03/17/2023
Here is a blog post from my website, but currently the website is not live, so until it is, I am creating a post. This one is regarding backpacking shelters. If you are looking to purchase a tent, read on.
Moira and I have been researching new gear for our upcoming thru-hike of the Colorado Trail. We started with tents. It is the single piece of gear I have not had to purchase in over ten years of backpacking because I usually go with friends who have (and share) their tent. This brings up an important point about backpacking that I will only mention briefly here, but will discuss in depth in a later post, and that is fear. I have always been afraid to backpack alone, and I would guess that I am in good company. This fear has limited me as far as when and where I backpack since I have had to rely on the schedule and desires of others. I am finally ready to tackle solo-backpacking, and thus have been researching tents. Special thanks to my friend Nicole for doing a lot of up-front research for her own tent which has helped me narrow my choice of shelters considerably.
Nicole originally purchased the Big Agnus Copper Spur shelter due to its price point, weight, and great reviews. We both have (and absolutely love) our extra-wide sleeping pads by Exped (more on sleeping pads later) and we were curious to see how they would fit in this shelter. As soon as Nicole set this tent up in her yard, it was obvious that the shelter was likely not going to accommodate both of our pads, or even both of our bodies, and that was true. The first lesson in purchasing a shelter, for those of you in the market, is that you gnerally need to "plus one" for the number of people you actually hope to accommodate. In other words, if you want a true two-person shelter, be sure to "plus one" and purchase a shelter marketed for three people. This seems counter-intuitive, but is generally true for maximum comfort and we saw that with the Copper Spur. It was going to be a tight squeeze for us both to fit in this tent.
Fast forward to Nicole's purchase of the Hyperlite Ultamid 2 shelter. This is a pyramid style tent made of DCF (Dyneema Composite Fabrics) and is a *true* two-person shelter, so the "plus-one" consideration does not apply. For two people, this shelter is roomy and feels bomb-proof. Now, before I continue I have researched DCF pretty extensively and it isn't actually bomb proof. Like any fabric, it has uses for which it is best and it has limitations, so always consider your goals when purchasing gear. There is no tent that will be perfect for all situations. This particular shelter is awesome, but for a solo thru-hiker, it is a bit heavy and it takes up quite a bit of pack space. The outer shelter weights 1.17 pounds and if you also purchase the full interior no-see-um mesh with bathtub floor, that piece weighs another 1.38 pounds for a total of 2.55 pounds without stakes. This trekking pole supported shelter is also very expensive. If you buy just the outer tent, it is $825. The interior mesh with bathtub can be purchased separately for $499. The pros of this tent are that it is a true 4-season shelter and comfortably fits two people with extra wide sleeping pads. It is durable, lightweight given the room and ability to use it all year, and should last a lifetime with proper care. The cons are the price point, the pack size of both the external and internal pieces which take up a fair amount of space, and also the amount of tent for a solo hiker. If you have a friend carrying half of this tent, that would be ideal. Moira only weighs 12 pounds, so unfortunately, she won't be carring any of our gear.
The truth is, I love this tent, but for just me it is too much of everything; too much space in my pack, too much weight, too much room for myself and Moira when set up, and too much money. However, thanks to Nicole's research and having the opportunity to enjoy many nights with her in this tent, I did learn that I wanted a DCF shelter. That narrowed my choices considerably and made my research in finding the perfect tent much easier.
To be honest, I didn't research DCF until after I purchased a shelter I was certain would be my first and last thru-hiking shelter based soley on Nicole's experience with her tent. I had been shopping for a while and kept going back to Nicole's Ultamid, but for the reasons I pointed out above, I knew this wasn't the right shelter to meet my goals. I was ecstatic when Hyperlite came out with the Unbound 2 late last year! I didn't even read much about it. (Big mistake when shopping for gear as important as your shelter.) I knew I loved the Ultamid, and I assumed this was the same DCF with a smaller footprint. I know now just how uninformed about DCF and shelters in general I was, but at the time, I just assumed it would be awesome because it was made by Hyperlite and would be just as bomber as the Ultamid. I'd bet many consumers make decisions in much the same way. In any case, many of you already know what's coming; this was not at all like the Ultamid. All I can say is that if you are going to spend a lot of money on any piece of gear, take your time and read up on all the different options that are out there. You can narrow your search quickly, as I did, by knowing what the most important features are for you. Maybe it's weight, material, performance in all seasons and weather, price, etc. Prioritize your must-haves based on your goals and eventually you will find what you are looking for, or if you can't you can always build or create your own!
My first impression with the Unbound out of the box was how very, very thin the DCF was compared to the DCF used with the Ultamid. In fact, it is much thinner. I won't get into the specifics here, but you can read up on the Hyperlite Unbound 2 shelter and Ultamid shelter using this link to the Hyperlite website. When I set up the Unbound, it had a small hole in it and the seams were peeling right out of the box! I sent it back and without thinking too much, I then purchased the Zpacks Duplex XL which you can read about here.
I noticed two things I disliked about this shelter immediately. One was it's storm worthiness. The outer vestibule doors are secured only with a very small dual hook attachment. The first time I set up this tent, that attachment pulled right off and thus, there was no closing the vestibule doors. Also, the doors sit up fairly high off the ground and since they don't zip, there isn't a whole lot you can do about this. In a blowing rain, it just seemed I would certainly get wet. The second feature I disliked was the no-see-um mesh door, which zips in an arc like a rainbow. When the door is unzipped, the mesh falls to the ground. This leaves it susceptible to being stepped on, getting tangled in feet, and also ending up in the mud or dirt just outside the tent. Plenty of thru-hikers have and love this shelter, so I am sure that based on their priorities, it fits the bill, but for me, I was unimpressed.
Enter the Xmid Pro 2. I haven't received this tent yet, but I am hoping that the third time is a charm. This tent is made from a similar weight DCF to the Unbound 2 but has a sil poly floor and interesting design. I landed on this tent due to the great reviews, similar price point to other tents I was considering, and its light weight and durability for my purposes (thru-hiking). Is it going to feel as bomb proof as the Ultamid? I don't think so based on its weight and the DCF .55 fabric that is used, but I am not after an all-season bomb shelter. I am looking for a light weight, storm worthy shelter that is liveable for Moira and I, a tent that will take us on many thru-hiking adventures and feel like home. That is really the point of shopping for the "perfect" gear. First, you have to know what you plan to do with it, then you have to know that there is no such thing as perfect gear, and finally you need to get excited because there is such a thing as perfect-for-you gear whether you buy it or make it yourself. We are sure hoping the Xmid Pro 2 is the perfect shelter for us. Well... the perfect shelter for me, anyway. As for Moira, she has some parting words.
"Mom, I just want to know if we can eat in this shelter. I love treats. Will I get treats in this shelter?"
Sigh. Poor Moira is going to be disappointed no matter what tent we end up with because I am not going to let her eat inside it.
