Winternews
FNG
- Joined
- Mar 24, 2022
- Messages
- 17
I will say a couple things about Zpacks and MLD and silnylon. The first two are great— money well spent. But I’m tired of silnylon sagging at night in the rain, despite its durability and tautness benefits.
For years I used an 8x10 Zpacks dyneema tarp for sheep, caribou, and Sitka blacktail above the treeline— usually. If if actually storms, I stake the entire tarp flat to the ground on all sides, with no pole supporting it. It lays flat as a rug on the ground, with me underneath it, and breathing room created by my backpack, laying down sideways behind my head. it’s not gonna blow away or shred in normal ‘windy and rainy’ weather. (I would define actual high winds as interfering with walking normally, and in those cases, even a 13 pound mountaineering tent is going to benefit from a wall of rocks or snow blocks around it; I say this because I hear often people talk about how great x or y shelter is in “high winds” and most are just not.) Most of the time I pitch it flat across the back and sides, and the front supported by a pole (photo). It’s great for 1 night, but I would choose something more protective for a longer trip so things can dry out. Max people we’ve had in it is two plus a dog. It’s really a one person shelter if you want to sleep without worrying about the weather.
The problem with the super light dyneema is that if you stake the tarp out adequately low for winds, it will rub on rocks / tundra bushes, and start to wear out. I am about ready to replace it with something more robust. Once a tarp gets too packed with features and robust fabric, though, it’s almost the same weight as a pyramid shelter (MLD mid, Trailstar, etc). All of this is to say that I would choose something tougher than the Zpacks tarp for alpine hunting, and put the substantial $ savings elsewhere. A two person 7 oz shelter is pretty cool though.
If the tarp isn’t a primary shelter, I don’t bring it. I bring a pyramid (MLD .75 dyneema), and a silpoly groundsheet which we use as a tarp for glassing. It’s not built to shelter spec, so it’s very light and literally pocket size. It’s like 4x6’ maybe. In a diamond pitch, one person can be fully protected head to knees inside, and keep your spotting scope dry, in heavy rain / snow. Two people can sit under it for shade or drizzle with a lean-to pitch.
For years I used an 8x10 Zpacks dyneema tarp for sheep, caribou, and Sitka blacktail above the treeline— usually. If if actually storms, I stake the entire tarp flat to the ground on all sides, with no pole supporting it. It lays flat as a rug on the ground, with me underneath it, and breathing room created by my backpack, laying down sideways behind my head. it’s not gonna blow away or shred in normal ‘windy and rainy’ weather. (I would define actual high winds as interfering with walking normally, and in those cases, even a 13 pound mountaineering tent is going to benefit from a wall of rocks or snow blocks around it; I say this because I hear often people talk about how great x or y shelter is in “high winds” and most are just not.) Most of the time I pitch it flat across the back and sides, and the front supported by a pole (photo). It’s great for 1 night, but I would choose something more protective for a longer trip so things can dry out. Max people we’ve had in it is two plus a dog. It’s really a one person shelter if you want to sleep without worrying about the weather.
The problem with the super light dyneema is that if you stake the tarp out adequately low for winds, it will rub on rocks / tundra bushes, and start to wear out. I am about ready to replace it with something more robust. Once a tarp gets too packed with features and robust fabric, though, it’s almost the same weight as a pyramid shelter (MLD mid, Trailstar, etc). All of this is to say that I would choose something tougher than the Zpacks tarp for alpine hunting, and put the substantial $ savings elsewhere. A two person 7 oz shelter is pretty cool though.
If the tarp isn’t a primary shelter, I don’t bring it. I bring a pyramid (MLD .75 dyneema), and a silpoly groundsheet which we use as a tarp for glassing. It’s not built to shelter spec, so it’s very light and literally pocket size. It’s like 4x6’ maybe. In a diamond pitch, one person can be fully protected head to knees inside, and keep your spotting scope dry, in heavy rain / snow. Two people can sit under it for shade or drizzle with a lean-to pitch.
