[at-l] Advice: Mountain Hardwear "Solitude" <tent>

["David F. Addleton" <dfa@wimlaw.com>]

> Does anyone out there have the Solitude? If so, how do you like it? Do
you
> feel you could spend a long rainy evening in it, sitting upright,
drinking
> tea and reading? Or is it more of a big bivy type tent?

I've not thru hiked (yet) and I've not used the Solitude, so I'll not write
anything negative about bivy sacks and tents.

I've hiked & canoed several weeks in the boundary waters with rain just
about every day. Use a sheet of plastic and an army surplus poncho to stay
dry the whole time. But I don't recommend it to sit in, drinking tea and
reading.

I use now a hammock and tarp set up, which I find to be very light and
comfortable. The air flow eliminates any condensation, which I've always
hated. The hammock doubles as a seat, especially on steep slopes.

I simply *love* the freedom from hunting for a spot to set a tent or tarp
in order to sleep on the ground. I can stop anywhere and anytime to set up
the tarp, keeping myself dry in a driving rain setting it up while under
it. With the hammock I find I can bivy anywhere I please that has two trees
and the AT has lots of those. I find I actually prefer the steeper
inclines, especially in bad weather. Steep slopes allow me to keep the tarp
very close to the ground, cutting down on the wind. I choose sheltered
slopes, coves to avoid the worst of the wind.  I've camped between
switchbacks twenty feet from the trail and watched hikers walk right by me
without seeing me.

I can sit and read comfortably in my hammock and sip tea, coffee, or
whatever, and stay completely dry.

I've not camped in temperature much below freezing and certainly not below
zero. But I have camped when it got down to the upper teens and lower
twenties. I added a foam sleeping pad to the hammock on this occassion and
slept quite comfortably, despite some considerable wind, taking extra
warmth from two pairs of light weight long johns, wool socks, and a hat
before crawling into the bag.

I've not weighed this equipment. I doubt it's over 3 lbs and probably less.


David
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