"The REI Gimme Shelter is a modification of the MSR Twin Peaks and the Black Diamond Betamid (both of which I own and use regularly).
At about $129.00 MSRP, it's a hybrid tarp shelter that uses your trekking poles for support and which comes with a detachable floor [very similar to the optional Betamid Floor], so there is a savings over Betamid [where you buy the floor for an additional $70.00] or the Twin Peaks [where you have to buy the Betamid Floor and use it because MSR doesn't make a floor for it].
The dimensions of this shleter are very similar to those of the Twin Peaks and the Betamid and it's slightly lighter (by ounces) than the silnylon versions of the two [2005 Twin Peaks in Orange and Beta Light in Blue and Silver], but the rear peak is about 8 inches shorter than the front peak (unlike those of the others, which are the same height front and back).
The Gimme Shelter is "Earth (eggshell white)" and "Sage (very light olive)," and it has two peaks with Orange caps on them (?!?), perhaps to show the user which way is "up" in bad weather... or maybe to attract the attention of passing tourists...
REI has included some great little tension adjusters on the fly and to fasten the floor straps to the fly, but according to their Customer Service Rep, "We don't carry spares of these..." (which I simply can't for the life of me understand, but maybe I'm missing something here).
The silnylon Stuff Sack is adequate, but there isn't enough room to stuff the shelter into it unless everything is folded perfectly (no extra room for a Tyvek ground sheet, for instance). The shelter comes with six "Y" stakes and the shelter really needs eight to set it up properly against the weather [this is an opinion and I admit it, but they include guylines without their associated stakes].
Because of its weight, this shelter wouldn't replace the Golite ultralite Den, Cave, etc., but it has a similar shape with the ability to easily remove the floor to reduce weight or to use the floor as an emergency poncho or equipment cover. The fly also seems to me made of a heavier ripstop material, which is probably more durable for long treks or busy recreational seasons.
It has adequate room for two persons plus a little gear (but probably not a full backpack for each) and it has no vestibule unless you buy some silnylon and make a beak for it.
It has no protection from insects and there is no separate REI equivalent to the Beta Bug [which works in either Twin Peaks or the Betamid, but not the Gimme Shelter], but REI sells a double-wide rectangular "Mombassa Net" which, with some extra para cord, some additional toggles/buttons, and about an hour to fool with it, could be used with the floor to form a "Field Expedient Beta Bug." I have also heard of Gimme Shelter Owners sewing no-see-um mesh around the bottom of their fly and rigging the door with the stuff, but the REI Customer Service Rep will be quick to remind you that, ...any modification voids the warranty..." 'Nuff said.
The floor is attached to the fly with toggles (the ones that can't be replaced if broken), but although there are orange web loops on the four corners (bottom) of the floor, there are no provisions to hold it down nor to keep the bathtub shape straight. You can fix this easily by attaching about 14" of elastic shock cord to each corner loop and then to the stake that holds the fly on that particular corner [just the way the Betamid Floor and the Beta Bug solve this very same problem].
Do I use this shelter? Yes, but I haven't experienced weather extremes in it yet. It has the same weaknesses of most shelters of its class: pitch it low and condensation can be a problem; pitch it high and get eaten alive or have critters visit you in the night; etc.
POSITIVE STUFF:
- Fairly light weight
- Removable (and included) Floor
- Pleasant and unobtrusive colors (except for those blaze orange peak caps)
- Plenty of room for one person plus gear and dog (with booties on to protect the floor)
- Sufficient room for two people with minimal gear
- Easy toggle/clip adjustments, similar to Betamid
- Zippered/weather resistent vent near front peak [Twin Peaks places this vent at the rear peak and Betamid doesn't have one] provides some ventilation in bad weather
NEGATIVES:
- If you own a Twin Peaks or a Betamid, don't bother buying the Gimme Shelter
- Trekking poles MUST be adjusted when used to support this shelter [and re-adjusted to move on when you take it down]
- Just like the Twin Peaks and Betamid: the poles are in between the two people, who probably want to snuggle at night...
- Condensation and stuffiness can be a problem when pitched low to the ground
- Doesn't provide the weight savings of Golite shelters in this class and doesn't provide the rear headroom of the Twin Peaks and the Betamid
MY ADVICE:
1) Buy it on sale or on Ebay, but don't pay full price. Better yet, wait a year and get it on clearance.
2) Use it on solo trips where a tarp with a removable floor would be a plus but where the threat of invasions by insects will be minimal [I have no idea where that might be...].
3) Ask to borrow or to rent this one first, if possible. You just might like it, or it might "grow on you." PRACTICE with this one in the back yard before you go out on the trail and make a fool of yourself. I carry mine with the floor attached and most gross adjustments made in advance and this speeds the set-up process.
4) Modify it with no-see-um mesh and don't worry about the warranty."
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