fly only shelter

[jackthejester]

I'm planning a SOBO section hike from Deep Gap to Springer first week of April. I've read all the comments about TNF tents and I have one from 1994. Do you think I'll be alright with just the fly for the 8 or so days? It's like a tarp, only I don't have to be crafty with stakes and lines as it has its own poles. I used it in a downpour and discovered I need a little more attention with the seam sealer. I'm not going to buy new gear. I know about the condesation problem-- even in the tent that has no coating. So, just like foot pain, I know you gotta deal with it. How bad does the condensation get this time of year?

[Redbeard]

I'm probably stating the obvious, but make sure you bring a groundcloth, people seem to prefer Tyvek.

[MOWGLI]

I used a Clip Flashlite tent during my thru-hike. One fellow sent his tent home and only used the Clip Flashlite rainfly and a groundcloth and it seemed to work for him. Bear in mind, this was in April in NC, and the bugs were not out yet.

Concerning the Clip Flashlite & groundcloths, a groundcloth is not needed for this tent. I sent mine home early-on and the tent was just fine. Wanna save some weight? Lose the groundcloth. The tent will get a little muddy from time to time, but that was OK with me. It was on the outside of the tent. Notthe inside.

[silverback]

I used just the fly and poles from a '95 TNF lunar light for 2 months of hiking in summer 98. I carried the whole tent (5.5 lbs) for my thru hike in 97 and wanted to go lighter. It set up easy and worked well, rain and wind were no prob. But with the fly, poles, stakes, and a groundsheet, I still had ~3.5 lbs of shelter. I also needed to use a bug screen toward the end of my hike which added ~10 oz. I traded it for a walrus swift the next year which is ~3.5 lbs in total and cost ~$75.

[gravityman]

We used the fly from our Clip Flashlight from Erwin to middle of Va. Then the bugs got bad, and we got mosquitto netting from campmor which we drapped over the poles then the fly over that. Worked great, but we've gone to a 2-4-2 from wanderlust which is even lighter!

We just pushed the poles into the ground and used a tyvek ground cloth. Never had a problem setting it up like this.

Gravity Man