Reader Reviews

Rating: 4 / 5

I have mixed emotions about the Cave. It is spacious and light. It has kept me dry through thunderstorms and drizzles. That's the good news. It also takes a ton of space to pitch and can be tempermental. That's the bad news.

Although GoLite says that you can theoretically pitch it from a tree branch, I have yet to find a tree branch located over enough usable ground to be of help. One should plan on pitching it with at least two hiking poles or sticks. It is quieter and more weather-worthy if you use two additional poles or sticks on the sides as outriggers. If you don't pitch the Cave taut, it will keep you awake by flapping loudly in the breeze.

Rating: 5 / 5

I have had pretty extensive experience with the Cave 2. My wife and I carried it up the entire length of the Appalachian Trail last summer.

What I liked was that it is very light for the room it provides. The pop up tie offs on the side of the tarp give you good internal space even if you have to pitch the tarp low. We pitched using 2 sets of trekking poles (1 for the front and back and 1 set for the pop ups). We would pitch the back end on the ground in rough weather and the front end about 5-10 inches off the ground. In nicer weather, we would pitch it even front to back with it a foot to 18 inches off the ground. The tarp is super solid in wind and is extremely dry. We did not have a single quality issue with the tarp in 6 straight months of use. There's plenty of room for 2 with lots of extra room for gear.

Really the only downside is that there are quite a few places to stake out. 12 to be exact. So - setting it up day after day was a little time consuming, but I never felt it was not worth it. When it's set up - it is bombproof.

All in all - I would highly recommend this quality piece of gear.

Edited by lamphead on 07/04/2007 06:44:42 MDT.

Rating: 4 / 5

At 18oz and a 10x12ft. span this tarp is perfect for a two-some. It has 12 guylines not includeing the lifter lines. That being said- it is better for two peolpe to set it up if in stormy conditions. I used the Cave2 on the first half of my JMT trip and had no problems setting it up in camp but I had no stormy or windy conditions. The 10x 12 size could create problems if in stormy weather because of the large panel size. On the good side I really like the beaks at either end. Overall a very good tarp for a couple and is managable for a solo hiker.

Edited by Creachen on 11/05/2008 16:37:02 MST.