Hi there,

Finally after using a quite heavy 2 person tent until now, I'm ready to get a new solo tarp/tent.

I want to use it for solo 3 season trips, and it should be lightweight and suitable for changing weather if I don't know it will stay sunny/good.

I ruled out several solo shelters and finally came down to the MLD Solomid and the Zpacks Hexamid.

The reason I'm asking here is I simply cannot decide. The Hexamid is incredibly lightweight, but as far as I read not that suitable for heavier rain and wind.

The Solomid is still lightweight (with innernet), solid and weather resistant - but also heavier.

Any thoughts or suggestions? :)

How tall are you?

I'm 184cm

I think David Ure is around your height. You might ask him about the SoloMid for taller folks, he (and others, of course) could give you an informed opinion (he has a SoloMid).

I am 6cm shorter than you... but tend to stretch out. I think I can envision the space you need. Either could work though neither will feel like a palace. Going against heavy wind and rain I would favor the solomid. Heavy bugs, the hexamid. Wind, rain, bugs at the same time... flip a coin.

I found that I couldn't help but regularly rub against the walls of the innernet. Now this isn't a big issue since there wasn't condensation, but it did make it feel a bit smaller than I wanted. I didn't have a problem staying away from the walls of the hexamid

As to wind and rain... it's clear that the solomid has a real edge. In a really harsh storm it will be a better place. The question is what can the hexamid take on. Without the door, it was fine in very heavy, strait down rainm but winds were able to drive the rain to near the center of the shelter. The Hexamid + Door did do fine with heavy rains combined with 32km/h winds (gusts to 48 km/h). I have no experience with stronger winds... so I can't suggest where wind strength becomes a real problem.

--Mark

Edited by verber on 02/07/2010 08:52:17 MST.

Hi,

Thanks for your info, and thank you Mark for the detailed description.

I wanted to order the Hexamid with door in any case.
The Solomid has the benefit of the coming up (closed) innertent. So it's a little more flexible.

Still, the Hexamid is extremely light and easy.. and your experience with heavy rain and the wind sounds quite good..

Does anyone know if there is a video or similar details for the Solomid?

OT: Christoph, schau mal bei trekking-ultraleicht.de vorbei, da wird Dir auch kompetent weiter geholfen ;) /OT

I wouldn't take any of the two, because after testing the Laufbursche Tanzpalast I am so convinced of this shelter that nothing else would do:


Right side Cuben Tanzpalast pitched as Tarp, left side Silnylon Tanzpalast pitched as shelter.

Hi,

Already know the german forum and I'm registered there, thanks :)

Do you have any links for this laufbursche tanzpalast tarp? I cannot find anything ...

you can find some other pictureand a short report about the Laufbursche Tanzpalast Shelter here

http://hrxxl.wordpress.com/2010/02/01/laufbursche-shelter/

Hi Hendrik,

I'm not sure I can see much of a difference between the Laufbursche and the MLD Patrol Shelter, other than the beak of the Laufbursche seems to unzip (there's some other shelter that was on the boards recently which was like the Patrol Shelter but had a beak that unzipped). I don't read German so perhaps I'm missing something?

Thanks.

You're probably thinking of the Alpinlitegear Stratiform tarps. They have a zipped beak.

Hi Douglas,

the beak doesn't unzip on the Laufbursche, its handled in a different way ;) The Tanzpalast (Dancing Palace, because it is so roomy) is well-thought-out, and while it looks similar to the Patrol Shelter it is far bigger, and I would say better though I haven't slept under a Patrol Shelter.

It's tested now in the Pyrenees, Germany and Finland in Winter, and has withstood from thunderstorms till snow everything which has been thrown at it - which likely can also be said about the Patrol Shelter. Anyhow, just wanted to throw in another option, seeing that the Thread Opener is coming from Austria I thought to make him aware of this European cottage-in-stealth-mode =)

How much does it weigh?

Edited by blean on 02/08/2010 12:41:28 MST.

Looks identical to the Alpinlite tarps expcept it doesn't use a zipper at the beak.

Thanks Hendrik. Is there an English-version site on which they're sold?

Hi, and thanks for the information!

Initially I was looking for a tarp tent, so the two initial ones are more on the tent side - compared to the Laufbursche (in terms of inntertent, innernet, floor, etc)

Can you elaborate on the "cottage" mode you have mentioned? :) I cannot really see it on the pictures, I mean when used as a shelter

And when will it be available?

Btw. the Alpinlite stuff looks quite good too .. and light... as usual almost too hard to decide :)

Still, it looks like the Hexamid is the most universal solution for me, since it is nice in summer due to the side opening, can handle rain and even snow(?) with this door..

Edited by chbla on 02/08/2010 16:15:18 MST.

Snow? Not in my parts.

By the way - you just described the SoloMid to a 'T'

David, what's your suggestion?

> Still, it looks like the Hexamid is the most universal solution for me

In terms of universal use... I would suggest the solomid is better because you can pitch it up for ventilation, or to the ground if you are need to keep out snow are strong winds. The Hexamid is designed to be a bit more open. The Hexamid's openess is fine for three season use, but in harsh conditions / winter I would rather have a more protective shelter.

I originally picked up the duomid + innernet as my do everything 4 season shelter. I swapped it for the hexamid because I realized that a had a good shelter for the winter and shoulder season, and that the other 2.5 seasons would be well served by the lighter and cheaper hexamid.

--Mark