Am I missing something here? UL tents. Calling Franco!

[GPSGuided]

T7 have the Marmot Carbide with footprint for $250 but it it is a bit heavier-
https://www.torpedo7.com.au/products/5M ... -footprint

Single side entry and single vestibule.

[icefest]

Have you considered making your own tarp from silnylon? If you add a decent beak and shape it a bit, you can get a decent shelter for all non-snow weather.

It's cheap, light and there's nothing quite like seeing 360 degrees of sunrise when your cuddled up in bed (and it's dryer than a bivvy in the rain).

[Moondog55]

Why not buy S/H?
I am always cruising ebay and Gumtree
Here's a good one
The Caddis is a Classic and the MD one was one of the better made of all the clones

http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/daylesfo ... 1076778688

[Alittleruff]

Icefest & Moondog.... I hope I won't be bothering about second hand or making my own.

I did go through the options. Second hand, was a little tricky, you could go quite heavy that way.... and then we would end up car camping... and so we may as well take our camper trailer loaded up with our goodies already.

I had considered making my own, but I'm not really up to the technology of fabrics, and my sewing machine and I are not good friends. It chews bobbins, it hates thin fabric, it isn't keen on thick fabric either. So I'll give it a miss. I'll stick to smaller projects like pillows that I can sew at night by hand without little fingers in the way, and kids clambering to use the machine 'like a race car pedal'.

I'm now the owner of a Kathmandu Larsen, and have a Big Anges Copper Spur 3 on the way. That should deck out my 5 in my family. For the weight of 3.5kg, so much less than 1kg per person.

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE the bivvy I used on the weekend! The zips catched. But it was warm, gortex, kind of thick. Low to the ground. Really well suited to Alpine conditions. The tent section was off my head & I was comfortable. $100. 1 person. 1.3kg. So not light! And it didn't rain. If I was in the company of men/women & children, school camp, well, maybe I would have been after a little more privacy. If it was raining, maybe I'd get the inside a bit wet. Yes, I probably would have. Anyway, it was the Dutch Bivvy from Aussie Disposals, who my lovely store manager Steve sold to me.

[Alittleruff]

Oh, I did think of using my space blanket as a shelter too.... $2.50. Cheap as. Has provided loads of amusement at our place. Also thought that if you made a space blanket into a sleeve you could use it to further insulate a sleeping bag. Or because still air offers one of the best insulators, maybe a sleeping mat that is made in a tube formation, or tape two together with duct tape, add a fleece liner..... sleep system, done! Bizzare thoughts.

Yep..... or bubble wrap. Could supply endless entertainment on cold nights while rolling over. Oh gosh... too funny. Hey..... bivvy bag made from bubble wrap + fleece liner with an air hole for breathing = sleep system + shelter.... ok, more like a body bag. When you pack up, pack up into the bag, add some straps to carry it as a back pack and off you go.

I should use my time more wisely.

[icefest]

There are slightly thicker space blankets that are used by some people as groundsheets. The problem with using it as a tube is that the non-permable nature of it will result in condensation on the inside, wetting your insulation. You could easily use it in your bag though - just make sure your clothes will not get uncomfortable when wet.

[Alittleruff]

I think Kathmandu have already a thermal sleeping bag made from a space blanket on the market.
http://www.kathmandu.com.au/accessories ... ilver.html

Also check out this- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQOZQ_tJqWw

Garbage bag style!

[sim1oz]

@alittleruff, getting out there is the main thing so I'm sure you will find whatever you ended up getting does the job. Many people end up critiquing their gear and some people eventually modify it because there are some aspects that don't quite work for them.

When we bought the Tarptents our kids were 5, 7, 12, and 14. The Hogback fits four but not much room for gear internally, and the Double Rainbow fits two. Five years later we have never gone on a packwalk with all of them though sometimes we have taken both tents. We have had different configurations, with 3 or 4 in the Hogback, or one adult in each tent with 1-2 children. Sometimes an older child prefers to have a tent to themself and we share with the young ones. Sometimes we take the Hogback for the two of us and it is like a palace. Since my hubby carries the tent (when we only take one) who am I to complain if he would rather carry the more spacious, but heavier, tent?

Over time, through trial and error, you'll find out what works for your family. Moondog and others' suggestion of a tarp is a good idea. It can provide rain cover and shade for cooking and eating, and provide extra shelter over a tent or between two tents.