[pct-l] tents

[John Abela]

Hey Daniel,

To specifically answer your question... it all depends on the tent you
have (you failed to mention what you use) and the experience you have
using it, of selecting and cleaning tent spots.

If your tent weights over four pounds you should start to consider
some alternatives. Folks just do not need bombproof shelters (such as
the Eureka 5th Season EXO) on the PCT.

I suspect that the vast majority of hikers this year are using sub-40
ounce [2.5 pound] tents, and if you do not already have something in
that range you try to increase your skills with lighter tents and work
your way down to that level. A good first step could be the "TarpTent
Rainbow". It is 33 ounces and has the most headroom of any solo tent I
have come across. It will protect you from 90%+ of the weather you
would encounter on the PCT.

I wrote up a review a couple days ago on something you could also
consider (again, you did not share your experience level or such, so
we are talking in the dark here) is a 10 ounce tarp/bug insert called
the "ZPacks Hexamid Solo Tarp" and the "ZPacks HexaNet Solo Insert".
It is made of cuben fiber, so you will have to treat it with more
respect than some REI floor-room tent, but I am willing to bet that
the whole thing weighs less than most rainflys out there.

http://www.redwoodoutdoors.com/2011/06/zpacks-hexamid-solo-tarp-hexanet-solo.html

ZPacks is owned by a triple crowner. This setup would allow you to
mail the bug insert to those regions where we know the bugs are bad,
and than just a 3 ounce tarp for the rest of the trail. At three
ounces, even if you do cowboy camp most of the time, it is still not a
whole lot of dead-weight.

Perhaps you give give us a bit more details about your experience
level and your existing gear and we can help you out some more!

John B. Abela
Eureka, California
www.RedwoodOutdoors.Com



On Tue, Jun 28, 2011 at 1:50 AM, Daniel Hurt <danielhurt at ymail.com> wrote:
> I was wondering if it is practical at all to use a footprint and fly setup when
> hiking the PCT rather than a tent to save weight? What are some weight saving
> tips, and good two person tents for the trip?
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