Evaluating the wind and snow loading of shelters for ultralight backpacking in inclement conditions.

This article introduces a new long term initiative at Backpacking Light: to analyze existing standards of design, manufacturing, and materials of ultralight shelters and relate these standards to observed performance in response to adverse environmental conditions.

Shelters of interest to the ultralight backpacking community may be characterized by one or more of the following attributes:

1. The use of lightweight fabrics to save weight;
2. The use of construction techniques that are less reinforced to save weight;
3. The use of construction techniques that are less sophisticated due to the lack of availability of commercial equipment, the desire to minimize labor costs, or design and/or manufacturing inexperience.
4. The use of minimal structure (e.g., pole supports) to save weight and increase simplicity.

The combination of these factors results in a product market that is challenging to analyze, because of the wide variability in materials, style, design, and manufacturing quality. In addition, because most of these products are sold direct via the websites of cottage manufacturers, the consumer doesn't have the ability to carefully inspect the products prior to purchase.

Finally, as the trend towards ultralight backpacking continues to expand, users are either trying to extend their ultralight shelters into "shoulder seasons" and even winter, or they desire to add another ultralight shelter to their inventory to handle stormy conditions that may challenge a shelter's design. The two primary storm conditions we are interested in include snow loading and wind resistance.

Thus, we embark on a new journey to investigate the storm resistance of ultralight shelters.

ARTICLE OUTLINE

• Introduction
• Modes of Failure
• Design Considerations
• Snow Loading
• Wind Loading
• Failure Limitation Hypothesis: It's All About the Fabric
  • Inadequate Staking
  • Pole Breakage
  • Seam Failure
  • Fabric Panel Failure
• Designing for Fabric Panel Tension
• Testing Methodology
• Summary

# WORDS: 4290
# PHOTOS: 7

Investigating the lightest-weight options on the market and assessing ease-of-use, reliability, fuel efficiency, and time to boil.

Little problems during a winter trip can be a lot more serious than the same problems in summer. There's not as much room for error in winter, and it's not the time for marginal gear. If your body isn't producing (or your insulation isn't trapping) enough heat, you need a source of external heat. You also need that heat for melting snow or ice for water, cooking up some meals, as a general source of cheer... A winter stove needs to work in deep cold, and it needs to be dead reliable. The purpose of this report is to investigate the lightest-weight options on the market and assess ease-of-use, reliability, fuel efficiency, and time to boil, along with other factors.

Although we all know winter as "the cold season," "cold" is relative. January in Los Angeles averages around 60 F, while over in Duluth it's averaging around 0 F. For our purposes, then, note that we conceptualized winter as having low temperatures ranging from -20 F to 20 F. We set out to objectively test the lightest stoves marketed or conceived as "winter stoves." Although primarily a state of the market report on ultralight white gas stoves, remote and upright canister stoves were tested alongside the white gas models. You might be surprised by some of the results!

ARTICLE OUTLINE

• Introduction
• The Methods to the Madness
• The Results
  • Primus Express Lander
  • Lighting Up
  • Soto Muka
  • Lighting Up
  • MSR SimmerLite
  • Lighting Up
  • MSR WindPro
  • Lighting Up
  • MSR Reactor
  • Lighting Up
• Conclusions

# WORDS: 6210
# PHOTOS: 10
# VIDEOS: 18

Simplicity and strength in an all-season shelter.

The 17-ounce (482-g) Mountain Laurel Designs TrailStar claims to be the "first shaped tarp with five low-angle sides and no doors that combines the performance of a traditional pyramid shelter with the open and multi-function pitching of a tarp" (manufacturer website on December 20, 2011).

The primary purpose of this review is to push the TrailStar to its performance limits and find out under what scenarios this and other manufacturer claims start to break down.

My first experience with the TrailStar came in the midst of the coldest weather Montana has seen thus far this winter season - a few days where mountain lows dipped below 0F (-18C) and nightly snowfall ranged from a few inches to more than six inches (~5 cm to over 15 cm) per night.

I first camped with the TrailStar during this spell on Big Creek in the Gallatin National Forest, west of Emigrant, Montana, where temperatures were low (-1F to +1F / -18C to -17C) overnight lows), snowfall was minor (less than 6.0 in / 15 cm per night of low-density snow), and wind was nonexistent.

ARTICLE OUTLINE

• Part 1: Preview
• Summary of Initial Perceptions
  • Pitching
  • Snow-Loading
  • Usability
• First Impressions
• What's Next?

# WORDS: 1290
# PHOTOS: 1

Can 100% titanium justify the price tag?

Alcohol stoves have long been a standard of contemporary ultralight backpackers. Their virtues are well documented. They can be somewhat to extraordinarily lightweight, typically have no moving parts to break, clog, or otherwise misfire, fuel is cheap and easy to purchase, they are silent while operating, and so forth. Aside from cold temperatures, the case for the utility of alcohol stoves need not be made. What might need some justification is an alcohol stove system that costs $127.00 and doesn't even include a pot. Considering the popularity of alcohol stoves for ultralight backpackers was built upon the backs of tuna can stoves, which were in essence free, there better be a good reason for such a tony unit.

In the case of the Clikstand T-2, there may be reasons to consider dropping that kind of coin on a stove with no moving parts. First, consider that this is the same design which, way back in 2005, was one of the best stoves Will Rietveld tested. The T-2 is virtually identical, with the virtues unchanged: excellent stability, easy to use, compact, and excellent wind protection. The T-2 however, goes to 11. It is, you guessed it, made 100% of titanium, and thus lighter and better in every way. The Clikstand T-2 stacks up with leading edge alcohol stove systems fairly well in boil time and weight, and boasts unrivaled versatility. The wide range of possible uses may not appeal to all users, however.

The Clikstand is indeed a system, and must be evaluated as such. I tested what Clikstand calls their Sierra Titanium combo, which consists of an Evernew titanium alcohol burner, ti Clikstand pot stand, ti foil windscreen, and burner adapter. The ti burner is Evernew's lightweight version of the classic Trangia burner, a time-tested and powerful design. The Clikstand itself is the centerpiece of the system and consists of a triangular, four-piece stand which snaps together with authority. It cradles the burner an optimum distance from the pot, serves as a stable, broad based pot stand, provides a rest for the foil windscreen, and serves as the second layer of defense against the wind. The whole thing is quick and easy to assemble or disassemble and fits together well as a unit.

Calling the windscreen "foil" is a bit of a misnomer, as the ti is quite sturdy. The windscreen has a few bends built into it that allow it to hook together at two different widths, to best suit different pots. It then rests on hooks built into the stand. The burner adapter is a pentagonal bit of wire intended to give the Evernew burner better purchase inside the stand. The burner is only just wide enough to sit inside the stand, though my sample was stable enough, and I never found the adapter necessary. The whole thing goes together emphatically and inspires confidence.

ARTICLE OUTLINE

• Introduction
• Comparison and Assessment

# WORDS: 1110
# PHOTOS: 2

Nemo becomes a serious player in the ultralight tent category. The Obi Elite 1P is a cutting edge one-person double-wall tent that matches the weight and roominess of many single-wall tents.

The Obi Elite 1P is Nemo's lightest tent construction yet, and it sets a new standard for lightweight double-wall tents with 10 denier nylon fly and interior fabrics and weight-saving design. The minimum weight of this one-person double-wall tent is right at 2 pounds (0.91 kg) measured weight, which matches the weight of many poled single-wall tents (single-wall tents that utilize trekking poles for support are lighter). We have reviewed quite a few new ultralight tents in the past, only to find their weight reduction was accomplished by making the tent smaller; so does the new Nemo Obi Elite 1P really stand out or not?

ARTICLE OUTLINE

• Introduction
• Specifications
• Design and Features
• Performance
• Comparisons
• Assessment

# WORDS: 2100
# PHOTOS: 11