I've been ultra light backpacking on occasion for several years now. If you don't want to use your carbon fiber pole you can always cut a stick which works well enough but, your carbon fiber pole is clearly the better choice. It's just if you want to save weight you don't necessarily even have to bring that pole. I've never seen carbon fiber stakes before I don't know why you wouldn't go with titanium. Interesting though. As for your ground sheet try Tyvek. Absolutely the best ground sheet in my mind ever. It's going to be just slightly heavier than your plastic but infinitely tougher than that plastic. It's also waterproof but breathes a little. One thing to consider with your chosen bug net there are going to be nights that you don't want to be fully in your sleeping bag because it's too warm. So if you have to let a leg hang out or an arm hang out those won't be protected. This company makes an excellent bug shelter for use with that same tarp. You can find even lighter full length bug sacks if you want though. Just a thought. I also like being able to sleep and not have to worry about snakes crawling into the sleeping bag.
It's a good thing we don't have to worry about snakes or any other animal. The stakes and pole worth well and groundsheet with only used occasionally. I have a bug net but it has never been used.
I would love to see you wearing this as a rain cape while you're wearing your pack... I'm also keen to see this strung up on trees or something providing shade, or used as a wind block?
Personally the fact it can be a cape doesn't matter and it will never be used like that, or at least no plans to. It is just a very compact, lightweight shelter that beats almost all other designs. Particularly for weight and cost.
@@MattPage I'm looking at it for dual use rain protection replacing jacket/pants and pack cover... bonus that it can be used as additional shelter over a bivy.
