High Sierra Topix

Thanks Mav. I wish they would now do more custom designs. I should be able to order a "short" tent just as I can order a "short" sleeping bag. Someone 6'6" should be able to order an "x-long". I should also be able to pick my choice of material. Hey- replace that 10 D with 30 D, I am willing to add the weight for extra protection and longevity of the product. Kind of like choosing the components in a stereo system. I want more substantial choices than just what design is painted on my tent. And how about replacement parts - my fly always wears out first. I would like to be able to buy a new fly for an old tent.

Remind me not to camp next to any of those backpackers with those glow tents. Ugh!! The super bright headlamps are enough to drive me crazy already. Quite often I do not take any artificial lighting at all! I am not looking forward to seeing a glowing blob of a tent across a lake.

Remind me not to camp next to any of those backpackers with those glow tents. Ugh!!

or a watermelon tent.

I wish they would now do more custom designs. I should be able to order a "short" tent just as I can order a "short" sleeping bag. Someone 6'6" should be able to order an "x-long". I should also be able to pick my choice of material. Hey- replace that 10 D with 30 D, I am willing to add the weight for extra protection and longevity of the product. Kind of like choosing the components in a stereo system. I want more substantial choices than just what design is painted on my tent. And how about replacement parts - my fly always wears out first. I would like to be able to buy a new fly for an old tent.

Yes, that would be great but, it would also increase cost.

Another tent link Daisy: http://www.cleverhiker.com/best-backpacking-tents/

Do you use trekking poles? If so, are you willing to use them for your shelter?

A couple of options that have intrigued me that seem to fit your needs are:

-MSR's new FreeLite 1


-Terra Nova's Laser Competition 1


-Big Sky International's Mirage (hybrid) or Revolution (double-walled) 1P







Good luck!

Not sure making your tent look like food is a great idea in bear country!

I have been looking at the Terra Nova tents. But very few real reviews. Still leaning towards MSR. Terra Nova used to be really expensive, but they have come down on price over the last few years.

I just checked on buying from MEC, a Canadian store. The prices are the same, but they are in Canadian dollars, which now are about .7 of the American dollar. That means an instant 30% savings. Can I assume that there is no duty charged now or not? I thought NAFTA only applied to items made in America or Canada, and all the tents are made in China. Has anyone here ordered an item from Canada? I guess I need to call them about that.

There is also a MEC brand tent that looks good. The Canadian reviewers also have put their tents through more rain and bad weather, so nice to see their experiences. Nice thing about MEC, MSR and Terra Nova is that they have greater waterproof ratings on their material especially higher for tent floors. International standard for "waterproof" is 1500 mm, whereas most of the other light weight tents are only 1200. Yes, I still lust for the Hilleburg, but the price is just too much. All tents wear out, even high priced ones.

My offer still stands from 2014, here is the thread if you have not seen it before: viewtopic.php?f=15&t=11017
Just checked with my contacts and they do have access to some Hilleburgs models, so PM which model you interested in, and let's talk prices WD.

A bit of a side track, but I just checked on buying from MEC, the Canadian equivalent of REI. You have to be a member, $5 per year. All shipping to US is flat rate $20. So the down side is that returning the purchase could be expensive. No sales tax is applied. The only uncertain is duty. In general no duty but that is up to US customs. I could find NOTHING regarding tents. The long list of sports equipment did not have tents. MEC has their own line of gear, just like REI, that can only be purchased from a MEC store.

Thanks Mav. I will consider this. I am looking at the Enan (2016 model) and Ajan 2.

I just spent hours reading about waterproof fabric. holy-moly! Not sure those numbers mean much. I was impressed with a review on the MEC website, that one fellow with a MSR Hubba NX spent 12 days in hard rain and wind on the West Coast Trail as well as 100 nights out all over Canada, and the tent never leaked. Big back-and-forth and controversy regarding if Tarptent's silNylon mist or not. In my experience, it mists. I can tell mist from condensation drops. The issue is if misting is a problem for you or not. In the Sierra I am not that worried about misting. You nearly always have a few hours of sun to dry things out each day. More concerned about Wyoming and the coastal hiking I do. I would like to do that West Coast Trail in Canada.

I looked back at the recent thread concerning tents. Sorry, I should have tagged on to the end of that one instead of starting a new one. I looked at the Big Sky the Markskor mentioned he liked but said it was for a troll. Well, I am troll sized! I think the endless list of added costs for every little item sort of turned me off. I will have to take a look again when I am less dazed by all the tent information overload.

Thanks everyone for suggestions.

I love MEC gear, although I confess I've never owned one of their tents. Don't know about duty - depends what MEC claims the value to be when shipped. I found this: http://www.canadacustomer.fedex.com/ca_ ... tytax.html

Oh, and membership is a one time $5 fee, not annual. You can use my account if you ever want to go that route.

WD

I think mark meant not for a larger person. The Evolution 1 worked perfectly for me (5'8") including 2 twenty hour sessions of rain. Set up was a little more time consuming than I like, otherwise had features I really appreciated--double side doors great ventillation. I got it outfitted as light as I could (except did not go for Cuben fly) which added to the price. Total weight including stakes and extra guy lines was 37 oz or one more oz. than my flycreek ul 1. But I apreciated the extra headroom and the two side vestibules which made the interior seem much larger than the actual size of the tub floor. I've had two tarp tents and while they did the job didn't like breaking camp when I had condensation. With a separate tent and fly I can roll up the fly separately, then fold the floor of the inner tent so that it stays dry then roll up the rest-- then if I don't get a chance to dry out the tent before setting up camp at least the floor is dry and I can shake most of the moisture off the fly then wipe off the rest. Anyhow though the evolution 1 is a bit long for a short person it is relatively narrow and quite compact.

Mike

Thanks Mav. I will consider this. I am looking at the Enan (2016 model) and Ajan 2.

PM sent.

I agree Old Ranger. As much as I love most of the features of my Tarptent, most of the time I am carrying a wet tent. It is a real puzzle to turn the tent inside out to dry out the inside and then get it back right sided. That is one reason I want to go back to a double wall tent.

Too bad about customs. Customs is a nightmare. I rarely get checked when I go through. I guess you could declare an item going in (say you already have it) and then you could bring it out duty-free. Last time I was in Canada I could not talk my husband into shopping at a MEC store - he hates shopping.

Well, I am taking a break from this unpleasant chore of deciding on gear - am going on a 4-day backpack tomorrow! Yeh! I will be using my old Moment - As I deal with the wet tent every morning I will be more motivated to buy a new tent.