Rainier tent

[Perry]

I thinking about prepping for Rainier. What type of tent should I be looking at?

[DPS]

What route? What month? How many people do you want to accomodate?

[Pete_H]

Wal-Mart pup tent. Duh.

[Perry]

I was thinking Disappointment Cleaver early summer next year. Tent for 1-2 people. Seems like more tent would be too much...thoughts?

[DPS]

You want to go as light as possible. A small single wall like the BD Firstlight, Eldorado, Integral Designs MK1 Lite, MH EV2 and so on are both light and storm worthy. Know how to anchor and guy the tent in snow. Plenty of stories of tents turning into very expensive kites.I personally like the parachute style snow/sand anchors from Mountain Hardware to anchor the tent, and deadmanning trekking poles, shovels, and so forth for the guy out point anchors.

 

Even lighter is a tarp. I have had really good luck with a BD Betamid on Rainier, but I get to cherry pick the weather living so close. Also, when you check in with the rangers, ask if the Muir Hut might be full. If not, that is an option that weighs nothing and is an experience in and of itself.

Edited May 1, 2012 by DPS

[ScaredSilly]

Early summer for the DC. Skip the tent and stay in the public shelter.

[DPS]

Early summer for the DC. Skip the tent and stay in the public shelter.

 

If it is not full that is always my preference. Some folks have an aversion to it, but you should experience it at least once if you can.

[Stinkydog]

Know how to anchor and guy the tent in snow. Plenty of stories of tents turning into very expensive kites.I personally like the parachute style snow/sand anchors from Mountain Hardware to anchor the tent, and deadmanning trekking poles, shovels, and so forth for the guy out point anchors.

 

No kidding. A few years back at Camp Schurman, we had some pretty fierce winds one night. Woke up the next morning and noticed that 4 of 5 tents belonging to a certain popular guide company had blown away. In their defense, they were on a summit attempt at the time, but still..

 

Bad part was, one tent had obviously traveled about 100 yards downwind, in a direct line right over our own camp. It left several strange furrows in its wake. Upon closer inspection, we found a couple of football-sized rocks tied to its guylines - not enough weight to actually hold the tent down, but certainly enough to really mess up our friend who was overnighting in a bivy sack... the kite/rock literally bounced over him, and landed about 10 feet on the other side of his snow-block wall. He had a good night's sleep though.

 

 

[Perry]

You want to go as light as possible. A small single wall like the BD Firstlight, Eldorado, Integral Designs MK1 Lite, MH EV2 and so on are both light and storm worthy. Know how to anchor and guy the tent in snow. Plenty of stories of tents turning into very expensive kites.I personally like the parachute style snow/sand anchors from Mountain Hardware to anchor the tent, and deadmanning trekking poles, shovels, and so forth for the guy out point anchors.

 

Even lighter is a tarp. I have had really good luck with a BD Betamid on Rainier, but I get to cherry pick the weather living so close. Also, when you check in with the rangers, ask if the Muir Hut might be full. If not, that is an option that weighs nothing and is an experience in and of itself.

 

The BD Betamid is pretty nice for a "tarp". For Rainier?

 

Do you build a wall around it or pile snow at the base?

 

And in regards to the public shelter - been there done that. Seemed fine. My team at the time may have been the "experience in and of itself" that others are mentioning. : )

 

 

[DPS]

The BD Betamid is pretty nice for a "tarp". For Rainier?

 

Do you build a wall around it or pile snow at the base?

 

I have the original Betamid, not the SilNylon lighter version, and I have weathered storms on Rainier. I am a bit weary of the SilNylon tarps, they seem delicate. The full sized Megamids are used as cook shelters on Denali, I have seen them even at the 17k camp.

 

Some partners complain that it is a bit drafty, but properly staked and guyed it is pretty stable. You can pile snow around the perimeter to make it less drafty and warmer. I have never built a snow wall for it, my suspician is if you need to build a snow wall for the Betamid, you should be building a snow wall for other tents anyway. I have used it in winter on Rainier.

 

I own four shelters and over the last ten years I have used the Betamid on 90+% of my overnight/multiday climbing/skiing/backpacking trips. The 'chasity poles' keep everything kosher, no hanky panky, which, as an old married man of the mountains who is undeniably attractive to my female partners is important.

 

And in regards to the public shelter - been there done that. Seemed fine. My team at the time may have been the "experience in and of itself" that others are mentioning. : )

 

I prefer the public shelter, others don't, but I generally sleep like a log. I like hanging out and meeting new folks, part of the experience.

 

 

Edited May 2, 2012 by DPS

[EastCoastBastard]

I've also used the betamid on Rainier - like DPS said, it works great if you can pick good-weather days to go. I don't like sitting out storms in it, but it can be done.

If this is going to be your only mountaineering experience (If you're asking for tent tips, likely you don't have a lot of expereince) I wouldn't shell out for a single wall - they're sort of limited in their useage. You'd probably be fine with a 3-season backpacking tent too, just stake it out well.

 

have fun

[DPS]

Not sure what your price range is, but this would be a great tent for Rainier: http://cascadeclimbers.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/1066843/FS_Integral_Designs_MK1lite_ev#Post1066843

[Bergretter]

Oh man go for a stout 2-3 person tent. The haul up to Muir is not that far or particularly difficult to be counting grams. When the weather kicks up, and you are living in that space for a few days, you will be counting your blessings for the space and the sturdiness. Hut is fun, but if you want good sleep, do the tent. Add my vote for the use of scoop style tent anchors, had to chip them out last departure from Muir!

[DPS]

Oh man go for a stout 2-3 person tent. When the weather kicks up, and you are living in that space for a few days, you will be counting your blessings for the space and the sturdiness.

If the weather is that bad I would go to the east side of the range and find better weather.

 

 

Hut is fun, but if you want good sleep, do the tent.

I've heard from a good number of folks who can't sleep well in the hut. I have found the opposite, I sleep like a log there. If noise is the issue, earplugs and even a sleep mask weigh almost nothing.

Edited May 3, 2012 by DPS