Megamid in High Winds

[Ovr40]

I recently purchased a Black Diamond Mega Light and have a couple of questions for those who have used these shelters:

(1) Do you consider the shelter to be reasonably "storm proof" or just a good when high winds are not expected. I am particularly interested in your experience with winter storms.

(2) Is the light version as tough as the original?

[genepires]

Vernon Tejas takes a lighter tent (same design though) to the high camp on denali and stayed in it during many storms. But he is crazy and stays up all night holding the pole up.

 

I used it in a minor storm on a exposed position (on dirt) and the thing flaps around so much I doubt that it would stick around for long. I think the key is to using it in storms is to:

-stay in the trees get get out of the wind

-or dig down in the snow so that the bottom the mid is on the ground, anchor out ALL the tabs, lay piles of snow on the ground edge to prevent the breeze from coming underneath and making a snow wall around all sides. This method works really well for our cook tent on denali. (But we have larger and lighter version so I am unsure if the snowpile around the bottom edge will work for a megamid) Even with all this, I have done the pole dance to keep the thing from crashing over.

[jhamaker]

I don't take Pyramids etc above treeline if snow and high winds could happen - too hard to nail down the edges to keep the snow out.

 

I like the extra space when you place a (Pyramid) over a pit. Many, many other benifits.

 

For big dumps (arround a foot or more) I've had great success digging a trench arround the (Pyramid) to give the snow a place to go and prevent the (Pyramid) from colapsing.

[bigwallpete]

I have a mtn hardwear KIVA. Similar but not the same. Anyways 2 different experiences.

1- used once for 12 days in bugs @ applebee. Survived many a days of highwinds in the pm with no problems well anchored though.

2- used once on ski tour without pole it comes with, instead we used an avalanche probe/poles for the support and at 5 in the am after some severe winds and much snow drfting we were awakened by a large snapping sound and the deflation of the tent onto our face.COAST MTN SPORTS warrantied the poles.

 

Back in the day these shelters were used all over, roomy and if guyed out properly work extremly well in full on conditions

[kurthicks]

I took a megalite on Hood in December when the winds hit ~70mph. It held up OK, but we used trekking poles to save weight. they popped from the grommet in the top, puncturing the fabric. it did not tear any larger than the pole tip however. All of the stitching around said grommet (the gray fabric at the roof apex) ripped out though. the buckle also ripped out. we had to collapse the mid to prevent it from shredding further.

 

BD warranty replaced it.

[Stephen_Ramsey]

I took a megalite on Hood in December when the winds hit ~70mph. It held up OK,

 

they popped from the grommet in the top, puncturing the fabric. it did not tear any larger than the pole tip however. All of the stitching around said grommet ... ripped out though. the buckle also ripped out. we had to collapse the mid to prevent it from shredding further.

Sounds like your megalite performed admirably under the windy conditions, but it seems a bit charitable to call that "holding up OK". In any event, that must have been a night to remember...

 

I have fond memories of spending the night in a (poorly guyed-out) Stephenson tent perched crosswind at the Camp Muir saddle. We spent the night laughing at how ridiculously the tent deformed under the 50-knot wind. Then the tent ripped.

[Ovr40]

Thanks everyone for the feedback.