Anyone have any bright ideas about a light-weight tent? As I see it, my options are:
1) Hammock tent. Concerned about heat-retention & lack of trees to tie to in some spots.
2) Bivy sack. Ultra-light. Expensive.
3) 1-man tent. Sort of dumb.
4) Who needs a tent??
I already have a good down sleeping bag.
BTW, I'm leaving Sept. 1st. If anybody wants to ride with me to Astoria or something, or hell, as far as you want to go, then sign up! I think I'll go around the Olympic Peninsula. Yes, it's completely the wrong way, but it's so pretty.
derrickito
Posted: Tue Aug 21, 2007 1:31 pm
now with 50 percent more EVILJoined: 22 Jul 2005Posts: 10566
tents. i cant say enough about the henry shires tarp tents. www.tarptent.com
i have the rainshadow 2. it's overkill on space (2 people + gear in tent and vestbule). but amazing on weight. mines about 2.5 pounds. you could go for the contrail model and carry about half the weight.
3+ season tent. definately consider the sewn in bathtub floor. it makes a world of difference and the netting keeps out the bugs.
it's the lightest easiest tent ive ever worked with. airy, roomy, and you'll stay perfectly dry in a downpour
holler at me if you want to see it in action.
downside, you'd have to call him and have him send you one STAT to make it in time. but he is easy to get on the phone and if he has the one you want in stock he will do super fast shipping to accomodate.
lantius
Posted: Tue Aug 21, 2007 1:34 pm
1337Joined: 22 Jul 2005Posts: 6705Location: right over
tarptents are great. hammocks are awesome too. in either case you'll want a decent sleeping bag and a thermarest-type-pad.
i totally want to ride around the olympic peninsula! i've barely even been over there.
applesauche
Posted: Tue Aug 21, 2007 1:35 pm
Joined: 08 Oct 2006Posts: 337Location: Capitol Hill
damn, i wish i could. but seeing as i just did this trip, i don't think my boss would understand. and i recommend nothing but a sleeping bag and a poncho liner to use as a tarp in case of rain. it poured on me and johnny last month when we biked down there and it worked just fine for us.
also, some important data you may need:
best bakery on your route: bandon, oregon
best doughnuts on your route: crescent city, california
best diner food: florence, oregon
and please note: there is no good food to be had until san francisco south of crescent city
derrickito
Posted: Tue Aug 21, 2007 1:36 pm
now with 50 percent more EVILJoined: 22 Jul 2005Posts: 10566
those hammocks look super comfy, but yeah, theres the whole "im in southern california and cant find a tree" issue with it :)
TrikerTrev
Posted: Tue Aug 21, 2007 1:39 pm
Joined: 23 Oct 2006Posts: 2303Location: FOCO, MOFO!!!
i have a Bibler Bivysack that id like to be buried in.
it's seen days on the side of Half Dome, Liberty Bell, and countless northwest soggybottom psudo-campsites.
I use that and my Feathered Friends down bag for anything that doesnt require taking the fam-damily.
compresses into a nifty little sack about the size of a condom.
_________________ Insufferable ass, est. 1969
laura
Posted: Tue Aug 21, 2007 1:42 pm
Joined: 22 Jun 2007Posts: 1050Location: wherever the dance party is
TrikerTrev wrote:
compresses into a nifty little sack about the size of a condom.
Approximately every third post you write begs of some image. Pandas, cleaning midgets, condom sacks ... keep it up!
derrickito
Posted: Tue Aug 21, 2007 1:44 pm
now with 50 percent more EVILJoined: 22 Jul 2005Posts: 10566
my 2 man tarptent is virutally the exact same weight as that bivy sack :)
the bivy probably wins on packability though
ok ok. enough of me stumping for the tarp tent.
TrikerTrev
Posted: Tue Aug 21, 2007 1:48 pm
Joined: 23 Oct 2006Posts: 2303Location: FOCO, MOFO!!!
how long are you going for?
if the time is right, and so am I, i'll let ya borrow it.
ya gotta get your own condom tho...
_________________ Insufferable ass, est. 1969
TrikerTrev
Posted: Tue Aug 21, 2007 1:54 pm
Joined: 23 Oct 2006Posts: 2303Location: FOCO, MOFO!!!
laura wrote:
TrikerTrev wrote:
compresses into a nifty little sack about the size of a condom.
Approximately every third post you write begs of some image. Pandas, cleaning midgets, condom sacks ... keep it up!
tenticles?
_________________ Insufferable ass, est. 1969
bobhall
Posted: Tue Aug 21, 2007 2:09 pm
Joined: 28 Jul 2006Posts: 460
I knew I'd get some adamant opinions about this :)
As for coming along, I'd really like to knock out the Peninsula in a hurry, so I'm thinking I could hop on the Bainbridge Ferry early Saturday morning, stop the 1st night at Bogachiel State Park (148 miles), then reach Cape Disappointment by the second day (another 150 miles). I'm trying to get to San Diego in 14 days, so no time for lolly-gagging!
I've already been to San Francisco by bike, so half the trip will be a repeat. No girlfriend this time. How sad.
Gear sucks. I wish I could do a really really light trip. I've also considered a credit card trip, which is basically the mentality that any time a problem comes along, the solution is to throw money at it. Although motels are a lot more expensive than $4 camping in Oregon...
nick.carter
Posted: Tue Aug 21, 2007 2:24 pm
Joined: 02 Aug 2007Posts: 16
Bivy sacks are great in dry or snowy conditions, but start to suck in the rain. Usually they're not as well ventilated as a proper tent, so when the relative humidity goes up, you'll get some condensation on the inside. Or so I'm told. I have REI's cheapest "minimalist" bivy sack (basically a nylon sleeve), and it's so flimsy I've never had the balls to use it in the rain.
I'd check the inventory at Second Ascent before shelling out for new. And yeah, those tarp tents do look sweet.
TrikerTrev
Posted: Tue Aug 21, 2007 2:37 pm
Joined: 23 Oct 2006Posts: 2303Location: FOCO, MOFO!!!
nick.carter wrote:
Bivy sacks are great in dry or snowy conditions, but start to suck in the rain. Usually they're not as well ventilated as a proper tent, so when the relative humidity goes up, you'll get some condensation on the inside. Or so I'm told. I have REI's cheapest "minimalist" bivy sack (basically a nylon sleeve), and it's so flimsy I've never had the balls to use it in the rain.
I'd check the inventory at Second Ascent before shelling out for new. And yeah, those tarp tents do look sweet.
this is true, except for the Bibler, which is a special "4 season" material which is waterproof AND breathable. I have spent plenty of soggy nights in this with little negative consequences. The thing was top of the line in hardcore bigwall gear a few years back. It even has a waterprofed spectra sling that goes from the outside to the inside so you ralways clipped in (yeah, sleeping on a ledge thousands of feet off hte deck is a buttpucker factor 4).
_________________ Insufferable ass, est. 1969
bobhall
Posted: Tue Aug 21, 2007 4:54 pm
Joined: 28 Jul 2006Posts: 460
So Oregon has a fucking kick-ass guide of the mileage and elevation of the Coastal route, complete with detailed information about hiker/biker accomodations along the way.
Can anybody find me the same information in California?
I like to have a list of places to camp and the miles in between so that I can be flexible. No pre-determined itineraries, but enough information to make some smart day-by-day mileage planning.
snyd3282
Posted: Tue Aug 21, 2007 5:27 pm
could suck the fun out of a blowjobJoined: 23 Jul 2007Posts: 588Location: Ballard / Fremont
bobhall wrote:
So Oregon has a fucking kick-ass guide of the mileage and elevation of the Coastal route, complete with detailed information about hiker/biker accomodations along the way.
Can anybody find me the same information in California?
I have a set of Adventure Cycling maps http://www.adventurecycling.org/ and that Bicycling the Pacific Coast classic book that you are welcome to borrow. I'm planning on a similar trip, but at a much more liesurely pace and staggered over a few years.
Last edited by snyd3282 on Tue Aug 21, 2007 9:38 pm; edited 1 time in total
Alastair
Posted: Tue Aug 21, 2007 6:42 pm
Joined: 12 Jan 2006Posts: 475Location: U-district/Ravenna
As much as I hated my time in the infantry, what we used in the field worked really well. A military poncho tied to some trees with bungee chords, one of those nice OR sleep mats, and a good sleeping bag. I don't remember being wet, even in the monsoons, and it packed tiny ('cept for the sleeping bag).
Alex
Posted: Tue Aug 21, 2007 7:31 pm
Joined: 18 May 2006Posts: 3128Location: Roosevelt
bobhall wrote:
San Diego here I come.
Anyone have any bright ideas about a light-weight tent? As I see it, my options are:
1) Hammock tent. Concerned about heat-retention & lack of trees to tie to in some spots.
You can use them as a bivy when there are no trees available. For NW touring I think that they are impossible to beat. How many days will you be in middle to southern California?
Tarptent Contrail is nice. I really like my Tarptent Rainshadow 2, but for single person use I'd rather take my hammock.
Tarptent Contrail and the Hennessey Hammock are about the same weight, but the hammock lets you use lighter weight sleeping pad (since you only need it for insulation, not comfort).
I have no personal experience with this setup, but a couple of friends have experimented with it. I'd probably use a different tarp, that was just an easy URL to find.
alex
wanderlyte
Posted: Wed Aug 22, 2007 10:31 pm
Joined: 06 May 2006Posts: 62Location: Afloat somewhere in Puget Sound
I've been touring with my old Hennessey Hammock (link below) the last year, and been very happy with it. As others have mentioned, you can usually find somewhere to hang it, or figure out someway to use it as a bivy even if there aren't trees or posts or other hanging supports available. A big advantage is that you can use it (as a hammock) on slopes or to hang above uneven ground, where you couldn't pitch a tent or sleep in a bivy bag.
In cooler weather you do need some sort of pad under you to help keep you warm. I just use one of those windshield sun shades (for cars), which is a thin layer of foam with a covering of reflective material. Make sure you get one wide enough for your shoulders and which will wrap around your body a bit, since the sides of the hammock will compress your sleeping bag there. Mine weighs less than 5 ounces, and cost maybe $7. Much lighter and cheaper than a thermarest, and it has held up to a year of use, although it is pretty beat up at this point. Not nearly as comfortable as a thermarest when you bivy on the ground, but I've only had to do that a few times.
Also, the "snakeskins" (see the website) are great for when you are setting up in the rain. Keeps the hammock dry, and makes packing up fast and easy.
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could suck the fun out of a blowjob
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