I've got a Hexamid Solo with beak, and a cuben groundsheet to go with it, that you can borrow for your trek if you'd like. I used it when I did my Sierra trip and it worked great. What's nice about the cuben groundsheet is that it's actually a 1.5 (wide) groundsheet, so it blocks more wind than the single-wide groundsheet. Takes one trekking pole to set up (or pole, if no trekking pole used).

Let me know.

There are fine Gentlemen and then there is Doug. The former can't hold a candle to the latter. Amazing offer.

I imagine that the less complicated the shelter, the better? Seems like a Bivy Bag trip. No setup means minutes saved each night and morning, which means more miles.

Add a few ounces to simplify the sleep system, bring a non-inflatable closed-cell foam pad, and add miles.

Doug
thanks for the gear loan offer, but whatever we settle on we'll cough up the cash so we can practice ahead of time and destroy it without feelings of guilt.

Simple
what I'm looking for in a shelter is something no more than one step more complicated than a bivy, but something that can hold 2 people.
I seem to have the idea that 2 people in single shelter would trap more warmth than 2 separate bivy bags.
How accurate is this assumption ?

Accurate, but not a lot of speed systems are built for two. There's the zpacks Hexamid, that holds two tightly and staking out every night will take a lot of time unless you really practice. Hammocks are pretty fast, I love them for this kind of thing, especially if you use a Hennessy Hammock with snakeskins and master the knots.

Two bivies will probably be the best thing you can do. You could also rig up a very basic rectangular tarp and both of you can use bug bivies and sleep next to each other.

I would use hammocks unless you are going over the treeline, and even then if you are close to rock faces you can usually find tie points on the rock faces.

You can go as warm as you like (down to zero degrees), but the weight savings are not as good there due to the amount of weight for the down in the underquilt. If you do not have to go down that far you will see some good weight savings at the 20 degree mark or higher.

The very good tradeoff with Hammocks as compared to tents is you do not have to find the "perfect" ground for a comfortable sleep.. and after 45 miles a day, you will be wanting the most comfortable sleep you can get. There really is no comparison between hamock sleep and sleep on a pad on the ground... the hammock is MUCH more comfortable.

Oh, for wind I would use a Cuben fiber tarp with "wings", weighs close to nothing and is very structurally sound to block rain and wind.

Edited by devoncloud on 12/12/2012 11:32:37 MST.

You could use a light hammock with the Hennessy rain cape tarp to save some weight and bulk. Making a Cuben clone would be very interesting.

With a more standard a-frame Cuben tarp and using a foam pad for bottom insulation on a hammock, you would still have all the components of a ground sleep system and do it all.

An underquilt is not a necessity.

Down to 35º, I use a foam pad and a 20º sleeping bag in my hammock. Below that, I use a Thermarest NeoAir inflatable and the same sleeping bag. I have never been cold down to 10º.

You should be just fine with the hammock, a good sleeping bag, and some basic lightweight foam mat like a Thermarest Z-lite torso.

so far it seems like the best Shelter bet, to meet the criteria, would be some sort of super bivy that weighs no more than 12 oz , one for each of us.
but these tend to weigh about 1.75 -2.5 lbs.
is there something on the market or do I have to design and make it myself ?

I have an image in my head that would use our hiking poles (yes we'll have poles) with 1 stake in front and 1 stake in back.
it would be sort of like the original Nemo Gogo, with poles on the outside instead of the interior air tube, and be smaller and more spartan than the Gogo.
if pressed for time, or weather is good, it could simply be used as a standard bivy without bothering with poles and stakes.
not sure how much it would weigh though.
can I get this down to 12 oz ??

I am liking the 2 lb figure a couple of you have thrown out, a good target for shelter, bag, pad combo.
with current gear we're at about 3 lb.

Edited by asandh on 12/12/2012 12:46:12 MST.

I once had Ron Bell make me a custom double superlight bivy. You could always get him to make you a custom double event soul bivy. probably not cheap, but I would imagine it would come in under 2 pounds, probably around a pound and a half (since a single only weighs 12 oz.) FWIW.

Maybe the Marmot alpinist bivy. I think that it's 12 or 14 ozs. for a single. Very stripped down though.

A hexamid is under 10 ounces with everything, it sleeps 2, and is $only $300 with full bug protection.

I have no connection with this company, I'm only giving this info because you asked about a doulbe-bivy. (i.e. Roger Caffin, this is not spam):
"Oware Waterproof Breathable Bivysack for Two Save weight, sleeps two for the weight of the average one person waterproof breathable bivy Just 18.5 oz PTFE Top, Sil-nyl Bottom. Noseeum Netting, Cross Chest Zipper.
• Price: $199.00
http://shop.bivysack.com/category.sc;jsessionid=B69F278184F177034A0D9F66C98A00AE.qscstrfrnt04?categoryId=2

I also had a double bivy made by Dave Olsen at Oware. Excellent bivy, excellent quality.

In terms of your pads that you use, can you tell me what the weight is on those and any comfort loss associated? Also, are you using a real sleeping bag or a quilt? Just making sure that I understand your setup and the weght savings that would be vs an underquilt :)

Devon

my current setup is

closed cell sleep pad - 192g (51 x 20 x 3/8)
full sleeping bag - 594g (North Face Propel, synthetic, rated to 40*)
shelter option #1 - 1331g split 2 ways(my half=666g)(tent rain fly, poles, stakes)
shelter option #2 - 421g (basic gortex bivy bag)

so my current setup = 1452g = 3.2 lb
.................or = 1207g = 2.66 lb

goal is to get under 2.0 lbs but with a real shelter rather than just a bivy.