Tent

While researching tents to buy I narrowed it down to four different models:

  • REI Roadster 42 oz. $129
  • Hilleberg Akto 46 oz. $345
  • Mountain Hardware WayPoint 1 34 oz. $195
  • Sierra Designs Ultra Lightyear 41 oz. $189

I eliminated the Roadster because it had less height and floor area than the other models. Tents of this size are never really roomy, but this one was just too claustrophobic for me. The Atko is by all accounts a great tent, but it was really designed for mountaineering and was frankly more tent than I was looking for. That left me with the WayPoint and the Ultra Lightyear.

On paper, the Waypoint is the better tent. It’s the lightest of the bunch by far, has the most headroom and a relatively large floor space. However, it attains the low weight by using a single wall design. Some people have complained of condensation forming in this tent and despite a good ventilation system, I was concerned.

The Ultra Lightyear is not without faults though. Many people have complained of broken poles with this tent. In the end it really came down to fate for me. I found a used Ultra Lightyear tent at one of REI’s used gear sales for about $60. The deal was too good to pass up.

If you want to go really lightweight then a good option is using a lightweight silicon coated nylon tarp. A good guide to setting up tarps can be found here. http://www.equipped.com/tarp-shelters.htm

Personally, I wanted the added protection from bugs, snakes and scorpions that a true tent provides. Also compared to the tents I looked at, a tarp would not have saved me that much weight.

Once I got my tent I weighed all of the components and sought out other options for reducing the weight of the tent. I replaced the standard tent stakes with titanium ones and saved several ounces. There are many other things can be used as a ground cloth with a tent (some people don’t use one at all). I’m currently using a space blanket that weighs next to nothing.

I also eliminated the rain fly and replaced it with an Equinox Poncho/Shelter. This one item serves as a rain fly and poncho and can be used as a shelter by itself. It’s also large enough to fit over my pack and keep it dry while hiking. Unfortunately its not as big as the rain fly that comes with the Ultra Lightyear, so I would only use it if I expected dry weather. If I expected wet conditions I would either bring the rain fly that came with the Ultra Lightyear or a full size tarp.