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Re: More tent questions
For an AT thru hike definitely get the two wall Stephensons
with the optional side windows. These are two windows
one on each side of the tent that can be opened from
inside the tent as well as outside, and provide great
ventilation, and make a nifty awning. If you have never
seen a Stephensons' get their video, if you think the
brochure is "very" unusual then just check out the video.
Jack did it himself and for at least most of the video he
is wairing shorts. He shows the different sizes, color,
setup, space, and how to seam seal the tent. We have never
found the non-free standing to be a problem and we have used
ours everywhere from the AT ,to the Grand Canyon, to glaciers
in Montana and Alaska. One thing to remember about a Stephenson,
they are custom made and you can customize them in many
different ways, but because each is made by hand in a house in
the woods of New Hampshire getting one can take some time,
our 3RS took almost three months, but is well worth the wait.
We have noticed one thing about Stephensons, I guess because
they are made just for you, people who own one become very attached
to them, and don't refer to them as their "tent", but instead
refer to them as their "Stephensons". If you are curious about Stephensons
record on the AT the first one used for a thru hike was in 1966, and
they have been successfully making the grade ever since.
Jim Owen is right about one thing, I can not tell anyone
what to take, nor do I want to, or mean to, but I have noticed people
giving opinions on different camping systems, from recommending
their own tarp systems to opinions on different brands of tents and
equipment, and that is all I meant to do, not recommend one
system or brand over another. We have been extremely happy with our
Stephensons' and I wanted to point out that they are , weight wise
and functionally a good alternative to the tarp, mosquito net setup.
Sandy and Alison
"The Smiths"
Ga to ME 97
Ps. our pack weights , including 6 days of food, and fuel plus 48 ozs
of water, each, and all options ,or as we prefer to say the REAL weight
of our packs are :
Sandy : 31 lbs (my size 6'3" 220)
Alison: 29 lbs (Alison 5'7" 130)
of course that is our "cold" weather weights our
warm weather is :
Sandy : 29 lbs
Alison : 26 lbs