great divide shelter suggestions

[liricooli]

Hi guys,
I will ride the divide staying July 8th and looking for a Shelter.

I'm looking for a light shelter which I could pack easily on a handlebar harness, frame bag and a seatpost bag.
my budget limit is 200 USD.


Any suggestions for a shelter?
Thanks, Liron.

[ImAFred]

This....
http://www.bikepacking.net/forum/index.php/topic,2828.msg32398/boardseen.html#new

[liricooli]

I thought of a bivy /minimal tarp combination but have no idea what to expect weather-wise.
any suggestions ?

[harryonaspot]

Well 2 years ago we had rain, lots of rain. Probably more than 1/2 the days we were out. I would suggest a 1 man tent. I just bought a Eureka Spitfire 1. They can be had for $120. Less than 3 lbs. Not the smallest packing tent but dry. And mosquito proof. I think about just a ground cloth and rain fly,until i think about mosquitos. i'll pack the extra weight. Just my thoughts. Harry

[liricooli]

Hi,
After some intensive online researching I think there are mainly 3 options of shelters that may be what i´m looking for.

• 1.   Just tarps – around 0.4 KG, needs a trekking  pole or two to pitch. Are open to wind and bugs and does not include a footprint.  Examples are
  The integral designs siltarp with one trekking pole and the MSR E wing with two poles.
  http://www.backcountry.com/integral-designs-siltarp1-person
  http://www.backcountry.com/msr-e-wing-tarp#reviews
• 2.   Tarp-like tents – pack light, needs between a trekking  pole or two to pitch but include a footprint and are usually closed so they keep away bugs and wind.
  I really liked the tarptent sublite  http://www.tarptent.com/sublite.html
  Also the tarptent contrail looks fine, using only 1 trekking pole.
• 3.   Lightweight tents –. Around 1.2 KG, usually have 2 walls to protect from rain and include a specific pitching poles.  I looked at
   golite Shangri la 1 http://www.golite.com/Shangri-La-1-Tent-P46825.aspx
   sierra designs stash 1http://www.sierradesigns.com/p-295-stash-1.aspx
   and northface flint 1 http://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear/Product___28591 
  

At first, I thought of a combo of a tarp and a footpath will be good enough.  I now think that the second option is my favorable. 

I´ve looked at:
-   tarptent sublite /contrail
-   six moon designs wild oasis http://www.sixmoondesigns.com/tarps/WildOasis.html 
-   and gossamer gear spinnshelter http://gossamergear.com/shelters/spinnshelter.html
does anyone have any experience with any of them. I´d like to know how small do they pack, how easy is it to pitch them.

Are there any other other tents which I should consider ?
Thanks, Liron.

[ride MT]

my vote is Tarptent Contrail or Moment or Double Rainbow. My dad has hiked both the AT and the PCT and these get really good marks from the through-hiker crowd.

I just got a Contrail and it looks to be pretty much awesome.

[liricooli]

Thanks for the reply.
I will probably will go for the contrail as it needs only one trekking pole point to pitch it.

Who makes good and light trekking poles substitute?
And are there any recommendations for a sleeping pad?

Liron

[bmike-vt]

Thanks for the reply.
I will probably will go for the contrail as it needs only one trekking pole point to pitch it.

Who makes good and light trekking poles substitute?
And are there any recommendations for a sleeping pad?

Liron

you can order the extra pole with the contrail. works well enough, though a trekking pole will be better for if you need to deal with lots of wind and maybe some freak snow.

had i to do it over, i might go with the moment... or not. kept going back and forth on this purchase. the contrail made the most sense for me based on how i pack the bike. the moment would have been the choice if i rode flat bars. but i do like that i can use this while hiking, as i do use trekking poles...


IMAG4146 by mbeganyi, on Flickr


IMAG4159 by mbeganyi, on Flickr

[bmike-vt]

some great tarptent videos on this guy's feed:
http://www.youtube.com/user/francodarioli?feature=

[liricooli]

Thanks for the info and the pictures. The moment is above my budget and as i´ve almost doubled my bike building budget to get my dream bike, I wouldn´t want to spend more

that guy´s youtube is awesome. thanks.

how´s the contrail functioning when it´s windy ? is it possible to pitch it so the tarp is really close to the ground ?

[bmike-vt]

how´s the contrail functioning when it´s windy ? is it possible to pitch it so the tarp is really close to the ground ?

works just fine. pitch it long ways to the wind (so that the wind is blowing the same as the length - sideways will cause more surface area to be hit by gusts), and yes, you can snug it down into a 'storm' pitch. examples on that youtube page. you snug the sides and back down close to the group.

note that it is 1 piece, no separate tarp or inside...
and, you'll likely want to pick up some extra guy line and stakes. you can pull the middle of the sides down too.

[Adam Alphabet]

Try to identify what you want out of your shelter, this will help narrow your choice.

I used an 8x10 tarp, a small net pyramid, a tent footprint and a modded tent pole from a used sporting goods shop for a trip in New Zealand which worked fine. For the same/less weight and more convenience in setting up I got a tarptent moment for a trip in Chile last year. On touring type trips I feel like I want a 'home' to get into at the end of the day; walls, closed in, journal for a bit, watch an episode of The Wire on my ipod before hitting the sack... the moment is great for this.

For shorter trips or more wilderness type trips I like to feel out there, no walls around me, exposed. My favourite is a small tarp/bivy; quick to set up, light, compact, exposed.
Good Luck!

[liricooli]

How many stakes / extra guideline would I need for the contrail ?

[liricooli]

Usually I prefer Open-sky No shelter wilderness sleeping.
As I plan on riding the great Divide route, the conditions may not always allow me to enjoy the starry night. I first thought of using a tarp/bivy combo but I think that in a two months of sleeping outside, when the weather might get miserable, I prefer a more "safe" shelter.

[mtnbound]

I just got a tarptent contrail for $200.  It weighs 26 oz (including the 2 oz pole that you can order for $6).  Only tried it once so far in the backyard but it seems to work well. Setup is pretty quick and easy (about 2 minutes).  Waiting for a good storm so I can try to put it up under adverse conditions.  The pole in the entrance makes it little difficult to get in and out but it's not bad. 

Not sure about the need for extra stakes and guidelines - where would they go?  Is the extra weight for this stuff necessary?

[s8tannorm]

Six Moon Designs Lunar Solo would be worth a look too. Requires one pole and six pegs, offers plenty of room, you can sit up properly and there's a good sized 'porch' to store your gear out of the rain.

[bmike-vt]

Not sure about the need for extra stakes and guidelines - where would they go?  Is the extra weight for this stuff necessary?

on the middle of the sides: (2 stakes and some line)


TarpTent Contrail by mbeganyi, on Flickr


IMAG4287 by mbeganyi, on Flickr

not required, but nice.

[mtnbound]

bmike-vt - Thanks for the pics!  I didn't see those loops for the extra guidelines.  I can see how those would help keep rain off (by keeping me from accidently brushing the side)/make it bigger inside the tarptent.

[trebor]

I didn't see where anyone mentioned Zpacks tarp tent. They are $$ but after watching a buddy of mine on TD last year set his up faster than I could get my bivy spot set up, I became extremely jealous!

Fully enclosed with bug net is only 9oz.

http://www.zpacks.com/

[HOser]

I didn't see where anyone mentioned Zpacks tarp tent. They are $$ but after watching a buddy of mine on TD last year set his up faster than I could get my bivy spot set up, I became extremely jealous!

Fully enclosed with bug net is only 9oz.

http://www.zpacks.com/

I really like my Zpacks tarp.  I have the one without a bug net, claimed weight is 4 oz.  This weight doesn't include stakes or seam sealer, but still well under a pound for the whole thing.  With a tyvek ground sheet cut to size, it works quite well.  I have yet to subject it to really bad weather though, rain with variable strong winds could be uncomfortable: