Picked up an Alpine Basin from Jimmy to round out my shelter arsenal. There are like 2 threads online that discuss the Alpine Basin, so I went back and forth between it, the La Garita from Bearpaw Wilderness Designs, and the Kifaru Megatarp.
EXCELLENT decision so far. I ask a lot of my gear and fully expect this shelter to take me through hell and back.
Hopefully this thread will help some of you get a better idea of what kind of shelter this is. I'll update the thread as the fall progresses and I put the tarp through it's paces. If you have any specific questions or things you'd like to see, let me know.
First.. some pics, then my initial pros/cons.
Cimarron on the left. Alpine Basin on the right...tiny.
Pitched about 6 inches off the ground.
7 feet wide at the front.
The gf for scale. She's a hair under 5'9".
Easily fits 2.
Pros:
- Jimmy is the man, he is a hunter and fisherman and proud of it. Dealing with him was too easy. I like doing business with good people.
-price. $329 for what's basically a silnylon version of the first generation Mega Tarp.
-weight, 20oz with included guylines AND stovejack which is standard (my cimarron is about 40 oz without guylines)
-integrated stuff sack. Just like a puffy jacket. Great feature.
- the cut is rock solid. I was apprehensive at first based on the pics online but this thing is roomy and does really well in the wind if you pitch the sides facing into the wind. I can lay sideways by the front door with room to spare and I'm 6'3ish.
Potential Cons:
- the shelter takes 20 stakes to be fully guyed out. I was using 14 in the pics above. My guess is that under typical conditions, you would be just fine with 8-10. Not a big deal to me.
- sloppy sewing. I personally don't care how straight a hand-sewn seam is but I know some guys do. In no way do the 2 or 3 less than perfect spots affect the function of the shelter. I think they add character haha.
- flat front/back. This is the only one that I personally would change. A pointed vestibule on each end would make this shelter just about the greatest thing since sliced bread. More space for gear and better profile for windy conditions.
My initial score for the shelter is 8.5/10.
Well that's it for now, I'll keep you guys posted!
Sent from my SM-N910P using Tapatalk
EXCELLENT decision so far. I ask a lot of my gear and fully expect this shelter to take me through hell and back.
Hopefully this thread will help some of you get a better idea of what kind of shelter this is. I'll update the thread as the fall progresses and I put the tarp through it's paces. If you have any specific questions or things you'd like to see, let me know.
First.. some pics, then my initial pros/cons.
Cimarron on the left. Alpine Basin on the right...tiny.
Pitched about 6 inches off the ground.
7 feet wide at the front.
The gf for scale. She's a hair under 5'9".
Easily fits 2.
Pros:
- Jimmy is the man, he is a hunter and fisherman and proud of it. Dealing with him was too easy. I like doing business with good people.
-price. $329 for what's basically a silnylon version of the first generation Mega Tarp.
-weight, 20oz with included guylines AND stovejack which is standard (my cimarron is about 40 oz without guylines)
-integrated stuff sack. Just like a puffy jacket. Great feature.
- the cut is rock solid. I was apprehensive at first based on the pics online but this thing is roomy and does really well in the wind if you pitch the sides facing into the wind. I can lay sideways by the front door with room to spare and I'm 6'3ish.
Potential Cons:
- the shelter takes 20 stakes to be fully guyed out. I was using 14 in the pics above. My guess is that under typical conditions, you would be just fine with 8-10. Not a big deal to me.
- sloppy sewing. I personally don't care how straight a hand-sewn seam is but I know some guys do. In no way do the 2 or 3 less than perfect spots affect the function of the shelter. I think they add character haha.
- flat front/back. This is the only one that I personally would change. A pointed vestibule on each end would make this shelter just about the greatest thing since sliced bread. More space for gear and better profile for windy conditions.
My initial score for the shelter is 8.5/10.
Well that's it for now, I'll keep you guys posted!
Sent from my SM-N910P using Tapatalk
Last edited:
