[pct-l] Tents....I know, I know, beating a dead horse
Tamsin McMahon
tamsinrm at yahoo.com
Sun Feb 15 13:21:14 CST 2009
I have no experience with Big Agnes tents, but their Fly Creek UL1 weighs in at 1lb 14oz. I'm just examining it on their website, but it appears to be a double-walled freestanding (though reviews beg to differ on "freestanding") tent with a mesh roof for stargazing and a bathtub floor, weighing in a little bit above your stated ideal weight.
Sorry if this has been mentioned, or rejected, in some earlier post. Yahoo mail search function is lousy.
I'm bringing a MSR Hubba Hubba on my thru-hike this year, splitting the weight with my hiking buddy. I love this tent, but it's a tad too heavy for one person, even the one-person version is close to 4 pounds I think.
________________________________
From: "pct-l-request at backcountry.net" <pct-l-request at backcountry.net>
To: pct-l at backcountry.net
Sent: Sunday, February 15, 2009 10:39:30 AM
Subject: Pct-l Digest, Vol 14, Issue 84
Send Pct-l mailing list submissions to
pct-l at backcountry.net
To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit
http://mailman.backcountry.net/mailman/listinfo/pct-l
or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to
pct-l-request at backcountry.net
You can reach the person managing the list at
pct-l-owner at backcountry.net
When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific
than "Re: Contents of Pct-l digest..."
Today's Topics:
1. Re: Tarps,Tents & Knots (Bob Bankhead)
2. Re: Tents....I know, I know, beating a dead horse (Bob Bankhead)
3. Tarps, Tents & Knots (jason moores)
4. Re: dogs on the trail (Long) (Carolyn Eddy)
5. Re: Tarps, Tents & Knots (Stephen)
6. Re: Does your dog bite? (Pat)
7. Humor - Seasoned Hiker Trash at a TrailTown Saloon
(hiker97 at aol.com)
8. Re: Does your dog bite? (Charlie & Nancy Zapp)
9. Re: Tarps (Engraving Pros)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Message: 1
Date: Sat, 14 Feb 2009 22:02:53 -0800
From: "Bob Bankhead" <wandering_bob at comcast.net>
Subject: Re: [pct-l] Tarps,Tents & Knots
To: <pct-l at backcountry.net>
Message-ID: <814177391CC1432AAF4E3911620BFB23 at BOB>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="Windows-1252"
----- Original Message -----
If I were hiking alone this year I would strongly consider the Six Moon Designs Gatewood Cape. It is a well thought out system. Though I would suspect that many might find it confining. Especially if you had to wait out a long storm system.
==========================
We all have to make our best guess based on the expected or historical weather patterns for the area in which we hike. Logic dictates you'll want to at least consider carrying a sturdier, roomier, (heavier) shelter if you're apt to be facing bad weather that might force you to hole up in your shelter for several days. Your individual outdoor skills and comfort needs will dictate your choice.
The one time it happened to me up at Harts Pass, I was VERY glad I had my 5 pound double walled North Face Tadpole instead of my tarptent. That was a fifty-year storm that forced even local hunters down out of the hills, and me with them.
Through-hikers on the PCT don't usually see extended wet weather until they get into central and northern WA. It's a different story for section hikers who can pretty much pick their weather.
Wandering Bob
------------------------------
Message: 2
Date: Sat, 14 Feb 2009 22:10:53 -0800
From: "Bob Bankhead" <wandering_bob at comcast.net>
Subject: Re: [pct-l] Tents....I know, I know, beating a dead horse
To: "Stephen" <reddirt2 at earthlink.net>, "Tortoise"
<Tortoise73 at charter.net>
Cc: pct-l at backcountry.net
Message-ID: <F4A21DA161024895AC2D40634AB34AB4 at BOB>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
Good point. Let me add one thing that should be intuitive but may not be.
The higher you go, the drier the air, the lower the oxygen content of that air, and the more you are exerting yourself. Consequently, you breathe faster and deeper in the thinner, drier air. Every time you exhale, you're losing moisture. That loss builds up rapidly.
You need to drink more AND more often the higher you go. Dehydration can be a rapid and silent killer at altitude.
Wandering Bob
----- Original Message -----
From: "Tortoise" <Tortoise73 at charter.net>
Carrying too much water is a burden. Carrying too little can be fatal.
Consider the situation and consequences then make your decision.
Tortoise
------------------------------
Message: 3
Date: Sat, 14 Feb 2009 23:13:08 -0700
From: jason moores <jmmoores at hotmail.com>
Subject: [pct-l] Tarps, Tents & Knots
To: <pct-l at backcountry.net>
Message-ID: <COL109-W500A77B9228017FD570676C1B60 at phx.gbl>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="Windows-1252"
Sorry, sent post before I finished my thoughts.
For two people the SMD Duo provides "extravagant" space for 1# 5oz per person.
I would like to make a few suggestions to those who are new to using tarps and tarptents. 1. Silnylon relaxes after you pitch your shelter. To reduce the annoying flapping that a "loose" pitch can produce, re-tighten all guy lines 10 minutes after set up. Taking an extra minute to guarantee that you're shelter is snug will save many sleepless moments if the wind picks up.
2. When I began using tarps I quickly realized that I lacked any real knowledge of how to tie a useful knot. Luckily this was easily remedied. I picked up a used copy of "The Complete Book of Knots", grabbed some line, and taught myself a few useful knots in a short period of time. A boline, a few hitches, and a slide and grip loop - the Tarbuck knot, a sliding knot that seizes under pressure and releases when the pressure is relieved. Knowing a few extra knots gives me more flexablility with where and how I pitch a shelter, and I even find these new knots faster and easier than what I was using. ( I suggest using a thicker piece of line to practice with, the micro line often used for UL shelters can be difficult to remove knots from)
So while we're sittin' indoors counting the days until the long walk, I suggest putting our hands & time to something useful. Knowledge is light.
jason
_________________________________________________________________
Windows Live?: E-mail. Chat. Share. Get more ways to connect.
http://windowslive.com/howitworks?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_t2_allup_howitworks_022009
------------------------------
Message: 4
Date: Sat, 14 Feb 2009 22:28:22 -0800
From: "Carolyn Eddy" <ECPG at peoplepc.com>
Subject: Re: [pct-l] dogs on the trail (Long)
To: "Marion Davison" <mardav at charter.net>, "Pacific Crest Trail List"
<pct-l at backcountry.net>
Message-ID: <8E7BABD0AD274C9DA0CDCEDA81C379AE at carolynaa423d0>
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
reply-type=original
Goats love us.
"Sweet Goat Mama"
Carolyn Eddy
www.goattracksmagazine.com
------------------------------
Message: 5
Date: Sun, 15 Feb 2009 00:07:23 -0800
From: "Stephen" <reddirt2 at earthlink.net>
Subject: Re: [pct-l] Tarps, Tents & Knots
To: "jason moores" <jmmoores at hotmail.com>, <pct-l at backcountry.net>
Message-ID: <001301c98f44$775f6b60$fa17e904 at Stephen>
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="Windows-1252";
reply-type=original
Good point Jason,
were you reading my mind?
A taught tarp is a happy tarp. But geez, don't rip the grommets out !
I'm going to add my two cents worth here.
Esspecially for the knot challenged who wish to give tarping a try.
IMHO the single most important knot you'll want to learn is the Rolling
Hitch (also known I think as the tent hitch for good reason). This knot is
handy for when you loop a guy line cord around something like a stake or
rock and back to itself. Tied properly it can be slid along up the tensioned
cord and will not slip back.
The Bowlin is a good knot for tying cord to a grommet where no adjustment
would be necesarry.
Two Half Hitches can also be used like the rolling hitch, but will be more
prone to slip.
Clove hitch is good for tying off around a branch log, securing a guy line
to a hiking pole.
Figure Eight with a loop for using the loop over a pole tip or some object
and being able totension all directions.
Fisherman knot. This is a very good way to tie two peices of cord together.
Double Sheet Bend. A good knot for tying two different sizes of line
together.
I'm not a big fan of the square knot; I use it to tie my shoes and that's
about it.
My philosophy regarding knots is this, a good knot is one that can take a
load and then be untied easily.
Except for the Fisherman knot, all the other knots I listed above, in most
cicumstances, can take a load and be broken and untied with relative speed
and ease. Rigging your tarp you wont experience the heavy loads we do
sailing, but it's still nice to be able to change long and short guy lines
or add to them some times. I've had numerous occasions to use the rolling
hitch to take hundreds of pounds of load off a line when out yacht racing in
order to either clear an overide on a winch, make relead adjustments and all
sorts of fixes. The trick there is to be able to get it done fast, take the
load, fix the issue,and release and be able to untie the temporary load
line, clear it and either get back to wherever I need to be.
The bowline we use primarily for attaching the sheetlines to the headsails.
They can take a tremendous load repeatedly tacking upwind and still be
untied easily for sail changes etc... For a few years we used fancy cast
stainless snaps and have recently gone back to using bowlines.
When we pull masts out of boats I use a clove hitch around the base beneath
some hard mounted bracket or gooseneck and back it up with a simple half
hitch. If the base of the mast has no hardware to prevent the line slipping
up, I use a rolling hitch and test it by loading the crane, but they always
seem to grip nicely. And after picking up two to five hundred pound rigs
again the key is the knot did its job safely and then was easily untied.
Jason was reading my mind because earlier today I was looking in my copy of
"Mountianeering: The Freedom of the Hills", because I was thinking of this
very topic since some folks seem to be getting interested in tarps. This
book has an excellent section discussing these knots with decent diagrams.
It also has a nice page about tarps and shows good examples of how they can
be rigged.
If you can peak at one of these books at an REI or find a knot tying book at
the library or online I highly recommend learning a half dozen useful basic
knots. There will be a quiz at VVR for anyone who don't clear out before I
get there, and anyone who doesn't pass will have to take the class.
Sorry for the sailing shpeel, it's in the blood, and I use knots everyday.
If anyone needs help in my area getting a few knots down and rigging a tarp
in various configurations I'm right on LA Harbor and be glad to give some
instruction.
Knotty hiker
----- Original Message -----
From: "jason moores" <jmmoores at hotmail.com>
To: <pct-l at backcountry.net>
Sent: Saturday, February 14, 2009 10:13 PM
Subject: [pct-l] Tarps, Tents & Knots
Sorry, sent post before I finished my thoughts.
For two people the SMD Duo provides "extravagant" space for 1# 5oz per
person.
I would like to make a few suggestions to those who are new to using tarps
and tarptents. 1. Silnylon relaxes after you pitch your shelter. To reduce
the annoying flapping that a "loose" pitch can produce, re-tighten all guy
lines 10 minutes after set up. Taking an extra minute to guarantee that
you're shelter is snug will save many sleepless moments if the wind picks
up.
2. When I began using tarps I quickly realized that I lacked any real
knowledge of how to tie a useful knot. Luckily this was easily remedied. I
picked up a used copy of "The Complete Book of Knots", grabbed some line,
and taught myself a few useful knots in a short period of time. A boline, a
few hitches, and a slide and grip loop - the Tarbuck knot, a sliding knot
that seizes under pressure and releases when the pressure is relieved.
Knowing a few extra knots gives me more flexablility with where and how I
pitch a shelter, and I even find these new knots faster and easier than what
I was using. ( I suggest using a thicker piece of line to practice with, the
micro line often used for UL shelters can be difficult to remove knots from)
So while we're sittin' indoors counting the days until the long walk, I
suggest putting our hands & time to something useful. Knowledge is light.
jason
_________________________________________________________________
Windows Live?: E-mail. Chat. Share. Get more ways to connect.
http://windowslive.com/howitworks?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_t2_allup_howitworks_022009
_______________________________________________
Pct-l mailing list
Pct-l at backcountry.net
http://mailman.backcountry.net/mailman/listinfo/pct-l
------------------------------
Message: 6
Date: Sat, 14 Feb 2009 17:06:16 -0500
From: Pat <krozby at zoominternet.net>
Subject: Re: [pct-l] Does your dog bite?
To: Fuzz McPherson <fuzzmcpherson at yahoo.com>
Cc: pct-l at backcountry.net
Message-ID: <49974058.3050509 at zoominternet.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
Fuzz McPherson wrote:
> I was once told after being bitten by a dog that the person's dog didn't bite. I thought I was in a Pink Panther movie.
>
> Another time, as I was having my achilles bitten into by a doberman the owner told me he just wanted to play.
>
> By all means, bring out your dogs onto the trail. If they bite, please have control over yourselves, though, as the person being bitten goes batshit in response.
>
> Thanks
>
> A typical dog bite here in Ohio is going to cost you about $4000-$5000 One in the face of a girl-woman could likely run into 6 figures. If Im bitten by a dog I promise I will Sue.
>
Pat
------------------------------
Message: 7
Date: Sun, 15 Feb 2009 04:16:16 -0500
From: hiker97 at aol.com
Subject: [pct-l] Humor - Seasoned Hiker Trash at a TrailTown Saloon
To: pct-l at backcountry.net
Message-ID: <8CB5D6530A6913D-504-3AB1 at webmail-de01.sysops.aol.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"
Our intrepid PCT hero, Grizzly, was down at his local saloon talking to his hiking bros and lamenting getting older.
?You know, I have spent a fortune on deodorant before I realized that people didn't like me anyway.?
?Yes, you are right old pal?, says Trail Stomper. ?I had a nightmare last night and thought Female Leadership Terminator Types were putting pictures of missing husbands on beer cans!?
Gorp joins in, ?I was thinking about old age too and decided that old age is 'when you still have something on the ball, but you are just too tired to bounce it.'
?Say that reminds me. I was going to make a PCT trail fitness video called and call it 'Pumping Rust', says Grizzly. ?And I want to know why youth is wasted on the young.?
Trail Dust (infamous Female Leadership Terminator Type) overhears this and says, ?I have noticed you have gotten the dreaded Furniture Disease. That's when your chest is falling into your drawers!?
?Nice. Real nice. I will ignore that,? says Grizzly. ?I also have noticed that people seem to read the Bible a whole lot more as they get older. Then, it dawned on me, they were cramming for their finals.?
?As for me, I'm just hoping God grades on the curve,? says Switchback.? "Say, do you know what Bible stands for?? Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth.? Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha.? Huh?? Oh well,
just forget the whole thing.? I am going to go take a hiker Meritorious?Combat Nap."
------------------------------------------
Switchback the Trail Pirate
PCT Class of 2012
------------------------------
Message: 8
Date: Sun, 15 Feb 2009 08:08:21 -0500
From: Charlie & Nancy Zapp <cnzapp at comcast.net>
Subject: Re: [pct-l] Does your dog bite?
To: pct-l at backcountry.net
Message-ID: <C487654A-B0BE-4A57-82D1-8732B00F45FE at comcast.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed; delsp=yes
I had intended to stay out of this discussion, but it has been here
too long. My wife and I walk about 8 miles every day and we walk with
hiking poles. They are not to help us walk they are "dog sticks".
Our theory is if we holler and the dog backs off then great. If they
do not back off they get what they get, including the sharp end of the
stick. I am tired of "Love me love my dog" and it being my fault that
the dog decides to take a nip. I am not a dog hater, but over my 65
years I have become less tolerant of unruly dogs, kids and their owners!
Piece of Work
On Feb 14, 2009, at 5:06 PM, Pat wrote:
Fuzz McPherson wrote:
> I was once told after being bitten by a dog that the person's dog
> didn't bite. I thought I was in a Pink Panther movie.
>
> Another time, as I was having my achilles bitten into by a doberman
> the owner told me he just wanted to play.
>
> By all means, bring out your dogs onto the trail. If they bite,
> please have control over yourselves, though, as the person being
> bitten goes batshit in response.
>
> Thanks
>
> A typical dog bite here in Ohio is going to cost you about $4000-
> $5000 One in the face of a girl-woman could likely run into 6
> figures. If Im bitten by a dog I promise I will Sue.
>
Pat
_______________________________________________
Pct-l mailing list
Pct-l at backcountry.net
http://mailman.backcountry.net/mailman/listinfo/pct-l
------------------------------
Message: 9
Date: Sun, 15 Feb 2009 07:43:53 -0800 (PST)
From: Engraving Pros <mail at engravingpros.com>
Subject: Re: [pct-l] Tarps
To: pct-l at backcountry.net
Message-ID: <71055.68851.qm at web81808.mail.mud.yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
> Equinox silnylon 8x10
?
I used this tarp in 2005. It was plenty of tarp for my needs but I suggest you
practice with it before you hit the trail. Using a traditional rectangle tarp has
it's drawbacks. To keep a firm ridge line I found I had to run a guy line the
entire length of the tarp on the inside. But this actually was great in rain
storms as it gave me a place to hang my close to dry. Also, I set it up with
the eight foot part being the length. That gave me plenty of tarp on each side
to go all the way to the ground with enough head room to sit up to cook and
do house keeping. The problem with a eight foot length is that if the wind
shifted directions rain could enter on either end. I solved this problem by
using my umbrella setup on one end as another wall. The little white ties
work great and lasted me the entire season. In fact I still have the tarp and
it is in like new condition. I suggest you seal at least the center seem.
? I have since switch to a homemade tarp. Cantenary cut ridge line keeps
the ridge line taught and breaks on both ends keeps the rain out. Also, a
custom shape gives me more room at a smaller and lighter size. Similar
to GoLites Shagri-La 1, But larger and lighter.
?
Robert
------------------------------
_______________________________________________
Pct-l mailing list
Pct-l at backcountry.net
http://mailman.backcountry.net/mailman/listinfo/pct-l
End of Pct-l Digest, Vol 14, Issue 84
*************************************
More information about the Pct-L
mailing list