I haven't seen our set up exactly on this thread. Always trying to save weight, I used my old backpacking 'technology' and bought a rip-stop nylon, high quality green tarp with brass grommets. I had a lot of universal aluminum stack joint tent poles, enough to make three poles of many configs. There is an inch long ret plastic pin on the top of each that fits easily through the grommets. I added a few more gromets. I e-mailed Lance to get a schematic of the pass. side of the 165-s, where the plates and structure was. They immediately sent me a pdf of the side. It told me where to set the 1-1/2" stainless steel screws into the wooden framing/plating. I picked up a piece of 1-1/4" aluminum angle that would span the side. I drilled holes at the appropriate spots for said screws. I made six hooks from brass bolts with a little turn up at the ends. I used a lot of different size stakes and a long piece of bungee cord to make auto tightening 5 separate guy cords. It takes a short ladder to reach the hooks (9 ft up the side of the TC). You need a lot of space with all 5 guy cords attached to make it work. We've used it both for rain and snow, and for hot sunny days when you need shade.
The whole thing weighs maybe 5 pounds.
Assessment: It takes a while to set up and we only use it if we are in a stationary loacation for more than a couple days. Like all awnings/tarps it is subject to high winds, which we tend to attract while TC-ing. It is spacious and we've had campfires under it; had a lot of people under cover all with a minimum weight. It is flexible and can be lowered here or there to windward and for rain runoff.
Now that we have it, it rarely gets used, mostly because we're never in one place very long. I brought in to Expo, but the wind was pretty much continuous, so it never got put up.
A couple pix: January in the southern Anza Borrego at Piedras Grandes. The tarp later flew over the TC in gale force winds.
A wet day near Sonora Pass:
jefe
The whole thing weighs maybe 5 pounds.
Assessment: It takes a while to set up and we only use it if we are in a stationary loacation for more than a couple days. Like all awnings/tarps it is subject to high winds, which we tend to attract while TC-ing. It is spacious and we've had campfires under it; had a lot of people under cover all with a minimum weight. It is flexible and can be lowered here or there to windward and for rain runoff.
Now that we have it, it rarely gets used, mostly because we're never in one place very long. I brought in to Expo, but the wind was pretty much continuous, so it never got put up.
A couple pix: January in the southern Anza Borrego at Piedras Grandes. The tarp later flew over the TC in gale force winds.
A wet day near Sonora Pass:
jefe
