Seeking a Zpacks Hexamid in good condition. Ideal would be solo-plus, .51, clear/white, no netting. But let me know if you have another variety and I'll consider that too. PM or a reply on this thread is fine, then we can email. Thanks!

Just a bump to say I'm still interested in hearing about your hexamid, if you're looking to unload one. Thanks!

Emily,
Just a FYI... and I don't know how much thought you've given to a netless Hexamid....

I have a SoloPlus, cuben, full netted, with an extended beak, that got hammered in the Grand Canyon a couple of weeks ago.

My empty pack was leaning tight against the pole during a downpour and it got "splashed" to the top of it's 24" height. It became a wet and muddy mess. For the area not "sheltered" by the pack I got some drops on the inside, but it didn't amount to much. The netting stopped most of the water and all of the mud.

When I broke camp all I had to do was hold up the peak of the Hexamid and swat the netting to shake free and dirt or duff.

I already have a few small holes in the bottom, but they don't matter. They are "backed up" by the ground sheet.

I've had netless 'Mids in the past, but never again.

I am a believer.

[And no, it's not for sale.]

Thanks Greg, that's helpful information that I hadn't thought about; I'll definitely take it into account!

If you follow the instruction sheet provided then your hexamid will have about 6-8 inches of clearance from the ground. This is great for clear nights, but I've found horrible during rain storms. I had a similar experience as the above person and learned from it. If you deviate from the instructions provided and tie off really close to the tarp and reduce your pole height/angle then you can have a hexamid that can handle any amount of rain without a net and keep you dry. Of course, I recommend a ground sheet of sorts to achieve this result. The other option is to follow the instructions and go with a 3-6oz bivy. I've been considering modifing my tyvek groundsheet to wrap around my sleeping bag. A groundsheet and 3/4th bivy combined. No added weight and even more protection.

Glad to hear your remarks Chase, as that is exactly what I was planning to do. I sleep cold so would like to pitch close to the ground to counteract breezes, and would also have a full bivy, as well as constructing some kind of door. (not sure what all of that would do for condensation, though.)
If you -- or anyone else out there -- speak from experience, then how was your head/foot room when the hexamid was pitched close to the ground? (I'm 5'6" and would be on an inflatable, but hopefully inside a bivy with somewhat protected hood and footbox.)
Emily

If you buy a zPacks poncho/ground sheet (under 4 oz) you will have a bath tub floor that fills in most of the gap between the bottom of the shelter and the ground. Plus you can use it as your rain gear. This is a well thought out system.

Thanks, Nick. Nice photos. Do you find that the high bathtub-floor setup can block ground-level breezes if desired in cool weather-- assuming there would be a door that also goes almost to the ground-- while still allowing ventilation? Or do you think it would always let in a breeze no matter what, unless the tarp is pitched all the way to the ground? (Maybe I should be moving this conversation to the "gear" forum!)

Pitched in the manner Nick has shown (looks like it is according to the directions) proved to not be ideal in stormy weather. Strong gusts of wind would at times blow my groundsheet (attached in the same exact way as Nick's just with Tyvek instead of cuben) so it was just barely was outside of the tarp walls. This would create a nice pool or actual bath tub inside the hexamid. I would awaken in the night sleeping in water. As you can see from the pictures Nick provided, the bathtub cuben groundsheet does not go higher than the clearance the tarp has from the ground.

The solution? Pitch lower and all is well.

I have had it lots of rain and no water inside. I have has in wind gusts up to 45 mph (no rain) and the sides of the groundsheet seemed to stay under the edge of the sides... although the wind did blow my pack away. I don't like staking single wall shelters to the ground due to condensation issues -- which would not be a problem with a Hexamid since it is not enclosed. Plus I like to look outside of my shelter 360 degrees. However I do not see as much rain as other parts of the country.

But it could be pitched lower than my pictures show.

Hi Emily: I am about to buy one of the hexamid solo plus. I decided to forgo the netting and get a bivy to compensate. I just ordered one of these:

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=55681

It will be my groundsheet, secondary rain cover and an escape from insects. I'll sleep on top of the bivy during good weather. I bought the 5.5oz model. Some models are cheaper and a little heavier. I think the combination of the 2 is extremely light, not too expensive and protects you in most situations.
Charlie

I really like the setup, Nick. have you been pretty happy with the poncho/groundsheet. I don't have a hexamid but was thinking of getting one for use as my poncho and under by SpinnTwinn. I don't seem to have splashing under my spinntwinn tarp at all but like the duel use and lightness of that cuben poncho.

Ben,

Here is where we get into some options. A large tarp like a SpinnTwinn (I have one) does not need a bivy or other supplemental protection from the elements because it is so big. With something like a SpinnTwinn or my BPL Nano Tarp, I take a rain jacket (Marmot Essence). So with the Nano and Essence I am looking at around 12 oz for shelter and rain gear. Probably the most convenient set up.

But the Hexamid and Poncho/Groundsheet is under 7 oz, about 1/2 the weight.

I get as good as coverage with the Hexamid, unless I have sideways rain coming in the front of the shelter, which has not happened with good orientation.

Now the problem with a Poncho/Tarp is your shelter is your rain gear... so you will get wet during set up and take down in bad weather. Takes practice to minimize this.

But with the poncho/groundsheet you set up your shelter then while under it, you take off the poncho and make it the ground sheet. During take down, you pack everything except the shelter and groundsheet. Turn the ground sheet into a poncho then take down the shelter and put it in the pack and start hiking.

What I like with the Hexamid and Poncho/groundsheet is the bathtub factor. Joe really tricked out the design here.

I am 5'11" and with a small pack (zPack Zero small) the poncho bottom is above my knees. With longish shorts the bottom 2 inches of my shorts get soaked in rain, not a big deal in warmer rain, but not super comfortable in cold windy rain. 5" inseam shorts don't get wet. Now, I don't know how it is going to fit over my new McHale Bump and I have not used the poncho with my McHale LBP. But I have a cuben kilt that I have not used yet.

I do have a concern using a light cuben fabric as a groundsheet. Worse ground for ground sheets is desert where you have sand and small pebbles/rocks. But so far, so good. If there is no chance of rain, then I just use a 1/8" foam pad as a groundsheet and keep the poncho/groundsheet in my pack. I never set up the shelter unless bad weather is expected.

Seems everything is give and take.

The combo poncho/Hexamid does seem to fit together very nicely. I think that poncho might be a good option for me even in a larger tarp too. I really can't go lighter and I always like some kind of ground cloth even in big tarp.
I wouln't mind getting into a hexamid but my height makes it a close call. Thanks for the input, Nick.

Emily,

I have a Hex and really like it.



Just returned from a trip and had a slight problem one evening with condesation (drips). I had picked a horrible spot to set up in. A very damp, slightly crowned site and the temps were in the low 20's. The 2nd night was alot better. I set it up for a little more air-flow from the sides and left the beak up. There was no chance of bugs or rain so I left a a small opening in zipper at the top of the netting door.

(tall campers)
I also have a 3" blow up mat and that put me very close to the roof at the head and foot...but at 6'4" I expected that. A less thick mat would be best.

I would say go fot it and find one, they are great.

Thanks much to all of you for your thoughts and photos. It is very helpful to hear about peoples' various experiences. I feel that a hexamid, used with bivy, will be a good purchase for me.

This has been so helpful that I've posted a new thread in the Gear forum seeking hexamid users' thoughts about which size may be most suitable for my needs. If you still have plenty of hexamid talk waiting to bubble forth, feel free to send it my way.
http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=60155

Those of you with a hexamid you want to sell, I'm still interested in hearing about that!

Emily