Creating a kit: shelter

The next item on the discussion agenda is the shelter. Cowboy camping is nice, but not always possible/safe. So we shall indeed discuss ways to stay dry.  Most of my life, I have been thrilled to sleep on the hard ground. From early childhood, camping out was the greatest thing ever. Just pitch a WallyWorld tent and throw your bag in. Play with the zippers until they bind up. Admit it, you've been there. These days there are hard choices to be made. 4 season/mountaineering tents, 3 season tents, bug screens with a tarp, lightweight big name brands, cottage-manufactured ultralight tents, tarps made of all sorts of interesting new materials, etc. Well, I don't see many mountaineering trips coming up, so I'll focus on the likely adventures in my own future.
     Currently, I have a Sierra Designs Sirius2(4lbs 11oz including footprint) that has worked well for both backpacking trips and car camping. I like that it is a freestanding tent that can be used as a bug screen in nice weather. It works great for a backpacking trip so long as you can share the weight with a fellow hiker. Otherwise, I think I can do a bit better. At one time, I owned a Sierra Designs Clip Flashlight(3lbs 13oz), which was VERY ultra-light back then. Great tent, but not enough wiggle room for me, and I disliked the non-freestanding design. In fact, I have always detested being required to stake down a tent. I'm learning though, that it's costing me extra weight on my back. People I trust have suggested either the MSR Hubba(2lbs 15oz-3lbs 6oz), or the GoLite Shangri-La1(1lb 3oz)  with a "nest"(net tent) available for another 1lb. Not too shabby. It uses your trekking poles for setup.
       Leaving the big-name brands behind, I am looking at a Henry Shires Tarptent, specifically the Contrail. As Backpacker Magazine 2009's "Top Solo Ultralight" it shouldn't be a secret. It weighs 24.5 oz and has a sewn in floor and bug mesh despite it's name. It's basically a single man tent, but their site says "2 in a pinch", so perhaps my 45lb son could fit in as well. The only drawback is that you need a trekking pole to set it up . I'll consider them if I decide on another tent.

Bivy Sacks have been out for a long time, but I always thought that I wasn't willing to reduce my living space by that much for so little drop in weight. I'm not exactly claustrophobic, but what if I had to sit out an 8 hour torrential downpour in a bivy sack? The thought disgusts me. For the purpose of contrast, I'll show a few examples of bivies I've seen where the weight reduction makes it (almost) worth it. Keep in mind, I have zero experience actually using one, so I am NOT an expert on this. What I gathered first is that most of them are either designed to be used in tandem with a tarp, or users just don't trust them. Basically the concept is "light & fast". There are undoubtedly some that are bomb-proof, but if I were going to try it, the tarp would no doubt be in the pack. Backpacker Magazine reviewed 2 that looked interesting. The first is more of a 4 season bivy, the Integral Designs Penguin Reflexion(1lb 7oz). I bring it up because it is made of a material that actually reflects your heat inward, keeping your cocoon an estimated 15deg warmer. It has a center zip and a mesh vent that can be cinched shut. Again, if you were using a tarp, add that weight in, and you are looking at several lbs. probably, to sleep...in a bag? The second well reviewed bivy I looked into was the Rab Superlight Bivy(1lb). It is made of eVent, a waterproof breathable fabric. It is considerably lighter weight and has upward guy points, a velcro storm flap, and even glow in the dark zipper pulls. That's nice for a midnight exit. This one is from a British company, but they have dealers stateside. For a non-waterproof approach w/tarp usage, consider the MSR E-Bivy(9oz). This could actually be an option for nice weight/volume reduction. Supposedly it packs to soda can size, so it would create more space in a smaller volume pack as well. And it's only $79!

Tarps are a gaining popularity amongst the lighter hikers these days. I've been looking into it. I remember when Sil-Nylon first came out. It was like someone had invented fire. Now there's cuben fiber. It's remarkable how light this stuff is. Most grades of it are less than an oz. per yard. Great Googly Moogly! Imagine a Zpacks 8X10 waterproof tarp as strong as a sail that weighs 5.4 oz.! Gotcha cursing Loki now don't I? When I first read about it I thought,"next they'll tell me they put a man on the moon!" But I have spent countless hours searching for the weak spot. Apparently the backpacking community hasn't come full circle on the durability yet, and it's kind of pricy. Try $230 for the one I was talking about. Maybe cuben fiber is kinda of expensive for a stinkin' tarp, eh? Sil-nylon may not be so bad at this point. At least for experimentation purposes, anyway. There's a million tarp makers it seems, but I'll mention Oware 8X10 tarp(15oz), since the best YouTube video about tarp usage that I found was using one. Check out this 6 minute video link showing how best to use a square or rectangular tarp. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PFUaefaPAhU    
         I'm not sure if this last one will actually be too tight for me, but I may be willing to give it a shot. I remind you that multiple use gear is the only real way to achieve the best pack weight in my opinion, so it must be considered. What if your raingear and your shelter are one in the same? It's possible, with a tarp/poncho. Most that I found were 5'x9' or smaller, but once again, I found a video that actually enlightened me in the ways of the ultralight packer. I entreat you, if you look at none of the other links on this post, this one is NOT TO BE MISSED! http://www.sixmoondesigns.com/blog/70-gatewood-cape-a-serenity-video.html. The Gatewood cape weighs in at 11oz, is self packable, and for another 7oz you can have the Serenity bug screen as well. So, for 18 oz, you get a cape/poncho/tent? What's not to like? Maybe the need for trekking poles? I don't mind, I love those things. These are just some of the options for a shelter that I have found. I know which way I am leaning, but I almost feel remiss for not including sleep systems in this post, because the two are "involved". What if my old back no longer wants to actually sleep on the ground?