Snugpak ionosphere

Specifically for cycle touring subjects & questions
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NATURAL ANKLING
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Re: Snugpak ionosphere

Post by NATURAL ANKLING »

Hi,
£2 a Gram £1075 :?
Attachments
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Terra-Nova-Laser-Ultra-1-Adventure-Racing-UK-Made-Double-Wall-1-Man-Tent-0-49KG/401237951609?hash=item5d6ba54479:g:GawAAOSwA3dYRWNt
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Terra-Nova-Laser-Ultra-1-Adventure-Racing-UK-Made-Double-Wall-1-Man-Tent-0-49KG/401237951609?hash=item5d6ba54479:g:GawAAOSwA3dYRWNt
NA Thinks Just End 2 End Return + Bivvy - Some day Soon I hope
You'll Still Find Me At The Top Of A Hill
Please forgive the poor Grammar I blame it on my mobile and phat thinkers.
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Sweep
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Re: Snugpak ionosphere

Post by Sweep »

thanks for that but I'm not after absolute minimum weight.

And it doesn't actually look that stealthy.
Sweep
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pjclinch
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Re: Snugpak ionosphere

Post by pjclinch »

Cuben Fibre is apparently slightly less wonderful in practice than theory. One of the things that makes it great for making sails (what it was originally developed for), aside from being very strong, is it doesn't stretch. One of the problems with it for camping is it doesn't stretch. If you're pitching on a croquet lawn or have a very simple shape not stretching is fine, but on less perfect pitches the ability of nylon to take up a bit of the geometrical slack has been reported as handy.

I've not tried this myself, but Chris Townsend has, and if there's someone you'd want to put money on doing a thorough and Clueful testing job on outdoor gear it's CT. Read all about it at http://www.christownsendoutdoors.com/2012/03/trailstar-wars.html.

As for stealthy, pale grey actually blends quite well in to a lot of landscapes. Cuben is gossamer thin to the point of being translucent, so it would probably be less of a solid colour bar than most other tents, which I'm guessing may help it blend in. Should make the inside lighter too. The main problem, of course, is it's breathtakingly expensive!

Pete.
Often seen riding a bike around Dundee...
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Sweep
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Re: Snugpak ionosphere

Post by Sweep »

Am asuming/hoping that you are back in time for Christmas radek.

How did things go with the Ionosphere?
Sweep
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nick12
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Re: Snugpak ionosphere

Post by nick12 »

I'm waiting too to hear what radek thought of the ionasphere. Been following his post on the winter tour. Good to hear it all went well on his mini adventure. Just waiting to know how the camping was.
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Sweep
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YRe: Snugpak ionosphere

Post by Sweep »

Come in radek, we're worried about you. Trust you aren't spending Christmas in the e ionosphere.[
Sweep
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Gattonero
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Re: Snugpak ionosphere

Post by Gattonero »

pjclinch wrote:Cuben Fibre is apparently slightly less wonderful in practice than theory. One of the things that makes it great for making sails (what it was originally developed for), aside from being very strong, is it doesn't stretch. One of the problems with it for camping is it doesn't stretch. If you're pitching on a croquet lawn or have a very simple shape not stretching is fine, but on less perfect pitches the ability of nylon to take up a bit of the geometrical slack has been reported as handy.

I've not tried this myself, but Chris Townsend has, and if there's someone you'd want to put money on doing a thorough and Clueful testing job on outdoor gear it's CT. Read all about it at http://www.christownsendoutdoors.com/2012/03/trailstar-wars.html.

As for stealthy, pale grey actually blends quite well in to a lot of landscapes. Cuben is gossamer thin to the point of being translucent, so it would probably be less of a solid colour bar than most other tents, which I'm guessing may help it blend in. Should make the inside lighter too. The main problem, of course, is it's breathtakingly expensive!

Pete.


The problem with Silnylon is that it looks good and nicely tight when you pitch, but will sag when the fabric gets the moisture/rain/condensation, so in the morning after is more likely the the CF version will be a lot better in terms of quality of the pitch.
Stretch of the fabric can be a good thing when pitching, but not after a few hours in the rain.

And I'd say that a suitable site for pitching right is more a problem for walkers, whom can only do so many miles. For the cyclist, to ride another 3 miles for a better camping spot it's mostly a quick and easy task.
It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best,
since you have to sweat up the hills and coast down them.
Thus you remember them as they actually are...
radek
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Re: Snugpak ionosphere

Post by radek »

So the tent went with me for winter bicycle touring :) A quick review bellow:

I have slept two nights in the ionosphere. I had a tarp pitched over the tent. During the first, it was -3 C followed by moderate wind and rain. During second night, it was 0-3 C with very high humidity from melting snow and nearby river.

My overall impression is that I am very happy with the ionosphere and I cannot wait to sleep in it again.

Positives :
- I love sleeping in this tent because it feels very very very snug and cosy inside. The floor space is just perfect for my height 6f2. I was also able to roll from one side to the other. There is enough clearance between my head and the inner walls. On the sides I had space for laying out all of my clothes and other small items which added to the feeling of comfort. During the second night I slept for over 10h and woke up perfectly rested !!! I even able to use one half empty pannier as a extension of my sleeping mat.

Good:
- The tent breaks wind like a charm and does not make too much noise.
- Packing and setting up are intuitive, easy and quick
- It is super stealthy
- The rain cover is very easy to dry with cloth and repels water well
- The rain cover is build 'like a tank' !
- The entrance:
x) zips work well. They do get occasionally stuck, but this is very easily resolved with moving them backwards. Moving them quickly prevents the issue from happening.
x) not problem with getting in and out or opening the entrance during the night.
x) during one night I slept with the rain cover open and mesh closed so I had a nice breeze on my face
x) The entrance allows a good view on soundings including the sky
x) You can easily cook while laying on one side of your body
- Packing size is perfect for keeping the tent attached to the handlebar
- I was able to dress easily and get things from the other end
- stakes are very solid
- the ventilation is great when there is wind outside
- works great with a tarp !

Bad:
- the compression sack looks cool but it is made from rubbish material which developed a small hole due to rubbing over the handlebar...
- inner mesh feels fragile so you need to be careful inside in order not to damage with, e.g, an item. it is fine when you press on it with your body.
- if there is no wind outside, a lot of condensation builds up under the rain cover. However, keep in mind that I have slept next to a big river and on a melting snow. There was a tarp over the tent. Nevertheless, my down sleeping bag was fine in the morning, there was almost no condensation on it. It takes only few moments to remove condensation with a microfiber cloth from the rain cover before packing.
- there is not way to cook inside, one cannot sit inside upright (This was not a problem for me since I had a tarp)
- stakes are heavy
- not enough space for keeping more than one pannier bag inside. In theory you could squeeze two or even 4 panniers inside, but this would not feel conformable and you could damage the inner mesh accidentally. Shorter people will have more space for equipment. I kept my panniers under the tarp. Shoes went into a rubbish bag. All of my things very perfectly dry.
- inner pitch first, but you can lay the rain cover over the inner while you are setting it up.

In the past I have owned a Vango Soul 300 and Vango Tempest 300 which are much bigger than the ionosphere. Would I go back to those tents ? No. I slept better in the ionosphere. It was easier to clean and pack and transport. It is much more versatile and I highly recommend using a tarp with it for adding extra cooking and storage space.
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Sweep
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Re: Snugpak ionosphere

Post by Sweep »

Many thanks for that radek.

In the meantime i have ordered one as a discount came up on eBay.

Should be able to test erect it in a week or so and field test 8n late February.
Sweep
radek
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Re: Snugpak ionosphere

Post by radek »

Good luck with the tent. I feel that buying a tent is a very personal thing just like buying a bicycle. Everyone has different needs.
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NATURAL ANKLING
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Re: Snugpak ionosphere

Post by NATURAL ANKLING »

Hi,
My opinion-
For the weight I would require more sitting height.
Anything less than 70 cm I would describe to be a bivy bag, type of thing.
I will stick to my Spitfire Eureka and My nice roomy Tiger Paws.
NA Thinks Just End 2 End Return + Bivvy - Some day Soon I hope
You'll Still Find Me At The Top Of A Hill
Please forgive the poor Grammar I blame it on my mobile and phat thinkers.
nsew
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Re: Snugpak ionosphere

Post by nsew »

There’s plenty of length and good width in the Snugpak. The colour and low profile is perfect for hiding in plain sight. Military gear always made good wild camping gear. Weight was the issue with it. This at 1.5k is on the lighter side. I like Snugpak stuff, it doesn’t deteriorate and is easily repaired when damaged. Currently have the Stasha minimal tarp and jungle sleeping bag.
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nick12
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Re: Snugpak ionosphere

Post by nick12 »

Interesting review radek thanks. Winter is definatly worst for condensation and the tarp over the top was probably a factor and damp conditions.
You ordered one then sweep. Keep us informed as to how your trip goes in feb. And of course your review.
mercalia
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Re: Snugpak ionosphere

Post by mercalia »

"You can easily cook while laying on one side of your body"
hardly a virtue name any tent that you cant do that ?

looks like a coffin and having to cook while lying down says it all, I think radek is a masochist or a midget
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Gattonero
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Re: Snugpak ionosphere

Post by Gattonero »

NATURAL ANKLING wrote:Hi,
My opinion-
For the weight I would require more sitting height.
Anything less than 70 cm I would describe to be a bivy bag, type of thing.
I will stick to my Spitfire Eureka and My nice roomy Tiger Paws.


I agree with this. Personally, for 1.5kg I require 100cm headroom and space for all my gear.
Also I don't see why adding even more weight by carrying a tarp, but I suppose the main point is to be as stealth as possible?
It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best,
since you have to sweat up the hills and coast down them.
Thus you remember them as they actually are...
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