Personally, would not but this product, the main reason being that is a knock off, it directly undercuts one of our American manufacturer of outdoor gear, I still value the "Made in the USA" products, even if many materials or assembly takes place abroad.
Also, MLD puts back into US outdoor community, unlike its Chinese counterpart, which means something to me. MLD writes:
When we make a sale for any gear a part of that goes back into the hiking community via support for many trail charities/orgs, free gear to magazines, trail crews, and athletes that inspire us and into the development of the sport and ever better new products for you.
Professional Sierra Landscape Photographer
I don't give out specific route information, my belief is that it takes away from the whole adventure spirit of a trip, if you need every inch planned out, you'll have to get that from someone else.
Have a safer backcountry experience by using the HST ReConn Form 2.0, named after Larry Conn, a HST member:http://reconn.org
maverick wrote:Personally, would not but this product, the main reason being that is a knock off, it directly undercuts one of our American manufacturer of outdoor gear, I still value the "Made in the USA" products, even if many materials or assembly takes place abroad.
Also, MLD puts back into US outdoor community, unlike its Chinese counterpart, which means something to me. MLD writes:
When we make a sale for any gear a part of that goes back into the hiking community via support for many trail charities/orgs, free gear to magazines, trail crews, and athletes that inspire us and into the development of the sport and ever better new products for you.
I just got home from a vacation and the tarp was waiting for me.
- In the MLD video he mentiones that it's "just a bound edge." The construction seems find to me, can anyone explain why a flat felled seam would be better than a doubled bound edge?
- I filled up the fabric and made a sort of water baloon pocket and then squeezed it. Indeed it did seem the water came trough quickly, and worringly along creases in the fabric. I did the same with silnylon from a sea to summit stuff sack and it was clearly inferior.
I am still looking forward to playing with it, and I guess I could pitch it in the rain in the backyard and see what happens, but it looks like it's destined to be a shade structure or something. If I like the form factor and think it would be a good 2 person shelter, I will order one from MLD.
- I filled up the fabric and made a sort of water baloon pocket and then squeezed it. Indeed it did seem the water came trough quickly, and worringly along creases in the fabric. I did the same with silnylon from a sea to summit stuff sack and it was clearly inferior.
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a bit confused here...are you saying the Sea to Summit was inferior to the MLD ?
- I filled up the fabric and made a sort of water baloon pocket and then squeezed it. Indeed it did seem the water came trough quickly, and worringly along creases in the fabric. I did the same with silnylon from a sea to summit stuff sack and it was clearly inferior.
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a bit confused here...are you saying the Sea to Summit was inferior to the MLD ?
Water came through both fabrics when I squeezed to apply pressure. It looked like it took less pressure for the water to go through the fabric used in the TS knockoff, but it was hard to tell because the TS knockoff had the water come through in beads (like in the video Ron Bell posted) but the Sea to Summit one just got wet rather than having beads come through. I meant the sea to summit sil seemed better.
I know I would need to seam seal it, I didn't test any seams. I was referring to the wrinkles in the fabric. It doesent feel like a high quality sil nylon, too dry feeling.
I just pitched it in the rain, it's coming down here in San Francisco. Seems great, the water beads right off. I am not sure about the "hydrostatic head" measurements for the amount of waterproofness of fabric. It does seem that it would either keep rain off you, or it wouldn't. This seems like it would work great.
Does anyone use the trailstar in the High Sierra? It dosen't seem to be a popular shelter out here.