Jump to content

Wanted: 2 person 4 season tent for cascades


AnthonyL

Recommended Posts

My wife and I usually split the weight of our Trango 3 but, unfortunately she is still too sick to carry any weight. Thus, I'm on the search for a two person 4-season tent, so I can carry it all.

 

Would also be willing to work a trade of our trusty trango 3. It has brand new poles from tent pole technologies and no rips at all. Has been bomber on the three uses we've gotten out of it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Second the tarp idea. The last couple of years I have been using a tarp and a light bivy sack combo for good weather. If the forecast is close to 100 percent clear and if your not camping up super high during the summer, a tarp works good.  You will need extra bug protection if the bugs are bad.  I suggest a silnylon tarp 9X9 or 8X10 or 10X10 and SOL breathable bivy sacks. There are three models to choose from all are good. Do not get the SOL non breathable bivy sacks, the breathable ones are good to use for camping until they fall apart which can take a long time.  My system is a feathered friends Vireo sleeping bag, a SOL bivy sack and tarp with my goose down jacket for near perfect weather forecasts. If any significant percentage bad weather forecast I take a synthetic jacket (around 20% and above chance of rain). I have been using 8X10, 1.5 lb tarp (including 6 stakes) along with a 8 oz SOL bivy sack with a 17oz,  Vireo sleeping bag.  It would be hard to get a much lighter system. I have a particular way of setting up my tarp so it is like a tent with a open front. For my set up you need a tie in point under the center of the tarp. Look at CCS tarps, Cooke Custom Sewing. Tarps they have a quad loop center tie under the tarp to attach a trekking pole. Also I use a tie in point at the front of the tarp. I use two trekking poles for set up. It is cheaper and better to use a simple rectangular or square tarp for climbing as you can find places to set up that you can't hardly use with a tent or a tarp that can be set up only one way. The bonus is a simple tarp is cheaper and often lighter than the fancy tarps.

I sometimes carry a bug jacket if I think the bugs are going to be really bad. If you can get above about 5000+ feet to camp the bugs are not so bad in camp.

Cheapish square tarps can be found on Ebay. However most do not have the quad loop sewn under the tarp, you can ask it to be added or sew it on yourself.  CCS tarps are set up perfect and a USA made product The CCS 8x10 or 10X10 tarps are good for two, especially with a light bivy sack. One can find lighter Cuben tarps but cost much. Best for the money is a 1.1oz per square yard silnylon, one can look hard for a silpoly tarp for about same cost maybe a little lighter depending what you find.

I rode out some mild weather with a tarp and bivy combo and it is safe unless your pushing your luck with altitude or weather forecast or very windy areas.  Here is the set up I use most every time, a quad loop tie in under the tarp center is needed.  I usually put the length at 8 feet and width at 10 feet which gives tons a of room for two guys and gear, much more than a tent and plenty of protection for good weather.  One can also use a 9x9, or even 10x10 for lots of protection from rain. Do not camp in a depression. If weather gets really bad a pyramid set up is possible, or drop the open end down close to the ground.  You can spend more money for a bivy sack than for the SOL breathable bivvy sack but they are hard to beat in performance only a little small. The SOL escape pro is the most expensive but gives a little more room that the SOL escape, the SOL escape lite is a little lighter but no way to cinch up the head area.  The big bonus is being able to carry a light water proof bivy sack up high on the climb.  This set up is not that expensive compared to others. One can sew their own tarp but the cost savings is really not there for the first go around as compared to ordered tarps. However sewing a tarp is fairly simple and fun project if into that sort of thing.

hansel_bryan_090706-102.jpg

 

 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

By the way for any who may be interested the feathered friends Vireo sleeping bag is great with a puffy jacket and plenty roomy and can't get much lighter for a sleeping bag. It is good to about 30 degrees and I am a cold sleeper.  I suggest getting the longest one as it is possible to pull it over the head if needed and I like it over my shoulders anyway, the weight is about a pound and it is possible to get one made with more fill for colder weather if wanted.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

One more thing I pre tie my tarp tie outs and leave them on the tarp. Most of them should be around 4 feet long. The front one is about 10 feet long and one at the rear about 10 feet long,  2 long strings just in case I want to do a lean too set up. The front and rear tie out string is a different color for ease of set up. Take the effort to find the lightest tie out string as you will save a few ounces. Sometimes the string balls up when unpacking the tarp, but it usually works pretty good.  Set up is harder than a free standing tent but goes well enough with practice and you can set up in places that simply won't work for a tent. This comes in handy almost on every hike or climb I do as we are in back country.  Most of the time you can wrap the string around rocks, sometimes the tent pegs are really needed.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sorry,  I don't have any tents to trade at the moment, ebay has good deals. I recently ordered a 3F tunnel tent on Aliexpress.com Dirt cheap direct order china site. Takes forever to get it shipped in (month or two) and quality I think semi good but no experience yet with this particular  tent yet.  I do try to mix in my local USA cottage industry buys with china goods, most everything made in china anyway, just cut out the FAT middle man with direct order.

 

Good luck

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

You might be interested in my MSR Fury that's in great shape. https://www.rei.com/product/810195/msr-fury-2-tent I have the original version with the pole sleeves rather than clips, which makes it a bit more sturdy with the tradeoff being more beta intensive to set up (once you have the beta though it's pretty quick and easy - I'll show ya if we can meet up). Message me if you're interested. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...