Appy Trails: The Ultra Light Backpacking Tents

A three man tent weighing less than 1 lb. 3.5 oz.
and standing 3.5 feet tall.
Or even better, at 1 lb. 11.6 oz. 6’ tall 5 man (Yes!)

That’s right!  These are serious tents at as light a weight as we could make them.  Solid 185T polyester!  PU1000 coated.

Backpacking Tents.  Light!  And yet great for short trips, too. 

What does a tent do for you?  It keeps off the rain, the dew, the wind.  And it keeps in heat on a cold night.  What more do you need?  Especially when weight is an issue.

Modern tents have become monuments to manufacturing.  Bathtub floors and bug netting and stakeless setup and zippered windows and multiple pole sets are all standard.  Whether you need them or not.

I was over 25 before I ever saw a tent with a floor built in.  Neat.  Heavy.  With lots of poles.  And you always carry a ground cloth to go with the tent.  As a Boy Scout I camped many a night without any such bells and whistles.  Trips on the Appalachian Trail, in snow, wind, rain, more snow… this type of tent did it all.

With modern materials, a good tent can be built light and strong.  That’s what we have done here.  We have shrunk a tent’s weight without compromising the basics.

Speed…

This is a different concept to consider for tents.  But there it is, the thundercloud on the horizon moving rapidly your way.  How quickly can you get under cover?  How about 3 minutes?  Try that with other tents.  Find a flat spot, unpack your bag and you can be inside a tent in three minutes.  If no thunderstorm is on the way, that’s just convenient free time.

And packing up… instead of packing from the inside, just remove the tent and pack it, then gather your stuff up from on top of the the groundcloth, then pack the groundcloth.  No ducking into the tent and fighting with your gear.  Do it from the top down.  Much quicker.  Off and trucking.

Boy Scouts…

Yes!  The Mark V is a new variation of an old BSA type design.  Instead of handing the Scout five or so pounds of tent to carry (his share with groundcloth and stakes and poles and tent and rain fly and vestibule…) let’s get it down to under 1 pound each for two guys, or less for three or four!  And a tent that can be set up easily and quickly.  High Adventure, here we come!  As well as many camporees, klondikes, and overnights…  as well as long backpacking hikes and short.   Think about it… doesn’t your conscience bother you when you ask a Tenderfoot that weighs 87 pounds to carry a pack of 40 pounds?  This is one good step for cutting that down to size.

Carry poles or tie lines or nothing…

Before a backpacking trip you need to decide how you will set up the tent.  Your options are not complex.  First, if you are using a trekking pole, you can opt to take along an extender (needed for the five man tent, only) and use the trekking pole for your center pole.  If you are going to be camping in a wooded area then you can opt to find a six foot pole (or three and a half foot) in the woods (never cut live trees for this).  In the Eastern woodlands this is really easy to do.  Or you can opt for no pole and take 50’ of nylon twine to hang the tent from a tree branch or two.  This requires some basic knowledge of knots and the same skills you might use hanging a bear bag.  Or for trips close in to the trailhead you can carry a six-foot pole.  The last option can be carrying the jointed pole made specifically for this tent.

Groundcloth…

A groundcloth is required with all tents.  You put the fancy tent on it to protect your floor and to keep it dry.  With this tent you use the groundcloth directly.  Lightweight groundcloths are great for a day or two out in the wild, and weigh ounces.  For extended outings you should use a heavier plastic for your ground cloth, or a Space Blanket. Concerned about not having a bathtub floor?  On a rainy night, make your own.  All you need are a few sticks of wood tucked under the ground cloth on the uphill or vulnerable side.

Headroom and Elbow Room…

Tired of trying to get dressed laying flat on your back, while elbowing your tent mate and banging against the roof of your shelter?  You will love the five man tent!  You can sit up, even play cards on a rainy night… you can walk in (stooped) if it starts raining… you have room to bring in your pack and other gear…  Two people have room to lay out their bags and still not be shoulder to shoulder.  The feeling of claustrophobia is gone! Three is still comfortable! Lots of room left in the entrance to set your packs for night access.  And if you need to you can put FIVE people in there, but they have to be very friendly.

Venting…

A stuffy tent is a pain.  So would one be that acts like a solar still and has moisture condensation on the inside.  To prevent this we have built in two venting windows with netting to keep out the bugs.  With flaps, of course.  This gives ventilation thru the top of the tent when you want it, like a chimney with a flue.  In the hot summer I have hung the tent higher and extended the stake loops so that the whole tent is a foot off the ground.  This works great on a hot and stuffy night!

Fire Retardant…

Despite the extra weight, this is a good idea.  So the tent is treated to CAPI-84 standards.  With this type tent, you are not trapped inside if a disaster occurs like with most tents.  You can rip your way out under the sides if you really have to.

Warranty…

Try it.  If you don’t like what you see, send it back for a full refund.  After that, if anything fails on the tent over the first year we will repair or replace the tent.  Can you ask for more?

When are these tents perhaps not your first choice?

• If you are going into a black fly or mosquito infested area during the “bad” season…
• If you are mountaineering into extremely rocky areas, where stakes can not be driven…
• If you plan to camp on a flood plain in the rain…
• If you expect a whole bunch of snow…
• If you are taking your girl friend and she is paranoid about the outdoors…
• If (to avoid being sexist) you are taking your boy friend and he is paranoid about the outdoors…

Your options are to take the tent and adapt to the rock (tie off your stake points), slather on the DDT, keep off the flood plain (or the drainage channel, which is less obvious), and shovel off some snow in the middle of the night if necessary.  Tell your partner to tough it out, and take the tent anyway. Or tell him (her) to carry the OTHER HEAVY tent and poles…

Guarantee – ten day return for any reason.  One year guarantee for manufacturing flaws.  Obviously excludes abuse or fire (sparks) or a tree fall or other acts of God.

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