Tent Advice!

[AFGreenJeans]

I'm contemplating a '18 thru hike northbound. Right now I'm taking stock of cost...which leads me to my question. I have a MSR Elixir 3 tent, I like it, it's still in great condition, but I feel like it's too big to bring. Am I crazy to consider it so I don't have to buy another?

[Greenlight]

4 lb 4 oz. You may start with it but I doubt that you will finish with it.


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[Bansko]

4 ob. 4 oz.? I just weighed my Elixir 3 (with poles, stuff bag, & stakes) and it comes in at well over 6 pounds.

[Bansko]

In fact, my Elixir 3 is closer to 7 pounds than 6. Where is this 4 lb., 4 oz. coming from? I swapped out the original crappy stakes with groundhogs, but that's a wash, since they weighed about the same as the originals. I also added side guylines, but at most that's two ounces. Why the 3 pound difference?

[HooKooDooKu]

In fact, my Elixir 3 is closer to 7 pounds than 6. Where is this 4 lb., 4 oz. coming from? I swapped out the original crappy stakes with groundhogs, but that's a wash, since they weighed about the same as the originals. I also added side guylines, but at most that's two ounces. Why the 3 pound difference?

I'm noticing that the specification for the Elixir 3 are 4#4oz for fly/footprint pitch, while the packaged weight is 6#13oz.

To the OP... are you going solo?
I ask because the Elixir 3 looks like a huge tent for one person... it's 84"x68".
As a point of comparison, the CS UL2 I claim has ample room as a solo tent has average dimensions of 88"x45".

If you are planning a trip as a couple, the Elixir doesn't look all that bad... as the current model CS UL2 has a packaged weight of 3#1oz. That's 6#2oz if two people were each carrying their own. That's not that far off from 6#13oz.
But if you are planning a solo trip, that makes for a pretty darn heavy tent.

My two pieces of advice:
1. If you want to look for a new solo tent and want to perhaps get the most bang for your buck, look into TarpTents. As much as I like the Copper Spur, I'm contemplating a future JMT thru hike with one of my kids. When I saw the full retail price for a CS UL3, I went looking elsewhere and quickly realized that TT are a lot cheaper, are well known (at least here on WB), and very light for the floor space.

2. If you're not picky about exactly what tent you are using, wait until after Christmas and watch sites like Campsaver and SierraTradingPost... see what tents go on sale.
I bought my CS UL2 that time of year for $275 (with ground cloth) because the next year's model was getting a makeover.
Same thing happened when I wanted a 3-man tent for camping with my sons. The Kelty Gunnison 3.1 was getting a makeover to the 3.2 (with the newer model being a heavier tent). I purchased a 3.1 for about $130 when the full retail on these tents are $250.

[Suzzz]

4 ob. 4 oz.? I just weighed my Elixir 3 (with poles, stuff bag, & stakes) and it comes in at well over 6 pounds.

I got the same thing when I weighed mine.

[moldy]

If your tent is 4.4 lbs, it's too heavy for a thru hike, you can do much better for less than a hundred bucks.

[Time Zone]

If your tent is 4.4 lbs, it's too heavy for a thru hike, you can do much better for less than a hundred bucks.

Do you mean much better only in terms of weight? If so, well, yes there's the Eureka Solitaire - perhaps some others (but nothing comes to mind). If you mean in terms of both weight and at least similar quality, what is much better for less than $100? Or are you suggesting buying used?

[Stone1984]

Amazon will have much lighter options for way less, That is just way to much weight to put on your back for that kind of distance.

[AFGreenJeans]

Thanks everyone, confirmation of what I was thinking. I'll put it on the list.

[jgillam]

For what it is worth, I have both a ZPacks Duplex and BA Copper Spur UL2 HV. Both are light and quite comfy, especially for 1 person. The Duplex wins on weatherproofness, the UL2 HV wins on ease of setup due to its freestanding setup...though the Duplex isn't hard to setup. There are many very good, much lighter options for a thru hike.

[HooKooDooKu]

For what it is worth, I have both a ZPacks Duplex and BA Copper Spur UL2 HV. Both are light and quite comfy, especially for 1 person. The Duplex wins on weatherproofness, the UL2 HV wins on ease of setup due to its freestanding setup...though the Duplex isn't hard to setup. There are many very good, much lighter options for a thru hike.

I absolutely loved my BA Copper Super UL2 (pre-HV) for a JMT thru hike last year. Small enough that it could be setup in lots of places, yet big enough to comfortably fit my large sleeping pad, back pack, and all my gear... INSIDE the tent.

I had heard various stories of gear damaged or stolen (boots, shoelaces, hiking pole handles,etc) by mouse/marmot/coyote that I didn't want to risk leaving anything outside my tent... so I didn't (except the bear canister).

I would setup my sleeping pad diagonally leaving me plenty of room to setup my gear around me.

[Ethesis]

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B008P...EML&ref=plSrch

and there are lighter and cheaper tents out there.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B019F...cking+tent+1lb

for lighter. For cheaper start looking at Chinese clone tents.

[Ethesis]

Under a hundred dollars:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B01L1..._1502731060053

And another clone tent: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B06XX...ID=51RkHjifMFL

gets you in the area of the new LL Bean tents.

[Ethesis]

That said, you need to stop for just a minute.

An easy way to pay a thousand dollars for a tent is to jump early and then jump again and then again.

Every tent has compromises.

At the end of the day most people on a budget will end up with a quarter dome or a tarp tent or something similar (see my next post).

https://www.rei.com/product/110817/r...er-dome-1-tent gets used by a lot of people.

https://www.tarptent.com/store/notch

When you compare, start with looking at these two.

Then ask yourself what you like and what you dont.

Then you look at the Solong and the Big Agnes tents.

You have plenty of time and no no need to buy anything just yet.

Get out and section hike a little. Look at everyone else's gear.

Read trail journals.

A tent should be last on your list for what you buy.

But first to start thinking about.

Hope that helps and isn't too cluttered.

[Ethesis]

For more accurate statistics than my off the cuff statement:

https://thetrek.co/appalachian-trail...-hiker-survey/. (Is not limited to budget choices).

For a decent review of tents (better than mine):

https://thetrek.co/2017-best-tents-for-thru-hiking/

[Stone1984]

My Duplex is the easiest tent I have ever set up. Easy compared to the easiest freestanding tent. And for the weight and cost it is by far the best decision I have made getting my gear together.

[OkeefenokeeJoe]

Lightheart Gear SoLong 6, and don't look back. Not enough space here to write what a wonderful tent it is.

https://www.lightheartgear.com/index.php/shop-now/tents

OkeefenokeeJoe

[capehiker]

Lightheart Gear SoLong 6, and don't look back. Not enough space here to write what a wonderful tent it is.

https://www.lightheartgear.com/index.php/shop-now/tents

OkeefenokeeJoe

Interestingly, I'm the exact opposite. There isn't enough space to write how much I hated it. To each their own.

[Ethesis]

Interestingly, I'm the exact opposite. There isn't enough space to write how much I hated it. To each their own.

Which is why experimenting with things is important.

I love the way that Altras feel on my feet. They throw my knees out. If I hadn't done some hiking in them I could have discovered that in a really bad place.

Tent preference is the same.

I really liked this tent: https://mytrailco.com/collections/te...nt=20147804867

My wife hated it. We obviously now have a different tent for our section hikes.