What lightweight trekking pole shelters have smaller footprints?

T

turkeyphant

Section Hiker
In my last three wildcamping trips I've found myself having to set up in spots where if I had a much bigger tent it would have been impossible to fit.

I've been looking at popular UL shelters and found almost all have much much bigger footprints than my cheapo Naturehike Cloud UP 2.

Before I spend big money on a DCF shelter I want to know I won't get stuck not being able to pitch in a tight spot. Are there any decent options? Even things like the Notch Li or Stealth 1.5 are more awkward shapes and of course only sleep 1.

I even mocked up a Photoshop file with the Bonfus 1P/2P, X-Mid 1P/2P, Stealth, SS Li, Notch Li, and Khufu DCF to get a better idea. It's hard to find the dimensions of the Plexamid/Duplex but I guess this and clones are the only ones that are actually smallish? (I'd rather not buy from Zpacks)

edit: here's the photoshop file: https://www.dropbox.com/s/01z0003ykl3w9x9/tent footprint comparison.psd?dl=0
 
Rog Tallbloke

Rog Tallbloke

Thru Hiker
Depending on what sort of tight pitches you're looking at, you might need to consider where guy lines are going. I sometimes camp on the verges of green lanes, and for that, a tent you can pitch without lines setting up tripwires onto the lane are a must. Trekkertent Stealth 1/2 or duomid are good.
 
Mole

Mole

Thru Hiker
A Notch is pretty small really. I find it one of the easiest to get into tight spots of all shelters I've had. But a simple small Mid like a Solomid would (edit - Might?) be even easier, but not much space or headroom in comparison. Bigger Mids/Xmid 1p would need more room again as wider at each end.

I've had or used plenty inc. Solomid, Solomid XL, MLD Patrol Shelter. Gatewood Cape...

I think the Notch is easiest all round. You get more Headroom than a mid, and a quicker all in one pitch, and the design means you are less likely to touch the outer and get wet from condensation.


see Ed's post here: Dan Durston/Massdrop X-Mid
 
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Robert P

Robert P

Thru Hiker
Personally I'd vote for the Notch over a small mid like a Solomid - it is very forgiving to pitch. A mid is more dependent on pitching perfectly square and the corners being reasonably level; not sure how picky the Aeon would be vs a conventional mid.
 
Clare

Clare

Thru Hiker
If you're using the apex guy lines you can collapse one or both sides of the Notch to fit a narrow space. Not in high winds obviously. A few pictures of this are around somewhere.
 
T

turkeyphant

Section Hiker
Mole said:
A Notch is pretty small really. I find it one of the easiest to get into tight spots of all shelters I've had. But a simple small Mid like a Solomid would (edit - Might?) be even easier, but not much space or headroom in comparison. Bigger Mids/Xmid 1p would need more room again as wider at each end.

I think the Notch is easiest all round. You get more Headroom than a mid, and a quicker all in one pitch, and the design means you are less likely to touch the outer and get wet from condensation.
Click to expand...

I was going to go for a Notch but then I saw the comparison with the Cloud Up (which is for 2 people):

3Sgo6Ct.png
 
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H

Hd8ekownio24ugh5

Thru Hiker
Had they the Aeon when I bought my Duplex I might have gone the Aeon (but it's very long), but the Notch fits everywhere (and probably more although that 2.64 metres is long) that I'd put the Duplex and is more wind tolerant but it can't go horizontal in the ruckie-still I need one I think. What about the wide mat in the Notch pushing/distorting the floor?
An issue or just sands through the hourglass?
 
Mole

Mole

Thru Hiker
turkeyphant said:
I was going to go for a Notch but then I saw the comparison with the Cloud Up:

3Sgo6Ct.png
Click to expand...

Maybe see if you look at one in the flesh or even borrow one?
You'll get a feel of the difference.
The different structure of each shelter means that just comparison of footprint isn't the whole story.

With the Notch, you only really need to absolutely consider the width of the inner. Yes you'll need to peg out the doors , but the door peg points are somewhat variable as the poles can be made shorter or longer. And the Apex guys can do the main job of holding the tent up.
 
Clare

Clare

Thru Hiker
Cranston said:
Had they the Aeon when I bought my Duplex I might have gone the Aeon (but it's very long), but the Notch fits everywhere (and probably more although that 2.64 metres is long) that I'd put the Duplex and is more wind tolerant but it can't go horizontal in the ruckie-still I need one I think. What about the wide mat in the Notch pushing/distorting the floor?
An issue or just sands through the hourglass?
Click to expand...

Wide rectangular mat is a bit of a pain but wide mummy mat is perfect.
 
Clare

Clare

Thru Hiker
Oh I don’t know-good point- mine is wide medium, 183cm. Not long. Ground plans needed. Oh look!
 
H

Hd8ekownio24ugh5

Thru Hiker
Mole said:
Yep. It fits, just with corners pushing sides but not unusably so.
Click to expand...
Good to know.
There's pics on their site with the large and I know someone uses a large X Lite in the Notch but haven't chatted to him in a while -just thought I'd try and get some more users thoughts. Could be the excuse I needed to chop my Xlite it's way too long and cumbersome-could get 40 unnecessary cms off that monster.
 
J

Jamess

Thru Hiker
Robert P said:
A mid is more dependent on pitching perfectly square and the corners being reasonably level.
Click to expand...

Really? How come? Yes you need to pull the corners of a mid out but because it is all centred around a single pole it's probably more forgiving of poor pitches/sites than any other sort of shelter.
 
edh

edh

Thru Hiker
Weell not really cos if you pitch something like a Notch or the Moment DW, it really only means two crucial pegs.
Obviously there are compromises, but with these tents if you have a person sized piece of ground to lie down on they work. OK so your fly might be slightly ****ed here and there but you can still sleep well.
I've made these work for me on many occasions over the last 10 years or so.
 
T

turkeyphant

Section Hiker
Cranston said:
Had they the Aeon when I bought my Duplex I might have gone the Aeon (but it's very long), but the Notch fits everywhere (and probably more although that 2.64 metres is long) that I'd put the Duplex and is more wind tolerant but it can't go horizontal in the ruckie-still I need one I think. What about the wide mat in the Notch pushing/distorting the floor?
An issue or just sands through the hourglass?
Click to expand...
Can you just make the Notch a bit narrower by not pegging one of the vestibules out so much (making it closer to an Aeon?).

I'm inclined to think that the extra 70g for the Notch is worth it for the flexibility if so...
 
J

Jamess

Thru Hiker
You can lose some width from a mid in a similar manner as long as you have mid panel tie outs on the sides.

You won't have the sides entirely taught but it wouldn't be any worse than a notch with one side not fully pegged out.

If you are prepared to be more minimalist an MLD cricket can be set up such that it requires hardly any more pitching area than a bivy. The new ones are larger but the original solomid sized ones take up very little space.
 
J

Jamess

Thru Hiker
edh said:
Weell not really cos if you pitch something like a Notch or the Moment DW, it really only means two crucial pegs.
Click to expand...

Aren't we starting to push the laws of physics here? The Moment has 4 structural contact points with the ground albeit 2 of them are the hoop. A Notch similarly needs four decent contact points with the ground.

I'm no engineer but for a 3d structure I was taught that you need a minimum of three decent contact points with the ground. At the risk of being cheeky, as Ed works in H.E. he may have access to the latest research, but I hadn't heard that the laws of physics had changed.

It's good to see praise lavished on the notch as a fine, well proven design by more experienced users than me whose opinions I respect.

However, much as the Notch is a fine shelter I wasn't aware it had acquired magical powers, but if it has, being panto season and all that, I have some magic beans to trade for one, or at least the chap who gave them to me told me they were magic beans. YMMV.
 
edh

edh

Thru Hiker
Quite.
Most think me one dimensional at best...
You're right if coarse....
The moveable nature of the guys adds the flexibility for tight pitches...
It's my choice for constrained ground
 
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