Gear

I am planning to tarp it in Scottish highlands end of May/early June and everone says "whoah, midges! Is that wise?" to me. I did the same week in other years and rarely had a problem but this time I intend to stay up in the hills all week. It is also the first trip up there that I intend to use a tarp. I previously used a big tent from a car and a single skin or bothy when away from car.

I am tall so can't fit in a laser comp. I also would not like to have to spend £300 for a tent if I could get away with it. Any ideas? I have a vango spectre200 (too heavy) and vitesse from vango force 10 (light enough I suppose and quite big enough but condensation can annoy sometimes). I did think an SL3 with something like an Oooknest or similar but is that suitable for a solo camper? I mean the tent and pole is something like 900g I think and the oooknest (if I could even get one in time) would only add to that.

Just looking for ideas really. Cost and weight solutions really. Both need to be as light as possible.

You'd be pushing it with an OookNest at your height.

The SL3 works best as a solo tent if you use trekking poles, I think. Outer, OookNest, pegs - 1300g

Is your tarp big enough to get some kind of fully enclosed bug bivvy inside it?

I have a 8ft or 2.4m square tarp which can produce a cave type pitch. Ranging from low at the foot to higher at the front. No means to suspend anything from the tarp itself though. Any midge netting would need to be fixd to the pole through the loop at the front in the middle (outside of the tarp so water leaking in issue perhaps) and hanging loose on my bivvy. Not sure if that is good enough.

What exactly is a bug bivvy? I kind of think its like those lifesystems bug nets that ca be suspended from above people's bed when travelling. Not sure how good for lightweight tarp camping. Probably wrong though.

Bug bivvy

I have a force10 Vitesse and condensation isn't too bad mostly but at about 13kg plus a Rab SZ to cut the wind out if I leave the door fully open to reduce condensation its kinda heavy. Its a single skin tent but the above is is practically a single skin tent too albeit with the nest. Mrs Nesbit - what is the outer in that picture? Is it a tarp?

I mostly pitch my tarp by pegging out the tail end one loop in each side then pole at the front to form an A frame there. Then use a lifter to the tail end. That just about gives me a good length for me to drop down into if the rain comes. Its my stormy weather pitch and works for me but not sure if I could get a nest to fit that too well.

Other pitch for better weather for me is the flying V. I have uses an A frame but find it leaves two open ends to catch the wind and for rain to be driven into. Is that a Spinnshelter type of thing? If only a tarp how on earth do you get the doors into it?

I wonder if I pitched my tarp and measured up properly Oookworks could make a custom nest for me? I also wonder how much that would cost and the lead time. I think an email to them could be coming up. I think I need something like dodgers but they have been discontinued by the company that made them. I like tarps but need to work some kind of Scottish rig for mine. Midgeproof and more stormproof. Lakes is pretty benign really IME. Even its stormy weather, with good pitching, never seemed too bad.

I think the tarp(?) is a Gossamer Gear SpinnShelter but not entirely sure. I just googled for an image for bug bivvy to explain what I meant.

Could make you an inner, but I don't think your tarp sounds big enough really.

Did you see Mole's post about the Patrol shelter he's got for sale? They are very long.

am also quite tall and felt too tight in a lot of the 1 or 2 person ultralight tents, so i bought a helsport from :  http://www.tamarackgroup.co.uk/acatalog/copy_of_Helsport_Ringstind_Light.html 

 it's longer than most but a bit out of your budget. might be worth a call to tamarak to see if they can discount it a bit? 

Belgian_Hiker wrote (see)

Have a look at the Vaude Power Lizard (or smaller version Tokee)which are great in the length, and i'd say average in head room. Weights are 1050g and 860g.

Not the Tokee  -   it's not much better than a hooped bivi with a head height of only 80cm!

I don't worry about head height personally. I have never been able to sit up in a tent since my parent's family frame tent and their trailor tent that replaced it. I am only worried about being able to lie down in it without my feet or head pushing against the inner tent, perhaps pushing it into the flysheet. I tried Force10 helium 100 and 200 tents once and my head and my feet, when lying on my back, forced the inner against the flysheet. Not good if you want dry feet and head I believe.

I looked at the tokee on Ultralightoutdoorger website and it is 225 internal. This is the same as the Laser Comp IIRC. I am assuming like the laser comp it has a flat and vertical end about 30cm high at that distance. Even so I know from experience that on a sloping site in the hills you need a bit of a buffer to take into account slippage of the mat and you. For me I prefer 230cm internal which is about 33cm long than I am when lying down.

IIRC the helsport is heavier than the comp and tokee but is about 240cm internal (most of that is supposed to be useable space too). It is the price though. Perhaps Tamarack will do a deal. They are supposed to be a good retailer by reputation.

My current front runner is actually to buy the patrol tent and inner bug thingy from Mole (if its not sold already). Would be great for Scotland but he's away and I won't be able to pay him and get it before my Scottish trip starting 28th May.

Hi Lost

The power lizard has a 230cm long inner tent. You'd be amazed at the internal space.

My hiking partner has one, he's 5'11 and sleeps with his ruck sack at his head and still has space enough.