Optimal Tent for an old guy or old guy + old gal

[Wandering Daisy]

I use the OR basic bivy. It has several loops on the hood and foot. I stake the foot down, and tie the hood to my trekking poles. Kind of hard to explain. here is a photo. It is a bit awkward getting out but once in the bivy I usually stay put. Most people do not like bivy sacks; I only show this because you asked. I have done several 10-day trips in the Sierra with the bivy only. However, only after mosquito season. Unless it rains, I just leave my face out in the open. I like to watch the stars!

[rimg]http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg23 ... _Camp1.jpg[/rimg]

[Wandering Daisy]

As for recommendations, one-person tents are so light nowadays, that I would only use a basic bivy. By the time you add the hoops and stuff, the fancy bivy costs nearly as much as a tent and weighs nearly as much. There are two kinds- totally weatherproof, like mine, which weigh in at 1-1.5 pounds and some that are basically sleeping bag covers that weigh as little as 8 oz. I have never gotten wet in my bivy but a long storm can be very miserable in a bivy. You have to zip it up and lay like in a coffin for hours. ugh! My bivy is quite old - I really am not up on all that are available today. Now that I have the Tarptent, I use the bivy much less. I used it last fall for a 5-day trip in the Minarets.

[oldranger]

Back in the 80s I used a park service provided Early Winters, first generation Gortex bivy called a Pocket Hotel, that I renamed "Pocket Coffin" I'm sure it weighed as much as my Flycreek1 UL but it was considerably lighter than my next lighter option, my own Moss Solus II (still my alltime favorite tent. A double wall 2 person tent that set up with 6 stakes total for both tent body and fly with no tie outs needed and with old materials still weighed in at 4.5 lbs. I considered having one custom made with new silnylon fabric and using my old pole but eventually decided not to because my need for a tent that size diminished as I grew older.) I digress! Back to the pocket coffin. I used it to get my 3 day patrol backpack weight down to 43 lbs. Everything was heavier back then plus I had to carry an NPS radio and a larger first aid kit + a copy of Medicine for mountaineering. So back then the weight I carried for 3 days was only slightly less than what I carry on a 2 week backpack today! Whoops I'm digressing again! Anyhow the point of my meandering story is I once traveled from Colby Lake over to Table Creek with the intention of heading up Table Creek and dropping into the upper Kern. As I passed Talus Lake the sky clouded up and it became clear I was going to get hit by a thunderstorm before I could reach my destination. I raced (I could do that then) down to the creek and up as far as I could before the storm began to unload. I set up my pocket coffin, put my trash bag over my pack and wormed my way into the bivy with my water bottle and my only reading material--medicine for mountaineering. At over 11,400 the precip came down hard and frozen, either as hail or graupel. I intermittently slept and read for the next 8 hours when finally nature called and I emerged from my cocoon to find a starlit white wonderland. I cooked up a quick dinner dinner then slithered back into my shelter. In all I spent 18 long hours in the bivy with only a brief break for dinner. I don't recall using the bivy again after that experience. As Daisy pointed out 1 person tents exist now and are quite light and for me the extra space and convenience of a tent offsets the few extra ounces saved with a bivy.

Mike

[oldranger]

Received my new Big Sky evolution 1p 2door. Turns out it weighs 2 0z more than my big agnes Flycreek UL 1. But the side entries and slightly higher headroom will be appreciated. coupled with my new hyperlite exped pad my base weight will still be 4 oz lighter at a mere cost of too many dollars to mention.

Mike

[freestone]

Can't wait to see pictures of it in action!

Or even pictures of it set up in the living room.

[SSSdave]

oldranger you seem to be in a dilmma about the weight?

Ought to check out the tentless solution at Spock-N-Scotty.com that weighs just 3 ounces. Just lay out your sleeping gear anywhere and somewhere near the middle actuate the neon green pushbutton. The projected invisible force field extends out about 5 feet in every direction as a sphere including below ground. So one can enjoy a clear view of the Milky Way. Another benefit is the total isolation of sound so is nicely quiet inside. The one neon green pushbutton is a toggle function so to exit that totally removes the field, just press the button a second time. However there is a 3 second window between turning the field off and when it can be re-actuated.

It comes with a little lanyard to clip onto a keychain. The only Con is if any object comes in contact with the field, it becomes stuck to the surface until the green button is again pushed and there is this sort of ticklish sensation that continues. Thus there is some chance one could wake up in the morning with let me say an unwelcome creature stuck to the outside. And if one then presses the green button, there are 3 seconds in which whatever was stuck to the force field might need to be appeased.

David

[maverick]

oldranger you seem to be in a dilmma about the weight?

Ought to check out the tentless solution at Spock-N-Scotty.com that weighs just 3 ounces. Just lay out your sleeping gear anywhere and somewhere near the middle actuate the neon green pushbutton. The projected invisible force field extends out about 5 feet in every direction as a sphere including below ground. So one can enjoy a clear view of the Milky Way. Another benefit is the total isolation of sound so is nicely quiet inside. The one neon green pushbutton is a toggle function so to exit that totally removes the field, just press the button a second time. However there is a 3 second window between turning the field off and when it can be re-actuated.

It comes with a little lanyard to clip onto a keychain. The only Con is if any object comes in contact with the field, it becomes stuck to the surface until the green button is again pushed and there is this sort of ticklish sensation that continues. Thus there is some chance one could wake up in the morning with let me say an unwelcome creature stuck to the outside. And if one then presses the green button, there are 3 seconds in which whatever was stuck to the force field might need to be appeased.

David

When will these be ready for earth consumer Dave, have only seen these available to the Borg and Klingons.

[oldranger]

Dave

sounds good except for the part of no sounds which I really enjoy. There is nothing quite like the sounds of steps heading your way in the middle of the night and not knowing whether it is a deer, raccoon, bear, or lost person until you shine your headlamp on it.

Mike

[balance]

Greetings oldranger

Well, if you're old enough, a WW I pup tent should make you feel right at home!

Being 66, as long as the good Lord let's me put 7 days of gear in my pack and solo up above treeline, I'm a...happy camper.

peace

[oldranger]

Balance

Love to be only 66. Remember WW II pup tents from surplus stores in the 50's though. They were constructed so that each of pair of soldiers could carry 1/2 of the tent. Unfortunately even 1/2 the tent weighed considerably more than the "3" person tent my wife and I use, not to mention the solo tents I own.

Mike