Tag: backpacking

I have tried using hammocks several times and never enjoyed the experience. Furthermore, I am near or above tree line which makes hammocks useless.  I would suggest you check out people who love hammocks such as Sgt Rock’s Hammocks 101.

In warm weather nothing will keep you as cool as a nice hammock. In moderate weather many people find quilt over them. and a aluminized windshield shades under them work well.  In cooler weather you will need more insulation.  My limited experience is that insulation which is adequate for when I was on the ground down to around 30F kept me almost warm enough at 48F in a hammock. The Gossamer Gear Thinlight Pad (1/4 or 3/8″) looks like a good under insulation layer for cool-moderate weather. I won’t recommend the 1/8″ Thinlight because it’s too easy to hole and isn’t stiff enough to stay in place. In colder weather I would encourage considering using an under quilt. There are a variety of companies that make under-quilts.

Bivy’s are minimalist shelters which have a footprint no larger than the person they are protecting. They have the advantage of being very quick to set up and have a very low wind profile.

Full Protection / Waterproof

In most cases I would not use a waterproof bivy sack. In mild to hot weather they don’t provide enough ventilation for my taste. In winter, moderate to heavy snow fall will compress any insulation inside the bivy and is likely to produce condensation on the inside of the bivy sack.

In most situations it’s tricky to get in and out of a bivy without letting rain and snow into them.  Of course, there isn’t room inside a bivy to cook, arrange your gear, or do much of anything expect lay there more maybe read. Stand alone bivys tend to weight around 2 lbs. In really harsh weather I would rather carry an extra pound and get a shelter that gives me room to move and a covered access/exit. In more moderate conditions there might be options that are lighter than a bivy, while providing significantly more room and better air flow.

Personally, I want to be able to sit up fully, lie down fully extended, prop myself up on my elbows and read, and be able set up a bug free space quickly, throw gear in, dive in, and then deploy my pad, unpack my quilt, maybe change clothing and not have to be a contortionist. Bivies just don’t have this sort of room.

The only situation I think stand-alone bivy sacks shine is in the high alpine (typically climbing) where you need a very small footprint and something that is as low to the ground to minimize the impact of high winds. Maybe I am missing something, since there are people who use bivy as their primary shelter.  You might want to check out The Book of Bivy by Ronald Turnbull for reasons why to use a bivy and the way to make them effective. There is an interesting article about dealing with dealing with condensation in a bivy. Black Diamond, Rab (owns what was Integral Designs), and Outdoor Research seem to make the best regarded bivys. The minimalist MLD FTK Soul Bivy weighting in at 10oz is the lightest fully waterproof bivy I know.

DWR Bivy

The classic DWR bivy is often used in conjunction with a down quilt for protection against side winds, spray, and bugs when using a small tarp. . These are often made with a waterproof sil-nylon bottom, and a DWR top such as the Mountain Laurel Design superlight bivy, and Oware Bivy Bag. The down side is that in warm weather they block cooling breezes and don’t provide a lot of room if you want a space protected from flying insects. I use a MLD Superlight Bivy.

I have really come to like using a DWR bivy combined with a quilt. I am protected from side drafts like a sleep bag and am able to shift the quilt around to let me vent heat. It makes cowboy camping quit easy. I allows me to be in a small footprint space and keeps my quilt from ending up on the ground. When it gets above 60F I prefer some other system because I want more ventilation / air movement so I don’t over heat.

Bug Shelters

There are a wide variety of shelters designed to protect against bugs. The lightest weight options are half length, relying on a sleeping bag to protect the lower legs and having something to hang them from. These typically weight around 3-4 ounces such as the simblissity inner peace bug tent. Next up are small, free standing which typically use fiberglass ribs such as the montbell bug sleeping net, the now discontinued A16 bug bivy, and the full size OR Bug Bivy. The freestanding nature makes it easy to use under a tarp, when sleeping under the stars, or in a shelter. I used 1/2 size bivy for a number of years. Generally they worked well. I found three downsides. The first was when it was hot (>70F) my quilt was too warm, but was required to keep the mosquitos off me. I didn’t like to choose between being eaten alive or overheating. I have numerous nights of poor sleep. Second, a few times I picked a slot which was next to an ant hill… and found way too many of the ant marching across my body. One night I ignored them but the other time they drove me crazy and I moved my camp. Finally, when the mosquitos are really out in force I often want to sit down in a bug free space with room to move and maybe feel a breeze.

Finally there are larger bug shelters, typically designed to fit under a tarp, but can be used stand alone. Most of these shelters are made by the same companies that set flat tarps and shaped tarps. A slight variety of these are tarps which have netting sewn onto the perimeter. This is what I have tended to use.

Tents are structures made from fabric that provide an enclosed space which protects the occupants from environment conditions. Historically tents were made from canvas, but now are typically made from nylon or polyester with some some of waterproof treatment. Most tents are double walled, though single walled tents are still in use. There are a number of other types of portable shelters.

In 2025 my recommendation (mostly from other people whom I trust experiences) for 2 person, free standing backpacking tents would be the The Durston Design X-Dome 2. Just 2.7lbs, the space is very usable, easy to pitch, and remarkably weather resistant (especially if you use trekking poles for extra support). The Slingfin Portal-2 is another excellent 2 person which can easily handle 3+ season conditions. For light weight, free standard, 4 seasons, the Slingfin Crossbow 2. Big Agnes Copper Spur 2 Platinum and MSR Hubba Hubba are a bit heavier, not as protective in storms, but can be found in bring-and-mortar stores. A good “budget” tent is the $199 REI Trailmade-2. Generally I recommend tarp-tent shelters. I don’t recommend the Big Agnes Tiger Wall: Yes, it’s just 2 lbs, but it not up to serious weather, and the space is not that usable.

The rest of this post is fairly out of date, and I have no plans to update it. You would be better to look at other pages.

Single-wall Tents

There are two types of single wall tents. The first is made using waterproof (or water resistant) breathable materials. These are typically free standing shelters designed for mountaineering, and have very similar designs such as those from Bibler, Rab, or Black Diamond. I like these sorts of shelters a lot cold, winter conditions, with low humidity. The second type uses waterproof (non-breathable fabrics) and relies on ventilation to keep condensations down. I have yet to find a shelter like this that I like, I think people would often be better served using an ultralight shelter.

• Integral Designs MK1lite eVENT: 27 sq ft, 3 lb 6oz, $530. A bombproof single-wall mountaineering tent for one (two in an emergency or if you are friendly). Could be event lighter if you use replacement carbon fiber poles (though there have been questions about whether these will stand up to severe wind… I would recommend sticking with the provided poles). I think this is the best solo winter tent ever made. Alas, it was been discontinued (except for industrial purchase) due to concerns of lawsuits since eVENT isn’t fire resistant. Other good alternatives are the slightly less breathable and heavier Integral Designs Mk1 which uses Tegraltex, the Bibler i-tent made with ToddTex, or the BD Firstlight made from EPIC.
• Black Diamond Superlight Series including a number of models including the nice two person Lighthouse: EPIC canopy/sil nylon floor adaptation of Bibler designs. A bit more breathable than ToddTex and field reports suggest that it is surprisingly water resistant, but it will wet through in an extended storm. I won’t want to use a EPIC tent in a multi-day rain storm.
  

MSR and Nemo are making a number of single walled mountaineering tents I have no personal experience with.

Conventional Double-Walled Tents

Most people seem to use double-walled tents. Tents give many people a sense of security by providing privacy and a barrier against wind, rain, insects and other small creatures. Having a double wall means that there is a barrier to protect you from brushing against the condensation which will often form on the fly. Double-walled tents that use fabric for the inner body (rather than mesh) are warmer that other shelters because they air between the inner tent and the fly can act as an insulation layer. The downside is most double-walled tents are heavier, can have ventilation problems when the fly is fully shut, and you lose a visual connection to your environment. Most US designed double wall shelters require the inner tent to be set up, and then the fly to be deployed. In a strong rain, this means you can soak your inner tent. Many of the tents from Europe and Australia have a more sensible design that lets you pitch the full structure at once, or pitch the fly and then sent up the inner tent from the inside. See Roger Caffin’s rather harsh, but generally appropriate, Shelter FAQ. While a true tent taxonomy such as found in The Complete Walker IV divides tents into a large number of categories, I will talk about two, very broad categories.

Free Standing Tents

The most common double walled tents are free standing wedge and domes. People like these because they tend to be easy to set up, can be moved around, and work well in locations where getting stakes to hold is difficult. The downsides are that they tend to be heavier, don’t ventilate as well, that most of the time you really need to stake down one of these shelter for strength and to prevent the tent from blowing away even if you have gear in them (e.g. freestanding isn’t really true).  There are a lot of other good quality 2 – 4 man free standing tents. I used to consistently prefer Sierra Designs double wall tents to their competitors. For many years, SD really seems to be one of the most innovative main stream companies, makes good trade-offs, and has nice design features. My family has owned several SD tents since the 1970s. We have love each of these tents. These days I think SD still makes good tents, but I don’t immediately assume they will have the best of class. These days Slingfin seems to be making some interesting tents. Popular light weight free standing shelter that I would suggest looking at include:

• Big Agnes Fly Creek: Would recommend avoiding unless you like cramped space and only encounter moderate weather.
• Big Agnes  Copper Spur available at a variety of weights / price points. Usable in moderate three season conditions. Light but somewhat fragile.
• Slingfin Portal: has gotten some excellent reviews as a light weight 2 person, free-standing shelter which can stand up to 3+ season weather.
• Big Sky Tents: makes some of the lightest, free standing shelters on the market. I would recommend carefully checking what their backlog is before giving these folks business. In the past people have waited months to get their orders delivered.
• The MSR Hubba (1 person), HubbaHubba (2 person) One of the most popular light weight free standing shelters. More roomy that the Seedhouse, better vestibules than the SD Lightning. Not quite as stable in the wind as the Lightning. I have only check this tent out in stores, I have no field experience. Friends have reported that extra space costs strength in a storm, especially when facing high winds, but they have been happy with this tent. 
• REI Quarter Dome (T1, T2, T3) seem to be good, light weight, 3 season, free standard shelters. My friends original 2 person quarter dome wasn’t as stable or well made as my Lightning, it was cheaper and had two vestibules.

Tunnel / Arch Tents

Tunnel shelters typically have 2 or 3 arches that provide support. These tents need to be staked to the ground, but often you can get away with 4 stakes except in harsh conditions.  Tunnel tents tend to be longer than an equivalent dome, and require a fairly flat space to get adequately taut pitch.  A well pitched tunnel tent can survive very harsh conditions. If similar materials are used, a tunnel tent tends to be light weight than a dome. Tunnel tents tend to be designed with good ventilation options. Higher quality tunnels designed to handle nasty conditions tend to use equally sized arches. I would recommend staying away from any tunnel tent which uses fiberglass poles since both the poles and the tent are most likely not built to handle harsh conditions.

• Hilleberg – Make a variety of tunnel tents. Most are designed to stand up to Northern Europe’s winters. Very well made.
• Stephenson’s Warmlite 2RSW (2 man 42sq ft, 3lb 4oz, <$500) has been one of the lightest tents on the market for years. Warm, very stable in high winds, and handles snow well provided pitched tautly. The vestibules having a floor was a bit annoying because when you enter and exit in the rain/snow because some gets in and doesn’t have anywhere to go. Should note that while it has two walls, the inner wall is not breathable which makes it different from nearly everyone else’s double wall. My experience is that condensation on the inner wall was less than other non breathable single wall shelters.

Other Tent Designs

There are a number of light weight shelters that use a single hoop, or trekking poles to form a ridge line, much like some of the ultra light shelters listed above. In general these shelters are not up to facing extreme weather conditions, but they can provide light weight shelter for 3 season conditions many places (4 in places where winters aren’t too harsh).

• Hilleberg Akto is quite light for a solo four season tent, and is designed to put the fly up first followed by the tent body which is really nice if you are setting up in the rain. Huge amount of space under the vestibule. The tent is a little short for my taste because I can’t sit up without bumping by head and doesn’t handle heavy snow loads well. On the other hand, everyone I have talked to who owns this tent loves it.
• Terra Nova.Laserlite is a 1+ person tent similar in design to the Akto but weights a mere 34oz including poles while providing more headroom.
• Tarptent Scarp1 1 person, 2.75lb and Scarp2 1 person, 3.25lb double walled, winter shelters which is somewhat similar to the Hilleberg Akto. An extra 12oz for a pair of poles makes it free-standing.
• Montbell single pole tents… pole runs across the long axis rather than the short favored by most of the other monopoles.

Actually, this should really be called shelters for extreme conditions with snow since there are many places where “winter” could be handled with a traditional “three season” tent.  When I think “winter shelters” I am thinking something that can survive 50+mph winds, and a foot of snow or more falling overnight.  Things that help make shelter survive in the winter:

• Strong materials.  Often times mountaineering shelters are made from fabric which is 1.5-2x the thickness and strength of similar shelters designed for three season use. Poles are typically thicker and larger diameter.
• Supported surface area. Ideally support of the shelters walls is evenly spread, across multiple points so that when the wind is blowing or snow is sticking the room, the pressure is distributed through out the shelter. The larger the area without support, the more likely that the shelter will bow in, and that the pressure will be concentrated on a small area which is more likely to fail. For domes you typically want three poles which cross each other.
• Steep walls so snow slides off rather than accumulating and weighting down the shelter.
• Aerodynamic shape so winds don’t knock you down
• Snow skirt which help keep the shelter stable in wind, and also provide continuous support rather than having the support points being the few places that stakes or snow anchors are attached to a shelter.

I don’t do a lot of winter / snow trips these days. When I was doing more winter trips I used a MLD Duomid for solo trips, and a GoLite pyramid as my multi-person winter shelter. If I was purchasing a hard-core shelter I would likely look at Hilleberg or Macpac tunnel tent or a large pyramid with a titanium wood stove. There was a good thread on BPL about shelters for winter/snow.

In the winter / snow I have used  a number of shelters over the years.  In reverse chronological order:

• MLD Duomid (cuben): 1-2 person pyramid design. Good solo shelter with reinforced pullouts.  Ideal for 1.  Usable but tight for 2.
• GoLite Hex: Very light for space, especially if you dig out snow. Nice flexibility. Light and cheap compared to most 4-season tents. You can dig out a platform which gives you a huge space. Staking can be a bit temperamental to get set up right. I have used it with a sleeping bag cover and just a ground cloth. In more severe conditions really wished it had snow skirt. Some similar tarps are designed to take a small wood stove like Titanium Goat and Kifaru.  In ancient past shared a large pyramid tarp that did have a snow skirt with a pile of other boys.
• Integral Designs Mk1 (now made by Rab): Loved it as a solo tent. Reasonable weight. Not cheap. Bombproof. More or less same tent is the Bibler i-tent and the BD Firstlight made using EPIC.
• Hilleberg Nallo2GT – This tent is not the lightest tent, but has a large vestibule which is handy in nasty weather. Very well made. Popular in Europe.
• Warmlite 2R – Shed snow well when pitched tight. Good in wind. Middle will sag if not pitched tightly. The 2R is not as tall as I would like if I was going to be spending a lot of time in the tent. The vestibule having a floor was annoying but manageable. They also make tents larger than the 2R. Get a third pole if using size 3.
• Sierra Designs Stretch Dome… I had the first version. Roomy for 2, usable with three. Mine stood the test of time but was stolen from my car. Not the lightest solution. I continue to be impressed with SD’s commitment to quality and innovation though I haven’t used a modern SD 4-season tent.
• North Face V24 – Hasn’t been sold for years. Was bombproof and heavy.
• Sierra Designs 3-Man Tent from the early 1970s… Double walled three person tent which used three strait poles in a tipi like design with a hex floor.  Great size for two in winter, worked for three. Half moon zipper in the floor formed a cookhole for using a stove inside.  Some of my fondest memories are nights I spent in this tent with my dad as storms raged outside.

I have also used some 3 season tents / tarptents in the winter which worked ok if there was no or small amounts of snow.  When the was enough snow to blow into the shelter through the netting I was unhappy. Anything not protected gets damp.  Those with perimeter netting were a disaster because the netting often frozen into the snow. Not recommended. 

Whatever you are using a tarp or tent, you need to keep your shelter in place. Typically snow anchors are more effective than stakes for this task. See a nice Snow Anchor Analysis

Shelters are made from a variety of materials which have a variety of strengths and weaknesses.  One of the important properties of a shelter is being able to keep you dry. Many fabrics, even those that aren’t “waterproof” can keep you drive in moderate conditions. Just think about the materials used in many umbrellas. Storms though can be another story. According to Richard’s post, extreme thunderstorms can generate hydrostatic heads of 12k mm?!, and typhoons can generate 20k mm. Also note that placing weight in a concentrated place (like kneeling) can generate quite a lot of pressure. This is why conventional shelters often had a more waterproof floor than roof.In increasing weight:

• Dyneema (Cuben): spectra threads embedded between Mylar. Available in 0.36-1.6oz weights. Quite waterproof. Tear strength good (.6) to Excellent (1.6).  Roughly 4x the cost of sil-nylon. Does not stretch when wet.  Not the most abrasive resistant material. Sewing weakens material so best to be taped or glued.
• Spinnaker: tightly woven polyester which is silicone impregnated. Typically .8-1.1oz weights. Hydrostatic head typically 1400mm (same as sil-nylon). My field experience with spinnaker is that it is better than sil-nylon, and the the spinnaker used by MLD is indeed at least 30% better than any other spinnaker I have encountered.  I have experienced misting through sil-nylon and other companies spinnaker shelters, but I have yet to encourage conditions in the field where rain hits hard enough to mist through MLD spinnaker. In fact, hose with a high speed nozzle didn’t cause misting. Does not stretch when wet.  No abrasive resistant, be careful. Many people find this material noisy when it flaps in the breeze, but I have found that if tautly pitched the noise isn’t an issue.
• Sil-Nylon: tightly woven nylon which is silicone impregnated. Available in 1.1-2oz weights. High variability is waterproof. Richard suggests that it’s typically 1400mm but heavier weight such as used by GoLite can be close to 3500mm. Will stretch when wet or when the humidity increases so expect to need to retention. Silcone treatment makes the material strong than the nylon left by itself.
• Sil-Poly: tightly woven polyester which is silicone impregnated. These materials came on the market after a stopped following fabrics closely. Dan Durston explains why he believes Sil-Poly is significantly better than sil-nylon.
• EPIC: The Black Diamond  Epic tents used the Alpine Summit process fabric. It averages a hydrostatic head of 1,300 mm.
• Nylon eVENT fabric averages 28,000 mm.
• Conventional double wall tents typically use 70 denier urethane coated nylon with a 1 oz coating as the fly fabric. It averages a hydrostatic head of 56,275 mm.

PLACEHOLDER

• Look for someplace with soft ground. Not only is this more comfortable to sleep on, but if it rains, the water will more quickly soak in.
• Look for someplace that has good drainage: slightly higher than the near by ground, avoid sleeping in depressions.  
• Make sure you aren’t in the path of runoff if there was a severe storm.
• By lakes will have more humidity which is normally not a good thing.
• Under a tree or  on a hill side will typically be warmer than in a valley or the middle of a meadow.
• Ridge lines are not a good location because of wind and lightning danger.

Some brief notes by other sectionhikers campsite selection and a thread about selecting sites in the high sierras.

Most shelters need something to keep them from blowing away. Most people carry metal or plastic stakes, though it is often possible to improvise using local material. A decent video of the big/little rock anchor is what I often do above treeline. Ultralight backpackers often use titanium stakes because they are strong and reasonably light.

There is no one best stake.  There are a number of environmental issues which will suggest what might be the most effective stakes. Things I typical consider is the “holding power” of the stake, how easy the stakes will go into the ground, the weight of the stake, and what sort of environmental impact the stake holes might make.

Holding Power: The looser the ground, the more surface area you need for an equiv hold. If you use two stakes of identical design, the larger on (more surface area) will hold better if you can get it into the ground.  Wide diameter round stakes can work in many conditions, but if you need a lot of holding power, especially in soft ground (sandy, waterlogged, etc), use Y stakes like MSR groundhogs. Some people use V stakes, but I have found that they have a tendency to bent more than most stakes I have tried. In extremely lose soil some people will double stake. At the extreme (sand / snow) you want to use anchors rather than stakes. 

Easy to Drive: The harder the ground the more you want a strong, thin stake. Many people use titanium sheppard hooks stakes. The one down side of these stakes is that if the ground is very hard, you can’t pound these stakes in, you can only push with your hands. Some people carry one “nail stake” which can be used to get a hole started for a hook stake. Note: Pushing V and Y stakes in can be hard on the hands, so I carry a small plastic PVC tee joint which weights less than .5oz.and saves my palms.

Durability: The thinner the stake, the more likely it is to bend. Some stakes have been known to break when put under stress, such as the MSR Needle Stakes. The tops of the Easton stakes sometimes comes off. You can epoxy them back on when you get home.

Weight: If you are shooting for the absolute lightest, titanium stakes might be right for you, but it really depends on the other factors listed above.

These days I mostly use 6″ easton stakes on 3 season trip because they have pretty good holding power in soft ground because they are wider than my titanium Sheppard’s hooks, and the have a flat head so I can pound them into harder ground with a rock, and they are reasonably light. The only down side is that the epoxy that glues to top to be body can come undone and in extreme cases, they can be broken.  If I am really concerned about holding power (expecting lose soil) I will switch to 9″ easton stakes, or switch to a Y stake.

Jerry Goller wrote up a more analytical comparision of stakes which I have stashed on my web page and there is a nice article at BPL about tent stake holding power.

Snow anchors are a good alternative to stakes in the winter or in deep sand.