Re: [pct-l] Tents

["Karen Elder" <bluesky@rt66.com>]

From: reynolds@ilan.com
: I think space is a matter of expectation. Some people can fit three (3)
:people in a Stephenson 2R while I only want two (2) in a 3R [three person
:tent]
:Safety in a storm is another consideration colored by personal view. I
:started hiking with my wife and four (4) year old son. Walking out wasn't
:an option back then. We stayed put if it rained. Frankly, along the PCT the
:weather is usually pretty good during hiking season [June-August]. In
:April-May, when many thru hikers are traversing the Southern mountains and
:the Sierra it can get nasty. I personally would want a four season bomb
:shelter in April-May but then Ray Jardine would find me a big
:disappointment.

I agree -- that is, I agree that tent/tarp/etc choice should depend on real
knowledge of yourself, your hiking style, your camping style, your needs,
and your circumstances. I *know* that I want to bring all my stuff inside my
tent. When I hike by myself, I can accomplish this in my little Walrus
Swift, a lightweight, 1+-person tent (though I wouldn't take that into a
potentially bad-weather situation, far from the trailhead). When I hike with
my daughter, I can accomplish this in our little TNF Tadpole, a 4-pound,
2-person tent, 3-season but good in any weather except winds over 80 mph and
heavy snowfall. With my husband, who prefers a bomb-proof shelter and who
take up the space of my daughter and me combined, we usually bring our
8-pound Moss Stardome-2.

I doubt I'd ever choose to use a tarp, because I probably wouldn't get any
sleep at all thinking about bugs, scorpions, etc. crawling all over me
(yuk!).

Know yourself; know your circumstances.

Karen
Albuquerque, NM, USA


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