Time to start the in-depth reviews of some of the gear used in
Russia. I had the
Hyperlite Mountain Gear ECHO I Shelter System since a couple of months, doing a few overnighters in it and then of course putting it up and down for eight nights in a row in Russia. Enough nights spent under it to make a objective review, and to let you know if it is worth the money.
Lets start with the basic details, the weights as they were when I got my shelter system:
Tarp: 228 g incl. guylines (HMG site: 226 g)
Beak: 112 g incl. guylines (HMG site: 116 g)
Inner: 305 g (HMG site: 325 g)
Stuff sack: 15 g (HMG site: 15 g)
Total: 660 g (HMG site: 682 g)
Additional:
Nine Titanium pegs: 72 g
GG LT4 Trekking Poles: 198 g
Total: 270 gThe weights on the HMG site are without guylines attached, (I took the HMG weights with guylines as stated by Dan on the BPL forum in
this thread); also, I got a pre production sample so the to-be-expected weights are what's stated on the HMG site, which are not far off as you can see.
In case you're still asking yourself, what is it made of, then the answer is cuben fibre. It is my first cuben shelter, and the weight saving in comparison to my
Gossamer Gear Spinntwinn is 52 g. The advantage with cuben versus spinnaker is that cuben is 100% waterproof and even more tear resistant, and well, super strong and lighter. As a UL backpacker, lighter (usually) equals better.
Now that we got the important bits out of the way, lets get to the tasty chunks. As a starter, I serve today this HD video of how to set up the complete shelter.
Click here to see the Youtube version.
There were some questions about the speed of my pitch, and if it does take so long or if it is difficult to set up the ECHO I. The short answer is "No". The more detailed answer is, in the video I try to do it more slowly to be able to show and explain things, and not just hurry through it as I would in a downpour when on a mountain. I'm also a perfectionist when it comes to setting up my shelter, so I make an effort to get it pitched flawless. Hence the "slow" speed, for a normal, flawless pitch I need around three to five minutes, which probably seems like an eternity to people sleeping in a Tarptent Moment. Anyhow.
Bird's view.
I have used the tarp mostly, as there aren't much bugs around anymore which would make me take the inner. I am thinking about if I might take the inner in winter, but am not sure yet. The beak was used on the days that I got extra gear (as a Daily Guide you get to carry a Satphone, GPS and two massive First Aid kits) so the extra space came in handy. Also if it is raining or very windy, the beak will come in handy. And of course one could use the beak as a Mini tarp just for the head when bivying.
When good stake-out points are rare, attach it to a tree!
The tarp is one person + plenty of gear size, though you could squeeze with two and gear under it if you really like each other. I found it perfect for my needs, the smaller size also means I need less space for pitching it, which is great - so often in Russia I pitched in places where there was no a lot of good spots, so having a small tarp definitely put me at an advantage - my SpinnTwinn would not have fit some of the spots where I pitched, as it is so much wider than the ECHO I. So if you tarp a lot in areas where space for a good, perfect pitch, is at a premium, you will, like me, value the good size of the ECHO I.
Extra rain and wind protection with the beak.
Speaking of size, the ECHO I tarp is 262 cm long, 213 cm wide in the front and 152 cm wide in the back. I can fit all my gear underneath the tarp, often at the foot end while only keeping the essentials - puukko, headlamp, water, camera - with me in the front, but I also can spread them out, for example while packing.
Spread out gear.
The quality is topnotch, as you would expect. The tarp has catenary curves everywhere - ridgeline, front, end and sides - and instead of sewing them, which would weaken the material, they're bonded. The tie out points are reinforced and it comes with custom made, that means in HMG's colours, guylines. My problem with the guylines is that they're a bit heavier than other lines, and also they're not reflective. I like reflective guylines, as they help other people not to trip over them - that's my usual problem & worry.
In case you're not using trekking poles, you also can cut & sharpen sticks and pitch with them.
On to the beak. A very nice addition for when wind and rain are coming down horizontal from every direction. It is easy to attach with the help of buttons, as you can see in the video or on the photo underneath. It comes with a two way zipper which is waterproof, and it runs very smooth and doesn't get stuck in other material. Now attaching should be done under the front guyline, but I always do it over the front guyline as that's easier for me. You can attach both beak and front guyline to the same peg, but I like to use two different pegs. Also, when using the beak you should tie out the sides, something I usually don't do. While possible to do without, it is tauter and more stable when you do.
Furthermore, and these questions have been raised elsewhere as well, some might wonder why there's no beak or wall for the back - after all, when you pitch into the wind and then it turns 180°, what then? The reason (or my reason, for that matter =) is that HMG assumes you'll use the complete system, so tarp, beak and inner. The inner, as you'll see, has a full wall in the back and thus would, if used with the beak, provide 360° coverage. Just looking at the weights, I personally would rather have a wall or beak for the back instead of the inner, as that separate beak/ wall for the back would be lighter than the inner.
Buttons to attach the beak in front.
D-Rings to attach the beak at the side tie-outs.
Back wall of the inner.
Thus the inner. The heaviest piece of the shelter system, it gets attached with bungee cords to the tarp and you can get it nice taut with the line-locks. I haven't used this at all yet on a trip, but given that you can pitch it on its own - bug invested summer days - or with the tarp - bug invested summer days with rain - I can see it as a possible replacement for the LightHeart Gear Solo tent I used last summer. It has a tough black cuben floor and high sidewalls, as well as the aforementioned cuben back wall. The top and front have no-see-um mesh, and the door is fully openable with a two-way zipper.
Front door of the inner, with and without beak.
The inner is 185 long and tapers from 81 cm wide in the front to 51 cm in the back. It is enough for you and your sleep system, but your gear will stay outside. That shouldn't be a big problem, though, as there's still plenty of tarp covered space to hide under for it. You can peg out the inner with the loops at all four corners, which makes life a bit easier and also keeps it in place.
Full system - inner, tarp & beaks.
While moving in, pitching the front slightly higher.
As the regular reader knows, I really enjoy tarping, so it is with great pleasure that I now carry even less weight with me when out on a trip. The modularity and high craftsmanship of the Hyperlite Mountain Gear ECHO I is its strongest selling point. You buy one system to suit all your needs. For spring and autumn you take the tarp and maybe beak, in the summer its the inner and tarp and in winter you take all three to have a bomb-proof shelter.
What I could imagine, taking HMG's modular approach on step further, is that they could introduce a full cuben inner with small mesh windows at the top for winter use. In winter I'd like to keep the wind at bay, and with a double-wall shelter I even might gain a degree or two in warmth. I also can imagine that it's lighter than the mesh version =) I'd also like to see a beak/ wall for the back on those days where I wouldn't take the inner but would like full 360° protection.
To conclude, I really like the ECHO I and I believe it could become my dedicated solo trip shelter. Its small footprint, light weight and modularity all speak in favour of it. It is easy and fast to pitch, looks great, and it is a joy to wake up under! It packs very small and I carry it, like my other tarps, in the outside pocket of my pack so it is easy & quickly accessible. Finally, I will use this shelter during the coming winter, so you can expect a long-time review sometime next spring.
The price for the ECHO I is 490$ plus shipping, and you can order one directly at
Hyperlite Mountain Gear. If you want to learn more about HMG, check out the
interview with Mike St. Pierre, the Founder and CEO of the company, which I did a while back.
Pitch on a ridge with a view.
Time to start the in-depth reviews of some of the gear used in
Russia. I had the
Hyperlite Mountain Gear ECHO I Shelter System since a couple of months, doing a few overnighters in it and then of course putting it up and down for eight nights in a row in Russia. Enough nights spent under it to make a objective review, and to let you know if it is worth the money.
Lets start with the basic details, the weights as they were when I got my shelter system:
Tarp: 228 g incl. guylines (HMG site: 226 g)
Beak: 112 g incl. guylines (HMG site: 116 g)
Inner: 305 g (HMG site: 325 g)
Stuff sack: 15 g (HMG site: 15 g)
Total: 660 g (HMG site: 682 g)
Additional:
Nine Titanium pegs: 72 g
GG LT4 Trekking Poles: 198 g
Total: 270 gThe weights on the HMG site are without guylines attached, (I took the HMG weights with guylines as stated by Dan on the BPL forum in
this thread); also, I got a pre production sample so the to-be-expected weights are what's stated on the HMG site, which are not far off as you can see.
In case you're still asking yourself, what is it made of, then the answer is cuben fibre. It is my first cuben shelter, and the weight saving in comparison to my
Gossamer Gear Spinntwinn is 52 g. The advantage with cuben versus spinnaker is that cuben is 100% waterproof and even more tear resistant, and well, super strong and lighter. As a UL backpacker, lighter (usually) equals better.
Now that we got the important bits out of the way, lets get to the tasty chunks. As a starter, I serve today this HD video of how to set up the complete shelter.
Click here to see the Youtube version.
There were some questions about the speed of my pitch, and if it does take so long or if it is difficult to set up the ECHO I. The short answer is "No". The more detailed answer is, in the video I try to do it more slowly to be able to show and explain things, and not just hurry through it as I would in a downpour when on a mountain. I'm also a perfectionist when it comes to setting up my shelter, so I make an effort to get it pitched flawless. Hence the "slow" speed, for a normal, flawless pitch I need around three to five minutes, which probably seems like an eternity to people sleeping in a Tarptent Moment. Anyhow.
Bird's view.
I have used the tarp mostly, as there aren't much bugs around anymore which would make me take the inner. I am thinking about if I might take the inner in winter, but am not sure yet. The beak was used on the days that I got extra gear (as a Daily Guide you get to carry a Satphone, GPS and two massive First Aid kits) so the extra space came in handy. Also if it is raining or very windy, the beak will come in handy. And of course one could use the beak as a Mini tarp just for the head when bivying.
When good stake-out points are rare, attach it to a tree!
The tarp is one person + plenty of gear size, though you could squeeze with two and gear under it if you really like each other. I found it perfect for my needs, the smaller size also means I need less space for pitching it, which is great - so often in Russia I pitched in places where there was no a lot of good spots, so having a small tarp definitely put me at an advantage - my SpinnTwinn would not have fit some of the spots where I pitched, as it is so much wider than the ECHO I. So if you tarp a lot in areas where space for a good, perfect pitch, is at a premium, you will, like me, value the good size of the ECHO I.
Extra rain and wind protection with the beak.
Speaking of size, the ECHO I tarp is 262 cm long, 213 cm wide in the front and 152 cm wide in the back. I can fit all my gear underneath the tarp, often at the foot end while only keeping the essentials - puukko, headlamp, water, camera - with me in the front, but I also can spread them out, for example while packing.
Spread out gear.
The quality is topnotch, as you would expect. The tarp has catenary curves everywhere - ridgeline, front, end and sides - and instead of sewing them, which would weaken the material, they're bonded. The tie out points are reinforced and it comes with custom made, that means in HMG's colours, guylines. My problem with the guylines is that they're a bit heavier than other lines, and also they're not reflective. I like reflective guylines, as they help other people not to trip over them - that's my usual problem & worry.
In case you're not using trekking poles, you also can cut & sharpen sticks and pitch with them.
On to the beak. A very nice addition for when wind and rain are coming down horizontal from every direction. It is easy to attach with the help of buttons, as you can see in the video or on the photo underneath. It comes with a two way zipper which is waterproof, and it runs very smooth and doesn't get stuck in other material. Now attaching should be done under the front guyline, but I always do it over the front guyline as that's easier for me. You can attach both beak and front guyline to the same peg, but I like to use two different pegs. Also, when using the beak you should tie out the sides, something I usually don't do. While possible to do without, it is tauter and more stable when you do.
Furthermore, and these questions have been raised elsewhere as well, some might wonder why there's no beak or wall for the back - after all, when you pitch into the wind and then it turns 180°, what then? The reason (or my reason, for that matter =) is that HMG assumes you'll use the complete system, so tarp, beak and inner. The inner, as you'll see, has a full wall in the back and thus would, if used with the beak, provide 360° coverage. Just looking at the weights, I personally would rather have a wall or beak for the back instead of the inner, as that separate beak/ wall for the back would be lighter than the inner.
Buttons to attach the beak in front.
D-Rings to attach the beak at the side tie-outs.
Back wall of the inner.
Thus the inner. The heaviest piece of the shelter system, it gets attached with bungee cords to the tarp and you can get it nice taut with the line-locks. I haven't used this at all yet on a trip, but given that you can pitch it on its own - bug invested summer days - or with the tarp - bug invested summer days with rain - I can see it as a possible replacement for the LightHeart Gear Solo tent I used last summer. It has a tough black cuben floor and high sidewalls, as well as the aforementioned cuben back wall. The top and front have no-see-um mesh, and the door is fully openable with a two-way zipper.
Front door of the inner, with and without beak.
The inner is 185 long and tapers from 81 cm wide in the front to 51 cm in the back. It is enough for you and your sleep system, but your gear will stay outside. That shouldn't be a big problem, though, as there's still plenty of tarp covered space to hide under for it. You can peg out the inner with the loops at all four corners, which makes life a bit easier and also keeps it in place.
Full system - inner, tarp & beaks.
While moving in, pitching the front slightly higher.
As the regular reader knows, I really enjoy tarping, so it is with great pleasure that I now carry even less weight with me when out on a trip. The modularity and high craftsmanship of the Hyperlite Mountain Gear ECHO I is its strongest selling point. You buy one system to suit all your needs. For spring and autumn you take the tarp and maybe beak, in the summer its the inner and tarp and in winter you take all three to have a bomb-proof shelter.
What I could imagine, taking HMG's modular approach on step further, is that they could introduce a full cuben inner with small mesh windows at the top for winter use. In winter I'd like to keep the wind at bay, and with a double-wall shelter I even might gain a degree or two in warmth. I also can imagine that it's lighter than the mesh version =) I'd also like to see a beak/ wall for the back on those days where I wouldn't take the inner but would like full 360° protection.
To conclude, I really like the ECHO I and I believe it could become my dedicated solo trip shelter. Its small footprint, light weight and modularity all speak in favour of it. It is easy and fast to pitch, looks great, and it is a joy to wake up under! It packs very small and I carry it, like my other tarps, in the outside pocket of my pack so it is easy & quickly accessible. Finally, I will use this shelter during the coming winter, so you can expect a long-time review sometime next spring.
The price for the ECHO I is 490$ plus shipping, and you can order one directly at
Hyperlite Mountain Gear. If you want to learn more about HMG, check out the
interview with Mike St. Pierre, the Founder and CEO of the company, which I did a while back.
Pitch on a ridge with a view.
HMG ECHO I Review
Interesting article. Nice shelter but too expensive for my needs... Slept under a tarpaulin this weekend - not that fancy but a lot cheaper and still working. Anyway.. might get me a tarp, GG spinnshelter/spinntwinn, at some point in the possibly near future.
ReplyDeleteThanks!
That camp just looks fantastic, Hendrik - the whole set-up is really great. Bet you just loved it!
ReplyDeleteThank you for the detailed review and the vid of course!
ReplyDeleteAs I can see from the pictures it is a litte bit too small for winter tarping, and if you do not pitch it till the walls reach the ground to cold for winterwinds.
Looking forward to your winter experiences in the Echo I.
best regards,
Matthias
Seems like a nice versatile solo shelter, but it really is quite expensive.
ReplyDeleteVery nice review and interesting shelter but maybe not suitable for me because I am 186cm long (and on a budget...) But, Hendrik, if you end up selling your Spinntwinn let me knwo first. ;)
ReplyDeleteBTW In a way it is interesting that on most gear reviews in outdoor blogs there are not too much cons, problems or improvement ideas. Usually when I buy gear I always come up with few (but usually very spesific)... Maybe I am just picky with the gear or then others do better decisions than me when pulling trigger on something. =D
As always Hendrik a very thorough review, what I find interesting is the combined weight of shelter inner and beak is 660 grams, the weight of my MLD Speed Mid with perimeter bug netting is 677 grams. Admittedly they are different shelters serving different purposes but it is fascinating how the weights can add up on modular gear.
ReplyDeleteDJS, all Cuben tarps are in a similar price range, reason being that the company producing cuben has a monopoly and thus charges high prices. It is also a difficult material to work with, thus the prices are coming from there. That said, I agree, 490$ is a lot of money. The GG SpinnTwinn & SpinnShelter are excellent as well, I got them both ;)
ReplyDeleteThanks Maz! Yeah, it was my favourite spot on the trip =)
Matthias, I seldom (never) pitch to the ground, even if the wind is blowing in gusts of 100km/ h around me - I like the view too much. I also usually use a bivy with a tarp, thus have enough wind protection. And in winter you always can build a snow wall around it if you really need wind protection - I haven't needed it yet. But lets see how it goes this coming winter.
Yeti, yeah it is. But so was your bike ;)
Lightning up, I thought I gave some ideas for improvement?! Maybe from my POV (being only 175 cm tall) there's not too much cons in it being short. I certainly pay attention to detail and am picky, but then I seem to have a good trigger finger ;)
I'm 180cm and I find the Echo I inner to have plenty of length. I think it would be long enough for someone to about 190cm.
ReplyDeleteYes Hendrik, you gave some ideas for improvements. I meant the point on a more general level. And wasn't kidding about the Spinnwinn either. ;)
ReplyDeleteAnd sometimes I hope that I was a tad shorter. Would make life easier occasionally...
Nice looking shelter, I look forward to your winter reviews!
ReplyDeleteNice review and a nice shelter it seems. I like the shape with the front beak, which is obvious since I have made a similar shelter myself. However, I agree with Roger that the weight is not that impressive considering the Cuben and all. Still seems that my favourite ligthweight forest shelters, GG The One, at 490 grams (plus pegs)is doing pretty well.
ReplyDeleteMy experience on GR20 was that a cold wind from the side really cools down everything, the wind did not go through the bivy but I really felt cold sidesleeping. Turning on the back was the solution to get the isolation back from the sleepingpad on underneath. Thats because i mentioned taking a bigger sized tarp next time instead of the MLD Solo, which is indeed a even smaller tarp than the Echo I. But this happend on mountainridges above 2000m. So in forests I also never felt this.
ReplyDeleteInteresting review and lots of really nice campsites!
ReplyDeleteI also see the weight adding up with the modular parts - and in my opinion it is definitely not winning the price for simplicity nor for flexibility as you are always forced to the Canadian/A-pitch.
For cold weather it feels a bit fiddly to - having 3 parts to match - I am very curious about your longtime opinion.
Oh, you got both of them, didn't know you had the spinnshelter as well. I was leaning towards it in the beginning, but have begun considering the spinntwinn as I can invite sleeping company. Any words about the spinnshelter?
ReplyDeleteI still think 30g - 180$ (GG - HMG) is kind of expensive, but either way, that's just my own reasoning, it truly is a nice and versatile shelter.
Looks like a really good set up.
ReplyDeleteRoger, yeah, with all the extras it adds up. I would only take the full setup if I expect lots of wind, rain and insects, otherwise it is Tarp only for me.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the info, Dan, that is good to know!
Thanks for stopping by Chris. I reckon it might see some action on the Scottish hills!?
Hei Jörgen, yeah, it isn't SUL. It can be made a lot lighter by using different guylines, these are fiarly heavy - Dan pimped his and got it down 173 g incl. guylines for the tarp! The One is a fine shelter, though I prefer tarps.
Matthias, on that last photo on that ridge I was only at around 175 m of elevation and but had little protection from the wind. The wind was certainly blowing in very strong gusts, once it even broke a peg free! I didn't feel cold in my MLD Alpine bivy, though; and I don't think it would have helped much to pitch lower. But in Scotland I can give it a try and see if there's any difference =)
Thanks Sabine! Lets see ow it will perform after a while, but I don't have problems with fiddling around with stuff as I like a perfect pitch. Vamos a ver.
DJS, yeah, I own both. Expect a report on the SpinnShelter soonish. It is expensive, no question, and people need to decide what they prefer. There is no right or wrong.
Thanks for the comment & stopping by, Stick65!
Thank you for this wonderful review. I am looking seriously into lightening our load and thus buying a tarp tent, maybe Echo II.
ReplyDeleteMy question is though, how do you set up a tent like that on a rocky surface. It is easy to put pegs into soft forest soil but a lot of our backpacking is in the Sierras where you get is solid slab of granite.
Hi Hendrik,
ReplyDeleteas ever a great review and with superb pictures which always helps when trying to assess a piece of kit on the net.
I get your opinion about tarp camping being a favourite. I love tarping but in the UK I really have to be careful about when I use one! :)
I have looked at modular tarps and my leaning is still towards the MLD patrol shelter and serenity inner. I just have to wait to save up a bit of money before getting the serenity and even now am not sure I am convinced by it.
I wouldnt be able to justify the cost of the Echo1 but it does look like a nice piece of kit. As you say, replace the lines with lighter ones and only use the beaks as and when required.
Look forward to further thoughts on this
Dave
Ewa, nice to see you here! You should check out Chris Wallace's first look at the ECHO II, he uses it with his partner. On solid granite you can bind/ wrap the guylines (which are long) around rocks and branches you find there, as you likely would with tents as well. Also you could use stuff sacks filled with sand/ stones/ whatever is around as pegs for tying to. That's what I can think of from the top of my head, though there's a good article on BPL about it.
ReplyDeleteDave, thanks for the kind words! Yes, tarp & bivy are a favourite, actually sold my Scarp 1 and the Hubba HP as I don't use them anymore. The MLD Patrol is a fine looking shelter, I will be testing the GG SpinnShelter on coming trips and a 3x3 tarp =) The ECHO I is pricey, but I reckon you'd end up paying a similar sum for the MLD kit?!
Yes Hendrik,
ReplyDeletethe overall price wont be that much different I guess. Still undecided whether to go for the serenity or just persevere with the bivvy bag/tarp only combo
actually my only concern is for the summer months with the insects. Then a meash inner might be a good option! :)
Question about the inner: My problem with this kind of low and narrow bug nets has been that on heavy mosquito season you get A LOT of them inside when you crawl in. Then you close the door and start to kill them; but usually there is not enough space to turn towards the foot end to get them all (looks like the case here too). Any good ideas how to get rid of them?
ReplyDeleteWell… there is one trick that works every time: spray insecticide. Yes, a bit brute force approach and probably you don't want to lug a Raid can around in the woods but it does the job if you really really want to get rid of the mosquitoes.
ReplyDeleteYou mean like in Kummeli-show? "Mä myrkytän ne/I'll poison 'em!" :)
ReplyDeleteSorry, don't like the idea. It really takes away from my outdoor experience if I have to smell something so industrial and chemical. Any other ideas? Preferably something that serves a second purpose too.
Be faster to get in!
ReplyDeleteGet a spider which lives in the back of your inner, and has a fine net to catch them. Alternatively, a dragonfly.
Seriously, no idea. It is a problem I have never experienced, as I just try to get in quickly, and that is usually enough.
Eero's idea also works, though as you don't like it... be fast!
In bad "räkkä" quick is not good enough, in conditions like this: http://www.oulu.fi/northnature/finnish/suomikuvat/hyttysia.jpg
ReplyDeleteBut then again, who asked me to go to Lapland in the summer... so I guess it's my own fault ;)