http://www.bugoutbagz.com/proddetail.php?prod=OSP032

Apologies for using a retail link.

At first glance, this appears to be a bit gimmick-y. A regular tarp could do the same. But then, I notice it's a "polyester" fabric and that the price/weight is actually not atrocious. I wonder if it's sturdy enough to use as a light weight tent in temperate climes. Certainly seems to fit the gap between a full tent and a bivy bag.

Has anyone used this?

The lightweight backpacking crowd has developed several tents which are equivalent to this. Typically they are made of silnylon, which provides great water resistance and require trekking poles to erect a fully independent structure. The description for this product says nothing about any kind of coating to protect against water, a real drawback.

i agree, a simple tarp would do everything this can accomplish. If I were to go all out, I would get a Gatewood Cape, a lightweight and sophisticated tent/poncho design weighing 11 oz. It looks like a better shelter, is water resistant, and can be worn as a poncho as well. Cost is $135, however.

Hikermor, did we read the same description?

• Designed with a floor that stakes down to keep you off the ground.
• Set up as a 'lean-to' wedge, as a pup style tent, as a tarp, or simply as a canopy.
• Side wedge prevents the wind from getting in at the head of the unit .
• Roof ties to the nearby vegetation to keep off the rain, wind, and snow.
• Waterproof polyester fabric
Bold emphasis is mine. I'm not sure if this is the same as the coating you mentioned but it might be worth exploring a bit more. Is polyester already a waterproof fabric? Does it need an additional waterproof coating as well? Am I missing something else?

Oops! It is early in the morning here. I totally missed the key word "waterproof"....

Are the seams sealed? If not, this or any shelter will leak copiously. This is easily remedied by hand sealing by the owner, preferably before use.

I wonder a little bit about "polyester fabric," since silnylon is so commonly used for these kinds of things. I would think polyester would be strong enough for occasional use.

Excuse me while I go and get some caffeine in my system.

No worries hikermor. I am fairly ignorant about this kind of stuff so I wasn't sure if I might have missed something important in the description. Still taking notes, still learning, still a loooooong way to go.

Silnylon is siliconized nylon fabric, with the silicon embedded in the fabric. Nylon is flame-resistant.

Waterproofed polyester is probably just regular polyester (no natural water repellency that I've ever heard of, but it doesn't absorb moisture) coated with ScotchGuard or something similar. Some polyesters have built-in fire retardants, but I don't know if all of them do.

On the design of this particular shelter, it doesn't seem conducive to use with a fire/reflector. One might think that a person who carried a shelter would also have firemaking ability.

OTOH, I just looked and the site is based in Tempe, AZ. Shade, rather than heat, might be the biggest need there.

Sue

And of course - blaze orange is the only colour of choice for a survival situation if you want to be seen.

Thanks for the thoughts. It does come in other not-so-bright colors.

I was curious about the material too - I noticed not silnylon, but that stuff is pretty steep in price.

It might be worth buying one just for kicks and seeing how it holds up. Some of the pics show it as a tent, others with a fold in the top to make a pup-tent/A-frame profile. Without window screens I wouldn't take it around any lakes/streams in the summer, but in spring or fall, it might be OK.

It is an interesting design. Bug screening would make it more so. Please let us know if you get some hands-on experience.

I find it interesting, but mainly for the price; it's almost cheap enough that I'd buy one just to toss in my hiking bag. What sets it apart from other emergency (or ultralight hiking) shelters is the floor; most are tarps that lack them.

I don't know if I'd buy something without mosquito netting. In floorless designs, I think I'd still prefer a Zpacks hexamid or Six Moon Designs wild oasis. The only floored shelters I can think of in that size & weight range might be something made by Tarptent or Six Moon Designs. But, I haven't bought any of these shelters "just in case" because of the cost...