Camp From Your Kayak In Style With
Gear Guru Rob Lyon

GEAR REVIEW - 11 portable shelters for camping by kayak

MSR Twing

MSR Twing
$230 mountainsafetyresearch.com
The Twing’s factory-sealed seams withstood a seven-day deluge on Oregon’s John Day River canyon, at one point sheltering six hot chocolate-sipping paddlers under the 68-square-foot canopy. One side of the tent-like shelter comes down to the ground—face it correctly and you can keep even the most driving rains at bay. Pitches with hiking poles, paddles, or even driftwood, but sand spikes (like MSR’s Blizzard Stakes, $5 each) are recommended for heavy winds. Setup is fairly easy—the sliders on the guy lines in front snug right down or up to whatever size pole you’re using. Take care not to let anything you used to support it, like a stick, stray from the reinforced areas designed to hold it and possibly tear the nylon. The Twing is ideal for canoe and kayak trips or backpacking venues where bugs are not an issue. 1 lb, 14 oz (tarp only).

Crazy Creek’s B.A. Standard Tarp
$82, crazycreek.com)
There are tarps and there are TARPS. This falls in the all caps category with 210-denier coated nylon, taped seams and 20 anchor points. The nylon resists UV degradation and tears while sheltering 120 square feet of space. Comes with a hank of guy line and plenty of stakes. This is the big Bertha of a line that includes smaller coverage and lighter material models. 60 oz.

GoLite Hex 3
$230, golite.com
This four-season, three-person shelter (further) proves Native Americans were on to something design-wise: the Hex 3’s steep teepee sheds rain, snow, and wind from all directions, but usable space diminishes quickly toward the top—there’s plenty of elbow room for three guys while sleeping, but the tent got crowded while sitting up and changing clothes. A vent in the top disperses moisture from the 65-square-foot interior; some condensation might built up while camping in cold, damp climates, like coastal British Columbia. Can be pitched with included telescoping aluminum pole, a paddle, or driftwood. 2lbs, 15 oz.

Hennessey Hammock Safari Deluxe
$219.95, hennessyhammock.com
A secure shelter off the ground, the Safari Deluxe is the big daddy in the Hennessy line and weighs in a tad over four pounds. For sea kayaking, the extra size and coverage is a good trade-off for the added weight—the big overhanging fly is handy for extended use in wet weather, or as a ground cover. Easing through the slit in the bottom of the “tent” is a snap, and testers raved about its comfort. If you know you’re the hammock type, you’ll love the tent-in–a-tree ontogeny of the Hennessy design. Nylon version is 1.9 oz., 70D polyeurethane-coated rip-stop polyester is 4lbs, 2oz.

Speer Hammock III
$199, hammockcamping.com
This lounger is designed and built by a SERIOUS enthusiast, Ed Speer, who literally wrote the book on hammock camping (free with the purchase of a SH III). The new Speer Hammock III is a minimalist’s delight. Less than half the weight of a Hennessy Safari, the silnylon fly complements the tough nylon hammock body. For kayakers earnestly seeking weight reduction, a Speer is a good way to go. Large fly can be used as a ground cloth. 34.8 oz.

Kelty Orb 3
$475, kelty.com
Kelty’s roomy three-person offering is the veteran tent manufacturer’s most bomber design. Its massive vestibule creates ideal ancillary space for sea kayakers. With good ventilation and a sturdy bathtub floor, the Orb 3’s proprietary integration of body, fly, and high-end DAC poles increases strength for only a few ounces of added weight. While some tents have considerable play between components, or simple Velcro strips to secure pole junctures, the freestanding Orb 3 is lock tight. Warning: the front end of the learning curve for all those clever, integrative ideas is steep; a little at-home practice before you head out is a good idea. 13 lbs.

North Face VE-25

North Face VE-25
$529, thenorthface.com
This livable dome, with its roomy vestibule, is likely the best three-person, all-weather sea kayaking tent in the galaxy. TNF is still improving the original, 20-plus-year-old, double-walled design; this year’s model has more ventilation and a heavier coated bathtub floor. This geodesic dome once took a three-month battering on the BC coast, and still shed wind from all directions. In warm weather you can pitch just the fly. 11 lbs.

Eureka 5th Season EXO
$559, eurekatents.com
The two-person, four-season, 5th Season EXO is a powerful shelter slung on a beefy 5 DAC pole exoskeleton. Developed by Everest climbers for high mountain venues—a 5th Season EXO was onsite at 27,000 feet when search parties discovered Gregory Mallory’s body in May 1999—this tent is a quick, single pitch design, handy for wet and windy conditions. Snow flaps translate beautifully into barriers against blowing sand and the ample, symmetrical vestibule with a little, protective beak at the top. The inner tent can be removed for warm weather camping. Six pockets are handy for base camp organization. At 15 pounds it’s at the upper end of how much most sea kayakers want to carry, but if you can get it there, you’ll enjoy it. 15 lbs.

MSR DragonTail
$449, msr.com
This two-person, four-season, single wall cutie weighs in under five pounds. Resembling the staked tunnel design popular in Europe, the DragonTail is ideal for those who want a full amenity shelter without much added weight. A roof ventilation tunnel helps with condensation buildup common in single wall tents, but a wet blow will force you to shut down the vent, which puts moisture on the walls. The DragonTail has a single door, inconvenient for the in-n-out nature of basecamping. It has a decent sized vestibule but no snow flaps (a good thing with a single wall—you need that ventilation). Tunnel tents require guylines—attach them both high and low—but will hold steady in storm force winds. 4lbs, 6oz.

Integral Designs Unishelter Bivvy
$270, integraldesigns.com
This sack kept me in the action on the Owyhee river; instead of returning early to fuss with a tent, I stayed in the field hunting up a partridge dinner. The Unishelter has a bathtub floor and foot box made of 200D polyurethane coated nylon—the body is made from a waterproof, breathable material called Tegraltex. The sleek design, including a pre-curved pole for extra headroom, sets up in seconds while the 80-inch waterproof zipper on its horseshoe track make getting in and out, or just airing out, a breeze. 1.9lbs (event), 2.5 lbs. (Tegraltex)

Outdoor Research Advanced Bivy

Outdoor Research Advanced Bivvy
$280, ouutdoorresearch.com
A deluxe single person shelter in the world of unexciting bivvy sacks, this OR bag is constructed from Gore-Tex Respiration Positive fabric, a cutting edge moisture transfer material that, according to old time users, holds up very well over time. Additionally, OR has incorporated pad straps into the body of the bivvy to prevent migration and damage to the top. Two poles allow for maximum livability (the most I’ve ever seen in one of these) and its versatile design once allowed for all eventualities of a three-month expedition: storm, mosquitoes, full open, and partially closed. 39oz.