ScotRoutes wrote: ↑Tue May 19, 2020 8:11 pm Don't get carried away with the idea that folk choose tarps over tents due to the weight reduction.

Edit: Just weighed my Lunar Solo and pole: 690 g and 51 g respectively.

Would you mind to share its outside and inside diameter?

Alpinum wrote: ↑Tue May 19, 2020 9:26 pm

ScotRoutes wrote: ↑Tue May 19, 2020 8:11 pm Don't get carried away with the idea that folk choose tarps over tents due to the weight reduction.

Edit: Just weighed my Lunar Solo and pole: 690 g and 51 g respectively.

Bearbones pole?
Would you mind to share its outside and inside diameter?
Does it hold up (the Lunar Solo) for trips say across the Cairngorms with high camps? Regular Cairngorms weather, not those ferocious 160 km/h storms (funny... every time I was there, we experienced just that...).

Bearbonesnorm wrote: ↑Tue May 19, 2020 9:31 pm

Would you mind to share its outside and inside diameter?

If it is one of mine Gian, then it'll be 12mm OD, 10mm ID. Sometimes I use 14mm OD on big stuff and sometimes I use soild spigots for anticipated bad conditions ... if it's not one of mine, sorry for butting in

EDIT: 51g sounds like an SMD one.

Thisisnotaspoon wrote: ↑Tue May 19, 2020 11:25 pm Dunno where you lot hang out but arround here poles are growing out of the ground. There's so many I dont bother with carrying poles. We call them trees

How much do your ~120cm poles weigh?i couldn’t see weights on the shop.

Dunno where you lot hang out but arround here poles are growing out of the ground.

Bearbonesnorm wrote: ↑Tue May 19, 2020 9:31 pm

Would you mind to share its outside and inside diameter?

If it is one of mine Gian, then it'll be 12mm OD, 10mm ID. Sometimes I use 14mm OD on big stuff and sometimes I use soild spigots for anticipated bad conditions ... if it's not one of mine, sorry for butting in

EDIT: 51g sounds like an SMD one.

ScotRoutes wrote: ↑Tue May 19, 2020 11:17 pm I now have a BB pole too, partly because it's less flexy, but also because I had it made in shorter, easier to pack, sections and I can use it for tarps. I just choose whichever is likely to be most appropriate.

Thisisnotaspoon wrote: ↑Tue May 19, 2020 11:25 pm We call them trees

Cheers. Big, like 160 - 170 cm?

Is the poncho hood annoying in shelter mode?

Well, most minimal mids would achieve that I think? The deschutes would be comparable from the Same maker. Though I was surprised the Gatewood is lighter - I guess even small in terms of dimensions?

oreocereus wrote: ↑Wed May 20, 2020 11:27 pm Though I was surprised the Gatewood is lighter

sean_iow wrote: ↑Thu May 21, 2020 8:54 am

oreocereus wrote: ↑Wed May 20, 2020 11:27 pm Though I was surprised the Gatewood is lighter

The Gatewood is 15D fabric and the Deschutes is 20D so that might be part fo the reason.

Bearbonesnorm wrote: ↑Thu May 21, 2020 8:43 am

Is the poncho hood annoying in shelter mode?

No, it's brilliant as it's a superb peak vent.

Well, most minimal mids would achieve that I think? The deschutes would be comparable from the Same maker. Though I was surprised the Gatewood is lighter - I guess even small in terms of dimensions?

Yes, but they're trekking pole shelters too. I thought we were wondering why trekking pole shelters were seemingly popular amongst cyclists and why they may choose one over a fully blown tent?

sean_iow wrote: ↑Thu May 21, 2020 2:12 pm It's also much easier to be stealthy in just a bivi bag.

My understanding of the Law regarding wild camping is that to be 'camping' you need to erect a tent or shelter. In the bivi I've not done this so as long as I'm allowed to be in the location I'm sleeping it's lawful.
Plus. as an added bonus, when not in a tent the first thing I see when I wake up is my bike

RIP wrote: ↑Thu May 21, 2020 2:18 pm so you're not 'erecting' them. That's my take on it anyway, Officer.

sean_iow wrote: ↑Thu May 21, 2020 2:28 pm So to summarize, as long as there are no erections it's legal... which was my defense in another unrelated case but lets not go into that now

RIP wrote: ↑Thu May 21, 2020 2:50 pm Probably ought to set ourselves up as a double-act Sean. You know, Morecambe & Wise type of thing. Or Reeves and Mortimer.

Something like Cannon & Ball are perhaps more our level of competency though .

psling wrote: ↑Thu May 21, 2020 3:02 pm Derek & Clive ...?

sean_iow wrote: ↑Tue May 19, 2020 6:16 pm This thread has prompted me to try something I've been thinking about for a while, the hooped tarp



This is a mock-up using what I refer to as the 'race tarp' mainly because I used it on the HT550 and I have so many I have to tell them apart somehow. Instead of the normal straight front pole I've substituted the pole from my Lazer, mainly because it's the first flexy pole I had to hand. There's a bit of string across the bottom to hold the shape of the pole and the tarp is only balanced over it.

It confirms my thoughts that it would give more usable space to sit up in at the front for cooking/chores as it creates steeper walls. If I was to make one (which I've no plans for yet as I have too many shelters already) there would be a sleeve for the pole and I'd make a proper tape with eyelets to for the ends of the pole to keep the shape. The pole could also be set back and the front shaped down beak-style to give more protection from driven rain but I've always just pitched it with the front down-wind and not had an issue so maybe that would just be an unnecessary complication? The shape of the tarp might also need to be changed for the transition from curved to straight.

The Lazer pole is heavier than the straight pole by 77g. In the normal set-up the tarp, poles and pegs comes to exactly 500g on my scales. The poles are 10mm DAC so there is scope to save some weight. The tarp on it's own is 249g.

For comparison I pitched it with the straight pole and rested the curved one in front which shows up the extra width created by the curved pole. The straight pole is 1050mm long which is enough room for me to sit up.



I've been meaning to try this for about a year so thanks for the prompt