Well, not quite…but the fact that I finally forced myself to do my first “practice pitch” of the year makes me feel good….
Obviously, this is just in my back yard but it still counts..lol. I did put it up last year once when i first got it, and have been telling myself i MUST start practicing at it again because i’d forgotten.
Now I know it seems silly to not know how to set up a tent. BUT this is not an ordinary “pop up” type of tent. Those i can set up in pitch black, sleep walking mode. Up until 2 years ago, that’s all i had ever used. This one is what they call a “trekking pole tent”and there’s a learning curve. For those out there unfamiliar with this style, i want to give a little info. After all, I had to learn and maybe someone else can benefit.
A trekking pole tent is much lighter to carry due mainly to the fact that it requires no tent poles. It uses one or two trekking poles only to set up, and since most hikers generally use/carry trekking poles anyway, it just makes sense to have a tent that can be set up with them. I’m all about multi-purpose items when it comes to keeping my backpack weight down and this one is a pretty common weight saver.
The thing about them though is that you have to spend some time learning to set them up properly. They aren’t quite as easy as the pop up style. I wont get into the specifics here but there are hundreds youtube videos about it. However…
Not all trekking pole tents are the same. This one in particular is very different from most in that it not only has an inner mesh layer, separate from the tarp( also called a “fly”) but also is set up in a “diamond shape” rather than the usual rectangle shape. The tent i have (pictured here)is a Durston XMid 2 ( 2 person tent but i like extra space) and it is a very unusual tent for a few reasons. You can also google their website- Durstongear.com. They sell other items and I am impatiently awaiting their Kakwa 55 backpack to become available in my size( it’s on backorder for awhile).
But, i digress…
First off, this tent is extremely lightweight. It packs out at 35.4 ounces. That’s it. Barely over 2 lbs. The material is a lightweight polyester ( not nylon which traps water and adds weight).There are also lightweight tent poles from the same company that you can buy instead if you don’t use trekking poles as well. They are even lighter than the trekking poles. I bought one just to see how well constructed they were and was very pleased. I may even buy the 2nd one in future for short, overnights when i won’t need trekking poles for any difficult terrain.
Second, The trekking poles don’t block the doors on this specific tent, which is huge for me since i go in and out of my tent so often when i have camped.
Third, having the 2 separate layers enables setting up the outside in less than 1 minute with 4 tent stakes and adding the inside mesh part under the tarp/fly and OUT of the rain- keeping you and your gear dry!Or you have the option of keeping the mesh attached to the tarp/fly making set up even easier if you don’t expect rain.
I could go on..but suffice it to say I absolutely love this tent and will never go back.But it does take practice. As shown here, it’s a little saggy on the ridge line, but i haven’t used either of the guy out lines in this set up. This is just one small step on my journey. I want to be able to set this up in pitch black on rainy nights in less than a 5 minutes. Goals.
I also had to refresh myself on using my flex pro pump for inflating my sleep pad. It comes with multiple attachments for just about any type of inflatable pad and i had forgotten which one and how to attach everything.
I am forced to have off 2 weeks every summer because my patients family vacations.On my first week off in June, I hiked 5out of 7 days. Not long hikes, but new ones and some pretty fantastic scenery. Can’t wait for my second week off in July.
So many Trails, so little time…
Namaste!
Wake up! 