bivy bags/tents

I invariably carry a fly,floor & poles,weight about 1.5kg.Gives more options than just aiming for a hut & builds in a safety angle for weather events.I`m on the south side of 60 & if my neck`s not worth a few extra kilos on my back,I`ll eat my boots & take up tiddley winks!

why is everyone so old school on here. You can get lightweight single person tents for less than 1kg.

Hi Damon, I think we would all be interested in a discussion on these. Can you give some examples (and perhaps urls) please)? My Hilleberg Akto is about 1.5 Kg. If a tent was less than 1 Kg, how well would they go in a good old Winter downpour? Thanks, Alan

480g for a 2 skin tent: http://en.montbell.jp/products/goods/list.php?category=206000 It costs $170 for the Zelt which weighs 240g and you can purchase a fly for it which weighs another 240g. Or an ultralight Dome shelter which weighs 760g. That's for 2 people and costs $620 from i climb. As mentioned above, our Montbell Hexagon tent is a 2 person tent consisting of a tent and fly and it weighs 1.5kg all up which is comparable with Damon's 1 person tent weighing less than 1 kg. No doubt since I bought our tent in 2006, it will now be weighing about 1.3kg. The downside of this design is you need to have the smarts about where you pitch it and in what conditions so either in moderate winds or in shelter e.g. a stand of vegetation. I always use my pack under my legs so there's no issue with having sufficient space to put your pack as you're sleeping on it. I've got a 3/4 length thermorest.

I never thought about using my pack for that -- I always had my raincoat there, but I imagine a pack would probably do a better job of insulation if it could be made comfy enough.

I used to have a day pack that had an extra long sleve on it. The idea was that you could climb into it like a sleeping bag in an emergency. You could get into it up to your armpits. It was just a pain in the arse to get stuff in and out of normally so I stopped using it. It is probably still out there in the garage somewhere.

Regarding the pack under the legs: I invert the pack straps so they are no longer on the side of the pack that goes against your back. Learnt that trick from Lydia Bradey. I also put plenty of padding on it e.g. the rain coast, sleeping bag stuff sack, spare clothes or whatever.

Would putting the pack under your legs require sleeping on your back? If so, it wouldn't work for me. I move from back to side to back to other side .... re tents : when solo-tramping I carry an MSR hubba hubba - inner and fly, 2 vestibules, buckets of room - OK, it weighs 1.7kg but I save weight in other areas (space in the tent is important to me) - hi-density foam mat 265g, sleeping bag 800g, home-made dehy food etc. We all have our own priorities.

Absolutely right, bernieq. It's always an individual thing. I go for a more cramped tent but carry a thermorest. Yes, the pack is fine for sleeping on my side. I do a lot of that too.

ok there seems to be a parallel tent thread running here... but I shall re post this here too. I have been looking at these, and was wondering if anyone had seen them? http://www.terra-nova.co.uk/Our_Awards/Terra_Nova_Laser_Photon_-_The_Worlds_Lightest_Tent.html They were 899 I think, Fing expensive if you ask me. Mont bell stuff seems pretty good, I have a sleeping bag seems ok, a bit hot and restrictive but its super light and keeps dry. The pack under your legs for 3/4 mats is a must when its cold. Its standard snow cave practice.