufficient
MuddyWaters
03-03-2018, 10:17
It can add a couple degree warmth......
Anything else is psychological
Which aint a bad thing
The AT is a buggy trail. If you don't mind spiders, ants etc on you then go for it. They aren't swarming to eat you, but they will absolutely crawl on you.
As MW said, most folks are psychologically averse to it but... does it really matter about some daddy long legs on me?
What you would save on weight by leaving the inner back home, you most likely will add by adding other kinds of protection: A heavier sleeping bag, a bag liner, a bivvy, or a moskito net.
Plus, I'm not sure if this specific tent is suitable for fly-only setup by default, maybe you have to add some groundsheet and/or straps to make this possible - which would another weight.
I have been on this route myself some years ago, considering to leave the inner of my old and heavy Salewa back home to save some weight - turned out a new lightweight tent was way better, and lighter.
Time Zone
03-03-2018, 10:51
Probably hitting the GA AT sometime this month. Got a Big Agnes FlyCreek.
Looking for opinions/advice.
Will the tent inner make that much of a difference or will the fast fly setup be sufficient
Because of ticks, I consider to be out of the question for me. It would already have been an iffy proposition without them, just because other bugs and such would impact my sleep quality, but ticks make it an open and shut case for me.
Probably hitting the GA AT sometime this month. Got a Big Agnes FlyCreek.
Looking for opinions/advice.
Will the tent inner make that much of a difference or will the fast fly setup be sufficientIf you're going to do the fast fly setup exclusively you should just invest in an 8x10 silnlylon or silpoly tarp. They are cheap and weigh 11 oz. You'll get the same protection, it's lighter than your rain fly, and you'll save more weight by not needing your tent poles. You can also take a lighter ground sheet. Tarps work great on the AT if you are efficient at setting them up.
Slo-go'en
03-03-2018, 11:32
You'll need a big ground sheet too. The first time I had to set up on a muddy piece of ground with my bivy and tarp, I found I had no place to put things down off the wet, muddy ground. Splash coming up from around the edges of your tarp can also be a big problem during a heavy rain. (and you can have a lot of heavy rain on the AT).
Bring the whole tent.
MuddyWaters
03-03-2018, 11:33
There are no ticks or bugs or snakes on Ga AT in march, april, may
Ive never seen a tick on AT south of Va. Not going to say they aint there. But they aint common, and in cool weather...they are basically nonexistent.
You might keep a mouse away, thats about it.
Heliotrope
03-03-2018, 11:59
If you're going to do the fast fly setup exclusively you should just invest in an 8x10 silnlylon or silpoly tarp. They are cheap and weigh 11 oz. You'll get the same protection, it's lighter than your rain fly, and you'll save more weight by not needing your tent poles. You can also take a lighter ground sheet. Tarps work great on the AT if you are efficient at setting them up.
IAgree with this. Just use a tarp. My concern is ticks. I go with just a tarp here in Maine on the AT beginning late August once mosquitos are done.
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AllDownhillFromHere
03-03-2018, 12:02
On a dry trail, I think it makes sense - you own the tent, might as well bring what you have. On a wet trail, bring the whole thing - bugs + rain + mist = bad.
IAgree with this. Just use a tarp. My concern is ticks. I go with just a tarp here in Maine on the AT beginning late August once mosquitos are done.
Sent from my iPhone using TapatalkYep you'll need some bug protection. Borah bivy or similar. I actually liked having a light bug bivy so I could use it to lay in a shelter and protect my sleeping bag from the shelter floor. Tarp+bivy is a good AT combo. Also I usually found that by dusk most mosquitoes had gone in for the night. I only really used my bivy to lay on and occasionally drape the bug net over my face.
Slo-go'en
03-03-2018, 12:05
There are no ticks or bugs or snakes on Ga AT in march, april, may
Ive never seen a tick on AT south of Va. Not going to say they aint there. But they aint common, and in cool weather...they are basically nonexistent. You might keep a mouse away, thats about it.
I also have never seen a tick in GA in the spring, but a guy I know over in Vermont pulled a tick off his dog last week. It's not exactly warm out yet.
We didn't have a very hard, deep frost this winter. We got a lot of snow before the really cold weather hit. This could be another really bad tick season in the North East for that reason.
Although you don't have to worry about ticks (in GA in March), there are many other creepy crawly things which might visit you at night, not that that is much of an issue either. Mostly you want the full tent to protect from wet/muddy ground and rain splash. Yes, you can deal with that in other ways, but it's a lot easier just to use the tent and be done with it.
Dan Roper
03-03-2018, 12:15
The height of tick season in Georgia is April through August, with the population tapering off by autumn. Ticks are infrequent but present in the Georgia mountain counties, including the AT corridor.
I've never encountered mosquitoes on the Georgia AT in any season.
Swarming gnats become abundant in areas in April, May and June and can drive backpackers nuts. For instance, I recall Blood Mountain shelter around April 20 was a nightmare, one year.
Biting flies are sometimes present in summer months, and also seem to congregate around shelters.
Yellow jackets usually aren't a hazard until late July through about mid October, sometimes later.
AllDownhillFromHere
03-03-2018, 13:01
Yep you'll need some bug protection. Borah bivy or similar. I actually liked having a light bug bivy so I could use it to lay in a shelter and protect my sleeping bag from the shelter floor. Tarp+bivy is a good AT combo. Also I usually found that by dusk most mosquitoes had gone in for the night. I only really used my bivy to lay on and occasionally drape the bug net over my face.
Tarp + bivy = tent
Tarp + bivy = tentCan't use your inner wall in a shelter for mouse protection and protection from the shelter floor, but this is only a reason for people hiking trails with shelters. I would consider tarp/bivy for the AT and the LT but probably not for the CT (we took a tent on the CT).
Its been suggested you take the whole enchilada for some potentially very valid reasons. I agree.
MtDoraDave
03-04-2018, 11:03
No. I bought a tent with a bug screen because I don't want bugs buzzing or crawling ( or biting ) me when I'm trying to sleep.
If I didn't mind the bugs, I wouldn't have bought the tent with the full interior. Lighter and cheaper without it.
AllDownhillFromHere
03-04-2018, 11:17
No. I bought a tent with a bug screen because I don't want bugs buzzing or crawling ( or biting ) me when I'm trying to sleep.
If I didn't mind the bugs, I wouldn't have bought the tent with the full interior. Lighter and cheaper without it.
+100 could not agree more. Buy gear that you need.