Boundary Waters Quetico Forum :: Gear Forum :: Gear review Cooke Custom Sewing CCS Lean 2 Plus
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BWPaddler |
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PJ |
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Cedarboy |
CB |
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jshandyman |
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jshandyman |
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CW |
How does this shelter work in 20 degree temps. Is condensation a problem for fall camping? |
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Cedarboy |
CB |
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tg |
hth tg |
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tg |
waiting for dan to run an anniversary deal on the leans-would be very tempted to get a lean 1 to add to my collection:) |
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Amok |
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Franzenrp |
Used my Lean1 for six days this October and had nothing but rain everyday and all day for the duration of the trip. Stayed completely dry ! Traveled each day so packing up a wet Lean was no fun,but took a few moments before packing to shake off all the water and I was just fine. With the forecast of rain for the week, I took a large sheet of poly 7'x 10' so I was planning on making a bathtub floor and this turned out to be a good thing. I had no issues with ground water at all, and plenty of room to spread out with long nites of rain. Wouldn't trip without it ! |
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CW |
So the separate ground cloth laid over the Lean's soil cloth really keeps the run offs out in a killer rain storm? I've woken up to major puddles under my bathtub floors so that potential gives me pause. I'll need a three to four man something for next year and weighing my options. Have always been attracted to the Lean pluses in theory, just not sure about practice. Thanks again for all your reviews, feed back and help. cw |
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Hank |
But here is my question to those who sleep in them: What do you do about ticks? I've been on campsites that are just crawling with them (usually mid-late May). I can live with the skeeters, the black flies, the horse flies . . . but there is just something creepy about ticks. The way they stalk you just icks me out! |
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CW |
Thanks, CW |
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Mad_Angler |
Do folks find the Lean 3's to be claustrophobic? |
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tg |
tg |
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PJ |
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tg |
hth tg |
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butthead |
I think I fixed the 'olive drab' coloring. Got back from a couple of days camping and was disgusted at the amount of bird droppings on my Lean 1. Put it in the bathtub and carefully soaked and rinsed it in lukewarm water. Looked like a new tent! Checked some photos from May and can definitely notice the improvement. I think it received a heavy coating of pine pollen during my 2 week camp trip last May, that the rain it's been in since didn't wash off! Anyway the bird crap is gone and it looks good! butthead |
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quark2222 |
Go Bears - They need it tonight, although they just kicked a field goal. I may pull the trigger on one of these at Canoecopia, but I want to make sure it is a good choice, so I don't have to hassle Dan with a possible return. He is a good guy. He promptly replaced a pack that I bought a year ago that had a small seam failure. Bad shirt Tom - Illinois flatlander |
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TuscaroraBorealis |
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jeroldharter |
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Cedarboy |
CB |
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butthead |
Great review of an excellent shelter. butthead |
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PJ |
quote jeroldharter: "You have to get out of a tent mentality to be happy with these. The flap does not cinch down tight like a zipper. It cinches down tight enough though and the area in the Lean is large enough that you are protected. I had the same concern and it works out fine. You do need to be good with knots to enjoy it though. I find it sort of fun to get it rigged out in various configurations. It does have small tie downs all over the edges so you can be creative in locking down. But it is not air tight like a tent." I agree that it is fun playing with all the different configurations that are possible with this shelter, that knot skills are important, and that you have to get out of the tent mindset. |
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quark2222 |
Bear-free Sunday - Bummer. Looking forward to the Vikes-Packers game on Sunday though. Tom |
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Water Dog30 |
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bogwalker |
Sorry TG-never made it to the expo this year. You would have been waiting along time. |
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bumabu |
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Mad_Angler |
To jump to the conclusion, I'd give the shelter a rating of an 8 now. That is quite a step up from my first impression. Now for the details... It took a while but now I can set the shelter up much faster and better. I don't follow directions well. After all my work, I basically rediscovered the directions given on the CCS site. - Find trees - Tie ridgeline - Start at back of shelter and start staking my way to the front (if I can't find trees, I like to stake out the shelter first, then set up the poles) The shelter worked like a large 6 person tent and screen house. It is very light for a shelter and screen house. Now for my dislikes and why I still can't rate it a 10: - I'm still disappointed with the fading. I have an olive drab shelter when I bought a green one. - I wish the floor was attached. Without an attached floor, you have to be VERY careful to not set up in a low spot. - Since it is a single wall tent, condensation is an issue in the morning. - It can get pretty hot since it doesn't have any ventilation. - The shelter is pretty expensive. Once you add the shelter, stakes, poles, and floor, you're around $550-600 |
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Mad_Angler |
At canoecopia, I was facinated with CCS and the Lean 3 plus. I thought of using it as a primary shleter for trips with the guys. My wife could not get past the "security" of a real tent. But now, my wife is asking (really demanding) some sort of bug shelter. We are taking 6 kids who really get eaten up. She wants some place to hide from the bugs for the few times a day when they get really bad. So, should I buy a Lean 3 as a bug/rain shelter? |
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kanoes |
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whiteh20 |
As I have stated above I have a Lean 1 plus. I love the shelter as a main shelter for light weight trips or trips where I need the extra room. This shelter works great as a lounging area in blowing snow, rain or buggy areas. They pack really small and if it is going to be buggy, it may replace the tarp. Plenty of room to eat in or hang out under. |
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butthead |
If you just want to use it as a rain shelter, roll up the screen and hang it high for more headroom. If the bugs get bad lower it, stake it and zip it up. butthead |
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tg |
i was up early this week and have never seen such horrific mosquitoes. we had the taj3 to sleep in and the lean 2 plus for hanging out and cooking in. it didn't rain on us but the lean 2 plus (plus includes screen and sod cloth) was worth its weight in gold. we were reluctant to ever leave the lean. i have used it a couple times as a primary shelter (to sleep in)-otherwise it has come with me on nearly every trip just for bugs/rain. in terms of size the leans give unparalleled coverage/weight. i've had 4 adults comfortably sitting and eating under the lean 2. could easily sleep 3 under it-probably even 4. for your large group the lean 3 might be the way to go. i've been thinking the lean 1+ might be adequate for my needs (usually 2 paddlers-probably just me and the dog sometimes in the future). fwiw-i bought the ground cloth for the lean 2 but I am thinking about using a bivy in the future if i sleep in it. for cooking/escaping bugs or rain there is no need for the ground cloth. tg |
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whiteh20 |
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Itchy Menace |
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tg |
if you are in the twin cities you are welcome to check out or borrow my lean 2+ plus tg |
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Mad_Angler |
I was just reading threads about spring bugs. How does the Lean plus work with black flies and mosquitos? Is it so big that you can't kill all the mosquitoes and they keep finding you all night? Do the sides/bottoms seal well enough to keep the bugs out all nite? |
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Badgerboy |
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CW |
Great review. Thanks for taking the time to post your experiences with the Lean Plus. I have been interested in this shelter for awhile and whether it would suit my camping needs. I'm wondering how the awning attaches to the main body when you need to "button up" for bad weather. It's not too apparent in the pictures. It looks like there are nylon webbing loops on both edges, similar to my Tundra Tarp? Do you have to run line through the loops? How do you secure it and is it fairly weather tight if you have wind hitting the door area from the front? Is it easy to secure the awning to the tent body from the inside? It looks like the mosquito netting is zippered to the main body? Does this make it difficult to get to the awning's closure points? Thanks for your help and any clarification you can offer about closing off the Lean Plus to bad weather. cw |
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billconner |
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Mad_Angler |
Also a question: has anyone ever put a wood stove inside a lean+? I'm really like the idea of this stove: kifaru stove |
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Woodsmoke |
But I know what you mean about it being a tempting thing to do. I do a lot of spring, fall, winter camping with a stove but use a light canvas tent, like those made by Snowtrekker. It is a wonderful, cosy feeling to sit in a warm, dry tent with the wind blowing a cold rain outside. I too have a Lean+ and I thought it would make a nice light rig with a small stove. I experimented with rigging up a light canvas tarp for the roof and front panel but I couldn't get the joints sealed well enough to be sure to keep the weather out. I abandoned the idea. |
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Boppa |
I am also a big fan of CCS, and know their products to be of high quality but as kanoes stated, "the rodent thing" is bothersome - heck we had a mouse chew/bore a hole in the side of our tent and absolutely nothing in the tent to eat. The other concern is that of torrential rain, our trip a couple of weeks ago had a storm drop 2.5" in under 4 hours, far faster than the ground could absorb in a timely fashion. Our tent had a tub floor which was floating where no weight kept it down. Not a drop inside and in time all was well. Agreed, this maybe an extreme example, but it does occur.(Rains of Sept.07) This shelter has appeal, being made by CCS, the quality is assured. I just have a couple of concerns that will for the time being keep me in a floored tent. Boppa |
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tg |
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Captn Tony |
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butthead |
Still VERY happy with my 'Lean 1+'! butthead |
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kennk |
Leaning over to walk inside is tough on an old back. Ken |
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tg |
good questions! you are correct that the screen door zips to the main body of the lean 2-two full height zippers one on each side allow you to enter from either side. if the bugs aren't bad/existant you can unzip it and roll the screen up. in terms of the awning it is cut to be at least a foot wider at its far end versus the end that is attached to the structure (at the ridgeline). this allows you to have the awning extend beyond the sides of the lean's opening (that is if you stake out the sides close to vertical from the ridgeline or just a little bit flared). the awning is the same height as the structure so will reach the ground if you need it. there are loops sewn into the lean 2 at many positions for guying out but they are not really for attaching the awning to the lean 2 proper-or at least i don't think that's what they were designed for. what i have done is tie out from the corners of the awning to stakes in the ground maybe a couple feet in front of the door opening. this leaves a narrow tunnel like path to get in or out from either side of the structure. setup like this there is little room for water to enter. with the size of the shelter you will be sleeping well away from the entrance. short of a very horizontal rain/snow this will keep you high and dry. if you pulled the awning all the way to the ground you could be totally enclosed with it wrapping part way around the sides. you would still be staking down to the ground most likely in this scenario. i am not sure how to explain it better-you can check the CCS website for some more info-scroll over the pics for a schematic drawring i believe. otherwise if you are in the twin cities and want to come over to see it some dry day you can help me set it up in the backyard. take care- tg |
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tg |
CCS Lean Webpage I had actually been coveting one of Dan's Tundra Tarps. The major downside I kept coming back to was the lack of protection from skeeters. I know there are other ways to deter the pests but I've been trapped under a tarp and feasted upon in spite of full sleeves, bug dope and cigars. This led me to look at the Lean Plus series of shelters. I waited til the Midwest Mountaineering Spring Outdoor Expo-when I could wait no longer. I snooped around Dan's booth and generally creeped out Dan and Dave. I was partly waiting for an appearance from bogwalker or other celebrity BWCA.comer. After all the time spent loitering and asking questions and formulating the plan to explain my purchase once home I made the purchase. Dave Morlock (sp?-Mr Cook's helper) kept telling me to get the Lean 2 Plus and that I wouldn't regret it. He prophetically stated that I'd leave my tent at home. The Lean 2 Plus could fulfill my needs for both a shelter to sleep in and someplace to escape the bugs/rain during the day. The Lean 2 Plus is a minimalist shelter-weighing in at 50oz (a hair over 3#). The space to weight ratio cannot be beat! It is constructed with 1.1 oz silicone coated cloth for it's waterproof-ness, durability and lightweight. The real weight savings with this shelter comes from the single wall construction and lack of poles. The lean shelter is essentially hung from a ridgeline (approximately 5' off ground) tied between 2 structures (trees, optional poles, improvisation encouraged). The ground perimeter of the structure is staked out and the body and awning are guyed out to create a huge space. The lean 2 plus is 7 feet wide at the ridgeline (after being staked out its about 9 feet wide at ground level of entrance/bottom of the zipper) approximately 8'8" deep (from the ridgeline) plus up to another 5 feet under the awning. That makes for a sheltered area up to 9' x almost 14'. The optional footprint for the Lean 2 plus is 7'x 10'. At 70 ft^2 the square footage is bigger than any 3 person tent. When you consider the actual square footage being more like 80 enclosed plus up to another 35 of awning coverage you're talking about a structure labeled for 2 that in reality could house a small army. The Plus designation means that the shelter has sod cloths around the perimeter and a zipup bug screen. As there are no poles you will be relying on a lot of rope. I highly recommend the reflective rope Dan sells. At least 2 hanks (80' lengths). The reflective rope is super easy to see at night if you're wearing a headlamp. The plain yellow rope appears to be high quality as well but you're liable to get clotheslined if you're not careful because there will be a few ropes strung. I have taken the Lean 2 Plus on 3 trips this season. It never got out of my pack for the fishing opener. It has really shined on the last 2 trips though. At the beginning of June I led a group of 4 to Gabbro. We raced the rains to a campsite and promptly erected the Lean 2 Plus. At the time the wind was not an issue but I am thankful that we set it up with the opening facing north. We hung the ridgeline between 2 trees and used prussiks on that ridgeline to keep it from sliding and keep it taut. We staked out the perimeter and hunkered down for a couple hours of rain. The four of us spent the hours under the shelter dry and protected from bugs. I made a couple ventures into the woods to retrieve firewood and was able to drag a couple logs back and saw them under the awning. Firewood was split and then stacked under the shelter to keep it dry. We had a great fire that night! The following day the winds from the south really picked up. I am guessing 30-40+ mph gusts at times. Thankfully our pitch of the Lean 2 was aerodynamically sound with the long sloping face into the wind and the opening leeward. At one point a gust caused 4 stakes to pull from the ground. The Lean 2 nearly took off-looking like a parachute being deployed. But the ridgeline kept it in place and it sustained no damage whatsoever. At that point we got serious about staking it out and guyed it out from multiple points. I was worried I might just have to take it down because of the southern exposure and no good place to pitch the shelter out of the wind. But it shed the strong winds after that for 2 straight days without blinking. We didn't sleep in it on this trip but did some cooking and enjoyed its comforts very much. On my most recent trip the Lean 2 Plus served as my sleeping quarters primarily. Were it not for the beautiful weather we were going to use it as a daytime rain/bug shelter as well. We moved everyday on our route from Ram Lake through the Misquah Hills, Winchell, Brule and back out through Bower Trout. This meant that I got a lot of practice pitching and taking down the shelter. At every campsite we found a good spot to pitch the Lean 2 Plus (with an enclosed flat sleeping surface large enough for at least 1). Sometimes I had a "nightstand" stump or a small spruce in the shelter with me:) I did not bring any poles. With "strategically placed" trees (God wanted me to pitch the shelter here I remember thinking) and some creativity I was able to string a ridgeline rope and pitch the shelter without much difficulty (1 man job). I will mention here-learn the trucker's hitch knot-it is the bomb and I use it all the time now-you can find the instructions on the CCS website. Frankly I really enjoyed the engineering and creativity needed to pitch the shelter! Tear down was also easy. The stuff sack makes compression a piece of cake. While the shelter often was put away dewy-it dried quickly. The sod clothes and bug screen kept me bug-bite free at night. I slept on a ground cloth (purchased separately) which kept me dry from dew as well. Because the floor is separate from the body of the shelter you may have an ant crawl in or over you and my one lingering concern is for mice wandering in-especially come fall when they seem to show up in plague proportions. Overall I am super impressed with the Lean 2 Plus. Solid construction and durability. Setup and tear down is easy and kinda fun! In the future I will probably be leaving the old tent at home more often (Dave was right). We will have to see about the fall though because I had a hard time sleeping with the mice climbing the tent walls last fall and I am sure they would find there way into the Lean 2 Plus. A relatively minor concern. I should also mention that customer service has been great and it is a pleasure to buy from a fellow paddler and one who supports our forum. All in all I highly recommend the Lean 2 Plus shelter (and all of Dan's products for that matter). They work-period. tg |
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PJ |
I purchased the poles that Dan sells to go with the Leans. They work great, but I don't think I'm going to bring them in a few weeks just to save on some weight. They really are not that necessary. P.S. tg...now that's what I call a gear reveiw. Good job. |
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whiteh20 |
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PJ |
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kanoes |
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Franzenrp |
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tg |
bigzig-i'm sure there is plenty of space BUT not sure you would want to use a wood stove in there-not sure how the siliconized nylon would stand up to a spark or accidental brush up against the hot stove-prolly not well. canvas would probably be more durable and insulate better too. that question may be best directed to Dan Cooke himself-but maybe someone here has tried it before. tg |
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BigZig |
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butthead |
"will we get to sit in jail that week" butthead |
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snakecharmer |
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Maverick |
Thanks |
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tg |
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Cedarboy |
CB |
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PortageKeeper |
Most condensation in a lean-to style shelter comes from the ground (I've experienced this in my Silshelter). Using a ground sheet can help. |
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Mad_Angler |
But I'm still on the fence... any new information to push me over the fence?? |
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Cedarboy |
CB |
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butthead |
You can get em in yellow! butthead |
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jeroldharter |
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tg |
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Sparetime |
I was thinking of red or green, but at Midwest this last weekend Dan suggested the white will reflect light better. What is the longevity of the white as far as becoming dingy? Is the yellow a compromise that will reflect light and not show the dirt? I really like the white idea for reflectivity, just concerned about what it will look like in a few years. I bet someone here can help with my concerns. Thanks. |
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beaglefur |
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jeroldharter |
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jeroldharter |
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Cedarboy |
CB |
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Mad_Angler |
The shelter seemed good. We just had two people and a dog. The space was amazing. It was a bit limited in setup opitons. It was good thing I brought 2 old tent poles. My site did not have a good spot fot the Lean without the poles. With the poles, it was setup in a very nice spot. But once you add the poles and the floor, it isn't quite as light as advertised... I did like the big open door. I enjoyed being able to see the lake out the door and hear the waves lapping on the shore. We also had a pretty good storm on Sunday night. It blew with about 25-35 mph winds. I had to close the door on the shlter because the wind was blowing right in the door. I was concerned about getting wet but the door blocked all the water. We stayed quite dry. I do have a few concerns: - First, I don't know about really bad mosquitos. We did not have any bugs. But the bottom of the shelter didn't seal very well. It seems that determined mosquitos would find their way into the shelter. That would lead to a very long, unpleasant night. - Second, my shelter faded quite a bit. It started out a very bright shade of green. After just 2 days in the sun, the top is very faded. Now the top is an olive drab. It looks sort of funny with the bright green bottom and the olive green top... - Third, the floor was a bit small. It didnt reach to the edges and that allowed big gaps for bugs to get into the shelter. So, I'd give it an overall rating of 5 out of 10. I will try it again and see if it was just me... |
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quark2222 |
Nice looking Tyvek on your new canoe. What model is it? Looks like a tandem with the high bow. I also bought some of the MSR Groundhog stakes. The Easton ones apparently had some issues with the tops being easily yanked off, although they may have solved that situation by now. The Subaru Outbacks looked really good. I have a 2002 Volvo XC70 that runs really well, but if anything goes wrong, it is very costly. 110,000 miles on her. She is a good ride. Tom of the bad shirt clan. You should see my kilt - got it at Farm 'N Fleet, like my shirt. |
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wifishncanoe |
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Amok |
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awbrown |
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bh |
quote quark2222: "Well, set up the Lean 1+ again today. Better results, but not perfect. I think you need a fairly level piece of ground. Also, it really helps if you can get the main guy-rope well above 6-7 feet up, preferably farther. The reason is that when you starch cinching down the rear end and and corners, it pulls down the main guy rope. If it is not really, really tight, you end up with about 4' of vertical at the opening to the tent, and then it all goes downhill from there. |
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PJ |
Don't worry about making it look perfect. Just deal with whatever nature throws at you. |
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TuscaroraBorealis |
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SteveElms73 |
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OldFingers57 |
quote SteveElms73: "I know this is an old post but I would LOVE a version of this in canvas so I could put my stove in it. Fast set up, roomy, lots of ventilation...I think it would make a really sweet winter tent in a canvas version" Get in touch with portagekeeper as he has an old Boy Scout Baker style tent the only differnece between it and a lean is it's made of out canvas and has a short knee wall in the back of it. as opposed to angline down the whole way. I know others have used it for winter camping with a stove. |
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Mad_Angler |
CCS also makes a nylon tipi that is made for wood stoves. I used a Kifaru tipi with a wood stove while moose hunting in Alaska last fall. It was sweet to have a nice, warm, dry place to relax in the evenings... I think I'l take my tipi and stove to the BW in a few weeks. |
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SteveElms73 |
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OldFingers57 |
quote SteveElms73: "Thanks for the tip! I don't know I think I'd be pretty nervous about a stove in a nylon tent. Not even just from the stove itself but one stray spark....." A stray spark would just put a small hole in it. I've seen plenty in tents from being to close to campfires. |
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butthead |
butthead |
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Bannock |
He may not be a BWCA.com "celebrity", but Dave Morlock is quite a celebrity on the Canoe Country Bulletin Board and elsewhere. Some may recognize his Board Name, "Beaglefur". His photos are often in the Boundary Waters Journal and elsewhere. He builds fine cedar strip canoes including "Becca" (nibi mocs' canoe). He is also a guide. You'll find that the Minnesota canoe industry really isn't that large and that all these guys all know each other and often help one another out. I believe it is Dave who is the photographer of one of Bell's full page advertisements (seen in the BWJ, etc.) and his "helper" for that is his model paddling a Bell, Dan Cooke. Great review of the Lean 2. |
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tg |
tg |
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PJ |
Topsoil? What topsoil? Run off can be a real problem. Just be careful where you place your tent or Lean. |
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tg |
Got the Lean 2 Plus out again the second weekend of October. Recalling the plagues of mice we endured last fall north of Mudro I was a little nervous about not having a zipper and bathtub floor between me an the vermin. But I left the tent at home and went with just the Lean 2 Plus. It would serve as my night quarters and daytime shelter out of the rain for the 3 in our party. My buddies cuddled in their tent up the hill. The Lean 2 shined once again! It was the MVP (Most Valuable Pieceofgear) on our trip. It was a pretty wet weekend but everything under the Lean including me and all of our gear stayed nice and dry. Even in a sometimes horizontal rain. Thankfully there was a good place to pitch it that was neither a valley nor river bed for runoff rain. We spent much of our time under the shelter. Cooking, drinking, bullsh#@%ing. We stacked our split firewood under the awning to keep it dry and were able to maintain a fire (outside the Lean) this way in spite of periods of heavy rain. I didn't see any mice in the shelter which was one of my fears going in. Maybe the sodclothes deter them? Certainly the open bug screen didn't though (rolled up the whole weekend). I don't know if I'll be able to take a trip without it now! tg |
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whiteh20 |
I would see if Dan could make you one a little taller. I have a Lean 1+ and love the shelter. Lots of room for the weight. |
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neufox47 |
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butthead |
butthead |
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tg |
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PJ |
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CW |
Thanks for your very clear explanation of how the front door buttons up for bad weather. I'm surprised the ground water run off has been a problem for some. I would assume the topsoil would absorb it pretty quickly? I think a ground cloth is a must anyway to keep your sleeping bags clean. These Lean Plus shelter appeals to me because I like the idea of walking into the front end with your boots on, not worrying about tracking in sand and dirt. I also like to boil my water for some coffee while I'm still in my bag. The floor-less shelter with a five foot height at the entrance would make this fairly safe with a canister stove. Yes, I got a caffeine problem I need to support. cw |
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kanoes |
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awbrown |
So....stuff it! ;-) |
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butthead |
quote quark2222: "Quick question - How do you "button down" the overhang when it is raining and/or blowing hard? It looks like you would have to somehow reach your hand out the side and push a stake in or ??? Hate to have a cougar bite me, unless she was really pretty. I stake the awning down to the ground. Usually with about 18 inch lines between stake and flap. It's enough to keep out rain and wind yet allows for air-flow. Maybe Dan could set you up with a 'custom print', something unusual! butthead |
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PJ |
I've used it on 2 trips. I love it. Won't go back to a tent. |
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PJ |
I have a Lean1+. It is huge. Easily big enouhg for 2 people. I cannot imagine how big a 3 is. You could probably erect that over the entire kitchen area of a campsite. :) How you are you getting gaps between the bottom of the Lean and the ground? Are you trying to loft it too much? Or maybe you need a few more stakes. I have never had a problem with mosquitos getting in my Lean (unless I left the screen open.) As for the ground cloth, I don't even try to cover the whole area under the Lean. Why bother? I bring a dog too so I just put the ground gloth under my sleeping bag otherwise the dog tracks too much dirt on it. One of the things I really like about the Lean is that you can play with different setup configurations. Go narrow and tall or squat and wide. You are only limited by your own imagination and the spot you choose. I used to bring poles that Dan sells for the Leans. I quit doing that. I can make a pole in the field if I really need to. I can even set it up without stringing the ridgeline between trees. Stake the bottom out first then erect some sticks as poles. Or you could canoe paddles if you really got desperate. I also recommend playing with the loops in the back and guy-outs for different effects also. You can have the back-half looped, with the center higher or string a straight ridgeline for it. The key to fun and successful Lean setup is to think outside the box. There is no wrong way to set it up. I know Butthead likes to find a stump to place inside his....uses it like a nightstand. Sorry if I sound like I'm shilling for CCS...I just really love my Lean. |
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tg |
tg |
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Mad_Angler |
I sealed the seams last night. I think I'll set it up in the basement just to check it out. The Lean 3+ is really big... |
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tg |
tg ps-is anyone planning to bring their lean to the campout at baker park? if not i will bring mine to show and tell. |
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Merganser |
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Mad_Angler |
I'll let you know if it is too hot. |
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jeroldharter |
quote Sparetime: "Any thoughts on color? Exactly the same questions I asked myself. White was my initial choice but after considering all the factors like you mentioned, I chose yellow as the middle ground. Another thing I wondered about with white is weather it would be bright under a full moon and not so conducive to sleep. I like it bright in the day time, but want it dark at night for sleep. Also, I wanted a light color to absorb less heat in the sun so yellow as the compromise. I suppose you could probably custom order one with two colors since they make them in house. |
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Cedarboy |
CB |
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severn04 |
How many of you guys actually sleep in it? Or do you use it more as a bug free kitchen/hang out area? Also, if you do sleep in it..do you eat in it too? I realize we are not in Grizzly country, but, while the chance is remote, do you worry about food smells getting into your sleeping gear and causing a problem with a not so happy, nuisance bear? |
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PJ |
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BWPaddler |
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Mad_Angler |
quote tg: "mad-is the fading on the entire body of the lean and the brighter green on the sodclothes only? ..." TG, The fading is on the entire tent. The sod cloths are generally still bright green because they have not been exposed to the sun as much. However, you can tell which parts of the sod cloth has been exposed and which have not. I want to stress that this seems like an unusual situation. The Lean is nice, well built shelter. However, something was wrong with this particular lot of fabric. I am not exagerating when I say that it literally fades after only a few hours of sun exposure. |
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Mad_Angler |
quote butthead: "" I'm still disappointed with the fading. I have an olive drab shelter when I bought a green one.", Mad_Angler Butthead, I don't think cleaning has anything to do with my fading. Parts of the shelter that haven't seen the sun are still bright green. If I expose any of those parts to sun, the fading is nearly immediate. Within a few hours, the bright green has been replaced with olive drab. |
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tg |
tg |
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wifishncanoe |
Here is another photo of the awning down. Reflective rope is great around camp. |
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PJ |
quote awbrown: "If you notice in the CCS setup instructions, you will see that the ridge line is originally set quite high, and pulled down as it is staked out. Part of the fun of the Leans is experimenting with all the variations that various camp sites will throw at you. Just remember, it don't hafta look purty, just keep you dry and bug free." Exactly |
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quark2222 |
I did figure out a way of using two carabiners instead of Butthead's figure 9 gizmo. They work really well for suspending the ridgeline. They are about a buck a piece at Home Depot. To summarize, in my opinion, you need a really, really, high ridge line. Once you have that, I think that the setup is easy. Ken (Butthead) - Any thoughts???? Badshirt - well, you know the rest of it. Going up after Labor Day. Thinking Baker, but.... Don't want to do Brule. My son and I almost capsized there. Most scary. Tom |
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jeroldharter |
I use the CCS yellow rope for the ridge line. Maybe you are using something with more stratch? I use a truckers hitch and put all my eight on it for a taut ridgeline. |
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Sparetime |
Trying to lighten the load too. Currently my two person tent weights in at around 8 lbs. Been a great time, but time for something lighter. Especially for backpacking. |
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jeroldharter |
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Amok |
One thing I was amazed at (I just bought one this spring) is how SMALL it will pack. I had it up for a while to seam-seal it, and with all the rain we've had up here I was able to see that I did a decent job of it. Anyway... when I took it down, I just decided to "stuff it" in the bag. And guess what? The bag is twice as large as it needs to be. Which explained why there were TWO areas one could cinch it closed with. One in the middle of the bag, one at the end. Just so I don't have a super wrinkly lean, I did not store it all scrunched down. But when I'm tripping? I definitely will! I'm not sure of the dimensions of the stuff sack, but somebody else here who owns one probably knows. I've got the Lean2Plus and I'm thinking it may be the last shelter I buy!!! |
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Brent |
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