Help me make a tent decision

“Should I take the tent or just the footprint and fly?

Complete set up- 5.5 lbs
Footprint and Fly, no tent 3.0 lbs

Could be mountain rains. Night temps in the 30's, bugs shouldn't be a problem.”

“Tent, all the way. There can be winds that come with those rains. And if the storm doesn't turn up, or the wind is calm, pass on the tent and sleep under the stars.

I might have a different opinion if it was an overnighter.”

“Two nighter.”

“It looks like my pack will be 43 lbs without tent, 45.5 or so with tent.”

“The fly on that tent goes pretty low, from what I recall. Plus the footprint is really well made.

Still, I've done the tarp thing in a storm and I've slept under the stars on top of several feet of snow. The security of a full tent is nice. And preferable even at the hint of a storm.

I'm a stickler for safety.”

“You're not going so far, though.

Maybe, leave your stake sack and stuff sack behind? Seems lame, I know.

I saw your message post on the trip. Wish I could join you. Sounds like fun.”

“I'd go with the extra 2.5 pounds. Been in some nasty storms and the walls were a bit of comfort.”

“Yeah, the walls are what I miss in a storm. Horizontal rain and gully washers.”

“5stuff sacks are now out-from down jacket, tent, stake bag, tent pole bag, cook kit bag. Found three tent stakes I don't need.

I've got an internal frame pack with sleeping bag compartment and large main compartment. Need couple stuff sacks to keep food and rain/layered clothing together.

42 lbs. without tent.

polar pure or Pur Scout (1 lb)?
waters very cold, lots of it.”

“The PUR Scout is mighty big. I've got the Hiker and take that.

Polar pure and a water bag with a plan to boil before bed would sound good to me with a pack at 42lbs.

Polar Pure good for crypto?”

“We'll probably be camping in an area of Engelmann Spruce, so there will be some protection.

”

“It is effective against Giardia and other waterborne pathogens, but does not definitely kill Cryptosporidium. Use with filter for complete decontamination! from an catalog.”

“a catalog, that is.”

“Hmmm.. motherhood is kicking in again.

I'd take the filter.”

“the question i would ask myself would be how would i most enjoy the storm/wind/horizontal rain experience IF it were to occur........

while i was out of a cold, wet wind and snugged up in a dry bag in a dry tent?

or distracted from the beauty of it by the thoughts of myself or my bed or both getting damp or wet and cold in the fly/footprint set up?”

“That's actually funny, om. Last time I was out it was coming down so hard while I pitched my tent that I had to mop out the inside of my tent by the time I got it up.

I think I'll take the tent. Its only 2.5 lbs and I need to make sure I'm not too fast for my partner. He claims slowness from many years of smoking in his younger days and his elder status. What I really need is a lighter backpack, but I don't want to buy anything else.”

“a lighter tent would also be nice, but don't want to buy another one of those either.”

“Signing out for the night. Thanks for the feed back.”

“I would take the tent. Its worth the weight if the weather changes.

Maybe there's things you can take out of your pack? Like Tekdude mentioned, I got rid of a lot of stuff sacks, and replaced it with the Equinox bags: one for clothes and one for my sleeping bag, and a couple of small ones to separate food. I have a pack rain cover that weighs ~3 oz so if it rains my stuff stays dry. I have the SnowPeak Ti stove, and carry it inside the cooking pot. Saves a few oz by not carrying the plastic container that holds the stove. I think the bags and containers that hold things add weight to the pack. Repackage your food in baggies. There's a lot of extra weight in the wrappers that some food comes in. Like Mtnhouse dinners. All you need is the foil outer bag, and put the frz dried in a freezer bag. The packaging it comes in is bulky and heavy. Sorry, I'll stop here. :-)”

“Better to be safe, than to be sorry!”

“Just an observation; if GLUTEUSMAXIMUS or some other troll initiated this thread, we'd all make making smartass remarks. Pathman, you're as experienced as anyone on this board; you already know the answers to your questions. What's the point? (or have I just become TOO cynical?)”

“father Gee you big meanie! pathdewd, we got so hammered up there on that mountain in WY, i can't imagine that storm wifout a tent. i was thankin da Lord for them walls, ,and so were my boys & buckshot, lol. and mine was 7.9 lbs(3 person eurika apex). if you don't need it, then you'll be happy u had good weather.



30's!?!?!? GIMINY CHRISTMAS!”

“Waaaaaaa-aaaa!!! Stratdewd called me a meanie!!!! Waaaaaaa-aaaaaa.”

“I'm glad Pathman posted this. I told him I was showing up with a tarp & no tent. We'll see what he brings and compare pack weights. On my last trip to the mountains I carried a 3-person tent for me & the kids, so I'm looking forward to a chance to sleep under a tarp.”

“Hearing opinions always helps me make decisions. I have always used a tent before and wondered what some of the pros and cons were.

I'll be ready for the worst possible conditions.


Also, predicting heavy t-storms in Sante Fe.”

“40+ pounds sounds pretty heavy for a two nighter. You should be able to get t0 15 lbs less very easily - even with a 7 pound pack and full tent.

Post your gear list and let us shred those pounds!”

“"I'll be ready for the worst possible conditions."
Pathman
07:21:50 AM
09/13/02

You've answered your own questions...”

“After listening to a couple of people.”

“Really, Pathman, I'm not trying to be an A-hole (although some folks tell me it comes naturally) but it seems to me you would have figured this kind of stuff out long ago...you ain't no rookie...”

“I'm pretty happy with the 40 lbs. I've got at most 8 miles then I shed 30 lbs of it.”

“Eat your way to a lighter pack...”

“clip flashlight cd 5.5

fly and footprint without tent 3.0

down jacket 1.5

pack 7.5
bag 2.5
pack fly 0.5
food 5.0
with condiments
camera 2.5
extra clothing +20/rain/snow 6.6
water purif 1.0

cookset .5 (Ti cup, one quart pan, cover, small spoon, salt pepper)

whisperlite and small fuel bottle-full-got distracted topping off fuel and forgot to weight, I think it was 1-1.5
total kitchen 9.5
thermarest le 72 2.5
with chair 3.5”

“I leave in one hour.”

“Well, I'm glad to see that you're taking condiments..safe backpacking, LOL!”

“Take the tent and lighten the kitchen if you want to reduce weight or take it all if the weight don't bother you.”

“that doesn't add up.......where's all dat weight? father gee.......did you put rocks in his pack again?”

“Nah, I think Violin $hit in it...”

“see how he is?”

“That wasn't meant to add up. It doesn't include "10 essentials"

bye,bye”

“Have a good trip, Path...be safe.”

“Halfway measures never work well. Either take the whole tent or go with a lighter solution like a bivy and siltarp.”

“take all the gear...be safe...poop more.”

“What's wrong with 40 lbs?”

“nothing if ya reallly like them....


"I lost 200 lbs of ugly fat!.... When she walked out the door!" - irene goodnight”

“Nothing Mozark, nothing. Especially if you've got a 4 lb marinated roast to spit over the fire :)”

“Gees Rosey, I'd carry in some charcoal to go with that marinated roast.

Pathman - I go through my gear every trip trying to optimize what I carry to reduce weight and still have a safe and fun trip.


Howdy to Tex & Jerbear!

Moz”

“Nothing is wrong with 40 lbs if you are happy with it Mozark.. but if you are thinking about shedding the tent (presumably to save weight), then there ought to be alternative places to cut weight in a 40 lb. two day pack.

If the kitchen weighs 9.5 pounds, there must be something to cut there.”

“As long as you can carry it, without b*tching about it the whole trip, it's all good.”

“20............................NOT!!!”

“. . . too late .. . .he's gone and done it . ..”