Of tents and things

[bakerjw]

I am kind of in a quandary. I have a Eureka Midori Solo tent that I really like. It is a single person self supporting tent with a deep bathtub, good mesh and a great fly that will keep you dry with heavy rain and even a small stream flowing under it.

The problem??? For a long distance tent, it is a bit heavy at 4lbs 8 oz with the tent, poles, fly, tent stakes and bags. For a local 1 or 2 night bikepacking ride of 150 miles or so, it is acceptable. For putting in 100+ mile rides like I did on the tour divide a few weeks back, weight becomes an issue. Physical condition is equally important, but getting bike and gear weight down is a prime factor imho. I just did 100+ days on a 60#+ bike loaded with gear, food and water.

I don't like the thought of a bivy bag, so I am looking to lighten it up as much as possible. All pieces considered, the actual tent is the heaviest piece at about 1.5 pounds.
Carbon poles can shave off some weight.
Lighter tent stakes can also make a big difference.
The fly is the biggest place for improvement. I have some 1.9 ounce fabric which is waterproof but not as durable as the original fly. But the fabric is cheap and I don't need durability. I can use the original fly as the pattern and likely cut the fly weight at least in half.

Anyone else ever undertake something like this?

[papatorry]

Do you know about TarpTent? Have you looked online in places like WhiteBlaze for used tents under 2 pounds? Lots of ways to go light and small.
Wayne


Old. Slow. "Smarter than the average bear."

[WalksOn2Wheels]

I recently put this on the "gear that works" thread, but if you like your Eureka, check out the Spitfire 1 that they make. I have one and it is an awesome little tent. I'm 6'2" and I fit ok in it. Lots of headroom, good seam sealed fly, and it all comes in at under 3 pounds. You only need 2 stakes to set up the body (or two guy lines tied to rocks) and only 2 more stakes to set up the fly. I have been in some downpours in it and it stayed completely dry. Really, really hard to beat for the price. You could probably find one on sale for close to 100 bucks and it would immediately drop a pound and a half off compared to your current tent. I have also toyed with the idea of sewing a separate fly for it, but I don't think the weight savings would be significant enough to justify the hassle.

For roughly twice the price, you can get the Marmot Starlight 1. At this point, you're really looking at a glorified bivy. It is only 2 pounds, though. But you lose the full open air summer capability of a true double wall tent. That may or may not be important to you depending on your climate.

I keep looking at cool UL tents for 4 or 5 hundred bucks and keep coming back to the Eureka as the absolute best cost/weight ratio. I even got a small stuff sack and can cram the body/fly down to slightly smaller than a volley ball while I stow the poles/stakes elsewhere.

[eec]

I'm right in the middle of researching 1P tents as well to replace my NF Soloist Bivy, which is super nice, but I prefer a tent for a little more comfort.

I went to a local shop and looked at the MSR Freelite 1, the Big Agnes Seedhouse, and the Mountain Hardwear Ghost (?). I really liked the Freelite -- extremely light, packed up nice and small, side entrance, roomy. However, it's not completely freestanding. You need to stake out the foot. The Seedhouse was really light and roomy, but I didn't like the entry being in the front. I was kind of blah about the Ghost. The biggest thing against these three was the price. They're not cheap.

So I've been looking at the Marmot Eos, REI Passage 1 and the Kelty Gunnison. The Passage and Gunnison both weigh in at a little over 4 pounds, so they're pretty much out. Without having actually seen one in person, I really like the Marmot Eos. It's not UL (2 lbs 14 oz packaged weight), but it looks durable and roomy enough.

If you're not concerned about price, I would take a good hard look at the MSR Freelite. There's aslo a Big Agnes Bitter Springs which weighs in at 2 lbs 6 oz, for around $260 that looks nice.

Just my opinion, but the whole tarp, ground sheet set up seems like a real hassle to set up and take down every night. And while I love my portable hammock, I can't imagine trying to find a suitable place to set it up every night either.

[phillip]

I continue to look for better set ups and am currently using the marmot Eos.  However, I don't have the rainfly.  I couldn't pass it up at $25.  So I carry a cheap tarp but i've yet to need it since in sacramento, ca area we've not had much moisture.  I've really wanted to use a tarp.

but last week me and 2 buddies did a 5-day bikepacking trip in Lake Tahoe.  I used the Eos, one used a bivy and the other used a tarp and ground cloth (tyvek).  After watching my buddy fiddle with the tarp and deal with some wind, bugs, etc. i think my Eos will stay with me longer.  He may have been inexperienced in setting it up.

The tent is basically a triangle inside and self supporting.  I don't even carry the stakes.  I am able to sit up but it is not really made for that.  I did hit my head but the mesh is soft.  It has a side door and i really like that as it is much easier to get in and out.  Storage for gear is tight but i carry a plastic garbage bag and can place gear in it if dew or rain is expected.  Tent is very easy to set up, packs well and I did not notice a weight issue, even riding the Tahoe Rim Trail for 145 miles total.  Without the fly, it is very light but I've not weighed it.  I will likely make a better fitting fly someday than my cheap blue tarp.

Watch the classifieds on this site as good deals pop up sporadically.
 

[bakerjw]

Great ideas guys. Thanks.