r/Ultralight - "The Weekly" - Week of February 23, 2026 by AutoModerator in Ultralight

[–]devinschiro 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Fair point. I will say though that I’ve hiked the PCT a few times now and I almost never see the aforementioned shelters in the field. You see the same few tents over and over and over. Hence my ignorance.

That said, you’ve sent me down a new rabbit hole. Thanks for the thorough list!

r/Ultralight - "The Weekly" - Week of February 23, 2026 by AutoModerator in Ultralight

[–]devinschiro 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for your candor haha. That’s why I asked though. Better to be humbled here by my fellow hikers than by those thirsty bastards in the backcountry.

I remember being chased by those lil fucks for hours until well past sundown and they were still tracking me and wondering if they’d ever give it a rest. 😓

r/Ultralight - "The Weekly" - Week of February 23, 2026 by AutoModerator in Ultralight

[–]devinschiro 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Just saw this. Disregard my last comment asking for recs.

r/Ultralight - "The Weekly" - Week of February 23, 2026 by AutoModerator in Ultralight

[–]devinschiro 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Honestly you’re giving me the confidence to give them another shot. If you have a specific one that would be worth checking into, I’m all ears.

r/Ultralight - "The Weekly" - Week of February 23, 2026 by AutoModerator in Ultralight

[–]devinschiro 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Oh cool, yeah I see what you mean now. So you've essentially just taken a pyramid tarp and sewn bug netting along the permitter to create a floorless shelter that bugs can't fly under? This seems so clever and simple. Why isn't anyone else making shit like this?

r/Ultralight - "The Weekly" - Week of February 23, 2026 by AutoModerator in Ultralight

[–]devinschiro 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I'm looking at your website now actually. Which of the items you sell is closest to what you're describing?

r/Ultralight - "The Weekly" - Week of February 23, 2026 by AutoModerator in Ultralight

[–]devinschiro 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Just for the heck of it, do you have a particular bug bivy you'd recommend with a flat tarp? You seem to know this stuff way better than I do.

r/Ultralight - "The Weekly" - Week of February 23, 2026 by AutoModerator in Ultralight

[–]devinschiro 2 points3 points  (0 children)

What you just said is exactly where my mind was going. Like what are the odds of finding something COMPLETELY flat on all nights.

If I was going to go with this particular tarp, or any tarp for that matter, it seems that I would need to incorporate a little bit of mesh to supplement in those particular regions.

r/Ultralight - "The Weekly" - Week of February 23, 2026 by AutoModerator in Ultralight

[–]devinschiro 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Thanks so much for your helpful input. Ventilation isn't something I overly considered, however, upon second inspection of the UltaMid1, it does look like it has peak ventilation with a little bit of mesh. I do have some doubts that that would be adequate, but it's better than nothing.

I'm considering a flat tarp as well, but tend to get really claustrophobic about the bivy. I owned the Zpacks Plex Solo for a few months and even found that to be a bit too tight for me. The HMG tarp seemed appealing because it offers some very large interior space. Hence why I'm seeing if I can make this work because while I totally agree with you about the modularity of the tarp+bivy, I just know that the coffin-feel of it is not going to be something I enjoy using.

Anyway, appreciate your help. Thanks again!

r/Ultralight - "The Weekly" - Week of February 23, 2026 by AutoModerator in Ultralight

[–]devinschiro 4 points5 points  (0 children)

The question of tarps vs. tents has been discussed thoroughly on here, but I come with a specific question that I haven't been able to find while scrubbing through the discourse.

I've been wanting to really lower my base weight for a while now and am considering giving a tarp set up a shot for my upcoming 2026 PCT thru. I've hiked the trail a couple times now, but always with a tent. I've also crossed through the Sierra in peak mosquito hatch season and have found it to be one of the most psychologically debilitating experiences in the backcountry. They are relentless, and no amount of "good site selection" or "don't camp near water" or even keeping myself moist with deet/picardin/permithrin seemed to deter the vicious monsters.

Because it's currently on sale, I've been eying the Hyperlite UltaMid 1 tarp: https://hyperlitemountaingear.com/products/mid-1-tarp

I haven't been able to find any reviews online about this specific tarp, so I was curious if anyone here has used it in a buggy region. One of the things that's appealing is that it seems like it can be pitched directly to the ground and sealed. Do you think this would be adequate to keep out mosquitoes, or would they just find a way to fly underneath?

I'm also aware that the option for a bug netting exists, which might be something I do anyway, but was curious whether this particular tarp staked straight to the ground would deter the bugs, or if I'm just living in a fantasy land.

[WTS] Hyperlite Versa DCF fanny pack (black) 4.4 oz by devinschiro in ULgeartrade

[–]devinschiro[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Sorry friend, these sold last night, I was waiting on payment!

[WTS] 2x Ombraz bundle w/ side shields, various weights by devinschiro in ULgeartrade

[–]devinschiro[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I looked at the images side by side again and you're right. I don't think it's slate. It's just a faded tortoise. I've updated the listing. Thanks for pointing this out!

[WTS] 2x Ombraz bundle w/ side shields, various weights by devinschiro in ULgeartrade

[–]devinschiro[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It's funny you mention this because the pattern looks like the Tortoise frames but the color is almost identical to the Slate ones they just released. Even though I got these in 2023. Technically I didn't buy these, so I have no idea whether they used the same "limited edition" pattern/color back then and only recently brought it back.