Damn Henry Shires to He11!!!

“I have the cloudburst and like it. Very roomy and nice vestibule.”

“by wet Earth...what do you mean?”

“not soaked, but getting close.

In Masten a couple of weeks ago, we had a torrential downpour. I mean, heavy heavy rain and the moisture was starting to bleed through the tent lining and the lining of my sleeping bag was getting wet, as well as my gear and I had laid out along side of me. Unfortunately, I was too drunk and passed out at the time to care.. But, fernow on, if heavy rains a gonna fall, I am taking another shelter.. otherwise, I love the Henry Shire.”

“Bivy bag for me, or under the stars :)”

“under the walnut tree”

“I have the Virga, Virga2 and Contrail, the Virga being the smallest. On my thru hike, I always kept my pack in the tent (Virga). Not a lot of extra room, but all I wanted to do was sleep.”

“HPM hasn't had any moisture problems with his tarptent yet. That boy can pitch a tent and stay dry in a biblical flood. He keeps his pack in the tent with him; food goes elsewhere.”

“Normally my food pack is carried inside my pack. I figure that the food pack gives off odors, some of which the pack will absorb. Since bears can detect very faint odors, they can detect the secondary odors emitted by my backpack. Since I don't want a bear in my tent or under the tarp with me, I hang my pack.

Once a bear did sneak in and trespass under my tarp to check out my bedroll, which was within 20-feet of me. I tried to chase it away, but the bear paid no attention to me. Finally, it walked out from under the tarp with my pillow. My pillow was a plastic, trash bag containing some clean clothes. The bear set it down, took a few sniffs, left it and slowly walked away.

Had my backpack been under the tarp, the bear probably would have taken it into the woods and opened it! They have learned to associate backpacks with food.

Fortunately, GSMNP provides cable hangers, which are strong enough to hold numerous backpacks. My backpack was hung at the time of this incident. Usually, I cover my pack with a plastic bag to keep it dry.

Besides food, first aid packages, medicines, tapes and vitamins can emit attractive odors. So, if any of these are or have been in a backpack, it can be dangeous to keep the backpack in a tent, under a tarp or under one's head while resting beneath the stars. I have known about a bear that entered a tent at Deep Creek Campground, that contained nothing except an empty, plastic bottle of vitamin pills. The bear opened the jar for inspection.”

“Two people will not have room for much gear if any.

Tarp tents will keep you dry provided that you have a decent spot to pitch in the first place, you keep the tail into the wind and you don't mind hopping out to make adjustments as necessary.

Me being tall, it kinda sucks to get in and out of at times.

The worst I've ever gotten was damp from misting through the mesh and occaisionally some condensation.
last edited: 11/14/06 7:09:27 AM”

“HMM..thanks guys....still considering it. I am a big TARP fan, as for getting wet. I have been through a weekend of biblical (think Noah) rains with the Walrus Trekker Tarp (now MSR has..."improved them"). I was the only person who woke up DRY in Sunday morning. Made a cup of coffee (no floors and lots of room translates to positives) packed everything, put on my rain gear, took down the tarp...STILL toasty dry and warm....then I did it. I decided my Tilly hat was getting too damp so I decided to put my hood up....

Does anyone here know how much water the average Rainjacket hood can hold?”

“enough to make ramen”

“for at boyscout troop”

“ENS, you sure you weren't just getting condensation on the inside? Every time I've ever camped next to water I've had a bad condensation problem, including this past weekend one of the two nights. Everything inside my tent was soaked even though the outside of the tent was dry. When its raining the humidity is just as high...

edit: I have the Squall. Pack is always in the vestibule. Get the floor.
last edited: 11/14/06 8:36:44 AM”

“I have a condensation problem with my Six Moon Europa. I find that the rain doesn't come through the fabric, what happens is that it hits the outside and the condensation then splatters on the inside.

I found that taking a bandana and swiping the ceiling a couple of times during the night cured most of that.”

“Heck condensation has always been part of a single wall tent...LOL. nothing better on cold morning than accidentally touching the inside of the tent with your back...say right out of the sleeping bag?

Better than a cup of coffee.”

“I have a tarptent and just use some painters cloth for the floor. I stick my pack and other gear at the foot of the tarp and there seems to be room for everything. I'm 5'-10" and medium build. I've only used it with 2 folks a few times and still had enough room.”

“What type you got Day?”

“Self made based on his original design.”

“I have a 12" X 12" chamois cloth (like thick felt) and the condensation on the inside of the tent soaked it until it was dripping at the end of my wipe-down. That's a lot of water.”

“I've never had mine drip on me. I usually just shake it out when breaking camp. It just hasn't been a big issue for me and where I hike. If I was in really cold conditions I might feel differently.”

“I have found that freezing temps mean your tent gets wet. On the recent Red Mountain Basin loop, we waited each morning for the sun to hit so we could dry out the Cloudburst. I'd give it a vigorous shake to get most of the moisture off of the roof on the interior and exterior and then let it sit in the sun. It was totally dry in 20-30 mins, depending on the amt of wind.

Also, this tent is looooong. During a storm, we just put all of gear at the foot of the tent to ensure it would stay dry. Mostly though, we crammed it into the vestibule. It was a little tight getting in and out but worked out fine. We also cooked under the vestibule during the storm which was a little sketchy with the alcohol stove, but worked out fine.”

“I have a Six Moons Design Lunar Solo and have never had any real issues.

On a trip to Savage Gulf at the beginning of the year, I had some frost develop inside but it was slight.

The tent has survived a close call with a tornado touch down that brought buckets of rainfall and big time winds. I have never had a drop of rain get in...period.”

“Got a link for six moons? Would be interested in checking out the inventory...”

“I've got the floor in mine and wouldn't do without it. I can get the pack in mine too, but it sits under the bottom portion of my sleepy bag under my feet (i use a 3/4 length pad), but I only do that when I'm concerned about critters chewing on the straps for salt or what not. otherwise, i put the pack cover on and strap it to a small tree.”

“My 6Moon Europa is big enough for one and all the gear or two. I am 6'4" and I have plenty room in it.”

“Here ya go Rosey

http://www.sixmoondesigns.com/”

“i like the wickedlite gatewood cape. that is pretty cool”

“it could have been condensation, but if it was, it was an insane extreme amount of condensation. I always do get condensation in the shire though.”

“I am diggin the new pack Ron has coming out in quarter 1 of 07.”

“ENS, sure you didn't pass out OUTSIDE before getting into the tent??

hehehehehe ;-P”

“Good one lizs!”

“Thanks, WK.

I see a drawback to the cape tho: if its pouring rain, you're in the shelter but need to go outside.
last edited: 11/14/06 1:31:44 PM”

“or

its pouring rain, youre wearing it, but you need to set up the shelter”

“Or you are wearing the cape and want to get out of it...and there aren't any phone booths around....How did Superman do that part?

Of course if Wonder Woman had been allowed to tear out of her clothes like the HULK...she would have had the highest ratings in history.”