Sponge's Top 10 - Tent / Sleep System Items
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Sponge's 2-Person tent, while 4.19 lb. in weight, comes with some nice features - like an "expandable awning" that uses your hiking poles to create a mini porch, two generous pockets inside for holding gear and a free footprint included.
Waterproof and weighing only 2.4 oz. each - Sponge brings a single one for use in his tent. Charged with a USB-C, they last between 15-20 hours before needing a recharge.
If you need extra or replacement stakes, these could not be lighter - only 0.3 oz each (or 1.8 oz. for the set of 6). Super strong and visible - they'll stay with you.
At only 2.8 oz. and rechargeable with the ever-popular USB-C, this tiny warrior can save your breath - literally - by allowing you to effortlessly inflate sleeping pads and pillows.
This IS pricey - but if there's one item worth investing in, it's a pad that gives you a good night's sleep. This pad has a 5.4-R value, so it not only keeps you comfortably off the ground, but also keeps you warm while doing it. Inflation is super easy using the included Vortex Pump Sack or a electronic pump - like the Flextail Tiny Pump.
Carefully connected to a quality sleeping pad is the pillow to fall asleep upon. Traditional or foam pillows take up too much space and are too heavy for the trail. Inflatable ones like Sponge's are only 5-6 oz. and take up VERY little space when deflated. This one's design is great for back or side sleepers.
If you're the type of person that enjoys the feeling or comforts of fresh sheets on a bed - this ultralight liner (weighs roughly as much as an apple) can help you sleep sound and wake up good to go. Best of all - it's machine washable, allowing you to easily keep your sleeping area fresh!
If you ever have have issues with not seeing lines on your tent at night, this is a simple (and at less than $7 for 100 feet - super cheap) solution. This durable paracord has reflective stripes woven into the fabric - these shine back light when your flashlight or headlamp beam hits it.
Nothing ruins the fun of setting up your tent faster than bending a stake or pushing one through your hiking footwear. This simple tool (designed for popular MSR Groundhog-style stakes) makes it easy...and safer to get those suckers in the ground where they belong! And at only 0.17 oz, it weighs practically nothing!
This is Sponge's old tent, which served him well in Iowa, Nebraska, Colorado and on the Appalachian Trail. While a bit heavy (4 lb.) - it is easy to put up & incredibly durable. It's a good "starter" - and also reasonable at less than $70.
