[pct-l] Tents....I know, I know, beating a dead horse

[Diane at Santa Barbara Hikes dot com]

I don't know why anybody would carry nearly 4lbs of tent when 1lb  
will do the job wonderfully. I carried the Gossamer Gear One tent  
last year. I never had any condensation problems. California is a  
very dry place. It was very roomy inside. I would recommend if you  
get a tent, get one of the single wall ultralight tents like the ones  
from Tarptent, 6 Moons or Gossamer Gear.

I understand none of them fulfill your question of wanting a but  
netting tent that sets up separately from the nylon roof of the tent.  
I plan to solve that problem by carrying an A16 Bug Bivy and my  
Gossamer Gear One.

The bug bivy is super quick to set up. It simply pops into  
commission. I can use it to take an afternoon nap, too, or to pass  
out after a couple too many if need be (that actually happened to me  
after 2 beers--what I lightweight I had become!)

I heard that some people had trouble with their tents in the rain in  
Oregon and Washington. I heard the problem was that when they put the  
tents away the inside bottom would get wet and then there would be no  
dry space inside for refuge. I plan to solve that problem by carrying  
an 8x10 tarp, bivy and the A16 bug bivy instead of the tent in the  
Pacific NW. Of course I plan a few shakedown trips with this system  
in advance.

If it turns out I like tarp livin' better than tent livin', then at  
least I'll have the choice. But either way the bug bivy is coming along.

I would get a Gatewood Cape if I thought I could use it as a poncho.  
I think I'm too short at only 5'3". If I didn't already have the 8x10  
foot tarp, I would definitely get the Gatewood Cape with the serenity  
net and just not ever use it as a poncho, or at least not while  
trying to walk. It looks like an awesome system.