I've started a website called LytW8.com. Right now it's focused mostly on my personal experiences with lightweight backpacking. In the future I want to expand it to be much more. It's still a work in progress (one week old) so any constructive criticism is welcome.

LytW8.com

Thanks for taking a look.

Jamie

Jamie,

It's looking great. I'd love to see some more pics from those trips you have posted, if that's possible.

I look forward to watching it in the future.

Rod

Looks good, I like your "mini tent"

Cheers

NIce job!

Sweet dude, I like seeing people's personal backpacking websites. I'm visitor #71!

Many thanks guys! I'll try to add more pics and trip details (i.e. route, where to park, regulations, etc.)

Thanks, Jamie

You should setup an @lytw8.com email address.

Also, some of your weights are a good bit off in your spreadsheet. Ex. the precip jacket and pants. You have the jacket @ 8.8 and pants at 5 but the real weights are closer to 13 for the jacket and 9 for the pants. Another is the Marmot Hydrogren. You have it at 19 ounces but the real weight is more like 25 ounces.

Looks great Jamie.

visitor #122...very nice nice mini tent you have there.

Chris, Thanks for catching the weights. I copied over one of the tabs this morning to add the LW tab. The weights were left over from the other gear. I will get this fixed.

edit: it should be fixed now...with corrected weights the LW list is now right at 12 lbs.

Thanks, Jamie

Edited by jshortt on 02/28/2010 11:59:41 MST.

I like it just fine as is but I'd second the motion for the rest of the pictures. Also I'd be curious to know exactly how you made that tent? I for one might try and make one of those at some point.
Luke

Nice kit !
Cute mod of the Virga.
Looks to me that the guyline from the bottom tip of the beaks could be tied a bit lower on the pole for a more even tension.
Please disregard this suggestion if you find it offensive.

Franco

Franco, Thanks for checking out the website. I have changed the front guyline so it runs to the ridgeline. This seems to improve the pitch significantly.

The inspiration for the tent came from the book ...

"How to Make your own Lightweight Camping & Hiking Gear" by Vick Hines copyright 1981

The book shows a tent with beaked front narrowing to a small end with beaks that sets up with a single pole from 1981.

I reworked all the dimensions and changed the way the floor worked and added vents along the side of the floor. I would also like to give credit to Ron Bell's Serenity Shelter. Though the concept is really different, the Serenity size gave me insight as to what were the minimal dimensions a person could work within. I didn't replicate the Serenity size though. My dimensions are more appropriate for a tent versus an interior net tent.

I am working on a new design that should improve on the current design. Keep checking.

Jamie

Edited by jshortt on 03/01/2010 17:47:27 MST.

Yes, that provably did not sound the way I meant it...
The Virga was certainly not the first modified A frame shelter on the market.
As you hint at, with the comment about the Serenity shelter, most tents now start with a certain design in mind and then trying to improve or adapt that for one's own use. Same with most things really.

Franco

I really like the presentation. The colors and the layout are slick.

If it's not too late to offer constructive criticism... In your left menu, add a new section called "Technique." Things that go in Technique are:
- "LytW8 Process"
- "How to pack LytW8 gear..."
- Tarp Pitch methods (lifted from Lightweight Testimony and expanded on)

Impressive site.

acronym 5/16/2010 3:54 AM