For the backpackers/campers

[skid542]

As many of you all know I spend a lot of times outdoors and do a bit of backpacking and camping. I have a hammock and a rainfly I use and while I have pitched it over snow, it's not the warmest and certainly not adequate for the harsh conditions I want to see. A hammock also doesn't work above the treeline . Being 6'4", well, I just don't fit in a lot of tents comfortably and I don't have the money to buy a nice 4 season tent. So to the library and the design board I went. My grandparents agreed to get me the required nylon for my birthday, many thanks to them. Fast forward 2 years, a lot of work and a lot of time to now -

edit: the picture is apparently ungodly big so until I resize you'll have to live with a link -
http://www.thawa.net/gallery/albums/Other/IMG_0278.jpg

The rest - http://www.thawa.net/gallery/Other?page=3.

It's single wall construction. The sides and blue end are 2.7 oz/sq.yd silicone coated ripstop and the bottom is 5.4 oz/sq. yd K-coat ripstop. The vesitibule 1.9 oz/sq. yd coated with a sealant and a fire retardant, the door is the same material. All rienforcements are double stitched and the floor/wall seam is triple stitched as is the top, all stiches 10-11 stitch/in. Inside there are are ties for a frost liner as well. Finished weight, minus poles, 3.8 lb., for a one person 4-season, I'm pretty happy. I say one person but I did design in room for when I find a girl that likes this kind of stuff.

I'm still working on finding some alumn. poles that I like (still thinking CF later) and the pictures are a little blurry. I also did my trig wrong and the vestibule is slightly out of size but a quick fix will have it nice and tight. I'll also be adding a little more ventilation to it as the door is the only ventilation now, but there aren't bugs in the winter time... Friday I'm heading out to a favorite spot to see how it does.

So if there are any other winter packers, what do think? Also, what do you sleep in and do you like it?

[legacy92ej22t]

Nice.

I have a LLBean 4 season tent and a North Face -30 sleeping bag. Unless it's extremely cold I can't even zip the bag up or I'll sweat away to nothing.

[snowboarded]

Wow that is nice. I would use it when I'm back in Canada boarding. No need for a cabin if you have that.

[Subtle]

Good work ---did you use a JDM sewing machine?

[206er]

nice! there arent mayn who can say that they made a tent. 3.8lbs is that light? Ive never really weighed a tent. oh and for that girl you need a 2 person bag.
I sleep in a 10deg. REI bag, and whoevers tent I go with. I dont have one. if its really cold I bring my summer polarfleece bag as a liner and sleep in a jacket.
probably going to do some snowshoeing to some backcountry snowboarding this winter. will probably build a cave but we will see.
what are your favorite camping foods? ive done mre's(too expensive) a bunch of taco bell bean burritos(winter only) and full on cooking such as hobo stew. I want to try out dried food but kinda $$$.

[skid542]

Thanks.

3.8 lb is on the light side but it's not ultra light but it's also bigger. By time I include poles (alumn), stakes, line I'll be up to around 4.6-4.8 which is pretty good. It's actually less than my hammock and fly. I'm looking forward to getting out of school and getting a nice sleeping bag like you all have, maybe not -30.... Right now I have my dad's old bag and well it's close to 30 years old so I have nice wool socks and pants to go with my light fleece and jacket.
I'm not lightweight when it comes to my food, and I like to eat well when I out. If I'm just out for a day or two I take a couple cans of soup/stew, crackers, fruit, some kind of desert. In the summer I'll take ramen too, lots of sodium. But as a general rule I don't take a whole lot of freeze dried stuff because I don't have a water filter so it's usually just what I carry. Apples sliced and heated up on the stove/fire in the morning or late night is a favorite. And I discovered this one this summer, rather than make a smore, just roast your marshmellow so that it's that almost liquid center but firm outside, crisped to your taste, and then pull it off the stick and shove in a piece of chocolate and eat.
That freeze dried stuff is good though, the good stuff that is. When we were out west my dad got some for when he took us out, mmm.... Hehe, on that trip my mom's friend gave us some freeze dried diet food he didn't want, andrew and dad tried that when they went and it basically meant diet as it just cleans you out...

[555BCTurbo]

That is a damn nice tent!!

Looks pretty pro.

Mad Props!

[Busdriver]

+1 to 555BCTurbo comment!!!

I usually always sleep just under a tree, unless it's rainy season, then I bring a tarp. I just picked up a tent at the REI used gear sale a few months ago, it was a sierra designs meteor light, awesome tent in great condition and only $20!!!!!
These sales are the way to go!! Aluminum Avalanche shovel returned because buyer didn't like the color $7!!
Almost brand new Asolo hiking boots $35!!!.......

Haven't taken my tent snow camping yet, dunno if I will sleep in a tent, I'll see...

can you sit up in your tent? do you touch the walls when sleeping?

[skid542]

Again, thank you .

$20 dollar for a sierra, f'n A man. Do you have a local store or just watch the online store? This may sound silly, do you all have a lot of ground bugs out there? A lot of places I go, anything left on the groung gets covered with bugs at night, like bugs with lots of legs.

The floor is ~ 90"x50" with the bucket edges going up ~ 4 inches. The center at the ends measures 40" and 34" in the center of the tent. The side pull out is 30" and 15" above the floor, width at the pullouts is about 45". So in short, yes I can stretch and sleep without touching the walls . If I'm going to be stuck in my tent for a day or two waiting out a storm, I want to be comfortable.

[Busdriver]

If I'm going to be stuck in my tent for a day or two waiting out a storm, I want to be comfortable.

True dat!! don't want it raining inside your tent!!

There's are two stores, each about 30min away, they have USED gear sales there, that's where I got the great deals, REI online gets cheap but nowhere near...

Yeah some bugs but probably not like you out east!!
I sleep in a cotton sack for that reason inside my bag (my bag is mostly open). Usually I don't get bothered by bugs crawling all over, just them damn mosquitoes...

[skid542]

That'd be sweet having two stores available.

Damn mosquitoes, no kidding...

[Busdriver]

Only really sweet because them sales...
and take anything back, it's like a free rental....

[BAC5.2]

Used it yet?

I've been known to dabble in the outdoors in my day.

Looks pretty good. A little heavy for a 1 person, but for making it yourself that's a pretty nice setup!

Easton will make custom poles, and they will do carbon also. IIRC they aren't THAT expensive for custom length straight poles, though getting bend's is a little more pricey. They also make carbon tent stakes and aluminum 14" stakes, which is pretty gangster.

REI is a tool shop. The most horribly trained staff and worst possible customer service I've ever seen. They tried to tell me that boot's aren't required for backpacking, and heavier duty boots are only good if you have weak ankles. If you have strong ankles, you could wear a trail running shoe to backpack. As soon as I heard the salesman say that, I told him he was in the wrong line of work and left the store.

[skid542]

Yeah, I got out on the trail about noon on friday and didn't get back until 7 sat night. When I left the car there was snow already on the ground on the leaves and trees and such. It stayed pretty cold during the day but was sunny. Later that night it started snowing and the wind picked up. Being on top of the ridge, around 3900, it blew pretty good. My tent did great though and it was plenty comfortable. There are a few small things here and there that I'll need to adjust but from a design point of view, worked superbly.

Remember Phil, this is a big one person tent, 4 season, so it's not really not that heavy. It would easily pass for a two person for small/avg sized people. And thanks for the pole guys, all I need is the straight part of the pole, I'll do the corners and any joints myself.

Some of the REI staff may be dolts, esspecially the guy you talked to, but as a store they do offer a nice selection of products.

Oh yeah, I forgot, I do have pictures uploaded of this weekend, page 3 and 4 (mainly 4) - http://www.thawa.net/gallery/Other?page=4.

[Busdriver]

Sweet pictures, I'm happy it worked out so well!!

I met a lot of Continental Devide Trail hikers being out in the field for three months in the Gila NF, most of them were wearing running shoes, due to weight and comfort...
I definately prefer boots, wore them everyday all day there doing some rugged scrambling up and down steep ravines, when it was wet and dry....
A lot of sales people are not trained well in most any store and will just tell you a bunch...
But yeah REI is pretty expensive except their USED gear sales...

Have a great time in the outdoors, looks really pretty out there, I'm only used to needle forests not those sweet leaves...

[BAC5.2]

It's all about weight support. You can have "strong ankles" but you can't carry an 80lb pack in flip flops.

You have a lot of mass high above your center of gravity. Your hips and shoulders help handle it, but ultimately, your weak point is your ankles. Support isn't a bad thing, and boots that fit can be more comfortable than running shoes.

Not many people know how to fit a boot like Phil Oren. I got to watch him fit boots, and it was really enlightening. I had no idea you could make boots so comfortable.