Alright so last summer I used a Solomid and loved it, but I just use one pole so I always had to run a guyline from the peak to sorta counter balance things. Worked fine, but I got to thinking that if it had some sort of beak instead, that would work the same and open it up a bit. Then when Ron posted the photos of the solo trailstar on facebook, I pretty much made up my mind that I was going to buy or make one. So I planned it all out and ordered some fabric. Cut everything out and put it together this morning, but when I went to set it up, I was a little confused....
These first photos show how I had intended on setting it up. Basically just a pyramid with a beak instead of doors.









That way sucks, so I sorta played around with it and this second set-up works alot better, but I'm not sure I like it.











Anyways, it's not complete but that's basically it.
I think it's pretty much too tall, either that or the beak is just all wrong.
If you have any suggestions feel free. I guess I just can't make my mind up whether it's a total failure or just goofy. I'm okay with goofy.
I'm planning on hiking a good chunk of the CDT this summer, so I want something reasonably livable.

Oh, it's brown silnylon from thru-hiker and it weighs 11 oz.

Looks pretty good to me

You can set it up with a lower opening when it's windy

Higher opening when condensation is more of a problem

Nice room to sit on your bag a cook or whatever under the beak

Very interesting. I didn't realise Ron was planning a solo version. I have barely used my Trailstar yet and now there is another shelter I want to get:. One of the key issues for me will be how low it can be pitched - what is the minimum pole height you have been able to set your MYOG version up at?

Edited by jephoto on 02/24/2011 16:07:56 MST.

Photo #5 looks good to me.

I found my Duomid was very sensitive to pitch. There were times when I just couldn't get it right. Keep playing around with height off the ground and pole angle.

But FAIL? I don't think so.

Nice job.

Thats a pretty trick catenary cut on the back there. This looks pretty nice to me. I tried to make my own MLD Patrol shelter recently with mixed results. It looks like you are a better fabricator than I am. Nice work!

Edited by Ice-axe on 02/24/2011 17:06:32 MST.

Alright so I played around with it a bit more and have got a pretty decent set-up in the higher/pyramid pitch.
I think it's just trickier and needs to be perfect to be right.
I'm used to a duomid which can be tricky, but once you get it, it's cake.

Jason,
The pole is I think 53".
It's the Luxurylite stick.
But the pitches where it's sorta lower and not really a pyramid was with an adjustable pole, so I'll have to check the height.

Matt,
Yeah, this is my first time doing catenary cuts.
I didn't do a huge cut, but I should have considered the fact that those beak panels were already pretty skinny at the peak.


I tried to make the height about the same as my solomid, so that I could use the MLD solo inner that I have.
I guess it probably won't be perfect because the back and two sides are all one big panel.
Anyways, thanks for the suggestions and advice.
I'm gonna play around with it tomorrow and add some more tie-outs, but all in all I think it's probably going to work out.

If I come up with any cool pitches, I'll post photos here.

I'm really diggin that second pitch. I think you're on to something here.

Thanks Jacob. Look very nicely made - all this great MYOG stuff is driving me mad as I have just don't have the time or the skills to do any :). Not sure if it will be any more wind worthy than the Duomid, but you don't get the weakness of the big zip.

Like Greg I have also found the Duomid tricky to get just right when pitching it.

Edited by jephoto on 02/24/2011 20:31:02 MST.

to use ONLY tarps , till i had to get a tent for a certain trip,then i got spoiled and tents got better, but thats a really nice setup, will do you really well. I've pitched crazier things like that on top of single boulders, in the the wind

So I've been playing around with it, and it's really grown on me.
Seems pretty stable, just sorta fidgety to set up.
Anyways, I took some photos of it next to my Duomid this morning to give folk a better idea of the size. Also someone asked what the pole height was, for the mid with a beak set-up it's about 54" and for the weird low pitch it's about 48". Both pitches pretty much require two poles, but since the length isn't real important a found stick/small tree should work fine.
Oh, and the bottom photo show it with the MLD Solo Innernet. Fits great.

Hey, that looks great! It looks like you've nailed the issues you found with a bit more pitching experience. These photos look like you have a good, strong, capable pitch. Definitely not a fail. I really like the openness of the door area, it looks great for cooking under that overhang in vertical rain.

Any dimensions you can give us on the panel sizes?

Kind of reminds me of the ZPacks Hexamid. Definitely not a FAIL. I would love to be able to make something this good. So far my MYOG efforts have been limited to stoves, wind shields and a pot cozy :)

Sorry it took me so long to reply.
The pole height in the beaked mid set-up is about 53"
in the lower a-frame-ish set-up is about 48"
These were my plans. Actual dimensions varied a little bit, but this is pretty close.
The arches with numbers are how much of a cat cut I did.