For many many years I've been using a saunders jetpacker fly with a plastic groundsheet. My 50th birthday is coming up and my wife is muttering 'get rid of that old thing'...

Wanting something modern, lighter, same style that I have, I'm looking at a full cuben mld patrol, with the bug bivy for three season use in Spain, UK lakes, low level scotland out of midge season. Is the bug bivy enough or do you think a soul bivy better? Can't afford both, and not sure if I can cope with the claustophobia of a full bivy. I'll be using a regular neoair and an MLD 3 season quilt...

Hi Julian.
Just my thoughts on the Scotland angle.
Do you need a bug-bivvy in Scotland outwith midgie season? I have a MLD bug-bivvy, but i don't use it outwith midgie season. The only downside with the MLD bug-bivvy for my use, is ground water protection. You need to keep it taught to the roof of your shelter to create a bath-tub effect. If you don't tension it to the roof, it just lies flat, and ground water can enter. You need to get in it before you tension it to the roof, and this can be a weak point for ground water to enter. It does the job 99% of the time, but something to be aware of in wet ground conditions.

I have a few MLD bits and pieces, and it is superb gear.

thanks Mike. I'm spain based, moved here about 10 years ago, so I'm really looking for something to work in both places. How important for uk weather do you think the beaks of the patrol are? Could I make a tarp plus Soul Bivy work?. I've never had problems with the jetpacker fly in the UK (although more Lakes than Scotland), but that is fairly big and enclosed. here in spain in summer a tarp would be ideal, but never having used a tarp I'm nervous about loosing the beaks. Maybe I could go with a bivy/tarp now and buy a bug bivy nearer the summer. BTW being in Euroland and buying in the US is preeeeeeeeettty good at the moment!

Hi Julian

Being in Euroland and buying in the USA is only pretty good if you do not pay import duties ... (I am in Denmark)

However, I have a MLD Grace Solo Tarp in Spinntex that I do not use these days and if you are interested in this type of tarp you could PM me.

I agree with Mike MLD gear is of the highest quality.

true!
I'm pretty committed to cuben but thanks for the offer.

I only use a tarp for short trips when i think i have a decent weather window. I wouldn't like to give out advice on tarps for serious weather, as most of my camp sites are above treeline in exposed situations, and wrong advice could be nasty.I have 30 odd years Scottish camping behind me, but i don't have enough experience tarping in these conditions.

My favourite 3 season shelter at the moment is the MLD Duomid, and i think that is perfect for Scottish conditions, especially if combined with one of the MLD inner nests during midgie season. Mine is Silnylon, but i know of a few UK users who are using the Cuben version.

Mike - do you have the inner as well? How tall are you? Does its length pose any sort of problem?

I've got the Duo inner as well Dave. I'm only 5'10" though, so i have plenty of room. Here's a few piccies.

Edited by MikefaeDundee on 08/20/2009 15:52:22 MDT.

Edited by MikefaeDundee on 08/20/2009 15:59:34 MDT.

What a truly elegant shelter. Thanks for sharing.

>and not sure if I can cope with the claustophobia of a full bivy.

I have a Patrol+Soul bivy, and with the half zip down, and not tied up to the front pole, it's not at all claustrophobic. If it gets breezy, I usually reach up and tie the front of the bivy up to the front pole, which keeps the wind off me pretty well, but even then with it unzipped it's doesn't feel too close.

For bug protection I rely on a bug head net instead of the bivy.

Re the patrol beak, I'm glad I have it when it's raining. If it wasn't windy though and if I pegged up the front of the bivy it would probably be ok without it... but I prefer to leave the bivy down and watch it rain :)

Edited by adrianb on 08/20/2009 21:17:05 MDT.

Hi Julian,

I live in Barcelona, and in summer, below the tree line, I use a Integral Designs 8x10 tarp and a Six Moon Designs Serenity Bugnet- it works great. Total weight without stakes is 600g. Here it is in the pre Pyrenees:



For higher altitudes, above the tree line, I use the same SMD Net under a Golite ShangriLa 3. Total weight without stakes 850g.

I bought all this before the MLD DuoMid came out, and if I had to do it again now, I'd probably go for the DuoMid Silnylon, and save myself 200g on my above tree line shelter. The cuben version looks tempting, however- look up Brian Frankle's Idaho Trail blog to see how he fared with the shelter in Cuben.

I like a big shelter and am prepared to carry the extra weight as I don't do huge miles every day, everybody's different- I can't stand lying down in a silnylon coffin, or using bivys. YMMV.

I have a few MLD things, and they are all first rate- good luck with your decision. I hope this helps.

cheers,
fred

Great pictures Mike, very helpful for those of us considering the Duo Mid. Also Fred your set up looks ideal for the lowlands I often find myself in.

Edited by rogerb on 08/21/2009 03:43:33 MDT.

Hi Fred, I'm in Barcelona too!

I'm making a serious bid to get the weight I carry down (i'm changing everything,pack (gg gorilla), quilt and shelter) and I'm looking to get a setup that gets me as light as I can go, which I can then add to later. The duo mid look to be just too much for me as a general tent, although I plan to do the tgo challenge in 2011 and I will certainly look at for then.

Thanks for all the excellent comments everyone

Hi Julian,

Amazing ou are in Barcelona? Want to get together and compare notes about hikes and gear etc?

Give me a buzz- 667951165.

cheers,
fred

love to - I'll be back mid september, so I'll contact you then if it is ok

Julian

Hi Julian,

No problem, talk to you then.

cheers,
fred

I'm starting to close in on this now - talking with Ron he can build me one with a rear 'beak' rather than a closed triangle. I've got one further question.
I use Pacer poles which mean it would be difficult for the front support to be inside the shelter at the apex.
Anyone any ideas whether it is possible to run a line from the apex to a pole outside the beak?

From the MLD website,


" Beak has a reinforced interior apex for using a pole against the inside plus an exterior tieout on the apex. Longer non adjustable pole users can place the pole at the edge of the beak, tie a line from the exterior apex to the pole and stake that out and then uses a short bungee line to tie clip the beak mid height to the pole."


Sounds ok to me Julian.