World's Lightest Two-Person Tent

I had been sitting on this for a while and decided finally to mention it principally because I really think Joe with Zpacks.com is really innovative in addition to offering excellent customer service. Having spoken with him numerous times, I can't think of anyone in the lightweight backpacking industry who comes across as more genuine, more concerned, more helpful, and just all all-round good guy. I try to always note impressive accomplishments about people I write about, and I specifically wanted to mention that he is a Triple Crowner which is fanfare I haven't seen him seek.

As I mentioned in an earlier blog, Joe came up with the world's lightest tent which he called the "Hexamid" (8.2oz/$269) and will be debuted in June. If you'd like to see a video on it, check out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPa6IisMqKY. Probably no surprise, he decided to offer a two-person version which he is calling the "Hexamid Twin". It comes in at 10.5oz and is estimated at $319. My guess is it will fall shortly after the Hexamid releases as his design becomes finalized. Neither is available on his website yet as these shelters are still in the prototype phase.

Both tents will have a cuben fiber tarp which uses a nanoseeum screen for walls and a floor. Whereas the Hexamid only uses one trekking pole, the Hexamid Twin uses two to help open up the space. It will also require set up with 6 to 8 stakes. Peak height is 47", rear height 30", length 9', width 5.5', and door height 29". If you are on the fence about the durability of silnylon versus synthetic, check out Joe's comparision video at http://www.youtube.com/user/valesko1#p/a/u/1/8gfcuCh7h04 in which he compares 1.3 oz silnylon to .6 oz cuben and 1.5 oz cuben. Joe makes his shelters out of .6 oz cuben and packs out of 1.5 oz cuben. The video really helps explain why cuben is such a great fabric being that it is extremely light, extremely durable, doesn't stretch like silnylon, and is waterproof.

Future Lightweight Gear

If you read my blog, you know that I have a bit of an obsession for gear, specifically knowing what is coming and how it might fit into my backpacking needs to increase my backpacking happiness. With this said, I wanted to mention a couple new pieces of gear coming to market which I haven’t seen mentioned elsewhere. Each of these items haven’t been officially mentioned to the public, so let’s keep this between you and me :)

If you’re like me, carrying a lightweight and functional shelter is a top priority. Fortunately, the release of the “Refuge-X” by Six Moon Designs and “The One” by Gossamer Gear, both full enclosure tents, now means mosquitoes can be kept at bay and tarps can be left at home for less than 16 ounces.

As I mentioned in another blog, Six Moon Designs is also coming out with a one-man tent for taller guys. It will be made with the same materials as their Lunar Solo, but in a different design. Assume it will be lighter too. Roan Moak mentioned it will hopefully be available around late summer/fall 2009, but design and production issues may slow it down. These same issues are slowing down the re-release of the updated Cuben fiber Refuge-X too.

A better kept secret is a shelter under design by BackpackingLight.com unofficially known as “The Tartan”. Supposedly, it is roughly 21 sq.ft, weighs 16 ounces, and will be about 8’ long with a width of 2-3 feet. The entire footprint will roughly be 10’x5’. It will be made of a Cuben fiber canopy and noseeum inner lining with a floor made of a new, yet unknown fabric with silicone coating. Essentially, it will be a double-wall tent for less than a pound. The release of this new shelter, which likely won’t be until Spring 2010, will no doubt have a huge impact on the lightweight industry. An unintentionally released photo is above.

Gossamer Gear, one of the few lightweight cottage industry companies I can think of who refuses to budge from delivering only highly lightweight and functional products, is also tweaking their infamous Lighttrek 4 trekking poles a bit. They are planning on adding straps to the handle and also some kind of mechanism to hold a camera. I have a pair of the Lighttrek 4’s with an early (beta) attempt at a hand strap and I look forward to the continued innovation to make these 3.4 oz (each) carbon adjustable poles even more functional. They are truly phenomenal.

As mentioned in one of my earlier posts, Mountain Laurel Designs is going to start adding a “roll-top” feature to their backpacks. To me, this makes a ton of sense as having merely a cinch-top does little to keep out falling forest duff or rain/snow. With the roll-top, and being that MLD packs are already made of the highly water-resistant and extremely durable Dyneema-X fabric, it is fair to say that a trash bag liner will be more than sufficient to keep everything out. I predict plummeting stock values for pack covers as educated lightweight backpackers will know it isn’t necessary.

Finally, and although it isn’t new, I just wanted to mention that the lightweight titanium long-handled spoon is finally back in stock at Backpackinglight.com. It is, as far as I know, the lightest titanium long-handled spoon on the market and is wonderful when avoiding dragging your knuckles through a bag of food is desired.

So there you go. If you know of anything else worthwhile which is on the lightweight backpacking horizon, please let me know.