Re: Putting together a new kit
Posted: Mon Feb 20, 2012 7:47 pm
Thanks for the tips on the Lost Coast - additional support for my decision. When I go I will probably do the whole way, the King Range and Sinkyone - it's going to be a rare thing to get that far north, for me.
I didn't mention the other shelter I have, one of the original tyvek Sublites - I used to take that to the coast because the tyvek was so wonderful about handling condensation, which is horrible in redwoods in traditional tents, but I never got a drop in the Sublite. And then one campout a Pacific rainstorm blew in, dumped several inches of rain within four hours, and drowned my little Sublite completely - before I left it, drips were coming in the top seam. When I got out to take it down the following morning it was absolutely full of water, the bathtub floor was at least an inch deep and the tyvek soaked through and heavier than heck. I bailed out to the car after the first drop hit my forehead and spent the night with my down quilt wrapped around me, watching the rain stream down my windshield and the lights going on in the tents of the other campers who were having leaks right and left in their tents. A texsport tent also bit the mud, drowned the occupant's sleeping bag and clothing, and she ended up in my car too. The last tents standing as "dawn" broke and the rain continued were an REI Half Dome and a Black Diamond - everyone else was varying degrees of wet.
So I have a Sierra Designs tent with a PU coated fly now, for those crazy coastal rainy trips. The silnylon version of the Sublite came later when a friend sold his to me used - they haven't had the sil version in stock much over the last few years. And now there is the Notch which looks like a nice tent as well. Ah, well.
I didn't mention the other shelter I have, one of the original tyvek Sublites - I used to take that to the coast because the tyvek was so wonderful about handling condensation, which is horrible in redwoods in traditional tents, but I never got a drop in the Sublite. And then one campout a Pacific rainstorm blew in, dumped several inches of rain within four hours, and drowned my little Sublite completely - before I left it, drips were coming in the top seam. When I got out to take it down the following morning it was absolutely full of water, the bathtub floor was at least an inch deep and the tyvek soaked through and heavier than heck. I bailed out to the car after the first drop hit my forehead and spent the night with my down quilt wrapped around me, watching the rain stream down my windshield and the lights going on in the tents of the other campers who were having leaks right and left in their tents. A texsport tent also bit the mud, drowned the occupant's sleeping bag and clothing, and she ended up in my car too. The last tents standing as "dawn" broke and the rain continued were an REI Half Dome and a Black Diamond - everyone else was varying degrees of wet.
So I have a Sierra Designs tent with a PU coated fly now, for those crazy coastal rainy trips. The silnylon version of the Sublite came later when a friend sold his to me used - they haven't had the sil version in stock much over the last few years. And now there is the Notch which looks like a nice tent as well. Ah, well.