Hi all,

I'm looking for a tipi-style shelter for the mountains, mostly on climbing trips that require two 6 foot tall people sleeping at the base of the route. Often I'd use it solo, too. Silnylon budget.

The short question is:

Would you go with a MLD SpeedMid or Trailstar?

I like the simplicity, light weight and I assume the smaller stuff size of the Trailstar. My main complaint about the MH Kiva I've used for years, though, is that the 5 sided design takes lots of fiddling to pitch taut. I've searched here and the rest of the web for comments on this issue and can't find many.

So, chime in: how does pitching the Trailstar compare to a 4-sided design, and what other factors can I consider to choose between the two?

I think some of the mids are too short for taller folk so would probably lean toward the TrailStar but am not sure if it is comfy for two. Here is a recent review:

http://www.andyhowell.info/Colin-Ibbotson/Trailstar-review.pdf

It seemed that the extra width on the speedmid would allow tall people to sleep at a slight diagonal.

So, thoughts? Who's using these in the mountains?

Both my head and my feet are within an inch of touching the walls of the Solo Mid which would be the same width and height as the Speed Mid, I believe. How could you lay diagonally in a Speed Mid if the center pole is there?

Wow! MLD's site says both are good for a 6'4" user. How tall are you? It sounds like you're saying the 8.9' MLD mids aren't really large enough for someone over 6'? Thanks for the help.

I am 6'1". But realize that the walls slope so usable space is not the full length. If you pitch it high enough, you can maximize the space but it really is not that long. For some people, this will bug them. For others, they are okay, given the light weight and overall protection of the shelter.

Two big guys, hmmm- I'd go for a larger shelter like the Golite ShangriLa 3 which is bomber above tree line, and plenty of room for two and gear- there's a review on this site.
I use mine solo, and love the space in foul weather.
I've just bought a MLD Solomid when I want to go really light, but there's nothing like the room of the SL3. Really light involves compromises, and with the Solomid, this means less interior room.
Interior space, according to Golite is 58sq feet for the SL3.
cheers,
fred

Concur with Fred on the Shangra-La 3. I have used a Hex for years and just bought the SL3 (It is slightly lighter and more vented than its predecessor) for hiking with my wife and for solo in foul weather. Have never handled or seen a Trailstar so can't compare the two.

I got the impression he was on a budget by the OP. The SL3 is over $100 more than the Trailstar.

Are you looking at the Speed mid or the duomid. With the speed mid you will have plenty of room for 2 6 ft guys and extra gear. The Speed mid is the shorter supermid. The doumid will be tight for 2.

Link to small review from Ryan

http://www.ryanjordan.com/weblog/2010/05/the-versatility-of-the-pyramid-as-an-ultralight-shelter.html

Edited by jollygreen on 07/07/2010 08:41:36 MDT.

"With the speed mid you will have plenty of room for 2 6 ft guys and extra gear."

Do you have some pictures? It is has the same or similar sloped walls as the Solo Mid - there is not plently of length and with a 'long' bag, the bag WILL touch the ends. The SuperMid is the same length but taller so the walls are far less sloped - hence more usable length.

For Alpine I have yet to find a tarp that feel nearly as bomber as the BD Beta Light. It's reasonable at 1lb 3oz (no stakes or cord), which usually means about 20oz in my pack. And, the seams are beefy, tie-downs are plentiful, and the pole grommets are extremely tough so you can put the pole tip-up and crank it down as tight as you wish to fend off snow and wind.

I'm going to really test it during a week of Cascade colcanoes this month - I'll report back n

I don't have any pics. I was going off the measurements on the MLD site. I ordered A speed mid after setting up a string speedmid and doumid in my house(using the MLD measurements).I did not set up a solo mid though. I could be wrong(and if you ask my wife this happens a lot) but I thought the solo mid was 48 inches tall and the Dou and speed mid are 58' tall, piched to the ground. This difference in height should give atleast a couble of more inches above your head when laying down. With the speedmid you have the option to sleep at a slight angle with 2 people and stash your gear to the side of the shelter.
Jeff

This pic from the MLD inner net page might help. I think that's a 6' person in there.

Is Ron holding his feet back? ; )

The Duo is the best option because it is taller than either the SoloMid or the SpeedMid. You can see in that picture that the walls are not as sloped as they would be in the SpeedMid (there is a picture comparing the two on the MLD website under the SpeedMid tab)

Edited by FamilyGuy on 07/07/2010 22:53:32 MDT.

I guess there is one other option as well - angle two poles with pole extenders - that would give a lot of room in the SpeedMid to sleep diagonally.

My main complaint about the MH Kiva I've used for years, though, is that the 5 sided design takes lots of fiddling to pitch taut.

For anyone who has trouble getting tipi/ pyramid type shelters pitched tautly and evenly, try this method... great idea.

Will, I own a Trailstar and am very happy with it. I've not used a square or rectangular mid so I can't compare them.

The Trailstar is bomber in the wind, gusts just seem to slide right over it. Plenty of room inside for 6'+ guys, two plus loads of gear easy. Loosely stuffed in the factory stuff sack it takes up the same space as a bag of bagels.

The setup is quick, but does have something of a learning curve. Once you get an eye for how much space it takes up, site selection, and find your own pitching method, it sets up fast.

David said "The Duo is the best option because it is taller than either the SoloMid or the SpeedMid. You can see in that picture that the walls are not as sloped as they would be in the SpeedMid (there is a picture comparing the two on the MLD website under the SpeedMid tab"

Some stats from MLD:
The speed mid and the Duo mid are the both 58'tall.
The solo mid is 48' tall.

Speedmid:60 sq/ft of usable floor space perfect for two or three
Supermid: 70 sq/ft of usable floor space perfect for four friendly people or a palace for two or three( 15%more usable space than the Speedmid)
Doumid:40+sq/ft of usable floor space perfect for two people cozy or a palace for one plus a 4-Legged Hiker Buddy
Solomid:30sq/ft of usable floor space - Room for you and all gear. Will fit a size Long sleeping bag for up to 6'4" users

The pick of the doumid is the perfect pic to see the size of the speed mid with some one in it. You are looking at the 8.9 lenght of the doumid at the 58" height. This view is the same for the speed mid.Only the speed mid is square so is has this much room all around.

Edited by jollygreen on 07/08/2010 01:07:18 MDT.

@Jeff - I apologize - I was referring to the SuperMid in my note and got that and the Duo mixed up. You are correct.