Tarptent Notch vs Rainbow

[Duramax22]

I am at a coin toss between the tarptent notch and the rainbow. I like the extra room of the rainbow but like the lower weight and smaller footprint of the notch. Can anyone offer some insight as to why they chose one or the other?

[Chubbs4U]

I currently have a Rainbow but wish I would of went with the double but thats not here nor there. Anyway I guess the major questions are do you use hiking poles? Do you want 2 doors? 2 vestibules? Not sure if the Notch is a "true double wall" but if that matters that could also be a deciding factor?

[juma]

i liked being able to set up self supported with the hiking poles holding the corners apart with my rainbow. further reduced the size of tentsite needed. plus the walls are steep and I don't usually hit them with my feet.

[Chubbs4U]

Free standing or not?

[Duramax22]

Free standing or not?

i can go either way

[Chubbs4U]

Will anyone be going with you? Do you have a dog? How big are you? Your answers should point you in the right direction.

[mak1277]

I haven't actually used it in the field yet, but I got a Rainbow for Christmas this year. I thought long and hard about which tent to buy, including the Notch, Stratospire 1, Moment DW, etc. etc. etc.

The main deciding factor for me was interior space. I'm 6'2 and it was a necessity that I be able to sit fully upright inside the tent. Also, I prefer to spread out a little bit and generally have most/all of my gear in the tent with me at night. The Rainbow won out in this area. It has more than enough headroom for me to sit up, change clothes, etc. inside, as well as keeping my gear in there.

My one (slight) concern is the ability to control condensation. I wonder if that's why Chubbs wishes he'd have gone with a double wall. Like I said, I haven't used it on the trail yet, so I can't effectively comment on condensation.

[mak1277]

My one (slight) concern is the ability to control condensation. I wonder if that's why Chubbs wishes he'd have gone with a double wall.

Edit: I maybe misread Chubbs' post...perhaps he meant that he wishes he'd got a Double Rainbow (not a double walled tent).

[RedBeerd]

I personally find the extra weight worth the extra room. Seems like very good value. For a few extra ounces you get much more! I'll just bring 1 less snickers.

[juma]

Free standing or not?

You can pitch the rainbow free standing using hiking poles. Very handy to move the tent a little or reposition. The weight diff in the tents is the rainbow pole that holds it up.

[mak1277]

I personally find the extra weight worth the extra room. Seems like very good value. For a few extra ounces you get much more! I'll just bring 1 less snickers.

If you eat the snickers before you leave the car or your resupply, you can still have it without having to carry it! There are certain deprivations that aren't worth even mentioning.

[juma]

You'll get some condensation in the rainbow. It's never been enough to bother me. Just wiped it with a hanky. You can get some kind of insert for the rainbow that acts as an inner lining and shields from condensation. Weight though.

[Statue]

I did my thru with the notch and hiked with another hiker who had a rainbow. I was jealous of the the amount of space she had in the rainbow vs my notch, weight be damned. If I had to do it over again I would definitely go with the roomier tent.

[jeffmeh]

Squall 2 weighs the same as the Rainbow, with more interior space, and more headroom, albeit only at the front entry end. It can actually sleep 2, while the Rainbow only sleeps an "intimate" 2, lol.

My son used the Rainbow with the panels on his thru and liked it, but would take the Squall 2 if he were to do it again. This assumes you use hiking poles and are comfortable with a single wall tent.

[theGABE]

I don't have experience with the Rainbow. But I can say that Notch is a very fine tent. It is super versatile, light enough, and is just the right size for me, not to mention the solid interior gives a lot of extra warmth if you choose that option.

[LIhikers]

I have the Rainbow and think it's a great solo tent.
It's light weight, very roomy, and easy to setup either freestanding, or not.
What's not to like?

[Sarcasm the elf]

I currently have a Rainbow but wish I would of went with the double but thats not here nor there. Anyway I guess the major questions are do you use hiking poles? Do you want 2 doors? 2 vestibules? Not sure if the Notch is a "true double wall" but if that matters that could also be a deciding factor?

I looked at both the rainbow and the notch and I ended up going with the double rainbow. It was only a couple of ounces more than the rainbow and allowed me to have a tent that weighs as much as a 1 one person, but that I can also use when my wife hikes with me,or if I decide to bring my dog on a solo trip.

Rainbow can be made freestanding with poles, alternately the poles can fit into two grommets at the peak of the tent to reinforce it against snow loads or serious wind, this makes effectivly a 4 season tent for me, so long as I'm camping below treeline.

Double rainbow has the advantages of the Raindow, but is huge inside relative to it's weight (compared to other 2 person tents) and has two doors/vestibules. It's nice to be able to keep my gear inside when it's pouring rain, I used to keep it under a vestibule outside when using my old tent, but it always ended up getting soaked if it was raining heavily, either by splashing rain or by runoff.

I've taken a look at a Notch that another hiker had setup in camp a little while back. It was wonderfully light, had a good amount of vestibule room and he said it was fairly easy to put up.

Basically I found the double rainbow to be the most versatile option and the right one for me, but you can't go wrong with any of them.

Oh, yeah, and made in the USA, gotta love it.

[LuckyMan]

I'm 6'2" and fit fine in the Notch, am glad I chose it. And it really does take only two minutes to set up.