Mountainsmith MS LT & 25x77" Sleep Pads

[insanelupus]

So, I've decided it is time to upgrade my sleeping pad and want to upgrade my shelter also.

Currently I've been using an MSR Twin Peaks with a Z rest sleep pad. I'm a short/wide sorta feller and that set up has left something to be desired on backpack hunts. Aside from getting cold as we hit 30* or so and very little "float", sleeping on one side of the trekking poles invariably means whacking the sides of the tent at night.

I like floorless and want to save weight where I can on a shelter and am looking at the Mountainsmith Mountain Shelter LT as a little larger upgrade with a very minimal weight penalty. I'm going to take it in the shorts on weight going to the pad I'm looking at, either the NeoAir XTherm with the tapered mummy shape or the NeoAir XTherm MAX (full rectangle) both in the large size (25"x77"). I don't need all the length at 5'8", but I'm going to enjoy every bit of the width. I figure the extra R rating will help temp comfort tremendously.

I'm leaning toward the mummy/tapered shape just to fit inside easier. I have read of one fella sleeping at an angle in the tent (I'll be solo) between the poles on the Mountainsmith. Is a wide pad going to easily fit into the tent and still leave room to place gear (bow/rifle, pack items, etc.)?

Any experience from the plus sized users in the house? Thanks.

 

[Cdpp880]

Yes, I have an exped xl pad ant it fits as long as i take the back pole and have it angled a little. I would think the mummy shaped pad would not have any problem. Either way it is doable with plenty of room for gear as long as it it just you.

 

[Owenst7]

So, I've decided it is time to upgrade my sleeping pad and want to upgrade my shelter also.

Currently I've been using an MSR Twin Peaks with a Z rest sleep pad. I'm a short/wide sorta feller and that set up has left something to be desired on backpack hunts. Aside from getting cold as we hit 30* or so and very little "float", sleeping on one side of the trekking poles invariably means whacking the sides of the tent at night.

I like floorless and want to save weight where I can on a shelter and am looking at the Mountainsmith Mountain Shelter LT as a little larger upgrade with a very minimal weight penalty. I'm going to take it in the shorts on weight going to the pad I'm looking at, either the NeoAir XTherm with the tapered mummy shape or the NeoAir XTherm MAX (full rectangle) both in the large size (25"x77"). I don't need all the length at 5'8", but I'm going to enjoy every bit of the width. I figure the extra R rating will help temp comfort tremendously.

I'm leaning toward the mummy/tapered shape just to fit inside easier. I have read of one fella sleeping at an angle in the tent (I'll be solo) between the poles on the Mountainsmith. Is a wide pad going to easily fit into the tent and still leave room to place gear (bow/rifle, pack items, etc.)?

Any experience from the plus sized users in the house? Thanks.

Can't say I'm plus sized (5'10" 160 lbs), but my Mountain Shelter has plenty of room when I'm solo. Sometimes I lean the poles at an angle away from me just so I have more room to cook while I'm in my sleeping bag.

There's pictures on my instagram of three of us in my Mountain Shelter last elk season. Spent a week in there about 8 miles in. It wasn't all that fun, but we saved 6 lbs from their REI tent and it allowed us to pack out two animals in one trip each. One of the guys is my size, and the third guy we put sideways across the door is about 6'2" 230 lbs.

I picked up a standard size xtherm after I got back from that elk hunt and have loved it for the winter. It's super warm and pretty darn light at 15 oz. I also picked up an Xlite to go with it for shoulder season use.

 

[Timberghost]

Wow 3 guys in a mountainsmith for a week. I can’t imagine. Lol.

 

[Owenst7]

Wow 3 guys in a mountainsmith for a week. I can’t imagine. Lol.

Haha it was an entertaining experience. We learned a lot about each-other. I actually had just met the guys after filling my deer tag and wanted to hunt more...they had three elk tags and a deer tag left so I figured I'd show them an area I'd been scouting back in July and try to get my fix. We're all good friends now so I guess it was a successful trip. We filled two of the elk tags and the deer tag, and put a strong effort in on a stalk to fill the third elk tag on our last day out there, but had to cut things short so we'd make the hike out by night time.

If you sleep diagonally in the Mountain Shelter you can three OK, but you'll be sleeping shoulder to shoulder. We piled deadfall and snow around the perimeter to seal out the spindrifts (we had to weather a pretty good squall) and that worked well. I was pleased with how well that thing bucks wind also.

 

[Whitetaildown215]

I have a mountain Smith I could send you to try if you would like? PM me if you're interested.

 

[insanelupus]

Message sent, thank you.