Removable beak for MacCat Deluxe

**ikemouser** · 09-18-2009, 04:17

Originally Posted by GrizzlyAdams

thanks MM for posting pictures.
More later, hard at work in a foreign land trying to save us all from the cyber peril. very limited bandwidth

Grizz

Lol awesome, i hear cyber threats are the new equivalent of nukes-in so far as costs are concerned. I always though ta solar flare from the sun would be the worst case scenario, perhaps meteor though, could be worse.

**MedicineMan** · 09-18-2009, 05:55

and I've little concern over nukes or cyber or civil rest...viri, that's what keeps me up at night.
Thanks for your service Griz. Keep those commi bast's out of my net

**Hawk-eye** · 09-18-2009, 06:09

Originally Posted by GrizzlyAdams

thanks MM for posting pictures.
More later, hard at work in a foreign land trying to save us all from the cyber peril. very limited bandwidth
Grizz

Any chance your in China? Might have to look you up! I'll be in Xiamen area tomorrow ... PM me if you're over here.

**GrizzlyAdams** · 09-21-2009, 04:16

Originally Posted by Hawk-eye

Any chance your in China? Might have to look you up! I'll be in Xiamen area tomorrow ... PM me if you're over here.

No, Hungary and then Merrie Olde Englande. Heading home this afternoon.

Grizz

**Hawk-eye** · 09-21-2009, 04:34

Originally Posted by GrizzlyAdams

No, Hungary and then Merrie Olde Englande. Heading home this afternoon.

Grizz

Dang it ... thought I might see a friendly face this week. I'm stuck for the duration of the month ... enjoy your trip home! Have a safe journey!

**MedicineMan** · 10-14-2009, 04:33

Just finished the AT portion of NJ and NY, 15 nights in a BB Warbird under a MLD Hex Tarp, 5 nights with the GrizBeak attached.
Thanks Griz for added warmth and a huge wind deflection.
The Beak now tested in the real world--one night under 40 mph gusts (weather service figures not mine) and I can only pray this add-on becomes 'available'. It's a 15-20 second effort and if you snug the tarp/fly to the ground (and beak too) then you are a suspended tent!
The Beak generated many questions from hikers nearby watching my set up...all I could say was that the GrizBeak was experimental at that time.
I'm sold....the GrizBeak is genius in design/function and application. The only problem is that I only had one!

**sclittlefield** · 10-14-2009, 09:29

I forget if this has already been mentioned... but perhaps it could be built to double as your pack cover?

**GrizzlyAdams** · 10-14-2009, 11:05

Originally Posted by sclittlefield

I forget if this has already been mentioned... but perhaps it could be built to double as your pack cover?

Hasn't been mentioned before, you win!

There certainly is enough material. I'm not immediately seeing how to integrate a nice channel for shockcord, but maybe one could sew on a few hooks such that the beak covers the pack and is held in place with shockcord much the way it would be if there were a channel, but the shockcord is outside and snags the various hooks to hold it all in place.

BTW MedicineMan, thanks for beta-testing this beak. I especially like the part about it holding up in 40 mph winds

Grizz

**GrizzlyAdams** · 10-31-2009, 17:07

Originally Posted by MedicineMan

...The only problem is that I only had one!

MedicineMan sent his MLD tarp and Beak #1 back to Beak Central Processing for fitting. While I was at it I made Beak #2 to the same (well, similar anyway) dimensions.

If you recall, MM's pictures showed a small gap between beak and tarp corner. To address this, and to address the fact that the MLD is a tad bit narrower than the MacCat Deluxe for which the beak was originally designed, I added a tab that is an inch and a half further along the bottom edge, and about the same amount higher. This does serve to close the gap (provided the tarp is pitched narrowly enough so that some of the tension is from corner to ridgeline, and not just corner to corner).

Thanks to MedicineMan for lending his tarp. Useful for tweaking the beak dimensions and fit, and very useful for seeing how MLD makes the tarp. There's a DIY cuben tarp in my future.

Grizz

**Take-a-knee** · 10-31-2009, 20:28

This looks like an excellent piece of kit to me, especially for a thru-hiker. I've about decided to go with a Packa for raingear, so the pack cover thing would not interest me, at least not while hiking. But, I've started hanging my pack at the head end of my hammock, right inside where this beak/door would go, eliminating a soaked pack from blowing rain.

On a thru you just use your Macat with beak until it warms, then put it in a bump box or mail it home once it warmed up.