View Full Version : Contrail bit windy inside at times?
Earthling
09-25-2008, 07:56
Ive just ordered a Contrail from Henry and Im wondering if I should get a sleeping bag thats windproof(usually waterproof as well) to allow for the windy nights that often appear in Tasmania Oz?
Ive curently got a bag that anything above a nice breeze tends to creep in creating cold spots.
Or (if I keep the current bag) if the wind comes up during the night you have to get up and out to reajust the tarp to lower it to the ground, or will lowering the back flap stop the majority of wind?
Thoughts fellow Earthlings?
Two Speed
09-25-2008, 08:00
Can't speak to TarpTents, but I do own a SMD Lunar. SMD recommends a down sleeping bag with a DWR finish. Kind of a layered defense against getting soaked.
FWIW single wall tents should be set up to be well ventilated, or you're going to get an amazing amount of condensation inside. Of course "ventilation" does not mean gale force winds.
Not sure if I know what a windproof sleeping bag is. I'm under the impression that the tent, tarp, bivy or what have you was supposed to deal with the wind.
I always set up my Contrail to allow for ventilation because it was designed to keep condensation at a minimum by doing this. You can certainly lower the edges to the ground and lower the back to lessen the flow. To do all the lowering, particularly the sides, will require that you do this from outside... so a little planning ahead will be necessary. Most good sleeping bags are made of thin, very tightly woven materials that don't allow wind flow through them. If you have a good bag and don't want to replace it then a thin bivy, not necessarily waterproof, will take care of air flow through the bag.
BookBurner
09-25-2008, 10:47
Even when I leave the beak rolled up on my Virga, the mosquito netting alone does a very good job of breaking most wind. I don't know about the weather in Tasmania (I don't even know where OZ is), but nothing I've ever experienced over the course of 1200 miles in my tarptent has caused me to make gear adjustments to combat internal shelter breeze. I'd suggest you try out the Contrail first, and then make adjustments later, if neccessary.
Earthling
09-25-2008, 17:17
Thanks for that everyone. Good posts.
BookBurner to find OZ you have to Follow the Yellow Brick Road!
Oz is short for Australia..... ;)
Unfortunately, Im not really able to try the shelter in cold windy conditions with enough time to adeqautely get a decent bag sent to me before I hit the trail...hence the question ( where I am currently a cold night is 5c). And its been answered well. I will go have a chat to WM and One planet and see what we can cook up.
Thanks again and happy travels all.
gonewalkabout
09-27-2008, 13:28
Montbell makes what they call a bag cover (not a biviy) its waterproof and windproof. Weighs 7-8 oz. and sells for $120 in the USA. Will add warmth to you bag and keepit dry. Lighter than most biviys which come in at 17 oz or more. Even if you bag doesn't let wind "blow through it" higher velocity air moving over your bag (wind) will increase the increase the convection coefficient (You will loose heat at a faster rate to the environment). You will alwasy sleep colder under a tarp or in a tarp tent than in a convetional tent. That is why bags are rated assuming you sleep in a convenional tent. Chck out backpacking magizines gear issure, although I take all their reviews with a gain of salt at least they tell you what is avaiable out there. There are several bags that have more windproof shells.
what's the point of the weight savings of a tarptent when you have to carry all this extra crap to make up for lack of protection?
BookBurner
09-27-2008, 16:56
On the vast majority of hikes, tarptents don't require any extra measures. You might feel a slight breeze in your tarptent on any given day of a trip, but it'll be light, roomy every day of the trip!
hopefulhiker
09-27-2008, 17:51
what's the point of the weight savings of a tarptent when you have to carry all this extra crap to make up for lack of protection?
You don't have to carry anything else.. I
used a tarp tent the whole hike from the middle of March to the middle of October in 05.. The floor is sturdy enough that with just a little bit of common sense it will hold up.
Also with a single wall tent is important to set it up with some ventilation. In really severe weather you can draw some protection from setting up under some thick evergreens.
wrongway_08
09-27-2008, 18:01
X2 hopefulhiker! Just put the edges down, really easy on the 2008 model. They redisgned it so you'll have no problems.
i do understand, but i see all these guys posting 'well i use a bivy inside,i carry this bag cover, i use this in addition' nonsense.
i do understand, but i see all these guys posting 'well i use a bivy inside
I have NEVER used a bivy or any other type of cover inside, and didn't imply that I did, either. The Contrail is an excellent shelter just as it is, and I've used it into the winter in some fairly bad conditions. I believe the suggestions were made in reply to the fact that a breeze was blowing through the bag, which to me and probably to others, was puzzling.
i do understand, but i see all these guys posting 'well i use a bivy inside,i carry this bag cover, i use this in addition' nonsense.
I'm speaking with regard to a Tarptent Rainbow, and much prior experience with classic double-walled tents. I don't carry anything "extra" when I hike with the Rainbow. But by the same token, I admit that the classic double-wall design makes for a drier tent. The "tub" on a Tarptent doesn't amount to much, so when it rains (and particularly for rain+wind) you need to draw the lower edge of tent as close to the ground as possible.
TumbledownDick
10-28-2008, 19:13
Earthling, I'll be returning to Tassie in December with my Contrail and have upgraded my sleeping bag to a Montbell U.L. Super Stretch Down Hugger #1 (15 degrees) to build in some extra protection/comfort when those winds start to blow. Actually, my biggest concern is the limited (but adequate) space to store my pack inside the 'trail and keeping possums from gnawing through the mesh. Any suggestions on that would be appreciated.
garlic08
10-28-2008, 21:19
My Contrail works just fine for wind protection. I've only pitched it low to the ground a few times for extremes, and that worked fine, too. No additional protection needed. I've always had plenty of room for my gear, but I don't carry much.
Would ozzie possums gnaw through the tent if your food is outside? The only time I've seen chew holes was in a friend's tent and mice were after his cookies. Hang your food, you should be OK, at least in the northern hemisphere.
I'm jealous of your new bag.
Good suggestion about keeping the food outside the tent. Pretty standard in some parts of of the US but not something that in most areas in Australia we think of. In fact here you are more likely to have ants or other critters trying to get to your food. In Tasmania on one occasion I did return from a brief scouting trip to notice a tail sticking out of my Rainbow. I cannot remember if the pack (with food) was in the vestibule or inside but I must have caught the would be food sampler before it had the chance to try his luck.
I find it peculiar that when someone comes up with a suggestion for a possible but unusual problem this is instantly transformed into a negative.
I have the impression that most tarp users also only use nets or bivvies when are needed and that is why they don't also carry around a "bomproof" fully enclose double skin tent with twin vestibules and annex.
Franco
The would be thief
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e389/Francophoto/Tarptent%20Rainbow/Escaping-possum.jpg
Just noticed from the picture that the pack was in the vestibule...
TumbledownDick
10-29-2008, 06:50
Nice photo, Franco ! Is it leaving to get help ?
While I don't keep my food inside the tent or vestibule here in the Northern Hemisphere (and as a frequent camper on Kodiak I'm battle hardened !) , in Tassie keeping my pack outside or in the vestibule often invited all night possum attacks, and hanging it was rarely an option. Putting it inside discouraged them enough that they'd give up, but I've always been nervous about them gnawing through the mesh. My food is in an alosak which discourages most critters, including mice, by controlling food odors, but the possum's seem as interested in carrying off anything they can as my food.
Not getting into the argument about "real" tent vs. tarptent. Just wanted to pass this on for those who MAY be interested. Ultralight bivy on sale:
http://www.backcountrygear.com/catalog/bivydetail.cfm/EQ3000
skinewmexico
10-29-2008, 11:07
I can stand 6 oz. I've got to get one of those.
Not getting into the argument about "real" tent vs. tarptent. Just wanted to pass this on for those who MAY be interested. Ultralight bivy on sale:
http://www.backcountrygear.com/catalog/bivydetail.cfm/EQ3000
How much warmth do you think this would add to a bag?
I have a 15 degree and I might get this instead of a 0 degree bag. If it could add 5 to 10 degrees that would be nice...or is it just for wind/rain protection?
How much warmth do you think this would add to a bag?
I have a 15 degree and I might get this instead of a 0 degree bag. If it could add 5 to 10 degrees that would be nice...or is it just for wind/rain protection?
I would be extremely concerned that this bivy would hold in enough moisture that a down bag would end up pretty wet in the morning.
I haven't used a bivy like this myself. Anyone out there have practical experience with this?
hopefulhiker
10-30-2008, 20:54
I used one of these with a tarp tent before I knew better.. The problem is that it does not breath well enough and causes a wet sleeping bag. One of the main considerations in a tarp tent is condensation and ventilation. One learns that it is better to have ventilation and sleep colder.
Cool AT Breeze
10-30-2008, 23:24
I have a Contrail and I don't expect it to keep me warm. It keeps me dry keeps the bugs out and weighs just 1.5 lbs. My sleeping keeps me warm.