Several people have asked my advice on shelters. I love the Zpack tarps. However, there are personal decisions to be made here. Do you want the tarp to pair with a bivy bag (suggest MLD Superlight with full bug net head, or Sixmoons Metro). Or if in a bug infested environment and you want some more internal room, will you go for the full internal bug net?
Maybe the tarp with the full sewn in screen floor in combo with the Zpacks cuben ground sheet will do? Go to www.zpacks.com to check out options.
Here are some quick prices and weights that may help - my head was buzzing putting this together, so open to errors & omissions!
Solo Tarp weight cost
With full mesh screen 304g $US360
Requires Ground Sheet 77g $US95
Total 381g $US455
Just solo tarp 119g $US195
Teamed with bivy bag 190g $US169
Total 309g $US364
Sub Bivy 4 internal bug
net includes ground floor 215g $US175 (See photo in the header of this blog)
Solo Plus
With full mesh screen 349g $US395
Requires Ground Sheet 94g $US105
Total 443g $US500
Just solo plus tarp 184g $US285
Teamed with bivy bag 190g $US169
Total 374g $US454
Sub bivy 4 internal bug
net includes ground floor 250g $US199 (See photo in header of blog - this is a solo)
So as you can see, it's all about personal preference, season, bugs and terrain.
This blog is designed to exchange ideas about how to dramatically cut your gear weight to make tramping (hiking) trips less strenuous, but still remain safe and sensible. Subscribe, make comments, ask for advice, or share your lightweight gear experiences with our community. The header photo features me on McKellar Saddle. The pack is the 45Lt Zpacks Arc Blast, hiking poles Helinox FL120, Dirty Girl gaiters, Spalms sunsleeves and Altra Lone Peak shoes
Hi Robin,
ReplyDeleteI note that the option of "no mesh and no bivvy bag" is missing from your gram counts above. I find that unusual as this is a combination I, and many others (that do not consider ourselves ultra-light trampers) have been using for many years. (admittedly less than a year for me with a ZPacks Solo-plus)
For ultra-light gram counting purposes, if one can bare spending USD$95 for a a cuben fibre groundsheet, a sub-200g shelter is quite possible...
Point taken, but personally, for NZ conditions, I would not recommend the fly and ground sheet combo. My friend Dennis Brown uses this, however I can't stand swatting sandflies before I go to sleep and at dawn.
ReplyDeletePlus I have a phobic fear of getting my sleeping bag wet through driven rain splash.
The bivy is around 185g (ground sheet 94g)for an extra 91g I get bug and rain protection, plus can carry a lighter bag (WM Highlite - 455g) due to added warmth.
It's a personal choice