Tipi Shelters: Review

[Nuts]

OK, for those interested in these lightweight options I thought i'd put some photos and thoughts in one place.

I imagine it will take some time to get a better picture of less obvious features, attributes, downfalls and I wont dwell too much on the details specs etc. They are all available with a search, as are reviews (ive listed the web links as somewhere to start). This also wont be any sort of formal review, ill just add some comments and pics, do some edits now and then etc as I get a chance. The websites have some good photo's and angles but I figure that many pics can help as these shelters are hard to find in Oz...

Ive used them all at some stage, have a good understanding of the golite but not so with the others. Ive also read of others experiences with these small shelters but almost exclusively from overseas (US mostly, where they originate) I am only really interested in how they perform under local conditions.

The aim is to reduce weight, in doing so compromises are inevitable. I wouldnt suggest anyone throw themselves in the deep end with any of these small shelters with a commitment to a long or exposed walk. Please read widely, ask questions, build an understanding, determine your own comfort requirements.

The shelters on hand are:

Golite 'Shangri-la' http://www.golite.com/Product/ProdDetai ... 54&t=&lat=
Nemo 'Meta 1' http://www.nemoequipment.com/nemo2010-meta1p-tent
Six Moon designs 'Wild Oasis' http://www.sixmoondesigns.com/tarps.htm ... egory_id=8

These are three distinctly different shelters, different features, weights etc. In mind is to find the best options (for me) for all seasons and to keep weight down for solo walks (or with one (or two) others, in the case of the golite)

This is the three packed From the front; wild Oasis, Meta, Shangri'la and its inner nest:

The smallest shelter is the Six Moon Wild Oasis it weighs 408 grams with three cord ties. SM recommend making five cord tie out extenders, you will need some, the shelter is just too small without them. I decided three on the door side (ie away from the wind) were adequate. For tassie purposes I would not expect the shelter to be often used with ventilation needed on all sides though it would give more room. at this weight it also needs seam sealing.

Here is the shelter pitched with three tie out extenders and the windward side into the ground:

Oasis 2.jpg (124.92 KiB) Viewed 5906 times

This is the top vent (more on that later i expect...)

The inside (one for Jellybean ), (the sleeping mat is placed at equal distance from both ends, its around 30cm from the mat at the end up to the shelter skin)

[Charlievee]

Many thanks Nuts ! Don't mean to hijack the thread, but anyone got a review/opinion on the Six Moon Designs Gatewood cape/tarp ? Nuts ? CV

[Nuts]

No worries charlie, i dont know much about the cape other than coming across it mentioned everywhere when looking into the oasis, seems pretty popular! I recall some reservations about it as a coat, i'd imagine it would be similar as a shelter, looks almost the same? The thing that caught my attention about the oasis was the mesh 'skirt' which the cape doesnt look to have. I'd Imagine the cape would be a bit of a pain in wind and a hassle in scrub? I've seen a few people wearing different cape designs and they always looked 'not the best'.

To me ive never understood wearing a cape over a pack (like on the website ^) Surely they would be more usable under the pack and kept tight? Probably a better option for mainland and tropics? I see them as ideal in generally drier areas as a backup on a daywalk or perhaps overnighter when you would expect to be staying in a hut. I guess this is where comfort levels and trade offs come in, the 3/400 grams instead of at least a couple of kg's for a more traditional tent/jacket combo...

I think your best bet would be a google/backpaking light? search... As said i do recall a Lot of interest in them.

[Charlievee]

Thanks Nuts. I've read plenty of positive reports from American sites (and saying exactly what you said; as a poncho they make a great tarp !)but was after opinions of Aussie brothers and sisters as to how they found it. Local opinion. I believe you can purchase a net tent inner that attaches to the top of the tarp to add extra "bugproofness" and adding a bit of stability and confidence. Regards, CV

[Nuts]

Meh, yer, someone may have tried one..?
I did see that inner (they also have a model similar to the oasis, with an inner) but then you'd have a perhaps ok cape and a 'heavier' 'tent'...

[Nuts]

ps.. would your knife stand guard over your tent like that? har har...

[Charlievee]

ps.. would your knife stand guard over your tent like that? har har...

It certainly doesn't eat as much ! I've got a 5yr old German shepherd. Man, does he make food disappear ! Too much of a hassle backpacking with him. Can't bring him to a lot of spots either. He watches the ranch while I'm away. CV

[Nuts]

[samh]

HI nuts,
I would be interested where you have used the shelters and in what kind of conditions. Also I would be interested to see how the Oasis performs compared to the other two. I have always been interested in some form of lighter shelter but not sure how they cope in Tassie conditions.

[Jellybean]

Hi Jellybean, photo in other topic.
Ill reserve more comment for that topic, and ive only spent two nights in good weather so far but if it helps: In short ( ), for the taller timber, I wouldnt expect to stay 'completely' dry in bad weather without a bivy...

Hi Nuts,

Thanks for the pics and comments. Much appreciated!

Looks pretty roomy inside, although if a bivvy is also required in bad weather, I'd probably also throw Tarptent's Sublite Sil into the equation - http://www.tarptent.com/sublitesil.html - 615g. It has a floor and a mesh door/mini porch, is very well ventilated and has storm flaps for protection from the rain. I would think that the use of two poles (I normally use two) and the rear carbon struts/extra guy out would also make it a more stable shelter. (I looked at the Sublite a while ago but dismissed it, but the 2010 version has heaps of features that it was previously lacking. Very nice!).

Thanks again!

Cheers,

JB

P.S. I love your guard dog! I hope he didn't feel the need to mark his territory after you set up the tent!

[Nuts]

Looks pretty roomy inside, although if a bivvy is also required in bad weather, I'd probably also throw Tarptent's Sublite Sil into the equation


Thanks Jbean, Yer, I dont have a sublite here ....... As I would still use a bivy with it to achieve a four season setup I imagine it would fall between the usefulness of the others...

Just to add: The way it is pitched is what i'd regard as minimum height. The lens is very wide, if over '6 feet' (personally) in this one I would feel a bit claustrphobic with it pitched like this and without modification....


Cheers,

JB

P.S. I love your guard dog! I hope he didn't feel the need to mark his territory after you set up the tent!

No, but I did find that the reason he was hanging around was to sneak in and crash on the mat, i gave him his annual 'shearing' yesterday morning and it was nice n warm in there

[Nuts]

HI nuts,
I would be interested where you have used the shelters and in what kind of conditions. Also I would be interested to see how the Oasis performs compared to the other two. I have always been interested in some form of lighter shelter but not sure how they cope in Tassie conditions.

No worries Sam, as I said the Oasis and Meta I havent used much. I have used the golite since 2006. In the first two years it was used as a client tent on the OT (perhaps 20 weeks) Personal trips I can recall include other areas around Tas with varying amounts of exposure and I did use it once on the Qld islands While I did use in in the Arthurs, probably the most exposed camping i can think of offhand, the weather was fine... Ive been in stronger winds and heavier snow with other shelters, but I guess suffice to say I Have spent time in the golite in strong winds and snow... In that time ive also used other larger (perhaps less stable) tipis and (to me) have enough of a feel for them to pass on thoughts with some confidence.

I wouldn't Plan to take any of these shelters (even the golite) on a walk where there was No choice but exposed sites, especially more than a night or so. (But, this excludes very few Tassie walks (that ive done at least)) They do however seem to shed snow quite well, which is why I'm interested in four season capabilities. I also use a light weight bivy by default currently one by Mountain Laurel Designs.

This One: http://www.mountainlaureldesigns.com/sh ... ucts_id=30