Not dull at all - a shining beacon lighting up a cruel grey world .

Stop it Reg. (Even though I meant it ).

Bearbonesnorm wrote: ↑Wed Sep 09, 2020 11:41 am

the cords at the peg-out points are now c.250mm long and are noted to divide into into three along it's length, I assume to give pegging / tensioning options.

I'm not sure about length but the cords on mine are knotted to allow some leeway for pegging.

So, now it's arrived, before I pop out and try and coax a firm and sustainable erection in a secluded corner, away from the CCTV, of the park at the end of our road; who's substituted dyneema and tautlinehitches/linelocs for them there "triple knot" lines? They seem a bit of a weird contrivance.

I've weighed it as well, and satisfyingly for a weenie like me it comes in at 299g not 310g . Add a slice of polycro "groundsheet" 20g, the S2S bug net 93g, five-piece pole 63g, and 6 x 9g Ti V pegs, and I make that 529g. Changing the lines will shave a bit off that as well. Must be a way of losing that 29/30g .

RIP wrote: ↑Mon Sep 14, 2020 2:41 pmMust be a way of losing that 29/30g .

https://www.theworks.co.uk/p/balloon-ac ... kvEALw_wcB

Stu mentions he didn't bother changing them in his review and it worked fine. Try it first and see? If you're desperate to save the weight then crack on

Borderer wrote: ↑Mon Sep 14, 2020 3:03 pm

RIP wrote: ↑Mon Sep 14, 2020 2:41 pmMust be a way of losing that 29/30g .

https://www.theworks.co.uk/p/balloon-ac ... kvEALw_wcB

Good idea! I'll nip round our Party Shop later...

Cheeky Monkey wrote: ↑Mon Sep 14, 2020 3:04 pm Stu mentions he didn't bother changing them in his review and it worked fine. If you're desperate to save the weight then crack on

Just seems less adjustable than tautline hitch - maybe it's meant to be less adjustable for some highly technical reason that I'm failing to grasp .

Try it first and see?

Ahem, yes fair point .

I changed mine but simply for better cord in the same configuration.
It obviously isn’t adjustable past the three pre set peg points but I’ve never had an issue.
I did add some cord set with line locks to the two end lifters - pretty long - 2m or so to give me plenty of lifting options. Bike always does one end and random sticks, trees walls etc where available take care of the other.
I added long thin shock cord loops to my ground sheet to piggy back onto the four corner pegs to kept it in place which works well.

Lovely, ta for info

Added colour-coded lines now, yellow for back middle and red for front ends. For hard-of-thinkers like Reg, makes it even faster to erect as I know to grab the yellow line quickly first and peg it, then the two reds, then the pole etc.

I'll replace the plastic hook for attaching the front line to the door bottom with a fixed larksfoot - never(?) likely to use as a cape and that would save fiddling with it in the dark.

Would be nice if the hood had a slightly more rigid rim to make venting easier. Will think on't.

Even as a short-arse 5'9" my bag touches the wall so will probably stick a lifter on the foot end, same as you Ranger.

I quite like it in extended-height mode but will no doubt rapidly change my mind in the first downpour .

Jury still out on which is "better" - flattie or Gatewood. "Different" probably.

Would be nice if the hood had a slightly more rigid rim to make venting easier. Will think on't.

There is a bit ontinternet about mods to the cape - a chap called Gygagos. The suggestion is a big tie wrap pushed up through the sleeve for the hood pull cord to keep it open for venting.

Ta!

https://www.gygago.com/index.php?id=803&lang=en

RIP wrote: ↑Wed Sep 16, 2020 11:14 am Jury still out on which is "better" - flattie or Gatewood. "Different" probably.

Different? Yes
Better? My semi answer to that is that my small one person tarp has not left the house in the 3 years I’ve had the Gatewood

RE: Venting ... I simply pull the entire hood down so the top is open. Never found the need for owt more complicated

But not when it's raining . Might make a nice shower-cubicle I suppose!

One-person tarp: agreed, but mine's 9x7 at 195g so very much a full-coverage "alternative" apart from the "porch" end/side - and got shower-curtain for that. .

But not when it's raining

I close it then ... like I say, it's all simple.

Indeed .

It's fun to fiddle about with it, am just tinkering .

Be interested to see how you get on with attaching the S2S bug net to yours Reg.

Just on train on way home. Didn't use net this time but will tinker with it later. This time? Condensation!!

Borderer wrote: ↑Tue Sep 22, 2020 10:51 am Be interested to see how you get on with attaching the S2S bug net to yours Reg.

Right then missus. Finally got everything dry, so have re-erected the beast with the net. Not saying it's neat. Not saying it's pretty. But I think it does the job.

Took the opportunity to fiddle about with a few different pitches too. Here's Reg's Patent Door-Open But Still 360 Coverage pitch. Needs an extra peg to keep the doors apart. Dead good though. Sneak in through the gap, do a 180, and slip into the old bag (sorry, bit of Swiss Tony intruding there).



Here's the net installed. Photo taken at ground level at the "foot" end. Six Stu Carbon Pegs required, three at each end. This corner needs pushing a bit lower on the peg. Also needs the head-end external lifter as per above photo. Also also, needs an actual peg (one of them there off the washing-line style of thing) to "bunch up" the loose net above one's head. Easy to lift one head-end corner to get into bed.



Bug-free 360 coverage at under 400g. Tomorrow's job: substitute lines with Stu's 3-fathom, no 4-fathom, bit of string.

Can you not hook the top of the bug net to where the pole goes to give you some more head room? That's how I've done it on the Deschutes.
Oh and you all need to post pics wearing your gatewoods

htrider wrote: ↑Tue Sep 22, 2020 6:33 pm Can you not hook the top of the bug net to where the pole goes to give you some more head room? That's how I've done it on the Deschutes.
Oh and you all need to post pics wearing your gatewoods

Yes, that was where I was thinking it would go, but I couldn't see anywhere obvious to hook one too on mine, which was why I was curious what Reg had done.

Cheers for the photos C. Would a guy line going from the top of the pole to the centre of the back of the cape (ie inside) work to hold the net up? I had mine with the door open but closed-ish too when I used it. I stayed dry inside too but the wind didn't ever change direction during the night. It's when that happens that it gets tricky I think. I had my door attached to the guyline by a karabiner so I could quickly unhook it in the night if needs be.

Can you not hook the top of the bug net to where the pole goes to give you some more head room?

That's how I do mine.

How does that work then? I thought the top line on the net was offset to the head end? I'm going to have to try it now (well not now, tomorrow). Your turn to lob us some photos Stu!

htrider wrote: ↑Tue Sep 22, 2020 6:33 pm
Oh and you all need to post pics wearing your gatewoods

OK, here's me in the woods last night:

I thought the top line on the net was offset to the head end?

Fairy sure the tie on mine is in the middle Reg. Maybe they do different shapes.