New to hiking... Zpacks, Tarptent, or LightHeart?

[Shutterbug]

Are you sure about not using poles? Hiking Washington in July means that you will be hiking in snow. Poles really help when hiking in snow.

[Hosh]

Set up is a bit weird due to the geometry

Yes it can be but , for some at least, setting up the rectangular floor area first and then pulling out the vestibules becomes much easier.
This is how I do it, the clip is well under 2 minutes and in real time :
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Not to contradict Franco, his videos are excellent and very helpful.

The issue I had was in forested areas where bushes and trees interfere with the stake out of the vestibules while trying to keep the slope running from head to foot. In those cases, set up can be a bit of trial and error. I got lazy and switched to a free standing tent.

[Rybir]

Rybir,
The StratoSpire 1 is virtually the same size as the StratoSpire 2 except for the width of the floor. The floor is adjustable and widens from 32" to 42".


That may work for you.


Wayne




Sent from somewhere around here.

That may. I am unsure how it gains 10 inches though.. just buy adjusting guy lines?

[Rybir]

Are you sure about not using poles? Hiking Washington in July means that you will be hiking in snow. Poles really help when hiking in snow.

Although the thread is about tents... this might be the gem of knowledge gained. Also there is a chance I will hit snow in the Sierras as well.

[Franco]

That may. I am unsure how it gains 10 inches though.. just buy adjusting guy lines?

You drop the inner so that you have less bathtub height but more width.
(there are two ways of connecting the inner to the fly at the apex just for that)

[Franco]

The issue I had was in forested areas where bushes and trees interfere with the stake out of the vestibules while trying to keep the slope running from head to foot. In those cases, set up can be a bit of trial and error. I got lazy and switched to a free standing tent.

Yes that is in common with other tents with large vestibules but you can set the SS1 and 2 up without deploying the vestibules at all in that situation.
All you need is to guy out the apex to the bush or nearby tree.
If you do that you end up with a similar rectangular area of a freestanding crossover pole tent.

[Franco]

This is a photo of the SS1 with one vestibule only in place.
You can eliminate that vestibule too if you wish, it will look like the other side :
SS2-aginst-a-wall-1_zpsq5dd5lly.jpg

[-Rush-]

Here's my Lightheart Solong 6 on top of Rocky Bald Summit. It's about $300 lighter than the Zpacks Duplex.

IMG_8228.jpg

[Rybir]

You drop the inner so that you have less bathtub height but more width.
(there are two ways of connecting the inner to the fly at the apex just for that)

Ah okay. Makes sense. You would want more bathtub height maybe in inclement weather situations to prevent water from coming in.

[Dogwood]

I'm 6'4". Shire's Double Rainbow is OK. ZP's Hex, Hex +, and Solplex are a tight fit w/ the ZP CF bathtub floor not good when adequate coverage is needed in more challenging weather or if you sleep spread out fully long ways. Lightheart Solong 6 plenty of length.

[Rybir]

I'm 6'4". Shire's Double Rainbow is OK. ZP's Hex, Hex +, and Solplex are a tight fit w/ the ZP CF bathtub floor not good when adequate coverage is needed in more challenging weather or if you sleep spread out fully long ways. Lightheart Solong 6 plenty of length.

I am not too concerned about length. More so just having enough room to have my gear in there, to be able to sit up, to be able to write comfortably, and just feel like I am in my home for 4 months.

[Dogwood]

You might reconsider after having a sleeping bag/quilt footbox that touches the inner wall of a single wall shelter in WA in July and possibly further south with wet snow underneath. It does rain in WA and OR on the PCT too. It's not as fair weather as one experiences from the get go heading SOBO verse NOBO from the different termini.

[Rybir]

My latest tent is the Lightheart Gear Solong 6. It's got nearly as much room as my MSR Hubba Hubba NX and comes in at 1lb 14oz without stakes/sack. It packs down enough that you could fit it into a Nalgene bottle. The trekking pole support (which I use) is optional; LightHeart sells adjustable aluminum or carbon fiber poles for the tent as well. It withstood a 3 hour downpour in the Smokies without issue. There was a bit of condensation and eventually a small amount of misting during this storm, but you're going to get that with any tent in the right conditions. Just keep a small towel handy and wipe it down. The inside of the tent stayed dry and I've been happy with it.

\

Wow after all this I think I am doing a Solong 6. For the weight and space it just seems like what I need. The SS2 is too big for me. The SS1 too small..

[-Rush-]

You might reconsider after having a sleeping bag/quilt footbox that touches the inner wall of a single wall shelter.

This is true. The outer layer of the footbox can get a *little* damp in certain conditions IF it comes in prolonged contact with the wall, but I have a dry down bag and it wasn't really an issue and never penetrated inside of the bag. I figured you could cover the bottom with a lightweight trash bag and solve the problem, but I've never had to do it.

[Connie]

I avoid touching the inside of any amd all tents or tarps, because touching the inside helps the place touched to provide a path for water entry.

I think the dissimiliar "materials" actually provides penetration of moisture, and so, the shelter fabric "wets out" right there first.

At least, my effort for an explanation matches my experience.

[Venchka]

\

Wow after all this I think I am doing a Solong 6. For the weight and space it just seems like what I need. The SS2 is too big for me. The SS1 too small..

Standby. I will be at the LightHeart Gear shop at the end of May. I'll give you a full report.
I'm still on the fence about single wall tents and the made up "misting" term.
I'm 5'-8" and 145 pounds soaking wet. The SS 1 isn't too small nor too big. For my purposes, the SS 1 is available in a 20th century real double wall configuration that only adds 2 ounces. Two benefits: keeps sand and dust out in the desert (Big Bend) and snow out in the winter.
Decisions. Decisions.

Wayne

[Rybir]

Standby. I will be at the LightHeart Gear shop at the end of May. I'll give you a full report.
I'm still on the fence about single wall tents and the made up "misting" term.
I'm 5'-8" and 145 pounds soaking wet. The SS 1 isn't too small nor too big. For my purposes, the SS 1 is available in a 20th century real double wall configuration that only adds 2 ounces. Two benefits: keeps sand and dust out in the desert (Big Bend) and snow out in the winter.
Decisions. Decisions.

Wayne

Yes, but the "double wall" means...you have to carry around an interchangeable interior wall. Right? Or is the actual inherent design double walled? And the "solid or mesh" is actually a choice of what you want the second wall to be?

These questions may be very noobish, but I have no shame in asking in regards to what I am about to do in the summer

[Rybir]

Standby. I will be at the LightHeart Gear shop at the end of May. I'll give you a full report.
I'm still on the fence about single wall tents and the made up "misting" term.
I'm 5'-8" and 145 pounds soaking wet. The SS 1 isn't too small nor too big. For my purposes, the SS 1 is available in a 20th century real double wall configuration that only adds 2 ounces. Two benefits: keeps sand and dust out in the desert (Big Bend) and snow out in the winter.
Decisions. Decisions.

Wayne

Also I am 6'3 and 170 :/

[-Rush-]

Yes, but the "double wall" means...you have to carry around an interchangeable interior wall. Right? Or is the actual inherent design double walled? And the "solid or mesh" is actually a choice of what you want the second wall to be?

These questions may be very noobish, but I have no shame in asking in regards to what I am about to do in the summer

The best way to progress from being a noob is to ask questions. "The more we feel we know about, the greater the unknown." -- Neil Peart

Exactly. Double wall means there's a separate rain fly outer wall and the tent itself is the inner wall. In the case of the Solong 6, it's a hybrid single/double wall design without a detachable outer wall component. It still has plenty of ventilation with the awning, vents, and openness of the tent design. Judy has made improvements to it over the years and has addressed earlier issues with condensation. I had the friendly folks over at Outdoor 76 in Franklin, NC school me on the history of the tent. They all spoke very highly of it.

Here's a good article I suggest reading before you make a purchase.
https://backpackinglight.com/single_..._factors_tips/

[Rybir]

The best way to progress from being a noob is to ask questions. "The more we feel we know about, the greater the unknown." -- Neil Peart

Exactly. Double wall means there's a separate rain fly outer wall and the tent itself is the inner wall. In the case of the Solong 6, it's a hybrid single/double wall design without a detachable outer wall component. It still has plenty of ventilation with the awning, vents, and openness of the tent design. Judy has made improvements to it over the years and has addressed earlier issues with condensation. I had the friendly folks over at Outdoor 76 in Franklin, NC school me on the history of the tent. They all spoke very highly of it.

Here's a good article I suggest reading before you make a purchase.
https://backpackinglight.com/single_..._factors_tips/

Awesome. Thank you.