Backpacking as a couple is different from two partners who happen to hike together.
We share gear, plan the trips together, and enjoy our hot drinks while gazing out at another canyon country landscape at the edge of nowhere.
And sometimes the mountains.
One thing we gravitated towards, after one particular trip where we had “spirited discussions”, is a free-standing tent.
The Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL2 does not seem part of a lighter-weight backpacking kit at first glance. But when you split it, and I carry two pounds (or a sub-kilo for those in the civilized world), it fits nicely into our kit.
And we now have the 2024 model. But I’ll always pack chocolate for Joan, regardless of the shelter.
We quite enjoy the Copper Spur for our outings, especially in colder weather and potentially nasty conditions. Still, I convinced Joan that a lighter and more compact shelter might work better for temperate conditions for part of the year, especially if I am the one schlepping the shelter.
A January backpacking trip not far from Moab.
I do believe in trying out new gear when it makes sense. And getting a free shelter from Goassmaer Gear, in time for a spring backpacking trip, certainly makes sense.
The shelter? The Gossamer Gear – The Two.
This post is not a review, but rather an initial overview. Give it another year or two for a full review.
I’m not a gear wonk, and this is not a full review, so I’ll rattle off the stats from the Gossamer Gear website –
Average Weight
Shelter Weight 23.5 oz / 667 g ; (includes factory-taped seams and lines attached)
Tent Stuff Sack 10.8 g
Clothesline 5.8 g
Stake Stuff Sack 4 g
Aluminum Stakes (8) 11 g each
Extra cord (2) 7 g each
Dimensions (Bathtub Floor)
Length 84″
Head End Width 48″
Foot End Width 42″
Length of Ridgeline 64″
Interior Height at Ridgeline 43″
Sleeping Pads Can fit two tapered 25″ wide inflatable pads
Dimensions (Footprint including stakes & cord)
Length 135″
Width 117″
Dimensions (Vestibules)
Functional Space 10 square feet
Bathtub Floor Edge to Tip of Vestibule 35″
Length of Vestibule Zipper 45″
Dimensions (Packaged)
Length 11″
Width 5″
Materials
- Tent body: Custom 10D Nylon Ripstop SIL/PU fabric waterproof to at least 1800mm
- Tent floor: Custom 10D Nylon Ripstop SIL/PU fabric waterproof to at least 1800mm
- Guylines: 1.8mm reflective nylon sheath, 1mm dyneema core
- #3 TPU Vestibule Zippers Waterproof
- Tensioners: ITW lineloc3 all main tie outs
- Tent Stakes: Aluminum
Joan and I do not take the tent stuff sack or clothesline, and we swapped in some MSR Groundhog-style stakes. Joan also gently suggests we take a Polycryo ground cloth, as she has a strong distrust of rocks with her Nemo sleeping pad.
What does all this mean in the field?
It means I carry a light shelter of 24oz/607g that is more compact, while Joan carries a light ground cloth and the stakes.
It sets up quickly, especially once we dialed in the setup with the hiking poles in terms of height and setting at a slightly “jaunty angle.”
I find that the additional side cords are key to a tauter and more spacious pitch as well.
Once set up, we find it to be more spacious width-wise at 48″ / 122cm, or approximately 6″/15cm, than our Copper Spur.
I’m not very tall at 5’6″/168cm, so the length worked well for me; however, Joan, who is 5’10” / 178cm and uses a pillow, found it’s just barely enough room without touching her head, a concern if prolonged rain should occur, more a problem with the PNW or New England than the American West overall, of course.
The shelter makes an excellent three-season shelter for both desert and mountain excursions, offering ample ventilation.
I don’t have photos, but we found the vestibule system excellent in terms of size, setup, functionality, and how it rolls up for a more tarp-like mode.
My favorite part of the shelter is the hiking pole setup, as it goes outside the shelter rather than inside, and the simple “wrap around” material keeps the pole in place easily.
I’ll again be lazy and show the Gossamer Gear setup video that perhaps indicates this better than my photos –
Overall, we’ve enjoyed this shelter for the prime three-season conditions found in late spring through early fall, which are typical of our area.
For the colder weather, potentially windier conditions, and for prolonged rain, I suspect we’ll take our Copper Spur.
Ultimately, the Gossamer Gear “The Two” is a winner within the limitations mentioned above.
I suspect we’ll take this shelter as another part of our gear quiver in the years ahead.
Photo from Joan.
Disclosure – Gossamer Gear provided this shelter for us gratis.