floor vs. floorless?

[dirtytough]

I have used a tarp more then once, and it seems like as soon as the bugs fly under the tarp they fly along the top. They don't land on me. Might sound weird but after the first time I've never worried about flying bugs.

 

[earlyriser]

So possible names would be seekoutside, bear paw and.....? Thanks again for the info!

 

[Jeff Martin]

So possible names would be seekoutside, bear paw and.....? Thanks again for the info!

Mountain Laurel Designs is another one.

 

[lee peet]

Ive got a tarp that ive used a few times but mega condensation, ill stick with my hilleberg. Wouldnt recommend floorless in wet climates.

 

[_Nick_]

I've got an MLD Duomid that I really like. I hunt mostly in the desert, so I'm not too worried about the bugs, but I use a lightweight Borah bivy as well to keep the occasional mosquito (what are they doing in the desert!?) and drafts out of my quilt.

That said, since you mention that you're in NM. The only downside of floorless that I've found is in a dust storm. Sand/dust gets whipped under the edge of the tarp, even if I pitch it taught all the way to the ground. A substantial bathtub floor on a tent might help this. But I guess it'd be pretty hard to keep the dust completely out regardless.

It sucks to wake up to a pile of dirt on your face. I've taken to wearing a neck gaiter over my face as a dust mask, but I'm sure the dust isn't doing wonders for my lungs.

I haven't found condensation to be any issue. As long as I choose the site well, I also haven't had any issue with excess water running through.

 

[luke moffat]

To say either a floored or floorless are superior to the other is wrong in both cases.

IME, both have situation they excel over the other. If I could only choose one type of shelter to have for ALL my needs a Hilleberg 4 season tent would be my choice. But I don't live in that world so have multiple floored and floorless shelters to cover a wide range situations based on my needs.

 

[Ross]

once I went floorless I wont go back for this neck of the woods, it is just so lite and using trekking poles makes it even better.....for one the super is great anything more I would want the mega..

 

[Justin Crossley]

Ive got a tarp that ive used a few times but mega condensation, ill stick with my hilleberg. Wouldnt recommend floorless in wet climates.

Interesting. I've had the opposite experience with tarp shelters myself. I'm not saying anything bad about the Hilleberg. If I know I'm going to be in the nastiest weather, that's what I'm using. But with that said, I have used a few different types of tarp shelters in some really nasty and wet weather and condensation has not been an issue for me. Tarps have so much venting that I think they are the best option for wet weather if you are going with a single wall shelter.

 

[ChadS]

I have a tarptent. It has a removable nest, if I want it I bring it. If I dont want it I leave it and go floorless.

 

[unm1136]

I just spent a week in the woods in my Megatarp. There was a lot of condensation, which I got rid of during the day by opening both ends and allowing the breeze through. I did not have a stove, and the temps were in the upper 20s. A stove would have driven a lot of the condensation off. The ground I was camped on was super saturated. Not tracking in mud was a plus, because it was muddy. One night I got 9 straight hours of sleet, and I whipped out my trowel and dug a cat hole inside my floorless shelter, and was able to not go out in the wind and sleet to relieve myself. I prefer a hammock for most instances, and have used my megatarp over the hammock. Not ideal, but it worked OK, but when I am on the ground I like the megatarp.

pat

 

[mtnclimber]

Couple of reasons why I'm not a fan of floor less.

1. I hunt in glaciated areas where many times the only option is to make camp ON the glacier. many times will have running water beneath my tent.

2. Bugs. What do you floor less guys do when the mosquitos are thick? doesn't seem like there are many options there.

 

[dotman]

Couple of reasons why I'm not a fan of floor less.

1. I hunt in glaciated areas where many times the only option is to make camp ON the glacier. many times will have running water beneath my tent.

2. Bugs. What do you floor less guys do when the mosquitos are thick? doesn't seem like there are many options there.

Bugs really haven't been an issue but I do have a bug bivy although it is more to protect my pad & quilt but not have any condensation issues that a full bivy creates.

 

[luke moffat]

Couple of reasons why I'm not a fan of floor less.

1. I hunt in glaciated areas where many times the only option is to make camp ON the glacier. many times will have running water beneath my tent.

2. Bugs. What do you floor less guys do when the mosquitos are thick? doesn't seem like there are many options there.

Yup of you mainly camp on glaciers then floorless isn't likely a good option. I have yet to camp on one so that isn't a real concern for me atleast. How many nights a year do you camp on a glacier vs actually camping on tundra? Might be worah the extra space and weight savings on trips if you do some that don't require glacier camping.

As for bugs the sl-5 with a 2 person best has been a 3.5 pound 90 sq ft I
Oasis out of the wind and rain and while not many bugs go under the floorless shelter for just hanging out compared to outside the shelter the best eliminates all bugs

 

[earlyriser]

Thanks again gents! I should probably mention that sandy dirt( as nick stated ), scorpions and snakes would also rank high on the list of concerns! I will more than likely take the plunge on a floorless and just deal with whatever happens to crawl in

 

[mtnclimber]

ill agree there are some trips that glacier campsites aren't probable.

Im on glaciers every sheep hunt i go on, so the possibility of having to stay the night on one is fairly high. I had to stay on one for 5 days on one trip.
these are the only hunts where weight is of the upmost concern.

BUT, i can go floor less in my nallo 3. which shaves 2lbs off if i remember correctly.

Whats the weight of some peoples 3 man floor less tents?

 

[luke moffat]

ill agree there are some trips that glacier campsites aren't probable.

Im on glaciers every sheep hunt i go on, so the possibility of having to stay the night on one is fairly high. I had to stay on one for 5 days on one trip.
these are the only hunts where weight is of the upmost concern.

BUT, i can go floor less in my nallo 3. which shaves 2lbs off if i remember correctly.

Whats the weight of some peoples 3 man floor less tents?

If your main trip for backpacking every year is a sheep hunt with glacier pitches then doesn't make sense at all.

A hilleberg is tough to beat in many respects certainly.

Like I said Becca and I used an SL-5 with a nest that came in at 3.5 pounds with 20 stakes included. My Jannu with 3 poles, fly, and stakes and no inner tent is roughly 5 pounds even for a much smaller space that weighs approx 50% more. But the Hilleberg will of course be much stouter. It all comes down to personal uses, but more often than not I find me reaching for my floorless shelters for most of my trips, but there are occasions where I will sacrifice the extra space and the weight savings and haul the Hille along when I feel its justified.

 

[mtnclimber]

I weighed my nallo 3 without the inner tent and it came to 3lbs 9oz Not bad!

i thought of getting the fibraplex poles to lighten it up a bit but from what i hear they aren't as strong as the original aluminum ones so i don't think I'm willing to sacrifice any strength there. I think i could get it under 3lbs by replacing metal rings with cord and using 1.5mm or 1.8mm guy lines instead of the 2mm ones provided.

But i won't have the head room you got in that sl5!

 

[luke moffat]

WOW that is very impressive!! The fly on the Jannu alone is 48 oz, the 3 poles come in at 24 oz, and the stakes are 8 oz. Hard to believe that the Nallo fly, poles, and stakes all come in at just a half pound more than the Jannu fly espeically since the Jannu is a smaller tent. Granted the Nallo 3 (non GT has only 2 poles which should be 16 oz total roughly for 2 poles. Very interesting for sure.

Yeah you won't have the head room and roughly about half the covered space as well. Like I said in my first post, neither a floored tent or a non-floored tent are the end all be all. Both have areas that one excels much better than the other.

 

[mtnclimber]

not to mention an sl5 may be difficult to find nowadays…

looking at a black diamond mega light right now and some numbers have me confused.

Usable floor space:50.7 sqf

total coverage: 81sqf

So that means i have to find a spot to fit 81sqf and can only use 50.7sqf of that?

 

[luke moffat]

If buying another mid I would get a Bearpaw designs Luna 5! 36 oz in silnylon and 29 oz in cuben before stakes. That 100 sq ft of covered area for right around 2 pounds is impressive.