Thanks Alpinehiker. I didn't know it was that bad for weather.

All ultralight double wall tents are not that durable or weather resistant. The Fly Creek Platinum uses an ultralight fabric that is among the weakest found on any of the tents tested by OutdoorGearLab.

See attached photo.

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I chose the Platinum for its light weight, I have camped in it during rain storms and have stayed dry, the fly has many tie downs.
Setting it up in windy conditions feels like kite flying.
I would not want to subject this tent to heavy winds, althou when I spent the night on Habrich this past summer, was a windy night and did not have a fly on, very little resistance and of course being in it, had no problems.
First time out with it did the "Needles" in Lynn Valley, had the tent in its bag tied down to the bottom of my pack, well the bag got chewed up by the end of the trip.(so did I actually)
So light weight tent that you should handle with kid gloves, but like I said it keeps the bugs off me and I can stay dry, light to carry.

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Well, clearly there's no good all around tent, but could you guys recommend me one for the West Coast Trail? It'll be on the coast, so fairly windy, but also a fair amount of rain. Weight would preferably be as little as possible, but I don't want a tent that will rip easily or won't hold up in storms.

Thanks,

Colin

A classic WCT tent is the MEC Tarn 2. Can't go wrong with it for WCT.

http://www.mec.ca/product/5027-697/m...Fc9lfgoddkwAmA

Another good option would be the MEC Volt A/C 2. A bit lighter and still pretty weather resistant. Here is what a user had to say about it:

http://www.mec.ca/product/5027-683/m...30+50830+50858

It's very similar to this. It's packed away right now but this really looks like it.
http://www.mec.ca/product/4006-996/i...y-sack/?q=bivy
I can even put my thermal pad in it with lots of space to spare and it weighs a little less than my -10 down sleeping bag

http://www.mec.ca/product/4006-996/i...y-sack/?q=bivy


I dunno.. I think I'd be too clausterphobic, especially on a rainy day..

I'm not to tall so I have lots of room top and bottom and am nice and cozy in it. On rainy days I just read a book anyway and a small fly tied above will give extra breathing room if you want to be out of it and since it is waterproof makes for a great ground sheet with the sleeping bag outside and on top of it with fly above on rainy days. The reviews say some room for boots ect. at the bottom but I can put my small pack at the bottom with my boots and have room or at the top under my head or in both places. The only time I felt clausterphobic in it was when I got tired going up the steep hillside of the mountain at night with headlamp and tied it to a tree and from the steep angle, me, gear, sleeping bag, thermal pad all ended up scrunched up at the bottom of it.
It was quite uncomfortable but if I had a tent I would not have been able to pitch it there and no sleep at all that night. Another time I was making slow progress through a salmon berry patch and it was getting dark so I found a nice straight spot under the salmon berry bush and laid it out there. Great sleep and protected from all sides, good thing there were no berries on them yet. To put a tent there, impossible. I pack very light and in my small pack I can stay out without refurbishing up to 2 weeks. The only thing I would need after is food to keep going everything else fits in the pack.

I have the Mountain Hardware Direkt 2. It is pricey (you can get it for US$400 from some US sites), but very light (3 lb) and unlike the Black Diamond Firstlight, actually waterproof. It's a bit of a pain to set up due to its design, but for those situations that really call for a full tent (eg. winter mountaineering) it is eminently packable and great in high winds.

Rishi, that sounds really good. I'll look into that.

alpinehiker, I notice you tend to find links about other people's opinion on gear. How can you make the claim, Can't go wrong with it for WCT. with no personal actual real usage.
In the below quote Rishi actually owns and uses the gear, that makes their review useful.

I use a 4 piece military modular sleep system that has a goretex bivvy bag cover when I'm just out and about.. I love it.. Used it in the pooring rain and remained totally dry. I have yet to try it on a really cold night in winter, although I have a good feeling it will perform adequately.. I love that it is modular, so its great for all seasons..

Saves lugging around a tent.. but I must say that a tent is great on the longer hikes.. And definitely a no-no when guiding...

Probably not worth linking as I'm sure it can be found all over the internet for sale..

There are various websites where you can review any kind of outdoor gear. There are also certain websites that specifically test outdoor gear in different conditions. So maybe you never tested lets say your tent in a strong wind situation or you have used it less compared to a reviewer who had it for 5 years lets say and used it way more often than a other user and in different weather conditions, etc. More opinions from different sources gives a better idea of a certain product. Many times friends have recommended me outdoor gear based on their personal choice and preference from a subjective point of view. When you read reviews about a certain outdoor product from different sources then you get a better objective idea of that product, rather than from a single source.

I figured that would be your reply.

The noise of the interweb through a google search has no real value these days ( if it ever did in the first place). People with a near zero usage, sometimes being paid to review and propagate spin, is nothing more than a spamming to the uninformed.

This place, clubtread, is a community, where members will share THEIR opinions. The current trail condition thread for example is from personal use, not just a plethora of links to twitter feeds and op ed's.

So I have used both he discontinued Big Agnes 3 Wire Bivy and the Integral Designs Unishelter. Both were cramped, impossible to get in and out in the rain as standalone shelters, and prone to condensation. However, there was something wonderful about waking up on a ridge, opening my eyes, and seeing the sunrise from the confines of my shelter. They were also easy to set up.

But the weight to space factor was not ideal. I now use very lightweight, bug proof shelters such as those from Tarptent.

Regarding the MEC Tarn, it is inexpensive but really a poor choice for something like the WCT. It is much too heavy. It was my first tent so I do have a special spot for it in my heart, but I wouldn't direct anyone to that shelter. Even a beginner.

So apart from some romanticism with the bivy (I have also used water resistant bivvies that are under 10 oz with a tarp - a whole other ballgame), I wouldn't use one today apart from an emergency shelter. But even then I would probably just take a tarp.

Happy New Year, everyone.