I've always been a tent camper, usually using a mainstream 2 person tent like the REI Quarter Dome T2 which comes in around 4.5 pounds. If I'm going with someone else and splitting the weight, it's not too bad.

Lately I find myself wanting to do trips on my own (mostly because I can't drag anyone else along!) and so I've been looking into lighter shelter options. I just got an Integral Designs SilDome hand-me-down and thought I might give it a shot, but I'm totally new to tarping.

I know the SilDome isn't a "true" tarp but more of a tent/tarp hybrid, nor is it the lightest thing out there. But the price was right! So my question is really, what do I need to complete the shelter? I'm guessing in most conditions it would be nice to have at least a groundsheet, if not a full bivy? What are good beginner options that would allow me to use the SilDome without breaking the bank? Yes I realize light weight and inexpensive generally work against each other!

What about something like a big sheet of Tyvek? Any downside to sleeping directly on top of that with sleep pad/bag combo, aside from lack of bug protection?

If I add too much weight to the SilDome with add-ons, I wonder if I'm not just better off getting a lightweight TarpTent or other 1 person all-in-one shelter.

Thanks!

Edited by bswiz on 08/29/2011 13:52:41 MDT.

Tyvek works quite well as a ground cloth. It offers excellent durability, low cost and a reasonable weight. Lighter options exist but they're either more expensive (cuben fiber) or aren't as durable (polycryo)

And for bug protection you could use a headnet, or one of the many bug nets out there.
The Equinox Mantis is inexpensive, or you could go with something bigger for a little more weight and more $.
Many include a bathtub floor so no ground cloth would be needed.

The sildome is supposed to be very good at holding up in bad weather. I have never used it myself.

That Equinox Mantis looks cool for the price, but I guess I'd still need a groundcloth of some sort. If I could find a place to get a sheet of Tyvek, that's probably the lowest cost of entry. I need to make friends with some people in construction, I guess!

I think the SilDome is plenty big enough for one person that I wouldn't need to worry too much about rain splashing under the tarp and onto my bag as long as I set up in a good spot.

Edit: Someone is selling an Integral Designs Bugabivy on the Gear Swap forum. Specs have it at 16oz... this is my dilemma - the tarp/pole/stakes is around 1lb 14oz according to the specs online. So add a 16oz bivy and I'm at nearly 3 pounds. Seems like I might just be better off getting something like a Tarptent Moment at that point.

Opinions?

Edited by bswiz on 08/29/2011 17:50:46 MDT.

Possibly. Except that a Sildome is considerably bigger than a Moment. That extra space is very nice when the bugs die off at night.

Tyvek ground cloths can be had on Ebay for cheap.

I use to use Tyvek, but I find Polycryo ground cloths to be lighter and quite durable. It may look like a thin sheet of plastic, but it is very tough for it's thickness.

I'm amazed at how mine has lasted almost two years without a puncture.

You can get it at Gossamer Gear and at places like Home Depot in the form of heat shrink storm window plastic, but they always seem to be out of the size I want when I'm there. So I ordered mine from GG.

On the subject of bug protection, you'll find many used on bpl. I have actually bought a few her for friends.

I am personally a fan of the SMD Meteor Bivy for it's weight and versatility, but I like others for different reasons as well. I think there was a BearPaw Minimalist on there earlier. It comes highly recommended from a friend.

Guess it just comes down to cost vs weight and/or convenience.

The SilDome was free so I'd love to use it, but it just seems like when I add a bivy and/or groundcloth, the weight isn't so attractive anymore.

If I could sell the SilDome and put the money towards a 1 person UL tent (Tarptent? Big Agnes Fly Creek UL1?) it might come in closer to 2 pounds.

Ah, decisions, decisions! :)

The Sildome, with an ultralight bug bivy would be lighter, cheaper and more flexible than most other options. The sildome is also roomier and comfier as well.

I use polycro (window film) from Home Depot as a groundsheet, and so far it's holding up well. Can't remember exactly, but it seems like a package big enough for 4 groundsheets cost about $8. Weight is 2.8 oz, but I could trim more off and probably get to less than 2 oz.

Sleeping in a headnet has worked for me in pretty bad mosquito conditions--the buzzing around my ears was annoying but earplugs fixed the problem. Coghlan's headnet weighs 0.5 oz and costs $3. Foam earplugs don't register on my scale. And there are bivys much lighter than 16 oz. Looking at pics of the SilDome, I think you're right that splash won't be a problem.

Tyvek scraps big enough for a groundsheet can usually be had just for asking at a construction site.

The way a lot of people here save weight on shelters (me included) is to use a design that pitches with hiking poles (or use sticks, or tie between trees).

If it were me, I'd get a cheap groundsheet (polycro or scrap Tyvek), take the SilDome (and a headnet just in case) and try it out for a few nights. You can always sell it later if it isn't for you.

Thanks for everyone's thoughts. I actually just ordered 2 bug headnets (Peter's design sold here in the forums) and I have some left over window film in the basement from when we sealed an old window this winter. Not sure if I have enough for a groundsheet, but I'll have to check. Doesn't seem like it would be too durable but it's worth trying.

Question about sleeping in a headnet - doesn't that cause the netting to lay flat on your face, allowing bugs to bite/sting you right through the mesh?

Is there such a thing as a relatively cheap, lightweight full bug bivy?

I do use hiking poles and have checked out several of the shelters that can use them to cut weight. If I didn't already have the SilDome that's probably the direction I'd be looking.

I've never used a Sildome but I've always like the design, where you can pitch it and roll back half of it. I think I would almost always start with this pitch in decent weather, and use with a bivy open at the head, head under the dome. A SMD Meteor bivy (mentioned above) would be good paired with this.

It seems like it would be really easy to quickly get up and stake out the other half of the dome if it started raining, faster than setting up a standard tarp.

Bryan, I'll heartily second polycro! I bought a 2-pack from Gossamer Gear, the medium 40'x96' size, each sheet weighing a mere 1.6 oz, about eight years ago, and I'm still on the first sheet. True, it has a couple of small punctures, but nothing to render it useless. The trick is to clear the area well of pine cones and sticks, which you'd want to do anyway if you were using a tent with a floor. Tyvec sort of works, but keep in mind that it is a breathable material, so some moisture (vapor) in the ground will pass through.

A good bivy choice can be had from Equinox: ~7 oz, $60. This one works quite well in a shelter situation, be it a tarp or a dome. Happy Trails!

OK, now we're getting somewhere! Seems like for starters, I can try my SilDome with some window insulation film as a groundsheet. I'll have to look around for the Equinox bug bivy. I like the design of the SMD Meteor but not ready to spend $130 quite yet. I think I saw on their site a template to make your own but I'm not ready for that either...

Monty - which Equinox bivy were you talking about? The Mantis that someone suggested is only an upper body bug bivy. I found one called the Ultralite but it is not bug netting.

Edited by bswiz on 08/29/2011 20:38:23 MDT.

I've had no problems being bit through a headnet, but the Coghlan's net is--I think--finer mesh than Peter's. Of course, this also makes it less comfortable in normal (non-sleeping) conditions: harder to see through, and less air-flow. I also wore my hiking hat to sleep, which held the mesh off my face a bit.

Realistically, some people might find this solution a little claustrophobic...

Bryan, I think you found the one I was referring to: the Equinox ultralight bivy cover(vargooutdoors.com). It has no bug netting, so when the skeeters are out I just don my head net and the bill of my cap keeps it off my face. One peculiar thing I've noticed while using an open tarp during bug season is that they seem to just cling to the inside of the fabric after dark and not bother me too much. They seem most active late morning and early evening. Hope that helps.