What is the best shelter?

Jable500 · Post by **Jable500** » Dec 11 2003 3:48 pm

Hello all

im new to the area and i am wondering what the best option for shelter is for this area. is a sleeping bag and pad enough. or is a bivy sack or tent better. i don't mind sleeping in the dirt but scorpions and myself are not good friends. come to think of it i don't get along with diamondbacks either. just looking for a few suggestions
thanks

mttgilbert · Post by **mttgilbert** » Dec 11 2003 4:12 pm

I've always prefered to use the sky as my shelter. And out here it just makes sense. It doesn't rain often and it hardly ever gets much below 30 degrees so a tent just seems like extra weight.

I usually just use a tarp, a t-rest, and a sleeping bag. the tarp goes down on the ground and is big enough that in the event of rain (rarely) I just fold the other end of the tarp over me. I've never had a problem with scorpions, spiders or snakes. The biggest problem I've had has been with ants (and they always seem to find a way into a tent anyway...).

chihiggs · Post by **chihiggs** » Dec 11 2003 4:38 pm

I am with Matt on this one.... I do not use a tent or tarp. I folded a sheet in half; sewed three sides for a "summer bag" and use a sleeping bag off summer. However I do like a pad if I feel like strapping it on my pack. Never worry about the critters though....I know they are there but figure it's more of a statistical thing to actually have a problem so, considering I've trashed myself elsewhere, I figure I am statistically safe from the critters. Skunks scare me more than the poisonous things anyway. :roll:

AZBrad123 · Post by **AZBrad123** » Dec 11 2003 5:11 pm

Yeah, i prefer a tent myself. Only because i sleep light and i don't like gnats and such. I have spent many a night without a tent and never a mishap.

I would not worry about the critters though. I have lived here my whole life and the only time i know of anyone getting bit is when they either stepped on a scorpion, or antagonized the snake. Never innocently sleeping.

Besides my preference there really is no need for a tent.

ADGibson · Post by **ADGibson** » Dec 11 2003 6:21 pm

I do prefer a tent. I have the worst luck when I backpack though. I gaurantee that anytime I go I will get rained on no matter what the forecast is. My buddies and I got caught in a terrible storm on the Black River. I slept dry and warm, my buddies had a horrible night with their tarps and ponchos. I kinda felt bad for them.

Abe · Post by **Abe** » Dec 11 2003 9:07 pm

I use a tent now. Its cozy, snug, and a creature comfort that I have grown accustom to at my age. In my younger days I slept outdoors quite a bit, every once in a while just laying on the ground with what I had on just to catnap for a couple of hours at night.

Jable500 · Post by **Jable500** » Dec 12 2003 1:38 am

In response to Abe's reply:

thanks everyone i appreciate your imput. maybe one day the scorpions and myself can put aside our diffrences and live peacefully together

bryan

Jable500 · Post by **Jable500** » Dec 12 2003 1:43 am

input: never was much of a speller

hegstrom · Post by **hegstrom** » Dec 12 2003 7:59 am

My philosophy on spelling is that if you can only spell a word one way you are showing a decided lack of imagination

Of course when I was a kid my teachers never bought into that :roll:

Fortunately for this subject, and forum, I don't believe that spelling is all that important any way (Joe - thx for the spell checker).

pfredricks · Post by **pfredricks** » Dec 12 2003 8:05 am

Hegstrom-
took 3 readings of your tagline to figure the 10 out. (No coffee yet)
I was like --what? OH, DUH! That is Hilarious!

Jable-
Seems to me this is one of those million dollar questions.

It boils down to personal preference, i think
Are you willing to carry 4-5 pounds to ensure that you will be dry and out of the wind?
I wont take a tent if I am going out for a day or two at most and am SURE that the weather wont take a dive. Anymore than a day or two the forcasts get to be pretty inaccurate here.

hegstrom · Post by **hegstrom** » Dec 12 2003 9:16 am

pfredricks -

You're the 1st to comment ... glad to hear it accomplished it's task ... momentary thought and then a grin

te_wa · Post by **te_wa** » Dec 12 2003 1:23 pm

Seems to me that by "this area" you are referring to the Lower Basin and Range sections of the State. Matt is right, it rarely dips below 30 in this part of the desert, and a tent is definately optional. My latest thing is using a hammock for warm weather camping. As long as you have two trees or boulders, etc... try parachute nylon hammocks, mine is under a pound, packs real small (think Nalgene bottle) Or, you can opt for a "jungle hammock, that has a built in canopy and bug netting. Overall, my hammock is my favorite leisure item, far better than laying on a tarp. Trust me guys/gals, you HAVE to try one!! Youll thank me later!

p.s. Hammocks have no insulating properties, and a sleep pad just doesnt work right.

jeremy77777 · Post by **jeremy77777** » Dec 13 2003 2:08 am

In response to mikeinFHAZ's reply:

I couldn't agree more. A jungle hammock is the way to go if you're going to be by trees. The real question is, do you mind being wide open and vunerable to anything? If you don't mind, then a sleeping bag on a pad under the stars is the way to go. If you're scared of whats out there in the night, I suggest a tent. If camping out of your car, get one as big as you like. If backpacking, I suggest a lightweight-the smaller the better-tent. My personal favorite is a jungle hammock inside a tube tent!

te_wa · Post by **te_wa** » Dec 13 2003 9:13 am

also, since the area is warmer and drier than that of high altitude, you might consider "mesh house" style tents. They keep rattlers at bay, not that I have ever seen one in camp in the 26 years Ive lived here, but I did see a 3 ft black rattler at the See Canyon Spring area one November. Very rare, I might add. Anyway, back to tents!

check out these very light and roomy shelters:

North Face Mountain Marathon 3 lbs. $199
Big Agnes Seedhouse 4 lbs 2oz $199
Cabela's XPG solo 3lbs 10oz $100
MSR Zoid 1 2lbs 14oz $180
Mountain Hardwear Waypoint 1 2lbs $195

These tents offer the upmost quality and all have had fantastic reviews that I have personally chomped at for hours. All the weights listed are tent, fly , pole(s) and stakes. Leave the fly at home and youre talking about 1-2.5 lbs, I personally own the Big Agnes Madhouse, and find it to be well worth $300 but a little out of this weight class. GOod LuCk!!

ajcanable · Post by **ajcanable** » Dec 13 2003 9:54 am

jeremy77777 wrote:In response to mikeinFHAZ's reply:

If you're scared of whats out there in the night, I suggest a tent.

It might not be so much your scared what's out there it might be scared of what they would see. If you were'nt careful you could find yourself in violation of ARS 13-1403!

Sredfield · Post by **Sredfield** » Dec 13 2003 12:44 pm

I used a Kelty Zen for several years, no complaints, but the urge to reduce weight hit me and I went for a Mt Hardware PCT one person. No complaints at all with that either.

I tried sleeping w/o a tent, and find I prefer my own little bubble of space. Bugs, wind, rain, etc. all convince me to carry the tent.

te_wa · Post by **te_wa** » Jan 28 2004 4:42 pm

alas, another old post revived!
to answer the original question, check this out:

according to Backpacker magazine Gear Guide 2004, the testers have added these 2 tents to the "best of" list

best solo tent, Big Agnes Seedhouse

best 2 person tent, Big Agnes Madhouse

BAM!! I told you so...

I think the Madhouse is the best tent Ive ever owned.
others: Eureka Ranier 2, Kelty cricket 2, Peak 1 -, Sierra designs Alpha, North face Peregrine, Walrus (pre-MSR)

Shi · Post by **Shi** » Jan 28 2004 5:37 pm

In response to mikeinFHAZ's reply: I have the Eureka Zeus Exo Tent, it's on sale at campmore right now, http://www.campmor.com/webapp/commerce/ ... r=20699054
I have halfed my tent weight and I feel like I've doubled the size of the tent. It feels huge to me. It's 3 pounds 6 oz. My bivy is around 1 pound, so I alternate depending on where I'm going, how long I'm going and how much privacy I need/want when I'm gone. Mary

big_load · Post by **big_load** » Jan 28 2004 7:16 pm

I'm really attached to my Sierra Designs Light Year CD. It hasn't suffered a major downpour yet, but it holds up great under high winds (the kind that make you worry about flying debris). It has also survived a modest ice storm. However, I wouldn't expect it to do well under more than 8-10 inches of new wet snow.

Someday maybe I'll convert to ultralight, but I like to keep out the bugs and the driving rain. I also cling to the illusion that scary monsters big enough to eat me are fully deterred by a few mils of nylon.

Lizard · Post by **Lizard** » Jan 29 2004 8:35 am

I use a tarptent squall most of the time

http://www.tarptent.com/products.html

I find the roominess, weight, and breathability of a tarp to be preferable to that of a tent. With a cantenary cut and netting, a tarp will stand up to most weather and bugs just fine.

I also have used the following tents/shelters at various times:
REI Sololite-great, but out of production
Sierra Designs Clip Flashlight-too heavy for one person, too small for two
Eureka Solitaire-flimsy and too small for the weight

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