One person tents

[Franco]

As a general rule , guylines work best at a 90 degree angle to the pole (on the long side) 45 degree at the corners and at around 45 degree (or less) to the ground
Because at the "ideal" spot you may have an obstacle, it is better to have a guyline that is longer than that.
BTW, do remember that you may need to re tension said guyline , so allow for a bit extra for that too.
Franco

[Tony]

The cord Joe from Z-packs supplies (1.25mm spectra cord) is super lightweight, but personally I find it a bit stiff and it doesn't really get grippy enough for me to work really well on slipknots on the guyline. Because the cord is so stiff, it's an effort to get the knots to form properly. At least for me.

Just my experience, but I'm not a huge fan. It's about the width of a piece of dental floss and I just don't see the point in being that ultra, to be honest.

Seriously, any kind of nylon cord is good as long as it's strong, malleable and grippy enough to work on a slipknot. And go for something that doesn't look like the colour of the ground. Otherwise people will forever walk straight into your guylines.

Hi John,

I have found what Joe supplied with my Hexamid adequate, I followed his instructions and it all works well.

But I do have one complaint, the spectra cord does not withstand being walked on by a horse, on a trip a few weeks ago I, when I arrived back into camp from a days fishing I noticed my Hexamid was flapping around a bit, on closer inspection one of the guy ropes was broken, I re-tied the loop on the end of what was left and put the peg back in, I then noticed some horse shoe prints going through our camp, with one print right where one of my guy ropes was, the marks on the ground clearly showed that the horse had horse shoes on it, I suppose I was lucky that my actual tent was walked over. As we where camped in a fairly large grassy area with plenty of room for a horse to walk around my tent and the spectra cord is short, very bright and easily seen, I cannot understand why the rider took his horse so close to my tent, but then again he or she was probably had never seen a tent like it and was checking it out.

Tony

[JohnM]

Tony I'm not surprised... I found the spectra cord pretty stiff (you bend it and it stays in shape) so I'm not hugely surprised that it could actually be broken by a short, sharp force. Maybe it'll soften up with use. The cord worked ok for me, but I think next time I'm going to replace it with more traditional para cord, which just seems to work better with slipknots. Might just be the way I tie them, dunno.

Maybe I just have trust issues with some ultra light gear


Re length of cord... what Franco said. Sometimes you need to go a fair way from your tent to avoid rocks, etc. And why sacrifice the integrity of your tent to save a single gram? It's just not worth it.

[roysta]

The cords on the Hilleberg Soulo are about 1.7m and frankly I'm happy with that, because the cords can be anchored shorter if you want.
However, it allows you the option to anchor further out if needs be.
It's so light anyway, looks to be about 3mm and is super strong.

[Rob A]

Tents are rarely loaded evenly, even if you can find one thats square. Add to that they are rarely put on laser level ground. Guying is just suck it and see, understanding how your tent sits and shapes on any given plot of dirt.
Doesnt hurt to take spares. If its nasty, two guys triangulates and often anchors a fly tie off point or a tent pole in space rather than letting it flap or vibrate about until it dies.
A thirty metre can of 2mm poly Excel Pro or Hi Brite will only set you back ten or fifteen bucks, seen it at seven and a half on special.
Knots? A 'Slide' is only three holes and can be made out of anything from a clothes peg, a bit of the plastic tongue from particle board flooring, even made em out of a bit of carbon fibre sheet that was laying round. And a bowline to attach at the tent takes what ... five seconds? Doesnt have to live there.

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[icemancometh]

Thanks Icemancometh.

Walking in SA will be very different to Tas walking. Less wet weather gear but more water. Less layers but more water. I see a theme happening.
I do have a slightly lighter sleeping bag, -6 degrees, which with a thermal liner was fine in the huts on the OLT in Oct. Ideally I would like lightweight everything but that sort of gear doesn't come cheap. Also use a Thermarest self inflating mat - and not the most compact version !
I have a One Planet Strezlecki women's short 75lt pack. Not the lightest but tough and I never need to have anything hanging off the outside. I am only 5' 2", and this was the best fitting pack I could find at the time, about 5 years ago. And the cost was too high to justify replacing...
I have always walked in Tas with someone else and have shared the load regarding cooking, tent and food. I have never needed to carry more than a litre of water; there are always plenty of opportunities to refill with fresh water. SA is much different, even in winter so I am planning on carring at least 3 litre a day.
I have wet weather gear ranging from a full length gortex coat down to a lightweight rain jacket, overpants, gaiters, etc and thermals too many to count.
We have always been very organised re food and have only ever come home with our emergency rations plus snacks we couldn't fit in.

Ideally I would like to cut back on the sleeping bag and mat weight - there are lots of newer, lighter versions of both availabale but I can't justify buying new gear. I am prepared to still carry around the 15kg mark so will hope the lighter clothes, wet weather gear, food for one, will make allowance for the extra tent and water weight.

I am not a keen warm weather walker and will probably not go anywhere before mid April. But I am really looking forward to some time out and there are so many great places to visit that I can try out by myself at minimal risk for a night or two. Thanks to the cool summer so far it is possible to get out for a few hours early in the morning but full day walks are just not my thing now. Roll on autumn!!

Haha, I agree re not liking walking in warm wx, except for longer daylight hours and the one thing I will happily carry more of is water.
The fourth area to shave weight is your cooking gear. If I go back to the OT outside winter I am most likely to go alcohol stoves now esp as I'll most likely cook in the huts anyway even if I sleep outside. I'd also take a lighter shelter knowing that I could also bivy in the huts if required. I don't cook cook when I'm out there (mainly for tea and noodles) so after some trialling this week I'm ready to take it outside with the stoves.

Also, it's not for everyone but I find a foam mat to be a cheap light bombproof sleeping option.
I've got a -10C 1.4kg short sleeping bag from Canada (not light) that I used in NZ...I just curl up more when it's cold and use as quilt when not and found it quite comfy too...I like short bags and I'm 188cm but I sleep on my side. Sleep gear is probably the first area to be shaved for me. Find it pretty much too warm for everything except sleeping in the car in NZ (it's a *&%$#! cold metal box that is esp when wet) and bought it for bivying down in QT. But with some thinking I think I'm coming up with a better, lighter and more versatile though maybe more expensive sleep system (Rather than bag and liner) to combat the cold.

[wildlight]

Out of the solo Hillebergs, the Soulo seems to be peoples choice. What about the Unna or Akto? I'd just like to know why people seem to be picking the Soulo and not the other - what are the factors that pushed you in your decision.

cheers

I'll try and answer your question for you.

The Akto is a single pole number, not as easily pitched on hard surfaces, because the need to be able to drive anchor pegs into the ground, or tie off the guide ropes is more urgent.

The Unna has a "virtual vestibule" brought into existence by unclipping part of the inner tent once set up. People are reluctant to try something like this at the expense of their hard-earned (sight unseen, mail order) so being creatures of habit, people stick with what they know.

The Soulo gives the impression that it is a more dependable free-stander, and from personal experience, this means more to me than many other things.

Just for the record, we have an entourage of tents, enough to house a circus, and run the event also. The Hilleberg Allak would be our Main Arena- it is gargantuan inside, and I am a 150kg dude, I still find the "stadium like" interior spacious beyond belief. All it lacks is a chandelier. There certainly seems to be room enough for an electricity sub-station in the vestibule to run the chandelier.

Recently we bought an Easton Kilo, and so far have spent 30 nights in it. At a pinch, it will pitch anywhere. It is a free-stander, but in lousy weather, would need to be pegged, or tied off to rocks/heavy dead timber. As for rain-resistance, when we got it, we set it up in our backyard, just before a massive rain event. Our gauge recorded 70mm of rain, there was not one single drop inside the Kilo.

There is one very tiny mod I would make to it, when I get around to doing it, and snap pix of it, I will post. Essentially, a piece of webbing glued to the fly. so the "high end" of the ridge pole "holds" the fly at some defined point, rather than the fly being draped over the pole end, with no retainer. This would make a difference, and still keep the weight of the ensemble under one kilo.

We are really really pleased with this tent, for its intended use. Pls be aware, it is not designed to hold snow. HOWEVER you'd be amazed at how well some of the most unlikely tents will perform in lousy weather, with careful campsite selection.

**added at the request of the wife**

Yes I did read the heading "one person tents". The 2 person Easton Kilo would be great for solo trips, because all your gear could come inside with you. The vestibule in this tent is no pergola- its 4 boots' worth of space and that's about it. A non-rocket burner stove would probably be OK too (maintain safety, ventilation, etc etc).

If every gram is precious, you'll save around 120g by downsizing to the Easton Kilo 1 person model. You'll pay for it by way of a loss of liveability in lousy weather.

Hopefully this post addresses your original question.

Cheers

Safe Steps,

WildLight.

[Summitview]

I can see there have been a few postings on this, so am testing to see if there is still interest in this topic!

I currently have a 600 gram bivy bag and a Moondance 2 tent. I am looking for a one person tent with the following criteria:
- big enough not to get claustophorobic if walking for up to a week
- head room to sit up in (ie probably 100cm at highest point)
- long enough for me (183cm), so probably min of 220cm
- 3 season for NSW/Vic, including the Alps, so windstable and good in rain
- good ventilation so condensation not a serious problem. I think this means 2 skins
- a reasonable floor. I think this means at least 3000mm head.

Price is not a criterion.

After that I want to minimise weight. I am hoping to get close to 1kg.

the tents I have shortlisted are:
Easton Kilo 1 (or possibly 2)p
Nemo Obi 1l elite
Terra Nova Laser Photon 1
MSR Carbon Relflex 1
One Planet Gunyah 1

I have done a fair bit of research on the web, and once in the 1kg zone or under, it seems that the above criteria become shaky, including for those I have shortlisted.

Would really appreciate assessments of these, particularly by those who have used them in Australian conditions.

thanks in anticipation

[Macca81]

You could get a hammock that covers all those criterion except the 3000mm head for the floor... but thats only because of the lack of floor... certaily keeps under the 1kg mark too


probably not what you are after though

[Dale]

Jonathan just to extend your choices I'll suggest a few more

Big Agnes Fly Creek UL 1
Tarptent Stratospire or Notch

I own the Big Agnes which I picked up for the higher floors. It is a traditional double wall although might not make it for space. The Tarptents are new releases. You could even look at the Stratospire 2 which would be huge for one person.

With respect to condensation a two skin shelter helps with condensation as the inner catches drips from the fly and stops you from brushing the outer tent. However a two skin shelter isn't necessarily synonymous with ventilation. When you pick a shelter consider internal venting options and how the tent can be rigged for airflow.

[Wingnut]

Another single person tent coming soon is the Exped Mira 1, interested to see how this tests...

[Kinsayder]

Interesting points about guy lines.

With regards to one person tents, there is a Mountain Hardwear Direkt 2 that is soon-to-be/just released. I think I'll get one later this year, as it looks quite decent (I've been looking for an appropriately light one person alpine tent that would fit two in a pinch). Here's the URL for any interested in the specs http://www.mountainhardwear.com/Direkt% ... lt,pd.html

[stu]

I'd say that MH tent will be single wall at that weight, similar to some of BD's über-Light single walled mountaineering tents; not much good for Tassie walking that's for sure.
hilleberg have 2 new 3 season tents coming out later this year which should be worth a look, one being a basically lighter version of the Nallo 2 at around 1.7 k'S from memory...