Golite- Shangri

[bjaegers]

Do you have anymore pics of where the stove jack is that you can post up?

That's a nice setup. Looks like a TiGoat stove what size did you go with, also stove pipe length. Is the combo living up to your expectations.

 

[husky390]

Do they come with a stove jack or are you guys putting them in yourself? What kind of stove is that?

You can have Bear Paw Designs out of Ft. Collins sew a jack in for you. Keep in mind, you will need to buy a smaller nest from him if you want to run a stove and nest. Also, another option is to leave the nest at home and use a bivy sack. One of the guy's in the above pics is using one. If you're in the Highlands Ranch area this afternoon you're welcome to stop by and check out my SL-5. I'm airing the nest out right now and it's nothing to throw the liner on top of it. I'm heading out for a couple hours for a hike but you can pm me your # and I'll call you when I get back if you want to see it.

 

[Mike7]

Another option is to get a tent/tarp (like the SL5) and have John at Bearpaw sew on perimeter netting. Hyperlite Mountain Gear and Mountain Laurel Designs apparently do this as well on their shelters. This works well for me and I can still use all of the shelter space and use a stove without worrying about nest placement (my really buggy trips are not many though). The high mountain lakes seem to get that bloom of really bad bugs just for a couple of weeks after the snows melt.

The water question for floorless shelters comes up a lot. Maybe someone should make a video, so people can visualize this better? After 3 days of going in an out of a tent with a floor and without a good vestibule in freezing rain, everything becomes wet for me. I never have that problem now with a floorless shelter.

Water is not an issue at all for me with the floorless shelter and I usually just bring a piece of Tyvek to lay myself and gear on rather than a bivy sac since I use a Mid type of shelter with perimeter netting. You can divert water where you want it if it is really wet or bring a completely waterproof small piece of floor cut to needed size (Lumber wrap or portion or el cheapo Walmart plastic tarp with the eyelets cut off and put rocks under it on the uphill side edge). Water then runs right under you without being trapped like in a tent...and your tarp doesn't get wet when you walk in and out of the shelter with your boots on. If you do dump water all over your little ground tarp for some reason, then you can just pick it up and shake it out outside.

Instead of ground water, I would be more concerned about not having enough space to move around without bumping into walls that may have significant condensation in really wet, humid weather. I have a Luna 4 (similar footprint size to a Golite SL5, HMG Ultamid 4, or MLD Supermid) and I will probably be going down in size a little now that my son is graduating high school and I will be doing more solo stuff. That sized mid (pyramid) shelter (approx. 110 x 110 inches) is perfect for 2-3 guys with or without gear and 2 guys with gear and a stove in my opinion. I will probably be down sizing to a shelter in the 85"x110" range which would be good as a solo shelter with or without a stove, good for a two person shelter, and probably tight for two guys with a stove. Examples of this size would be a Bearpaw Wilderness Designs Luna 3 or a Hperlite Mountain Gear Ultamid 2.

I have never had a SL3, but from the size and shape, I would think shelters in this range of usable space (MLD Duomid, BPWD Luna 2, etc.) would not be comfortable for 2 guys with hunting gear.

 

[Bighorse]

I use a multiple shelter strategy. There is not a one size fits all aproach to shelter. I use the SL3 for solo high country hunts. I feel it sheds wind better than the SL5 due to reduced surface area and shape. I'm talking ridgeline type winds, when your setting up rock perimeters and using every guyline situations. The SL5 I have is equiped with a stove jack and sod skirt. I also run an XL Ti stove with it. I don't use an internal nest on these smaller shelters but do always use a Bivy sack. I also have a 12p Tepee and thats just a low country, or fly in type shelter used for big comfy base camp operations. I like the SL3 when I'm going ultra light and covering big distances. If the weather forecast is good I've just brought a bivy and silnylon tarp and called it good before.

Be very careful not to lean into the fabrics with sharp objects. The door zippers do have a tendency to get caught in the fabric. Seam seal your tepee tents.

I've got a few free standing shelters too. When I expect serious wind and rain then these are great options.

Stay warm and dry out there!

 

[stephen b]

Even though I have a number of shelters that I use ( some lighter than the SL5, and some heavier) - the SL5 is the most versatile shelter that I own. At about 90+ sq ft without the nest; true square shape for floor lay out; very nice height; and can be used with variety of inner options- it is awesome. I have a stove jack in mine for use with Ed T stove; and have used it with a bivy, a solo MLD bug nest, and a 2 person nest for my wife and I. Only inside nest I have not used yet is the stock one that came with it. But may use that at some point.

As far as floorless and getting things wet- I have found that to be opposite with true tents vs floorless. Especially with cruddy conditions and hunting applications. I can just about walk into my SL5 with boots on and not worry about getting anything wet that I do not want to and be covered from the elements. Compare that to slipping and ducking under a small vestibule and talking off shoes- or trying to cook and hang out in that vestibule with out getting into your sleeping area. With the SL 5 I ( or we) can hang out; cook; build a fire in the stove if that is along; organize gear in packs for the morning; hang clothes to dry, all while our sleeping area is perfectly dry. Simply a delight. Heck, even with my smaller shelters I prefer them to be floorless. The only floored tent that I have and like is a Hilleberg ( have a solo one and 3 man), and they do not get used that much. I have a Kaitum 3 that I got last year that I thought I was going to use more- and it is still sitting in its sack; completely new and unused. I am thinking that I may just sell it. My floorless tents are my go to ones.

Regarding SL3 vs SL 5- the SL 5 is IMO the way to go. I ordered both and kept the SL 5. The 5 is easier to set up, has to a more head and foot room and for 4-5 extra oz was the way to go for me.

Another neat thing that I figured out this fall about the SL 5- I can make it into a huge vestibule stand up Franken Hilleberg. The 23 oz Hilleberg Unna inner fits great in the SL 5 only taking up 1/2 of it. The Hilleberg Unna inner ( reg solid one) I have used in real cold conditions inside both a SL 5 and inside a Golite Utopia 4 and I have found that it works very well. Still all the advantages of floorless, but with a nice inner that does not take up much more room than a bivy would.

I often use a Tigoat bivy if the temps are not frigid. Before using the Unna inner, I had used a Bibler bivy during real cold weather in SL 5 and the Utopia. But for the same weight ( actually less, as the Unna inner weighs 23-24 oz) I much prefer the room of the Unna. Plus in a pinch, my wife and I can sleep in the Unna.

I cannot think of a shelter that I have ever used that is more versatile than the GL SL 5

 

[bandit1]

I've had the sl5 for a couple of years now and have used it in about every conceivable way. Floorless with my diy wood cylinder stove, floorless with nothing but tyvek under my pad. Custom 2 man nest made by bearpaw. 1 man nest made by bearpaw (minimalist). Full nest it came with. Trekking poles as the center, and aluminum pole it came with. Talk about versatile! It is a palace for 2 guys and all your gear. You made a good choice, that shelter rocks! I bought my stove jack from TiGoat, $40 I think, and sewed it in myself. I also bought the stainless and titanium foil from them for my stove, it's very similar to the one they make.
There are numerous mods you can do to your sl5. My first mod was to lose all of the heavy webbing and ladderlock tie downs it came with. I replaced them with hi viz line and lineloc 3s. When I did this, I configured the tiedowns to more easily permit a close pitch for nasty weather and then the adjustable tiedown for other conditions. I think I lost 4 ounces by doing this. My second mod was the stove jack and stove. A couple of tiedown points added to the inner fly for rigging the nests was the last. Wo knows what's next? I love that thing. I think it cost $262 brand new, wow. My tarptent moment cost almost that much!

 

[ethan]

I originally bought the SL3 and loved it, but moved up to the SL5 and I have to agree with the others that it's a lot more bang for the buck and what your sacrificing weight wise is extremely minimal. I love these shelters and have weathered many storms in them. In fact I was at an archery shoot a few years ago just north of Nashville Tn and that night we had a "100 year storm" and something like 8 or 9 inches of rain in a 12 hour period. It was insane!! But I slept warm and dry and had no issues what so ever. If you get one I don't think you'll ever look back.

 

[burgerta]

I have an SL5 and have used it on a 14day Alaskan Moose Float hunt and a Montana Elk hunt for 9 days as well as several weekend adventures. Both hunting trips were 2 people and gear and we had plenty of room to spare. Both trips saw high winds, heavy rain and even 3-4" of snow and we stayed as comfy as any tent can keep you in those conditions. So far we always have used the pole that came with the tent and the fly/floor mostly because my partner cound not wrap his head around not having a floor and not using the pole made for the tent. So we carried all of it. This year I am going solo and I plan to go floorless and figure out a way to use a 4 piece kayak paddle as the pole to cut some weight for another packraft hunting adventure in Alaska...Next year I am going to look at trying to do a hunt a little later in the Moose Season and try to incorporate a stove to keep toasty. I think 2 guys with lightweight gear in mind and a stove in the SL5 would be a perfect little setup for those cool fall hunts in the bush.

 

[AZ Ron]

I'll mirror what everyone else has said. I've used a buddies older SL4 and it has been great for 2 guys with gear. So much so that I picked up my own sl5 this year.

We used the SL4 in CO last year. We weathered a couple of good storms with no issues. Did have some condensation, but no big deal.

 

[Browtinemt]

So for you guys running the sl5, if you add the stove jack can you use the shelter without the stove or do you always have to bring a stove to fill the hole where the jack is?

 

[colonel00]

No, there is a flap that covers the hole. Plus, at least from bearpaw, you get a silnylon cover that Velcros in place.

 

[stephen b]

Here is some pics of how the Hilleberg Unna that I mentioned above fits in an SL5:

It makes a SL5 a large GL/ Hille Unna hybrid- with a HUGE vestibule. It is a good set up for a winter tent when not using a stove in the SL5.

 

[dreamingbig]

Nice work. I have a nest that looks similar but with a little more height. Bottom is bathtub with side acting as double wall to keep moisture off.

 

[beachbunny]

for all you folks talking me out of buying a sawtooth, how much does just the fly for the 5 weigh? thanks, BB

 

[colonel00]

for all you folks talking me out of buying a sawtooth, how much does just the fly for the 5 weigh? thanks, BB

Here is a chart that lists all the weights.

http://www.golite.com/pdf/Shelter_Comparison.pdf

 

[beachbunny]

got it colonel,thanks, BB

 

[lab-roamer]

What camp chair is that?

Thanks
L-R

 

[colonel00]

I send you a PM but it is the Helinox Chair One. Also, REI sells a similar one.

https://www.bigagnes.com/Products/Detail/Helinox/chaironegreen

http://www.rei.com/product/829239/?cm_mmc=cse_PLA-_-pla-_-product-_-8292390001&rei-flex-lite-chair,-hyper-blue&preferredSku=8292390001&mr:trackingCode=96EE8D61-D8FD-E111-BA78-001B21631C34&mr:referralID=NA&mr:device=c&mr:adType=pla&mr:ad=24658640320&mr:keyword=&mr:match=&mr:filter=44514291880&msid=k5kxrVTD_dc|pcrid|24658640320|&{copy:s_kwcid}

 

[Shrek]

+1 for the Helinox chair. Pretty darn stong too. I was 260lbs last fall and it held me fine. Beats the heck out of cold dirt !

 

[lab-roamer]

Thanks for the info