Driver: Jim Garrett; split gas expenses. VERY glad Jim used his car- mine was not yet in shape for this journey (It is now).

First evening at Motel 6 South Lake Tahoe ($49)

Second day: full tour of the border of Lake Tahoe, west to east

Second evening : same- NPS office closed ,due to Veterans Day holiday

Arrived at trailhead for Desolation Wilderness located at Echo Lake south terminus in AM third day, buried some trash near Lodge and noted that lot nearest trailhead was closed, parked uphill at secondary lot
Trail outside Desolation area not marked at all; much more elevation change on trail compared w pretrip plan evaluation. Used Lil Sami bear canister
Encountered 3 unleashed dogs inside Wilderness in violation of regulation- these threatened attack on us and were repelled with trek poles; owner showed almost no concern about this confrontation
Arrived at Tamarack Lake mid-afternoon, established camp 100 yd east of lake and used the following gear:
E2 Revelation +20F quilt- enhancing Jim’s inadequate sleeping bag and liner; he expressed great interest in adding a 5F bag to his gear
ZPacks Duplex tent-excellent!!! with vestibules open
TD Caldera alcohol system with Zelph Mega stove (~ 3.5 oz fuel more than adequate for 850 ml water at c freezing temperature) Boil in ~ 30 minutes; Jim could not light stove w firesteel but had success with Bic lighter

WM +5F Antelope bag: excellent! in temps to +27F as measured by my Casio Analog-digital watch at 7820 ft
Left all shell clothes, camp boots, BD Ice gloves and WM Vapor jacket in car- not needed
Did not use Icebreaker leggings in pack, several snacks, 2 desserts, nor REI Glomitts
No wind chill encountered, no rain or snow
Warm temps on return to car, used only base layer top and Marmot Scree SS pants; Return route via Markleeville / Monitor Pass to US 395, stopped at Bishop, got 2L CNOC Vecto flexible water container weighing 3 oz at Sage to Summit in Bishop, CA

Southern margin of Emerald Bay, Lake Tahoe, CA

Jim’s breakfast table at start of trip

Desolation Wilderness map at trailhead

Looking down on Echo Lakes

My 5 deg F WM Antelope on the left, Jim inflating his X-Therm pad

ZPacks Duplex at sunrise

I wished that the US president had been standing on this ice

Scouting our return route

I’ve opted for using the tetrahedral configuration to get complete coverage  with an 8.5 ft square tarp, set up as seen below. Therefore, for about 1 pound including stakes I can simulate most of the features expected of a tent- with much more versatility and durable, complete waterproof coverage with no fabric stretching ( as cuben fiber does not absorb water).

There are also some significant potential advantages- among them, being able to cook in the shelter under proper conditions, much more interior space than any tent of anywhere near the weight, and 360 degree viewing of the surroundings depending on the height of the pitch, and ability to hang the tarp from some exterior object, such as a tree limb, to further increase interior space and make adjustment of pitch very easy. The guylines can be placed and adjusted from inside the tarp.

Closeup of secured flap

So much ventilation, the Tyvek groundsheet blows away…

View of gear underneath the tarp

Front view with flap extending to the left

As usual with this 8.5 foot square tarp, there is versatility as to how much ventilation vs weatherproofing can be dialed in depending on how closely the tarp is pitched to the ground. This means that condensation can be easily minimized.

I use up to 14 stakes ,in order to maximize coverage over the ground and stability of the system. Therefore, no additional stakes needed vs the usual types of setups such as flying diamond or A-frame variants.

It’s easy to employ a biv sack inside if complete insect protection is desired. I’d use either the larger REI MInimalist or the very light, ~ 7 oz Titanium Goat Ptarmigan sack.