Tarp/Tipi and really wet conditions.

[AK Troutbum]

I'm getting ready for my first big outing using a floorless tarptent. Big meaning two weeks on Kodiak, above tree line, and anticipating a very wet hunt. I've been to Kodiak in Oct. several times and have experienced some big storms with high winds, and on one occasion, 8" of rain in less than 24 hours. Hopefully this won't be the case this year, but Kodiak in Oct. anything is possible, and this year so far has been very wet on "The Rock". This is my first season using a single walled structure as my sole means of shelter. This is going to be a goat hunt and I'm trying to keep things as light as possible. My sleep system/shelter is a Seek Outside LBO with vestibule, a SO two person nest, Neo Air Xtherm pad, and a Mt. Hardware Ultralamina (synthetic) bag. So my question is this: I'm looking for any and all ideas/advise to keep dry and comfortable in this shelter. I've used this system on a couple of overnighters but by no means do I know all the in's and out's, do's and dont's when using a floorless tarptent. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Brock A]

One thing ive learned in the 8 or 9 nights I've got in the paratarp is pitch the shelter so you get maximum airflow to combat condensation.

 

[Darren Best]

In wet areas a single wall shelter needs either a stove, liner or a lot of air flow, otherwise the condensation is just as bad as the rain.

 

[Lawnboi]

My paratarp is never pitched tight to the ground anymore unless I need the wind or weather protection. And when that happens I always have my bugaboo bivy now to keep me dry.

Condensation is always a concern in a single wall shelter.


That's the price I pay for carrying a 2.5lb shelter.

If you planned on having some serious weather I would opt for a good bivy instead of the nest.

However I only have experience in the lower 48, im sure its a whole different world up there.

 

[Ronster]

A bivy on Kodiak = Bear Burrito

 

[Colby Jack]

Troutbum, I have seen you on other boards. I am curious about your trip to Kodiak and the performance of your tipi. Don't you also have a SO wood stove? Did you take it with? How was performance on the Emerald Isle??? Do you use a nest? Thanks for feedback.

 

[Aron Snyder]

I'm getting ready for my first big outing using a floorless tarptent. Big meaning two weeks on Kodiak, above tree line, and anticipating a very wet hunt. I've been to Kodiak in Oct. several times and have experienced some big storms with high winds, and on one occasion, 8" of rain in less than 24 hours. Hopefully this won't be the case this year, but Kodiak in Oct. anything is possible, and this year so far has been very wet on "The Rock". This is my first season using a single walled structure as my sole means of shelter. This is going to be a goat hunt and I'm trying to keep things as light as possible. My sleep system/shelter is a Seek Outside LBO with vestibule, a SO two person nest, Neo Air Xtherm pad, and a Mt. Hardware Ultralamina (synthetic) bag. So my question is this: I'm looking for any and all ideas/advise to keep dry and comfortable in this shelter. I've used this system on a couple of overnighters but by no means do I know all the in's and out's, do's and dont's when using a floorless tarptent. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Like mentioned above...it'll suck without a liner or stove.....bring a bivy for your bag!

 

[InDeep]

Well how did it go on your hunt ? Everything hold up good?

 

[AK Troutbum]

All went well. I just got back home last night, and we had a really good hunt. We ended up getting quite a bit of rain which was expected, and one night had a storm come through that brought gusts up to 90 mph. We had a little bit of protection but not much and my buddies three season Mountain Hardware tent took a little beating, but my LBO did great. The Seek Outside nest was definitely a must with the conditions that we had.

 

[Ironman8]

AK,

What LBO configuration is that? Base/Base or Base/Vestibule?

 

[InDeep]

Nice looks like it got its wind test in!

 

[ScottR_EHJ]

That is the base and vestibule set up.

 

[Ironman8]

That is the base and vestibule set up.

Thanks sreekers, looking forward to your pack review and hopefully some more reviews on the LBO

 

[Steve O]

Looks like that one will pass the grade. Did you get goat(s)?

 

[ScottR_EHJ]

I will put together a review of the LBO double base set up some time this winter. If i can get a megatarp i will do a side by side comparison with the double base LBO.

 

[aron]

Do the nests help any with condensation, or does enough condensation build up on like the outer wall where it doesn't help at all?

 

[AK Troutbum]

I had a lot of condensation on the LBO but very little if any inside the nest. We ended up going two for three on the goats. Our original plans of getting flown into an alpine lake were quickly snuffed out about three hours after our arrival into Kodiak. While waiting for the weather to clear enough to fly, the feds sent out an email to all the bush plane operators telling them that they could no longer take clients into the Kodiak wildlife reserve. Over 80% of Kodiak Island is wildlife reserve. We ended up spending the night in Kodiak then the next day we got with a different operator that said he would fly anywhere but could only put us in on the salt, so that's what we did. We ended up going to an area that I had done absolutely zero research on and just hoped for the best. To date, this was the most physically and mentally demanding hunt I've ever done. I never thought that the whole government shut down would affect our hunt like it did, boy was I wrong.

 

[chopchop]

I never thought that the whole government shut down would affect our hunt like it did, boy was I wrong.

I think 90% or more of the park service is furloughed. Same with EPA. We had a project this summer that we got done ahead of time, thankfully, or we'd be stuck waiting for the shutdown to end so that we could send our samples to the chem lab.

Glad you were able to roll with it and your hunt was successful. That looks like incredibly challenging country.