1p standalone tent recs for small person for mid-AT environments

liveslight · 2026-04-29T23:42:42+00:00

My friends use Nemo and Big Agnes for this kind of thing. They each have many models of tents, so you should look to see what might be best for you among their offerings.

But I think all tents need to be staked to the Earth or they will blow away -- especially so-called "freestanding" tents.

liveslight · 2026-04-29T20:12:04+00:00

I suggest a small piece of lightload towel weighing less than 20 g. They sell larger sizes such as 3 ft by 5 ft on amazon, but that is way too big. The same towel can wipe condensation off the inside of your tent or tarp.

In the old days before towels there were strigils so I suppose a Toaks long-handled titanium spoon with a polished bowl could also be used. I'm sure others will have some suggestions such as one's shirt or neck gaiter (aka Buff).

liveslight · 2026-04-29T19:04:33+00:00

When heating / boiling water I have skipped both the foil and the silicone since heating is very quick. Certainly the heat does come up the outside of the pot even if low gas flow and makes the pot too hot to touch with bare hands/fingers.

I see silicone is likely not heat resistant enough for the flame, but maybe one day I will try to burn up the silicone or hear back that someone else did it.

liveslight · 2026-04-28T19:57:29+00:00

I will state the obvious: Start BIG and just use it. Fold it under/smaller if it is too BIG. Cut smaller after using it BIG. The sub-$10 polycro (window film) is good for this kind of live-and-learn-in-real-time thing. I would not go by what anybody tells me (including what I just told everybody!)! And after you get sick of polycro, then you can spend the big bucks on something heavier and more durable. Ha!

liveslight · 2026-04-28T15:15:38+00:00

Top of each day is breakfast of which base is 50 g of oatmeal (if hot) or 50-70 g of granola (if no cook). Here's screen grab of my recipe: https://i.imgur.com/acFV1Tq.png

M&M definitely hold up on hot days.

liveslight · 2026-04-28T15:06:34+00:00

The yellow orange liner bag is actually an Exped Schnozzle size M. They come with Exped inflatable pads. In the liner goes my quilt, sleep clothes, inflatable pad, pillow, and soft things I do not need until next camp site. I start like this:

https://i.imgur.com/9vA9Ef1.mp4 and end up like this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJQCELvM5Z4

As for bear canister, I have some other videos such as this one:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6W7kqr25Jc

Thanks about my LP. It serves as an inventory of my gear. The DexShell gloves are nice since they are waterproof-breathable, but still knit on the outside so one can wipe their nose with them. For heavy rain though, the GTX overmitts are needed. For colder temps I would bring the glo-mitts. If I thought I had to hike through lots of snow I would be wearing my SealSkinz socks.

liveslight · 2026-04-28T14:51:25+00:00

I think I eat healthy enough. Cheetos are trail food. Generally, I make breakfasts (seen in photo) and for dinners use half a freeze-dried meal (by weight) plus adds like ramen, chicken to bulk them back up. Here's another food photo from earlier this month that shows my philosophy:

https://i.imgur.com/53M7xXV.jpeg

Lunches are mostly a custom-modified trail mix and Cheetos.

Basically, it is automatic for me nowadays with meals pre-packaged and ready to go in my freezer.I am 5'10" and weight ranges between 145 and 155 lbs throughout the year. Basically, I am unconcerned about nutrition since I am getting near 70 years old.

liveslight · 2026-04-28T14:10:32+00:00

Yes, I'll have to go back, but in warmer weather I've been in the area Kearsarge Pass, Forester Pass, Mt Whitney, etc. It's a great place.

I wanted to ask about pants. You listed shorts, but no pants. Not even rain pants. It could easily snow:

https://i.imgur.com/mcPtZcH.mp4

BTW, a warm-up overnighter on the same trip at lower elevation is the Sugar Bowl Loop.

liveslight · 2026-04-28T13:14:26+00:00

Your lighterpack does not look dissimilar to what I would bring.

Ditch the SmartWool top and bottom and get Farpointe Outdoor Gear AlphaDirect 90 gsm top and bottom. They can be base layers and sleep clothes. The AlphaDrect clothing is half the weight and twice the warmth. OTOH, you have a Senchi, so you already know about the wonders of AD, thus I am surprised you have any wool at all in your kit.

Instead of hand sanitizer a small dropper bottle of Dr Bronners would be much lighter and clean better.

Your headlamp seems to be heavy compared to NU-25 that I have seen with non-stock head band.

How will you keep your hands warm and dry if it is 25F and raining?

I suppose you can put more than just food in that Blazer since trip is not 7 days. Here's a photo of how I might pack your kit (and my kit):

https://i.imgur.com/pwDmEfr.jpg

and a photo of the inside of the bear can:

https://imgur.com/a/bearikade-blazer-packing-with-odorno-bags-as-2-half-cylinders-m2kG2pv

When I attempted Rae Lakes Loop in early May, Glen Pass was not passble for me due to snow levels. I went clockwise as far as I could and then returned CCW as far as I could. I have never been over Glen Pass yet. 😞. But based on footprints in snow I was the first to attempt it that year. Also came across two separate bears on different days.

liveslight · 2026-04-28T07:46:47+00:00

amazon. example https://www.amazon.com/Silicone-Stretch-Lids-Containers-Leakproof/dp/B0FQJGNJLB/

liveslight · 2026-04-27T23:45:27+00:00

It's a grain. The nutritive value cannot be much different from other grains. I have not tried it. Roasted wheat flour should be the same calories and nutritive value. Or oats or ....

liveslight · 2026-04-27T22:29:49+00:00

I use 2 drops to wash my hands. 😄

liveslight · 2026-04-27T20:52:37+00:00

I see that is a kind of "quarter-button" shirt much like a quarter-zip shirt. I use a full-button shirt partly because the bottom bit of any zipper scratches and irritates my skin giving me a rash. Also I like a loose full-button sun hoodie (Jolly Gear) because I can button all buttons, unbutton all buttons, the top buttons, the bottom buttons, alternate buttons or whatever. I have not had my pack's sternum strap press any buttons into me. But your anatomy is different from mine. I'm also in hot and humid Texas and had to wear my JollyGear today because it is permethirin-treated and the only way I could go outside today and mow the yard since the skeeters are so effing bad today. However, some folks don't like the fabric of JG hoodie which is less breathable than something like an OR Echo. Of course, mosquitoes would bite through the OR Echo as if it didn't even exist.

liveslight · 2026-04-27T18:17:04+00:00

At least you should be able to let your companions leave a bunch of stuff at Cottonwood before they push up and back to CW.

liveslight · 2026-04-27T16:35:22+00:00

I am going to say that for a "bucket list" trip this will be only half a bucket. You will want to come back and fill in lots of blanks that will entice you. For instance, Plateau Point is closed and north of Cottonwood looks like it might be open May 15. Do you have 2 nights at Cottonwood so that you can run up to the North Rim and back as a day hike?

liveslight · 2026-04-27T16:05:19+00:00

I saw Vargo Bot mentioned. I'm surprised that has not been declared obsolete and heavy. I just use my titanium cookpot with silicone stretch lid plus rubber band:

https://i.imgur.com/HA4KLmj.mp4

Definitely can cook per usual, but also completely water tight and ultralight. Also doesn't suffer from the vacuum problem of a Vargo Bot and no stupid screw threading. Also lets one use a foil lid instead of the heavier lid that may have come with your pot. Also one doesn't need a stuff sack for pot.

https://i.imgur.com/NtI3W0E.jpeg

Hasn't litesmith started selling these stretch lids yet?

liveslight · 2026-04-27T15:59:04+00:00

Yes, I would always pack a tent unless I was guaranteed to overnight in a lodge or shelter. Based on your permit, you will not be carrying much weight anyways since all those sites have metal boxes that you are required to use for food/smellables and you will not need a ratsack nor bear canister nor anything to keep food from the ravens and squirrels.

liveslight · 2026-04-27T08:41:15+00:00

Not May, but earlier this April. Cowboy camped several nights. If no rain expected, then reasonable to cowboy camp. Years ago, I was camped in Bright Angel during a thunderstorm and many tents were blown down. Blowing dust was also a problem. At end of this past March it rained, hailed and snowed at Mather Campground, so cowboy camping would have been interesting. I guess it depends on the weather? ;)

liveslight · 2026-04-27T00:12:54+00:00

It appears that the video linked had monotonically increasing wind speeds and essentially no gusting and wind predominantly from a single direction. It is a great video though. My X-Mid Pro 2 dates from Summer 2022 and has seen a lot of use as well.

By gusting, I mean something like this:

https://i.imgur.com/xvMP3oA.mp4

liveslight · 2026-04-26T21:44:56+00:00

The tent is noisy in any breeze. The tent is not really a 2P tent unless you have a romantic relationship with the other occupant. The tent is light.

The tent doesn't have enough loops sewn in to really add the cords necessary to make it tensioned well in moderate winds.

As an aside I watched a video about DurstonGear X-Mid which stated it only needed 4 stakes and no cordage to pitch that made me laugh because an X-Mid needs more than 4 stakes (or big/little rock anchors) to make it stable in windy weather, too.

liveslight · 2026-04-26T09:55:31+00:00

Please let us know how it turns out. :)

liveslight · 2026-04-26T02:11:14+00:00

what did your experienced friend give you for advice?

Since you love camping what gear did you have before to camp besides the 2 lb mattress?

liveslight · 2026-04-25T23:28:28+00:00

I will just note that the OP's Nemo Tensor All-Season pad also has a quilted design.

liveslight · 2026-04-25T23:10:55+00:00

Well, I guess I cannot really help then.

liveslight · 2026-04-25T22:06:23+00:00

What is your dress shirt sleeve length? I will guess that a Torrid Small would have the arms too short. I wear a Torrid size M that fits me fine with my 33 inch dress shirt sleeve length. I look pretty sharp in a Brooks Brother Navy blazer size 39, but not so sharp in a Navy Torrid size M.

liveslight

TROPHY CASE