Bushwalk Australia

Hi guys, a buddy and I just became proud owners of a Six Moon designs Gatewood tarptent/cape. Also got the Net tent interior. Brian set his up last night and it looked awesome - I couldn't resist crawling in for a test sizing ! I'm going to set mine up tonight. Anybody else have one of these lightweight wonders ? I couldn't believe the weight of the 2 items - around a kilo if I remember correctly. The strong Aussie dollar prompted us to buy and, with it seam sealed at the factory, my share was $322. I'll be giving it a proper test (on the trail) after I do a few several test pitches at home. Regards, CV

Lets know how it goes a couple of pics of it pitched would be nice at some stage
So far Im thinking the oasis wont be going anywhere intentionally exposed or in mid winter but they are well put together.
I like the idea of the cape tent part. Id probably consider it all needed for most mainland/coastal areas and a good backup for travellers.

Nice score. the dollar being strong has got me buying as well. Ill be having a new pair of boots on the next ship from Germany. That aside I have heard some good things about the Gatewood. Wld oulove to see some field pics and hear your reports on it.

Ive heard nothing but great reviews about the gatewood cape for ultralighters

a similar cheap option without the cape function is here:
http://www.bearpawtents.com/pyratent.html
and you got the option of expanding it to 2 people.

and you can also get the net tent that goes with it, with personal mods if neccessary.
I was gonna get John from Bear Paws to modify a Pyra net tent 1 to go with my Hexamid tent but got into a bit of a with the wife for having so many tents...

think i'll have to lie low till xmas..... (maybe the next Reserve bank meeting in Nov can boost interest rates and bump our dollar up even more by then)

search ebay for silnylon, and John appears to be the only person selling that fabric on ebay. he's also got some closeout items.
He gave me a great discount and his sevice is the best ive ever seen from any seller.

I wonder why SMD didnt just put the mesh on the cape... you'd think it would be easy enough to stow, maybe as a clip in liner?

Ok guys - set it up, took photos, will post as soon as I sort this new computer's photo/camera options out. Won't be long. Regards, CV

Hey guys, sorry about the ordinary photos - I'm not a real good photographer, but I hope you'll get the idea. The 2 items (tarp and inner net tent) weigh in at 580 grams. I haven't included pegs because I haven't settled on what I'm going to use. We ordered the 2 Gatewoods (already seam sealed) from Six moon designs and with shipping (less than a week !) my share was $320 Aust. Deals now would may be even better as the Aust. dollar is stronger again. Going to give it a field test next weekend - will keep you posted. Regards, CV

chuckle... hey, if it works for you charlie, that is the ultimate pack the inner, stick yer head through the hole and walk on.. thanks for the pics!

Yeah Nuts, I've heard of blokes setting the tarp up in the rain FROM THE INSIDE, but that's far too academic for me. A nice option is the inner can be pitched alone. Nice for hot summer mosquito filled nights. Oh yeah, forgot to add ; the hood closes up on cold or rainy nights (has a drawstring assembly) and its supposed to be good at reducing condensation. Regards, CV

Probably a little better ventilated than the oasis, that hood might flap around a bit. Looks like a pocket, armholes...
They are imressive, no wonder they are so popular, be no reason not to take one at that weight, even on a daywalk perhaps...

Hi charlie,

On their website, its stated as 11 oz + 7 oz ~ 510 grams.
so does your stated 580 grams account for the storage sacks, seam sealing and guy lines?

If thats the case, pretty safe to bet the complete package to be under 650 grams, without having to carry a separate "just in case" type of rain jacket for those summer days.

ninjapuppet wrote:Hi charlie,

On their website, its stated as 11 oz + 7 oz ~ 510 grams.
so does your stated 580 grams account for the storage sacks, seam sealing and guy lines?

If thats the case, pretty safe to bet the complete package to be under 650 grams, without having to carry a separate "just in case" type of rain jacket for those summer days.

Gees get real does 70 grams make a big difference about a wee bit more than a pkt of 2 min noodles what is going on with todays walking fraternity are we so weak that everything must be Uberlite !!
I grew up 50 years ago with second hand ex ww2 gear (Bergan Pack best ever) Kapok filled sleeping bags .Gas Capes as ground sheets, A frame Tent ?? ( Fresh Bacon fresh snags if you were rich) and tins of Whatever and Oatmeal and you folks are quibbling about 2 ounces

corvus wrote:

ninjapuppet wrote:Hi charlie,

On their website, its stated as 11 oz + 7 oz ~ 510 grams.
so does your stated 580 grams account for the storage sacks, seam sealing and guy lines?

If thats the case, pretty safe to bet the complete package to be under 650 grams, without having to carry a separate "just in case" type of rain jacket for those summer days.

Gees get real does 70 grams make a big difference about a wee bit more than a pkt of 2 min noodles what is going on with todays walking fraternity are we so weak that everything must be Uberlite !!
I grew up 50 years ago with second hand ex ww2 gear (Began Pack best ever) Kapok filled sleeping bags .Gas Capes as ground sheets, A frame Tent ?? ( Fresh Bacon fresh snags if you were rich) and tins of Whatever and Oatmeal and you folks are quibbling about 2 ounces

He says as he hurredly clicks the link ( http://www.sixmoondesigns.com/ ) (OO, two new colours!!!)

Why hurredly

This IS the "weight reduction" section after all. thats why we're talking about no? I just wanted to know the exact weight.

In this area where theres a whole bunch of new tarp style tents entering the market, weight becomes one of the main deciding factors between tent A, and tent B.
Another example is why MLD's cuben fibre duomid costs double its silnylon version and there are so many people happily paying $200US for 4 ounces of weight savings. I'm not one of those people, but there is obviously a market for it. http://www.mountainlaureldesigns.com/shop/product_info.php?cPath=35&products_id=105

Dont forget it was this philosphy, that gave henry the motive to design your scarp II

I was once a soldier who happily carried 40kg+ on my back for days on end, but in my physio / chiropractic clinic now I see alot of those oldies that "grew up 50 years ago", with massive knee and back problems. I happily carry 20kg, but weight reduction philosphy has now allowed me to carry a full pack with a weeks worth of supplies, full 5kg of photography equipment and a 4kg full packraft setup for 20kg . I cant complain with that.

did the instructions read to put extenders on the tie down points charlie? (looks like you have) hey, I think if your able, putting a couple of extras between the tie downs would be a good idea for wind... I just pegged the back of the Oasis (other topic) into the ground and lifted the front.

I am also an ex soldier so don't weep or BS about the weights you carried back then and yes I have knee problems but unless you served for years and years as a "walking grunt " which I did not it does not relates to what occurred 40 years ago it happened and I love to lighten my load .
c

Hey ninjapuppet - I did weigh it in the stuff sacs they came with and with the tie cords etc... 580 grams. It still represents a good weight saving for me ; I'm happy. My next lightest shelter (other than just a tarp) is a Macpac Microlight. From memory it's about 1.5 kgs.
Nuts - we'll see how she fares this weekend, I hope. I'm hoping to get off to Mt Samaria state pk. Test time ! I don't know about using it on the AAWT tho... I'd have to be really confident with it, to say the least.
Corvus ; I'm a bit like you I guess. I like to save weight in my pack, but won't lose sleep if I opt for a heavier item. A 13kg base weight (for me) is a huge weight saving from what I used to carry. Cripes, I reckon my pack when I did the Overland must have been every bit of 25kgs. Don't know tho - never weighed it. As they say in other parts - hike your own hike. This is a great forum to kick ideas around in though. Gets you thinking .... Regards, CV

Weights aside that is a kicken piece of kit.

That looks really nice. Very light for a double wall shelter. Any pics wearing it as a poncho? Very stylish I'm sure.

Hey cams ; I hear as a poncho they make a very good shelter. Regards, CV

Hi charlie, would you think that net can work with other shelters/ tarps? or is the connection such that it can only work with your cape?

Hey np - I'd have to check. I've only set it up once and didn't notice. I do know that the outer had some clips/fasteners that held the "belly" out of the inner net tent, but that may be a minor issue only to some. I'll let you know how I go. Regards, CV

I just bought a Gatewood Cape with the serenity bug net and the tyvec ground sheet, just waiting now to get it sent to me, as the last post was 2010 on this subject hows the tent holding up and or if your still using it

Total the weight with everything is 825 grams, tent,pole,groundsheet,pegs, but I am removing 311 from this total as it does double duty as my rain gear and bag cover, so it is about 500 grams then

From the reviews I have seen it's damn easy to put up and that,s what i want, will let you know how I go with it when I get it, looks like a very nice solo tent.

Cheers.

Let me know If I am right or wrong with the weight, 825 seems a little heavy for what it is.

"but I am removing 311 from this total as it does double duty as my rain gear and bag cover"

So what happens when you need to set it up or take it down and it's raining ?
Franco

I guess I could tie the tyvek ground sheet over my head, that would work, 36" X 84" should be enough to keep me dry

Good enough to keep me dry enough to take it down and or put it up, does not take that long to get it up or take it down, I could take a nice light thin poncho with me as well, less than 20 grams, if needed will use.

Cheers.

My tent is shipped now all I do is wait, WOOO HOOO.

My tracking number aint working, but I guess it takes a bit before it gets into the system for international orders, will be fun tracking it

I am in Australia, how long did it take you guys to get it, I picked USPS Express Mail International as the mailing method.

Cheers.

I need some help in setting up the Gatewood tarptent, I just tried it out in my backyard just some trouble getting it taught, I was wondering if you have one in what steps you set it up in, I saw a guy on youtube saying the rear three first then put the pole in and stand it up and then put in the front line, it is my first time trying to put it up and I got it up and looking pretty decent, just not for any kind of wind speed I think, it would flap about a bit.

I noticed it has two extra guy points on the left and right than can be used to make the tent taughter and I added cordage to them and pulled them and it did make the tent much less floppy, but that would require two extra poles and I am not going to carry two extra poles, though not adverse to making some out of sticks, which is what I will probably do If I have access to them in the bush

One thing I could not work out is in the youtubes video there is a clips on he inside if the cape tent, and they are supposed to connect to the nettent, but for the life of me I can't see a way to connect the tent to the net tent, I see how it can be done, but they are two far apart and I can connect them, but it does no good, it's supposed to give you more head room, I am doing something wrong I think or the net tent does not have the connector for some reason in the right place or was never installed ?


If you can help me out on setting up the tent in the correct way, that would be nice of you, I will read the manual a few more times and watch some more youtubes and see what I have missed, try to see what I am doing wrong if anything, now that I have tried and put it up maybe I will see the problems


Thanks for any help.


/PS I do like the gatewood Cape and the serenity net tent, one thing I will add is a little varrander , vestibule kneel pad made of tyvec or something, my knees got pretty yukky getting in and out of the tent

John
I don't know the official way of doing it but having watched that video (stake the three back pegs first) and this one :


I would do it the same way as in the second .(the one I posted)
One important point with these type of shelter is the height of the pole and it must be straight, not an an angle, to get the best set up.
Franco

Yeah that's Probably the best way to do it, get everything taught before you start


I would think the pole I got was the right height on the website it said it was for the Gatewood cape, will have to try it and see with this tent setup technique.

Cheers.

Is there a detailed vid on how to put the net tent up in the tarp, seems simple, but have seem to have misplaced my manuals

Cheers for the help.