Black Diamond Mega Light

[Earl Grey]

This in conjunction with the floor and you have a 4 person tent for 3-4 lbs. Anyone have one and can comment on it?

[Dances with Mice]

This in conjunction with the floor and you have a 4 person tent for 3-4 lbs. Anyone have one and can comment on it?I have one, have used it for years. I also have the Megamid and the Betamid. I don't have the floor, I use a Tyvek groundsheet.

Modifications: I sewed a strip of bug netting around the base, about 18" wide. I also seam sealed it with silicon caulk thinned with mineral spirits. I upgraded the stakes, long and strong stakes are important for this tent. I also threaded a clothesline around the top, there are loops already sewn inside the tent for that purpose. My woode hiking stick was cut long enough to use as my tent pole.

Be aware that it's a two person tent unless you hang it. The pole in the middle makes it difficult to sleep 3. If you get a long enough pole and stake in the back stakes really well, you can slant the pole along the back wall and sleep 3. It's easy to hang, run a line between two trees and clip it to the line with a small carbiner. Four in this tent would be a stretch. For two people you have a luxurious amount of room.

Good points: It's nice to be able to step into a tent rather than crawl into one. I've used it as a mess hall on backpacking trips with scouts, calling in groups of 4 to sit around the perimeter and eat. It's nice to be able to hang your clothes inside the tent and have them out of the way. I can also stand up in it enough to get dressed and I'm tall. It's well ventilated at the top. Bugs that get into the tent tend to fly up to the top for some reason. It does very well in high winds.

It's simple and very quick to put up in the rain: drop your pack where you want to pitch it, spread the tent over your pack, stake out the four corners, insert pole and go inside. The four remaining stakes can be set from inside the tent. With practice you can have it up in about 60 seconds.

Bad points: It needs a lot of level ground.

[take-a-knee]

I have one, have used it for years. I also have the Megamid and the Betamid. I don't have the floor, I use a Tyvek groundsheet.

Modifications: I sewed a strip of bug netting around the base, about 18" wide. I also seam sealed it with silicon caulk thinned with mineral spirits. I upgraded the stakes, long and strong stakes are important for this tent. I also threaded a clothesline around the top, there are loops already sewn inside the tent for that purpose. My woode hiking stick was cut long enough to use as my tent pole.

Be aware that it's a two person tent unless you hang it. The pole in the middle makes it difficult to sleep 3. If you get a long enough pole and stake in the back stakes really well, you can slant the pole along the back wall and sleep 3. It's easy to hang, run a line between two trees and clip it to the line with a small carbiner. Four in this tent would be a stretch. For two people you have a luxurious amount of room.

Good points: It's nice to be able to step into a tent rather than crawl into one. I've used it as a mess hall on backpacking trips with scouts, calling in groups of 4 to sit around the perimeter and eat. It's nice to be able to hang your clothes inside the tent and have them out of the way. I can also stand up in it enough to get dressed and I'm tall. It's well ventilated at the top. Bugs that get into the tent tend to fly up to the top for some reason. It does very well in high winds.

It's simple and very quick to put up in the rain: drop your pack where you want to pitch it, spread the tent over your pack, stake out the four corners, insert pole and go inside. The four remaining stakes can be set from inside the tent. With practice you can have it up in about 60 seconds.

Bad points: It needs a lot of level ground.

I'd put a little box stove like a Kifaru in that thing.

[generoll]

how'd you run the stove pipe? that's exactly what that tent needs.

[take-a-knee]

how'd you run the stove pipe? that's exactly what that tent needs.

These guys make tipis and stoves, scroll down for the stove jack:

http://www.titaniumgoat.com/stoves.html

[Earl Grey]

I have one, have used it for years. I also have the Megamid and the Betamid. I don't have the floor, I use a Tyvek groundsheet.

Modifications: I sewed a strip of bug netting around the base, about 18" wide. I also seam sealed it with silicon caulk thinned with mineral spirits. I upgraded the stakes, long and strong stakes are important for this tent. I also threaded a clothesline around the top, there are loops already sewn inside the tent for that purpose. My woode hiking stick was cut long enough to use as my tent pole.

Be aware that it's a two person tent unless you hang it. The pole in the middle makes it difficult to sleep 3. If you get a long enough pole and stake in the back stakes really well, you can slant the pole along the back wall and sleep 3. It's easy to hang, run a line between two trees and clip it to the line with a small carbiner. Four in this tent would be a stretch. For two people you have a luxurious amount of room.

Good points: It's nice to be able to step into a tent rather than crawl into one. I've used it as a mess hall on backpacking trips with scouts, calling in groups of 4 to sit around the perimeter and eat. It's nice to be able to hang your clothes inside the tent and have them out of the way. I can also stand up in it enough to get dressed and I'm tall. It's well ventilated at the top. Bugs that get into the tent tend to fly up to the top for some reason. It does very well in high winds.

It's simple and very quick to put up in the rain: drop your pack where you want to pitch it, spread the tent over your pack, stake out the four corners, insert pole and go inside. The four remaining stakes can be set from inside the tent. With practice you can have it up in about 60 seconds.

Bad points: It needs a lot of level ground.

Thanks for the info. How did you go about sewing the bug netting around the perimeter? That would be the best route in conjunction with a groundsheet of some sort.

[generoll]

any hints on sewing one of those stove jacks to silnylon? I've hate to put a hole in my tent and ruin it.

[Dances with Mice]

Thanks for the info. How did you go about sewing the bug netting around the perimeter? That would be the best route in conjunction with a groundsheet of some sort.I bought a no-seeum cover meant to go over a cot and cut it into strips. Around the bottom of the tent is a reinforced seam, I just sewed the strips to the seam with needle and thread. It probably would have been faster and neater if I knew how to use a sewing machine. I can take a picture if you want to see.

The netting also keeps water from splashing into the tent. When it rains, just flip the netting so that the bottom edge is outside the tent and water will run off the tent walls then off the netting, no splashing. On bad bug nights flip it in and use your boots, water bottles, pots, stove, etc to hold the edges down. The weird thing is how mosquitoes and flies seem attracted to the peak of the tent. It's like a trap. A minor problem with the netting is that it collects small sticks and leaves.

For a groundsheet I pitched it in my yard then cut 2 Tyvek pieces, each covering half the tent. When I go solo I take just one. If you hike with a dog, the Beta is perfect - you can sleep in the back and the pup can have the front half. No problem with muddy paws or sharp toenails on your tent floor or groundsheet. When solo I sleep in front and use the back half as a 40 square foot vestibule. It's like having half of a shelter all to yourself.

On the Betamid I replaced the tie-outs with short shock cords. That made pitching the tent a lot easier. I might still do that with the Mega. That way you can pitch it high for ventilation and if it starts to rain you just lower the pole and don't have to fiddle with the stakes or tie-outs. Even if you do have to restake or change the tie-outs in the rain, you can do it all from inside by reaching under the tent.

One cool feature I use when the situation allows is that you can pitch it over short log sections or stumps and then you have a seat inside the tent. I've also cooked inside the tent before (...very, very carefully...) but don't anymore because it puts a lot of moisture into the tent. The only time I had a condensation problem was after I had cooked supper inside. And it's so easy to reach outside, there's really no reason to cook inside.

I bought the Megamid about 10 years ago, I guess. Then I got the Beta to save weight and wished they had a Mega version in sil-nylon. When they came out with the Megalite I ordered one so fast I may have been their first customer. The last two years I've been experimenting with hammocks but now I'm using the Megalite again. To me it's more comfortable.

[take-a-knee]

any hints on sewing one of those stove jacks to silnylon? I've hate to put a hole in my tent and ruin it.

I'm sure Ti Goat would install the stove jack for you, especially if you bought a stove from them.

[generoll]

right now their site says they are out of the stoves. I have a Kifaru stove, but I'm afraid that it would be so hot that it would drive me out of the tent. Too many toys I guess. Is that possible?

[Alligator]

I have one too. I added the netting (nanoseeum) as DWM did, in fact I had asked him about attaching it. I tried to use velcro but that didn't work very well. I use it as my family tent. I also used it a few weeks ago as a winter shelter. It's rather large for one person, it took up the whole tent pad:D. I sewed some tyvek (kite) together to make a bathtub floor and have used a single piece for solo times.

I havent' hung it without the pole, there hasn't been I useful branch the last couple of times I used it. The trekking pole adapter works fine too.

[Alligator]

I bought a no-seeum cover meant to go over a cot and cut it into strips. Around the bottom of the tent is a reinforced seam, I just sewed the strips to the seam with needle and thread. It probably would have been faster and neater if I knew how to use a sewing machine. I can take a picture if you want to see.
...
I used a sewing machine. It was faster but not neater, as it was my first machine project.

[Dances with Mice]

I havent' hung it without the pole, there hasn't been I useful branch the last couple of times I used it. You just need two trees on either side of where you want to set up. Run a line between the two trees a little over head high, tighten it as much as possible, then clip the tent to the line.

Now there will be no pole taking up space but you are guaranteed to forget about the line until you're walking to your tent and and clothesline yourself.

[Alligator]

You just need two trees on either side of where you want to set up. Run a line between the two trees a little over head high, tighten it as much as possible, then clip the tent to the line.

Now there will be no pole taking up space but you are guaranteed to forget about the line until you're walking to your tent and and clothesline yourself.Well that would be a lot easier than finding the perfect branch with 81 sq ft of level ground under it:).

[take-a-knee]

right now their site says they are out of the stoves. I have a Kifaru stove, but I'm afraid that it would be so hot that it would drive me out of the tent. Too many toys I guess. Is that possible?

Which Kifaru stove do you have? What do you think of it? A guy over at Hikinghq named Woodswalker has a Kifaru setup that he uses a lot in New England every winter. You might search there for his posts, lots of pics also.

[generoll]

by the way, you can get four people in the tent. no gear, but in the Utah Desert one cold night my wife and two daughters joined me in my Megamid. Close quarters, but since it was so dry there was no condensation. Two on each side in twinned sleeping bags.

As far as the Ti-Goat stove, I'm thinking the small barrel stove might work in a Megalight if you could fit the stove jack. Be a perfect setup for one guy in winter camping. The Vertex seems to have too large of a footprint for a lot of campsites.

[fiddlehead]

4 would be a squeeze and they should know each other very well.
Here is a picture of my mega-mid (not the mega-light but i believe they are the same size) on our Pyrenees hike in '99. Notice the 9 X 9' area is not all really usable.
http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg201/fiddleheadpa/IMG_0003.jpg
Great tent IMO. Pretty stable in the wind. One of the beauties of this tent is that you can set it up over top of a boulder or plant. you don't need a 9'X9' totally flat, area. (set up the 4 corners first (as square as you can) , then put up the pole, and THEN the other 4 stakes (tight)
I didn't have luck with tying it up to a branch or tree or line, it just sagged too much. I learned to put a stick in there or a pole. We hiked with folks who used a trekking pole and made an extension for their pole so the length was enough.

[fiddlehead]

4 would be a squeeze and they should know each other very well.
Here is a picture of my mega-mid (not the mega-light but i believe they are the same size) on our Pyrenees hike in '99. Notice the 9 X 9' area is not all really usable.
http://s249.photobucket.com/albums/gg201/fiddleheadpa/?action=view&current=IMG_0003.jpg
Great tent IMO. Pretty stable in the wind. One of the beauties of this tent is that you can set it up over top of a boulder or plant. you don't need a 9'X9' totally flat, area. (set up the 4 corners first (as square as you can) , then put up the pole, and THEN the other 4 stakes (tight)
I didn't have luck with tying it up to a branch or tree or line, it just sagged too much. I learned to put a stick in there or a pole. We hiked with folks who used a trekking pole and made an extension for their pole so the length was enough.

[generoll]

Well it was family and it was cold. We went there thinking that Utah in the desert in June would be hot and only took fleece blankets that zipped to make sacks. Froze our asses off the first night in two tents and the second piled all the gear in one and piled all the people in the other after zipping the bags together. Because it was so dry even where we touched the canopy the fleece stayed dry. Hot in the day and near freezing at night. Kind of a new experience.