Lightweight Tipis or Pyramid Tents?

"Henry Shires tarptent" where did you get this, did you buy it in NZ?

Hmm...looks like Henry Shires is the photographer who owned the tarptent and the model could be Tarptent Momentum.

There is a way of pitching a square tarp on the diagonal so you get height. Matt on this site does that. He's using black polyethylene at the moment as it is cheap and he can have a fire going close to the mouth of it. He has a bug net designed off the Ray Jardine site to sleep with his little family in. I found this diagonal pitching method in a book on ultralite tramping and have adapted a square fly I have but never actually used it as we are OK with our tiny tent, not doing that kind of trip in times when it is pissing down. With this pitching method, you can lower the profile on the windward side end and accordingly lower the lee mouth end if required if the wind gets up or changes direction. Mightn't be too flash on the alpine tops though. There's something to be said for getting below the bushline sometimes as it's also warmer below the tree canopy on a clear night so you will often have a better sleep. Of course sleeping on the alpine tops is also magnificent. I was wondering if there was a way of constructing a tarp and having a skirt of bug net around the base but Matt says in his experience, this doesn't work.

@kieranpalmer - bought it online direct from Tarptent http://www.tarptent.com/stratospire2.html A great tent, really lightweight, but doesn't give me the standup room I am craving! Guess I will be looking to sell that in due course. So... I have finally ordered the 'backcountry shelter' designed by Seek Outside http://seekoutside.com/products/ultralight-tipis/backcountry-shelter/ It looks very much like it will meet my desire to be able to stand up to dress, sit down and tend a firebox, and a haven to retreat to in heavy rain or sandflies (single wall design in heavy rain is a bit of a risk, I know - no doubt I will get drips/condensation, but not too concerned about that). Reportedly it stands up to high winds ok (although this is continental weather), so I am taking a bit of a punt! I'll let you guys know how it goes. @Honora - yeah, good idea. I have done that in the past, pitching my tarp either as an A-frame, or a lean-to, I found I didnt get the space below it to stand up unless you can fly it higher using trees to tie off of. Interesting idea to sew a bug net skirt - I think one or two have done this before. I will probably stick with an internal bug net if they get through gaps elsewhere in numbers! Curious to know why Matt reckons a skirt (or sod skirt) doesn't work for stopping sandflies? Do they burrow under? I guess I can default to repellant and clothing, but that does tend to cramp a romantic night out :-)

Not the tent for all occasions. Mountain Hardware KIVA. It's only 1.8kg. Single skin. Clip in optional floor. Hexagonal design with one centre pole. Good in the snow too as you can dig down further to stand completely unhindered. Is a four person tent.

I was looking at a Golite Shangrila, similar, but more height... thanks for the idea - the weight is good, the height, well, not quite. The thing I like about the Seek Outside BCS is that it can be used as a tarp and other configurations too...