Floorless tents and shelters present an ultralightweight choice for backpackers who wish to considerably scale back their backpacking gear weight. Whereas that weight discount would possibly sound fairly engaging, normally you’ll nonetheless need some type of insect safety like a bivy sack and/or floor safety, like a floor fabric or bathtub flooring to guard your gear from filth and moisture. The burden of these added elements will whittle away a few of the potential weight financial savings however you’ll be able to most likely nonetheless scale back your shelter weight, relying on the elements you select which is able to probably embody:
- a tent rainfly or tarp
- insect safety, if required, within the type of a bivy sack or net-tent
- floor moisture safety within the type of a plastic sheet, floor fabric, or bathtub flooring.
Relating to a tent rainfly or tarp, there are a variety of various approaches accessible together with using a modular double-wall tent, a modular single-wall tent shelter system, or a flat (rectangular) tarp or formed tarp like a pyramid.
1. Modular Double Wall Tent
You should use a modular double-wall tent, like a Durston X-Mid 1 Rainfly or the Tarptent Notch Rainfly, and simply use the outside rainfly portion whereas leaving the interior tent at residence. For those who already personal such a tent, you can begin experimenting with utilizing a floorless tent with none additional value or delay. This may be a lovely choice when insect safety isn’t mandatory and a plastic or ultralight floor sheet can suffice for floor and moisture safety.
Nonetheless, if insect and floor moisture safety is required, it may be arduous to save lots of a lot weight over utilizing the interior tent already provided with the rainfly in the event you already use an ultralight tent with a light-weight interior tent. For instance, the interior tent on the Durston X-Mid 1 weighs 10.7 oz, which makes it troublesome to slash a lot weight, even in the event you change to an ultralight bivy sack and a plastic groundsheet.
2. Modular Single Wall Tent
Alternatively, you’ll be able to spend money on a modular single-wall pyramid tarp like a Mountain Laurel Designs Solomid XL or the Hyperlite Ultamid-2 or a modular formed tarp system just like the SlingFin Splitwing Shelter Bundle and increase it with an ultralight mesh bivy sack and floor fabric, both plastic sheeting or a bath flooring.
The benefit of this method is which you can improve with a fitted interior tent, just like the Ultamid 2 Half Insert if later you determine you like having a extra livable interior tent that gives insect and floor moisture safety. Many single-wall pyramid tarp producers present this selection when buying a mid or as an add-on together with Mountain Laurel Designs, Hyperlite Mountain Gear, Search Outdoors, MSR, and Black Diamond.
3. Flat Tarp or Formed Tarp
Another choice is to make use of a flat tarp or a formed tarp, including a bivy sack for insect safety and a groundsheet or bathtub flooring. This usually gives the best approach to shave gear weight however requires the largest transition in the event you’re used to utilizing a tent. The most important weight-saving on this situation possible be the burden of the rainfly, significantly in the event you select one made out of an ultralight materials like Dyneema
Some formed tarps are additionally accessible with perimeter bug netting just like the 9.8 oz Gossamer Gear DCF Whisper and the Six Moon Designs Deschutes Plus, and simply require utilizing some type of floor and moisture safety to show into a whole shelter system.
Insect Safety
Insect safety is usually a necessity when tenting underneath a rainfly or tarp, however not at all times. It could possibly additionally present some safety towards bigger bothersome animal life like snakes, lizards, or scorpions that could be interested in your physique warmth.
Ultralight backpackers usually go for an ultralight bivy sack for insect safety, which is solely made with mesh or has a mesh window over the pinnacle and a breathable high cloth. Most ultralight bivy sacks usually are not waterproof and have to be used with some type of waterproof floor sheet, though there are exceptions together with the 7.3 oz Katabatic Gear Pinon Bivy and seven.3 oz Bristlecone Bivy Sacks which have waterproof flooring.
I’ve used bivy sacks fairly extensively and luxuriate in sleeping in a single, however they’re not everybody’s cup of tea when it comes to livability. If extra inside house is desired, you’ll be able to strive a bigger Internet-tent just like the 6.5 oz Mountain Laurel Designs Bug Bivy or the 11 oz Six Moon Designs Serenity NetTent, which have the additional benefit of getting waterproof flooring. They’re basically the identical because the interior tents accessible with modular single-wall tents, however usually are not wed to anybody tent and can be utilized with all kinds of different single-wall tents or tarps.
Floor Safety
Floor safety, significantly moisture safety is normally a requirement when utilizing a floorless tent or shelter. It could possibly take a number of varieties from a sturdy plastic floor sheet or a tyvek floor sheet to a full bathtub flooring which has sidewalls to guard towards working or pooling water. All three profit from good campsite choice expertise with a view to hold you and your gear dry.
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