burchey

This is my all-time favorite thread now. I've got to get one of these ice hatchets.

I looked at the twin sisters - I've got a roomy 2-man already, was thinking megalite (with custom skirt) for 3-4 guys, moving fast. We got shut down with bivi sacks on a recent Palisade Traverse attempt (lack of sleep, snow/wind gettin up in our gear)...would have been fine with a decent shelter at base camp.

Yeah, we used to date back in highschool. Nope, love my Meltdown though. Different animal, but WM construction is solid.

FWIW, I think it's a gamble with the floorless tents if you don't have the burlier sleeping bag fabric, especially for multi-day trips. You could toss on a bivy sack, but now you're adding more weight. I'd also be concerned if you like getting out in the wind, with no snow skirt, a pyramid/ish shelter is hard to keep the spindrift out of. You can really sink in the tent edges themselves and pile on snow, but then you loose usable floor space. I'm thinking about sewing a tyvek skirt on a BD betamid/megalite - would add minimal weight, but I think it would do the trick. Less snow blown in would help you keep the down intact as well, although larger concern is the snow you're laying on / what gets between your pad/bag.

Looking at Megalite by BD for 2-3 climbers plus gear - basecamp style. Wish it had snowskirt, have read about people modifying them and adding one. MEGALITE

I haven't been doing this for decades, but I've had gear fail on me before - lower/mid-range stuff. Shell wet-thru, goggles fog up beyond belief at the worst times, etc etc. I lean towards nicer gear now, but I take my time and catch a deal. I'll never go back from my WM Antelope GWS (shipped to my door for $419!!), or my Meltdown jacket (got it used). You'll feel that much better beating the elements for a discount. Key is to beat the elements. That being said, Doug ( guy that owns the portal store down at Mt Whitney) rocks bluejeans in the snow at 14,000. I'm not that badass. [img:left]http://piotrowski.smugmug.com/photos/i-zvZLSNw/0/L/i-zvZLSNw-L.jpg[/img]

I'm in the same boat - tired of carrying the bigger and heavier tent, but can't find a good light option. 6'2" - I understand the BD first/hi are going to be snug on length. I'd be worried about the tight walls pressing down on my footbox and killing the loft. Cold feet. Down here in the Sierras, it's a lot drier. PNW, the wet seems like it would make those single-walls with only "water-resistant" ratings a drag. I don't think those BDs are really built for T-storms, I'd imagine they're intended for cold and snow mostly. Been eyeballing the Rabs, but they seemed cramped as well. I do know just a bivy can be hell in the wrong conditions. Trying to get out and dressed at 2am in a storm can break your trip, so much nicer to have a vesti to hunker down in, but then you're carrying that weight. Just pray for good conditions?? Using this right now Uber Bivy

Well played - wish we got ice like that down this way, not that I could get up it. For the most part we're riding the WI2-4 express, with average scenery.