Like I mentioned above I've been waiting for the lightning tent to come back up on there site and tonight I looked at just the right time. I just ordered the Sierra Designs Lightning tent with the foot print for $120
Gary C.
If you are not familiar with Steep and Cheap here is an example of of some of there prices.
"On this proud and beautiful mountain we have lived hours of fraternal, warm and exalting nobility. Here for a few days we have ceased to be slaves and have really been men. It is hard to return to servitude."
-- Lionel Terray
Wow, thank you all so much for the great advice and input ... I really appreciate the help.
I was expecting to get a lot of TNF and/or Marmot opinions, but its good to hear the SD and Stephenson tents hold their own. And I love the idea of having a lifetime warranty.
I'll look into the Lightning 2, as well as the Sirius 2.
I'll put in a plug for Tarptent as well. I had been using a Sierra Lightning as my 1 person tent for a few years but needed to shed some weight and bought the Tarptent Rainbow. I absolutely love my Tarptent it's incredibly spacious and durable and set up is really easy after the first time or two. I am such a fan of my Tarptent that I am thinking about buying the Tarptent Squall for 2 this year and retiring my old REI half dome.
I've been happy with the Stephenson Warmlite. Roomy, 9'X5', weighs 3 lbs and held up in snow storms. It blew down once while I was hiking, only cuz I didn't have it staked. Not free standing, but most of the time I use only 3 stakes (out of 7).
Expose yourself to your deepest fear; after that, fear has no power, and the fear of freedom shrinks and vanishes. You are free . . . . Jim Morrison
I used to hike without any form of shelter other than a poncho, mostly in Corsica in Europe (similar to the Sierra climate). However, after a few uncomfortable nights, you begin to see the values of a tent.
I've hiked the Sierras several times with a 1980s model of the Sierra Designs Meteor Light - tight for 3 people, but we managed, and it was about 2.5lbs per head.
A few years ago I got a 2003 model of the Meteor Light because the poles on the old one failed. It is no larger, just as hard to set up, and weighs a whopping 2800g for less space. It was tight for me and two 10-year-olds last year.
This year I'm taking a rather expenisve Big Agnes Copper Spur UL3 - but the tent weighs just 1800g while being a full 3-person footprint long enough for my 6'2" size, plus large vestibules. REI has a similar super-light tent that was too short for me but would fit you. It's cheaper, and they make a 2 person version of it as well (REI Quarter Dome T2 or T3)
I never tried tarp tents, as they seem to be a compromise between a bivvy sack and a real tent. If I go for the comfort deal, I like free standing tents that go up fast - saved our hides last year on Donohue Pass, where brutal weather surprised us at 11,000 feet. We were getting soaked and cold, and it became clear we had to pitch the tent in the storm, right where we were, on a switchback on the trail just north of the pass. With a self-standing design, it takes 2 minutes and you have a shelter.
Lots of love for our MSR Hubba Hubba. good living conditions for 2 people. I especially like having 2 doors and vestibules. It is a bit finicky to get guyed out tight in storm, but it can be done. That said I've been itching to get a new 2 person, 3 season tent and the tarpent double rainbow is my top candidate right now
Best tent I ever owned for 2 people was a Moss Solus II. One pole that went end to end and a design that allowed fly and tent body to use the same 6 tent pegs (or rocks if you tied some pc to the peg loops) It was an automatic set up with no tweaking unless you wanted to do something fancy with the fly to maximize airflow for an afternoon siesta on a layover day. finally just wore out after 20 seasons. I contacted MSR (bought out Moss) and suggested that they revive the Solus II with new ultralight fabric. The old version was 41/2 lbs. By todays standard the big weakness is no vestibule. But the fly extends out enough to stash your boots. And I always stash my pack away from the tent inside a garbage bag anyway.
Currently using Contrail Tarptent for solo trips 11/2 lbs. and Big Agnes Seedhouse SL3 for trips with my honey. (Just found out that it is big enough for 2 Exped large delux downmats, just purchased).
SL3 is about 41/2 lbs and has a little more floor space than the Solus II but is more complex and takes more time to set up.
Mike
ps. Eric, How come my posts are always in bold?
Mike
Who can't do everything he used to and what he can do takes a hell of a lot longer!
Mike, can you weigh in on the Contrail? I'm very interested in getting one- have you ever had condensation problems? Does it set up quickly when you're being harassed by skeeters? Does it keep them out?
p.s. your posts don't appear in bold on my screen
