Elastic pullout to stake
modified pullout
2 poles used to erect shelter
detail of UL cords securing pole tips
side view of shelter-set poles @ 120 cm or longer
detail of shock cord to pole handle
enter via zipper at right
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Archive for the Reviews Category
Using the MLD Solo Inner Net as a mesh shelter @10 oz
Posted in backpacking, Captain's Personal Log, Photography, Reviews, Travel, ultralight techniques with tags backpacking, camping on December 11, 2017 by William HooksMLD Solo Silnylon Inner Net for Duomid shelter
Posted in backpacking, Captain's Personal Log, mountaineering, Photography, Reviews, Travel, ultralight techniques on December 5, 2017 by William HooksMountain Laurel Designs Cuben Duomid shelter
Posted in backpacking, Captain's Personal Log, mountaineering, Photography, Reviews, ultralight techniques with tags backpacking, camping on November 10, 2017 by William Hooks
2 black button-type snaps on the front panel allow closure from inside, releasing tension on the zipper. A third snap is located at the foot of the same panel
This shelter height is achieved using a total pole length of c 145 cm, including pole jack
4 corner anchors using MSR Carbon Core stakes
Detail of mid-corner guylines attached to bungee cords
If needed, the attachment clips shown on the interior of the shelter can support a biv sack netting away from the user’s face- as well as use for inner mesh net
Large peak vent- from inside, the upper larger wand or strut can be removed to allow closure in storms
The apparent translucency of the cuben material changes with exterior light intensity and direction
next to the top of the trek pole is the black, small plastic clip which allows hanging of the inner mesh net- I connect this to microcarabiners to prevent damage to the clip
6 in =10cm pole jack attached to trek pole tip
The Duomid ($440) arrived 5 weeks and 3 days after ordering online from MLD.com, located in Roanoke, VA. The shelter weight is 14 oz for 1-2 persons; I will be writing separately about the modular, Solo silnylon inner tent which hangs within this shell as needed for insect protection ($175).
The tarp was sent with a 10 cm= 6 in pole jack, which extends a standard trek pole if needed for a taut pitch. I find that to pitch near the ground, my 130 cm trek pole alone can work but the pitch is probably more wind-resistant using the extension. I use 12 stakes as standard. The shelter has 8 ground-level tieouts and 8 mid-tieouts, with a peak hang tieout=17 total.
With the option of hanging the tarp from its apex if desired, no pole or stick needed in appropriate locations.
There’s a great deal of covered space – over 45 sq ft- a palace for one with a huge covered vestibule… I would be fine using for 2 so long as the conditions were not very wet, because one person would need to cross the other inside. The peak vent is well designed including an integral stiffener, and can be completely closed if need arises.
Being made of Dyneema/cuben, this shelter is extremely light and does not absorb water, with almost no stretch after pitching. I like that there is adequate privacy, but at the same time I can judge weather as it is translucent and do not need a dedicated window built in.
I will be treating the one front door zipper with care, including closing the base buckle before operating it to reduce stress. I opted to use Zip Care lubricant as well, available from MLD.
Asymmetric tarp setup: The Bat-wing
Posted in backpacking, Captain's Personal Log, mountaineering, Reviews, Travel, ultralight techniques on April 25, 2017 by William HooksI’ve settled on this setup as an alternative to the ‘storm’ mode of using an 8.5 sq ft Hyperlite Mountain Gear tarp. What I like about this mode is the ease of entering and leaving the tarp from one side of the front end, and the degree of weather protection from the batwing feature- while preserving excellent ventilation from the other side of the front of the tarp .
Rear view showing asymmetry of the front portion of the tarp, peaking on the right and dropping on the left where the ‘bat-wing’ partly covers the entrance
Front view with bat-wing dropping lower over the entrance on the right
To enter or leave the tarp or insert gear, simply slide it from the near front edge ( my HMG Windrider 3400 pack was placed that way)
To enter or leave the tarp or insert gear, simply slide it from the near front edge ( my HMG Windrider 3400 pack was placed that way)
Full-coverage mode with 8.5 ft HMG square tarp
Posted in backpacking, Captain's Personal Log, mountaineering, Photography, Reviews, Travel, ultralight techniques on April 7, 2017 by William Hooks
A compact setup for wireless audio using 3 Rode-Link sets
Posted in Audio, Captain's Personal Log, Photojournalism, Reviews, Video on February 22, 2017 by William HooksI’m using this system to allow dual-system audio and video recording wirelessly, finding that 2 Rode-Link Filmmaker kits and a Newsshooter Kit work very well. A third lavalier microphone was added for use with the Newsshooter transmitter, in situations where 3 lavs are needed instead of 2 lavs and an XLR microphone- a Sennheiser ME-4N cardioid. The supports consist of a round-base microphone stand, Matthews Clamp and round platform with 1/4″ screw connected to a straight Matthews rod for the audio recorder (an H5 is shown here), OnStage strut with 1/4″ screw mount for the 3rd receiver below, dual 5/8″ mic mount with adapters to allow attachment of the other 2 receivers above. The add-on dual XLR module works because each receiver is self-powered, so there’s no phantom power issue.
Add a 3.5 mm cable to connect the Line Out from the recorder to the GH4 camera, a remote control for the recorder, and perhaps a USB power bank/mounting bracket (see prior post) for the recorder and we’re in business. The camera receives excellent-quality audio and there’s a separately recorded copy of each file available for sync, using Plural Eyes 4.x.
The Rode Newsshooter Kit and my project: THE FIGHT AGAINST TRUMPISAN (2017)
Posted in Audio, Captain's Personal Log, Photography, Photojournalism, Reviews, Video on February 15, 2017 by William Hooks
I ‘ve been actively applying the wireless Rode Newsshooter Kit to supplement the 2 Filmmaker Kits I’ve had for some time, allowing excellent ENG sound production directly into my Panasonic GH4 4K mirrorless camera covering major events in California. The latest were 2 protest events in Los Angeles and San Francisco, against the incoming Trump regime. In Los Angeles, I had assistance with handheld mic interviews from one of my still shooters, Carmen Rosales and my old friend Mark Chambers did those honors at San Francisco International Airport, during the anti-Muslim ban event. Jim Garrett was the B-roll GH4 shooter in Los Angeles, and he has collaborated with me on editing and writing.
I was very impressed by the build quality and water resistance of the transmitter unit in driving rain at Los Angeles- I was concerned that the unit would fail at any time due to being soaked for hours, but it never missed a beat and the sound was remarkable when connected to my Sennheiser MD-46 dynamic microphone inside of a plastic bag.
It’s very convenient that the Newsshooter and Filmmaker receivers are identical, so that I can switch between them any time simply by matching the channels with the corresponding transmitter or lav mic. There ‘s up to 40 v phantom power on the transmitter, more than enough to provide great gain for a Shure SM 58 or the Sennheiser dynamic mics; I can also use my Sennheiser ME-4 N lav mic with the transmitter and actively monitor its output using the headphone jack near the USB power jack. In addition, it can be powered by standard Sony FPS batteries as well as ubiquitous AA batteries.
Because it runs on wi-fi instead of RF, I have found it to be extremely reliable in field use even when surrounded by cell phones and other devices- and no need to manually match any frequencies. I can use up to 8 units at at time on individual channels.
My opinion: if you have $500 to spend on an XLR wireless system, this is by far the best option I have ever seen. Avoiding use of cables in an ENG environment has proven to be a significant advantage from the standpoint of safety, mobility, simplicity and reliability.
We’re going to be using the Newsshooter and Filmmaker Kits extensively, for continuing to document the rise of resistance to the Trump regime over the next several months.
William Hooks