Zpacks Ultralight Tent
New Zpacks ultralight TENT with sewn in bathtub floor and insect screen: What a beauty, for 1.5 hikers at 536 grams including stakes: http://www.zpacks.com/shelter/altaplex.shtml
Shelter
Best Tarp Clips
These are just about the best (and lightest est tarp clips I have found: http://www.shelter-systems.com/gripclips/products.html See Also: http://www.theultralighthiker.com/willow-kayak/ This guy uses his tarp clips and a blue poly tarp (and some willow) to make a kayak in minutes!
Hiking Gear
Some great new hiking gear here: I particularly like the Berghaus VapourLight HyperSmock 2.0, Adidas Boost Technology, the Bungee laces, & the Cubic Tech breathable 50,000 JIS laminate: http://gossamergear.com/wp/gear-love/winter-2015-outdoor-retailer-trade-show-gear-interest-lightweight-backpackers-new-technologies-new-products
Who needs a tent?
Who needs a tent? Don’t use one myself. Everything you ever wanted to know about tarps: http://www.equipped.org/tarp-shelters.htm
Cable Ties & Leatherdos Hair Clip
Cable ties are just great…so many uses: http://topclosure.com/ Incidentally, have you tried handcuffing yourself with one to see whether you really can get the wretched thing off? They are not so chewable, let me tell you! Always lots of fun (& games) happening around here, you see! I think everyone should be wearing the Leatherdos hair
Lightweight Shelters
Baggage: Most folks (seem to) like nothing better than lugging vast chunks of stuff around. They require huge boxes (buildings) to cram it into, and huge wheeled thingummies to cart it all around in, all of which usually means they WASTE vast chunks of time acquiring, paying for and maintaining it all (worrying about whether
How to avoid being wet & cold while camping.
Two reasons some people don’t like camping: it is wet AND cold, and uncomfortable. This does not have to be. A properly positioned tarp and a fire will take care of the former: the usual 1m tall hiking tent which you are forced to retreat to in the event of rain will make your trip
An excellent one person tent.
This looks like an excellent one person tent: http://www.trekkertent.com/home/home/3-stealth.html A 1 person, 3 season tent weighing from 570 grams (20 oz) Available in Green 40D silnylon or Green 20D silpoly Foot panel door/vent option Bathtub height increased to 125mm (5″) Side panel tie-outs fitted as standard 180 UK pounds (Mar 2018)
Survival Shelter: Escape Bivy
You would think Himalayan trekkers would all carry something like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=al4UUSAd5yQ ‘Live and learn or you won’t live long’! http://www.lifesystems.co.uk/products/outdoor-survival/4-person-survival-shelter.html I am taking the two person model (350 grams) to EBC in November 2016. The new breathable ‘Escape Bivy’ (http://www.adventuremedicalkits.com/survival/survive-outdoors-longer-escape-litetm-bivvy-1.html) @ 157 grams is surely a must in your day pack along with (eg)
Buying Gear Online
If you have difficulty buying stuff online, check out http://www.shipito.com/ They are just great. You can (for example) buy that stuff on Amazon (which has free US shipping but which they won’t send to Oz) and have Shipito forward it (very cheaply). We do this all the time. We usually use Shipito’s cheapest freight rates