GearFlogger

Integral Designs Guides Siltarp 2 shelter

Integral Designs is a Canadian company that specializes in thinking outside the box, or more accurately outside the tent. They do make tents and other gear, but their tarps are truly works of functional backcountry art.

The Guides Siltarp 2 is a sub-pound 8x10 foot piece of Sil-coat, "a high tenacity 30 denier 1.1 oz parachute rip stop nylon impregnated with 1/4 oz of silicone, the lightest waterproof fabric available." Suffice it to say, it's tough stuff, and bonus: it rolls up about the size of a quart (or liter for our northern communist brothers; you keep your free, high-quality health care!) bottle. You need to seam seal the center seam, but it comes with a 1.5oz tube of Sil-Net for that purpose, enough to seal about 40 linear feet.

ID has basically added tie-down points to create an extremely versatile tarp. It has a centerpoint loop for suspension, and velcro on both 8' edges and one of the 10' edges so you can burrito-roll two people in sleeping bags easily. Or, set up as a sit in shelter for four people, or a pup tent for two, or whatever you can think up. It's ability to serve a foursome is where the "guides" designation comes from. It's a high-quality, thoughtfully-engineered piece of gear that might just replace your tent.

$135.00 CAD at Mountain Equipment Co-Op

REI Quarter Dome T2 Plus tent

REI makes some great tents, and the award-winning Quarter Dome series features some stellar designs. New to the lineup is the T2 Plus, an extended size version of the two person T2 that is 10 inches longer, 3 inches wider and 1 inch taller for a grand total of 5.6 extra square feet of living area. It may not sound like much, but when you're cramming in extra gear, people or pets, or if you just want a little more room to move, it's noticable.

The T2 Plus is mostly mesh for a great view and ventilation, and at 4lb 13oz fully packed it's no bag of bricks on your back. It has a bathtub floor and a small area of fabric overhead. The pole system is one of the fancy new arrangements where the intersections have these little hubs so the whole thing deploys as a single unit. Just match the color-coded poles to the webbing and you're good to go; we set it up fast and easy first try following the instructions printed on the tent bag. The way the entries are set up the walls are almost vertical for extra headroom.

The interior space is very livable, with pockets in each corner and large identical doors on either side that store in their own pockets. The vestibule is a tad larger too, also handy for gear, pets and in-laws. Very cool: you can pitch both the tent and the fly stand-alone, use the latter for an ultralight shelter. Everything is included: 8 stakes, pole repair tube and guylines with tighteners. The Quarter Dome T2 Plus is clearly designed for backpackers by backpackers, and with the extra room the Plus model is sure to be a big hit.

$299.00 at REI

REI Schwag Pockets

A tent is like a garage. It's a place for your stuff. And stuff has to be organized, lest you roll your lardy posterior on top of your sunglasses. Tents come with all sorts of pockets these days, but it's always possible to use a couple more. Hence: REI Schwag Pockets.

These things have become indispensable tentmates. Their plastic hooks are just big enough to fit around most tentpoles so you can place them where they're most convenient. They're sized to fit a quart bottle, which means cameras, goggles, sunglasses, headlamps and all manner of other necessities fit easily and are kept handy and safe. They're mesh on one side so you can see the contents. And the cream on top: they've got a wire stiffener around the opening to keep it open for easy one-handed access.

It gets better: they're cheap, they come in a two-pack so you don't have to fight - and get your butt kicked by - the SheFlogger, and they weigh a single ounce for the pair. Just leave them in your tent when you roll it up. The REI Schwag Pockets are a dead-simple piece of gear that simply couldn't be better. Great stocking stuffer.

$8.50 at REI

Marmot Alpinist Bivy

Yea, we have seen the light! The fast and light, that is, and woe unto those who travel with too much crap on their back, for they shall wail and gnash their nasty teeth and beat their sunken chests. Go forth and get a bivy, we say.

The Marmot Alpinist bivy is about as minimalist as possible. Constructed from Marmot's 40D Nylon Membrain waterproof breathable fabric, and with fully taped seams, the Alpinist weighs in at less than a pound. It rolls up the size of a quart bottle, although it will also flatten in your pack so it can be crammed in anywhere. Feature-wise it has a three-way zipper and... well, that's all. It's big at 36"x86" so you won't have any problem stuffing a sleeping pad inside; that will also keep it from rolling too much so you can find the zipper easily. This is definitely not for the claustrophobic, however.

The 3-way zipper allows for one or two openings, starting above your pointy little head and going down the left side far enough to get in or out with just a little wrangling. There's a good storm flap that with a little forethought allows for multiple venting configurations. Probably not a good idea to zip it all the way up, although we didn't test it that way. Again, the key word is minimalist: there is no mesh and no pole. It would be nice to see a little of each, but then that would add to the weight. The Alpinist is a tough little sucker too, with a slightly heavier fabric on the bottom to resist wear and tear. For ski touring, big walls and just-in-case use the Alpinist will score big with those who follow the gospel of St. Fastenlite. And in perfect GearFlogger orange, no less.

$148.95 at Backcountry

Sierra Designs Lightning XT3 tent

Sierra Designs tries a few new tricks with the Lightning XT3 three-person (really, it actually fits three normal people comfortably, unlike many so-called three persons tents), three-season tent. The result is a nifty freestanding design that weighs in at only six pounds and works well overall with just a couple of awkward features.

The main thing that's different is the pole setup. There is one normal straight pole for the back of the tent, while the front pole is actually three poles in an H configuration with swivels at the two junctions. Hear me now: do NOT try to set the XT3 up for the first time in the wind and rain at night. You will freak out, break the poles into little pieces and stick them in your friends heads. Once you've done it, it's no problem and you'll appreciate the way everything quickly snaps together. For some reason the storage bag is too large, so you'll want to cinch it down so it doesn't expand in your pack.

Another nice feature is the all-mesh construction, wonderful on nice nights when you can leave the fly off. The fly itself goes on in a specific direction, but once you figure that out it too is a nice design. The walls are steep making for a roomy interior, and the front door is comfortably large, but the back door is more of an afterthought. There are three low-mounted smallish pockets inside for organization, conveniently reachable from a sleeping bag. The vestiblues are also on the smallish side, but sufficient for a backpacking tent. All in all the XT3 is a good choice for couples who like a lot of room or for three normal size friends, like Hugh Hefner and the twins.

$388.95 at Backcountry

Kelty Carport Deluxe shelter

Ever pull into a campground and wish you could just attach something to your car and sleep under it? Kelty heard your wish and grants you the Carport Deluxe. Before you ask, there is no non-deluxe version for you cheapskates, although there is a simpler Car Tarp.

The weatherproof Carport is a behemoth at well over ten pounds. On the plus side it's sturdy and the sleeve-and-clip design sets up fairly fast; we followed the clear instructions and had it up in about fifteen minutes first time. If there's wind you'll want to take the time to guy it out with the included stakes. There are two main configurations, as a lean-to or as an awning (pictured). Either way requires a roof rack, to which the Carport attaches with velcro tabs.

In either configuration there is a lot of space: the large (for trucks and SUVs) has a spacious 126"x116" footprint, enough for four adults to sleep comfortably. In lean-to mode the triangular side panels drop down to provide a completely enclosed area, and there's a mesh window with privacy panel. For families and dirtbag climbers - you know who you are, you camp out in front of the good climbs at J-tree for ten days at a time - the Carport's versatility and roominess will be attractive. If you've got LittleFloggers, they can sleep in the car with the windows down and it's like a separate room, kind of nice for semi-privacy.

$320.00 at REI

MSR DragonTail tent

MSR has been busy innovating all kinds of new gear porn lately, from stoves to water filters to tents. The DragonTail tent is their single-wall hoop-style expedition solution for two people, svelte both in packed volume and in packaged weight at 5lb 5oz.

It folds up into a nicely-designed rope bag style pouch with two cinching buckles and a drawstring (with a grommet that will tear out almost immediately, but you can live without it), and the bag even has the pitching instructions sewn into it. Pitching is simple with just three equal poles; just find the capped end, slide it through the open side of the sleeve until it seats in the sewn end, and fit the free end in the grommet. Although the hoop design won't deflect wind and snow quite as well as a low-profile dome, the 18 guy points give you plenty of options to stake it out and tie it down.

The upside of the hoop design is the cavernous interior that easily sleeps two tall people. There are plastic d-rings at each corner in the ceiling to clip stuff to, storage pockets on either side at the head and overhead is a truly cool feature: a mesh panel creating a wind tunnel from end to end. Zippers at each end on the inside let you adjust the openings or use it as a gear loft for your skanky socks. It's a clever solution to the condensation problem that can bedevil single-wall designs.

There's just the one door, but the tent proper opens all the way to the integrated vestibule (no separate piece to buy!) so you can skootch through without too much fuss. The vestibule zipper is waterproofed, the seams are taped and there are other nice touches like reflective guy cords and poles anodized without the use of harsh chemicals. Overall the DragonTail is a highly livable design that travels well in the mountains.

$449.95 at REI

Bibler Fitzroy tent

After the nuclear holocaust when the only living things left are cockroaches, they'll be living in the Bibler Fitzroy tents that survived with them. These things are bombproof; it has replaced my North Face VE-25 (circa 1989) as my go-to shelter for cold weather. Bibler is now a Black Diamond subsidiary.

Not as big as the VE-25 it still holds two people comfortably and three in a pinch, like most so-called three person tents, and the single-wall design and internal pole system set up quickly and securely in a storm. The second door, extra room and more stable design give it the edge over Bibler's Eldorado model in my opinion.

It can build up some impressive frost in colder temps when you don't want to vent it too much, but that's hard to get away from with any tent. The vestibule and gear loft are worthwhile additions. Denali Approved.

$699 at Backcountry.com