The two and four person pyramid shelters are up on Mountain Laurel Design's website...

I was just looking at them. They look nice and if they stay to the quality of the Bivy's I can't wait to get some reviews out of them.

Tommy

Man, I wish Ron wouldn't keep making such sweet stuff. Whenever I think I have my kit dialed in he makes another amazing "must have" product. The SuperFly Shelter, looks, well, superfly.

More stuff to drool over all winter.....

Edited by Mow on 11/11/2007 19:34:06 MST.

I really like the hanging mesh option a la Oware Pyramids or SMD Wild Oasis for both shelters.

The Superfly with mesh perimeter = shelter and bug protection for two at under a pound!

One question on the Superfly though, why are both peaks equal in height, couldn't the one towards the foot be lower?

Maybe both peaks are the same height because the ultra-lightest trekking poles are not adjustable?

One could argue that as the reason. Others could argue that it's competing with golites upcoming new shelters that look similar. Still others would say those shapes have been around for some time in the MSR twin peaks, BD betalite, BD megalite, Oware pyramid, etc. Ron made them lighter for the UL crowd.

Both floorless shelters are nice looking. I wonder how they would perform with a snowload?

Paul said,
"Maybe both peaks are the same height because the ultra-lightest trekking poles are not adjustable?"

Yep, the equal peak height reasons: In no particular order-
1: To fit a non adj pole OK.
2: Two can sit up facing each other with the heads not touching.
3: Two can orient sleeping with heads at opposite ends
4: A bit tighter pitch with equal forces at all corners
5: Weight difference of one slightly shorter peak would be less than .5oz anyway

Yep Too- Very few shelter designs are really completetly new- Seems I recall this shape as a kid at the circus. Hey, maybe a long four/six person version with three peaks...


Thanks

Thank you thank you thank you. I've been waiting for this shelter for a while now. I'm so insanely happy that MLD is ramping up production so that these great designs can finally come to light!!! I'm assuming the SuperFly is an evolution of the Spirit that was first previewed about a year and a half ago??? It was smaller tho'... and even lighter. I wonder if there's a SuperFly 1+ in the works? THAT would be sweet. If not... I'm still down with the 2+.... big time!!!! Something that huge @ 14.5 oz with netting but without a floor would EASILY make me give up my tiny 10 oz bug-net-less SpinnShelter. That would be pure luxury!!!!!

This is why I was bummed with the MLD backlog before. I've been waiting for these MLD shelters for so long (2 years???). Very excited. Very excited indeed :-) Ron is at the forefront.

Edited by davidlewis on 11/13/2007 03:47:16 MST.

BTW... I LOVE the equal height peaks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LOVE IT!!!!!! I HATE having to always have to orient a certain way and having to move around with only one small area that has any headroom. The superfly looks so awesome!

One question... and sorry if this is mentioned on the website... are there doors on both ends? Seems like there might be since it's symmetrically... though it might add a few grams. From the website... it looks like one door and one vent? That's cool. I won't miss the velcro closure of my SpinnShelter tarp either :) Zipper... luxury!

Edited by davidlewis on 11/12/2007 19:02:30 MST.

Thanks for the answers on equal peak heights.

I just noticed the floor option, that's really cool. The measurements in from the wall, are they on each side, or total? (What do the floor dimensions end up being for both shelters with the floor option?)

Thanks again

Ron, the SuperFly looks awesome. Finally an UL 3.5 season shelter! A few questions:

(1) Is it 1-door, or 2-door? (Maybe add photos of both ends to the webpage).

(2) What is the (horizontal) distance between the peaks, ie the distance between where the two poles touch the ground?

(3) Are all the tie-outs at groundlevel, or are there also tie-outs in the center of the faces, 2 ft above the ground?

(4) Any plans for additional shelters, eg a solo shelter?

(5) Any plans to offer cuben as an option?

The website talks about the door in the singular... so I'm assuming it's just one door. Are there vent's on both ends tho'?

From the following description for the Superfly at MLD's website, it appears that there are tie outs on three of the four faces (in addition to 8 ground level tieouts):

"• Eight ground level perimeter tieouts
"• Three side panel tieouts (one each side / not door end) for high winds."

Am curious, too, about what the distance might be between the bottoms of two 50" poles if they are vertical.

Sufficient to allow MLD Bug Bivy (about 78" long) to fit between the base of the poles with the bug bivy's netting cords attached to each pole's top?

JRS

Hi,

The pic does show the side panel tieouts - Pic of the protoype. I need to update that shot...

One tie out centered on each large side and one the non door end.

About 4.7" between the two peaks. The MLD bug bivy can be used and the bivy head tie-up clipped at a slight angle to the apex. For solo use, you can place the poles a bit off center and then lie at an angle near the center of the shelter.

OR: Tie a line inside from the corner up to the apex. Position a loop in the line to fall overhead for a clip up.

Using it with the bug bivy would be a neat idea... since you often don't need bug protection for many times of the year.

Wow! That's a great looking shelter!

I wonder if MLD would offer a cheaper silnylon version. Rough numbers--a silnylon superfly would weigh about 15oz.