[pct-l] Weather for Kick Off

[Lyn Turner]

I've been tearing my hair out about which tent to take...Camping conditions in the UK are probably a bit different (think rain and more rain, and maybe some sleet for a change). Also not sure about my own tarp setup skills! Going with the Wild Country 3 season Helios, which is heavier than a tarp (1.5kg) but easy setup and pretty well bombproof in terms of weather. Also I know how to pitch the thing.

Not completely convinced by the ultra light tarp craze. I'd rather have a tent, I think, which gives me a trouble-free night's snooze than something that struggles when the wind gets up. Even if it weighs a few extra ounces.

Right, that's my 10 cent's worth, and it's now 3.30am over here, 

G'nite, all, and happy trails.

L



Sent from my iThing


> On 28 Apr 2014, at 02:51, Gail Van Velzer <vanvelzer at charter.net> wrote:
> 
> I heard about the guy in the bathroom!  I think you are right, that it has 
> more to do with skill in setting up a tent/shelter than the structure 
> itself.  I saw lots of shelters without guy lines or without them tight 
> enough.  Also saw a lot that could have been tied lower to the ground.
> 
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Sean Nordeen" <sean.nordeen at gmail.com>
> To: <pct-l at backcountry.net>
> Sent: Sunday, April 27, 2014 6:35 PM
> Subject: Re: [pct-l] Weather for Kick Off
> 
> 
>> It has nothing to do with the shelters,  So no, you don't have your
>> answer.  Its called not much practice setting those shelters up.  I went
>> walking around the campground at 7am on Saturday while the wind was still
>> blowing to check out the thru-hiker camp.  Most of the shelters that had
>> problems were improperly setup.  Ironically, I saw more tarps setup
>> properly then the more tent like shelters.
>> 
>> Some of those lightweight shelters need a little more skill in getting 
>> them
>> tensioned right compared to a self standing tent.  Not a problem to 
>> someone
>> who practiced.  It is a huge issue to someone who never even set it up
>> before.  I drove some of those hikers down to the kickoff.  From talking
>> with them, I know for a fact that many never even tried their shelter
>> before starting.  Before I hiked, I took my gear out in Thanksgiving on a
>> 10,000ft ridge line and camped in high winds with snow blowing horizontal.
>> I was quite satisfied with my tarp setup after that and had no fears for
>> what the PCT would throw at me.  Few hikers bother to try stuff out in bad
>> weather.
>> 
>> And you apparently didn't hear about the hiker sleeping in the men's
>> restroom after the storm that we have to step around to go in.  He was
>> sound asleep after 7:30, even with all the noise we were making.
>> 
>> -Miner
>> 
>>> Many of the tarp tent type structure didn't hold up!  They blew around 
>>> Lake
>>> Morena and many people were drying their sleeping bags and other gear in 
>>> the
>>> bathrooms and other buildings.  I've always wondered how some of these 
>>> super
>>> ultra-lite hikers get along in inclement weather.  I guess I have my 
>>> answer.
>> _______________________________________________
>> Pct-L mailing list
>> Pct-L at backcountry.net
>> To unsubscribe, or change options visit:
>> http://mailman.backcountry.net/mailman/listinfo/pct-l
>> 
>> List Archives:
>> http://mailman.backcountry.net/pipermail/pct-l/
>> All content is copyrighted by the respective authors.
>> Reproduction is prohibited without express permission.
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Pct-L mailing list
> Pct-L at backcountry.net
> To unsubscribe, or change options visit:
> http://mailman.backcountry.net/mailman/listinfo/pct-l
> 
> List Archives:
> http://mailman.backcountry.net/pipermail/pct-l/
> All content is copyrighted by the respective authors. 
> Reproduction is prohibited without express permission.