Lightweight tent recommendations?

In another episode of I’ve gone shelter crazy, I was so impressed with my Yama Bug Bivy that I picked up this SilPoly Yama Cirriform tarp as well. Construction is outstanding, really easy to get a taught pitch and best of all, all lines were the perfect length. Main selling point for me was the side access, but the vestibule at the head end is cool as well. It can be used with side access as in the photo or it can be opened at the head end and used like a normal cat cut tarp.

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That is actually really nice concept, being able to open up a half of a side, sometimes I miss this option while sleeping under tarp. Also, seeing this is not that difficult to make it MYOG. I am just curious about triangle - does it keep shape, does it flop? Or is it easy to keep the tension of it?

As in the vestibule? It’s exceedingly easy to tension properly. The head and foot ends both have two guy outs. One at the peaks of each end, and one lower down on the foot end and at the vestibule. You can stake them out with the same stake.

Maybe this is a better photo so you can see how each line is guyed.

Also not sure this would be that easy to MYOG.

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Managed to get a berghaus Grampian 3 for £30 from go outdoors about a year ago in a freak sale. It’s sick, and great if away with one other person as can split the weight and enough space.

Not strictly tent related but should you store sleeping bags not screwed up in their bag? Does it mess with down? Got into discussing it in the lakes this weekend. My mates bag was also wet in the morning from condensation or something but mine wasn’t.

I am after a lighter/ smaller setup for one man bikepacking/walking trips if anyone has anything for sale

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Nice pics.

should you store sleeping bags not screwed up in their bag? Does it mess with down?

Store them uncompressed. Mine came with a separate huge sack to store it in. Stops the down from getting perma-squashed.

Thank you :)

I have had 4 +years of storing mine screwed up. Reckon it is fixable if I let it flesh out? I froze this weekend - had to sleep in all my clothes and it was a 3 season bag

Cold tumble dry with tennis ball may help re-loft a bit apparently. I have never tested this theory though.

Honestly probably not.

Best not to sleep in your clothes. The heat gets stuck in them and can't go into the bag so we'll. Put clothes on top of the bag if you need.

I'd wash it, as said above. Then unpick the down clumps by hand this worked well for an older bag of mine.

I recently discovered the same thing re keeping my down bag compressed in storage.

I did the tumble dry with tennis balls (although it was a hot tumble) and then gave it a really good shake, and its much, much better. I Store it in an old pillow case now.

My understanding was down bags should be stuffed rather than rolled into a compression sack when travelling. Then stored loose when not travelling. My cheap decathlon one came with a large mesh bag for this.

On tents, a cheap tent can be made a fair bit lighter by replacing the pegs. You can get the expensive pegs mentioned earlier in the thread very cheap on eBay.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/374206260015?

thanks everyone that's ace and grabbed a set of those pegs

Not a bad shout. I wonder what they would do to the weight of my tents? Something else I don't need to measure, but will, because compulsive upgrader...

Sorry my message was very vague. Yes, you can probably restore some of the loft of the bag, but there's no doubt that after compressing a down bag for four years that there may be a permanent loss of loft. Dan Timmerman of Timmermade wrote this Re down compression:

Down, and any other fibrous insulation, has a memory. Every compression is some amount of a dent in it's ability to spring back up to full loft. The harder the compression and/or the longer the compression, the bigger the dent. So, in theory, the less compressed and the less time, the better. However, down plumes are extremely resilient against these compression cycles so you can get away with long compression cycles, but it's something to be aware of and just make an effort to limit it, if you can. Don't sweat it too much if you can't.

Really, moisture is your main concern, rather than compression. If there's condensation in my shelter when I wake up, I'll make an effort to lay my quilt/bag out in the sun while I'm having lunch or a short break. Similarly, whenever I get home, I leave my quilt/bag out for a good 12 hours before I put it back in its cotton storage sack.

I can check Friday for you it was a worthbwhile saving.

Funny enough talking to workmate about tents, he mentioned:
https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/non-anodised-ultralight-10g-tent-pegs-x5/_/R-p-304418?mc=8527888

and while looking for my tent specs "The tent consists of three aluminum poles (453 g), 20 light weight pegs (192 g), an optional footprint (382 g), to be purchased separately, and the tent itself (1593 g). Total weight is about 2.2 kg or 2.6 kg with the foot print. The pegs and the poles come in their own sleeves. Everything goes into an oversized bag with compression straps."

implies less than 10g per peg for my Xenon pegs? Surely not. The same page did say they were shit though and immediately replaced with MSR pegs :)

I think I saw Alpkit will do a down refresh/restore service at their repair stations, might include the Bristol one?

The MSR groundhog knockoffs are probably nearly 10g peg and won't bend, unlike the decathlon ones.

No creepy crawlies out there?

will check this ! thanks

mine didn't have any moisture problems! what causes that? cheers

Not just yet, there will be very soon though as the snow is melting. Mozzie season very soon. Had a headnet, but bug bivy season starts today. I'm hiking in Arizona for three days next week and will be for sure taking it. Lots of shit I don't wanna be touching out there.

I use a single wall shelter/tarp or cowboy camp so I'm more likely to touch a wall with my footbox or just have to deal with condensation generally than someone with a double wall shelter/mesh inner. Interesting that you've never had any condensation issues though, because they're present everywhere, even the driest of deserts.

I get super paranoid by creepy crawlies.

Beats and wolves here. Not much chance to see them but keeps me awake a bit.

Beats

Reminds me of the time I bivvy'd near Hope Cross but there was a rave at Hagg Farm that night.