Tarptent Protrail - any down sides?

[Just Tom]

So I've been playing around with going from two trekking pole shelters to a one trekking pole shelter. I really like my MH Hoopla for example, but it is so big that I feel almost guilty using it as a one-man shelter. So I started looking around and the Protrail has caught my eye. Are there any negatives with this tent, because it looks awesome. Any issues with taller users? Any better one trekking pole tents in that price range?

[Flounder940]

The protrail is a nice tent, but technically it does take two poles to set it up. One in the front and one in the back.

[Just Tom]

The Hoopla takes another too, I suppose, but my thinking was a two ounce small replacement pole for the Protrail rear was close enough. Good point though.

[v1k1ng1001]

The Protrail is an awesome tent for the money, great value!

Here are the cons as I judge them:

1. You're not going to be doing much sitting up, especially if you are tall like me--6'3"
2. Rear entry gets old when you have to crawl in and out around the pole.
3. Length is great but there's not a ton of space to spread out laterally--fine for back sleepers but not so hot for larger side sleepers.
4. Condensation in humid/wet environments might be a problem.

I think if you're a taller guy that just wants a light, simple to deploy, economical shelter to crawl into when it's time to sleep, the Protrail is an awesome choice!

Also check out Light Heart Gear which is running a sale on 2nds, demos and returns...LHG Solos from 125 to 175 right now which would accommodate anyone up to 6 feet and offer a double wall and more room to sit up. Wish they fit me.

[daddytwosticks]

Don't know what type of tent the Hoopla is, but having owned several silnylon shelters, I'm not a fan of how silnylon gets all saggy when damp and wet. In addition, my days of front entry shelters are over. Give me the ease of a side entry shelter any day.

[Franco]

From V1...
1. You're not going to be doing much sitting up, especially if you are tall like me--6'3"
True, however many shelters can't fit a 6'3" person without touching the ends, the Pro Trail can.
2. Rear entry gets old when you have to crawl in and out around the pole.
You can tilt that pole out of the way and then have it perpendicular (for best stability) when going to sleep.
3. Length is great but there's not a ton of space to spread out laterally--fine for back sleepers but not so hot for larger side sleepers.
Not sure if I read that correctly but the Pro Trail is 42" wide at the front and 30" wide 84" back at the end so again a bit wider than some.
4. Condensation in humid/wet environments might be a problem.
Yes, no shelter is immune from that.
There is mesh 360 degree around the floor so as long as the shelter is set up correctly with the sides guyed out and the end vent open, it should do OK.
The end vent is much larger than on the similar Contrail and that did well enough for many (including me...)
This photo might give a better idea :
pt_1.jpg
note the 20" wide mat.

Just Tom
You can use a stick or a short 2 section pole for the back or just guy it up to a tree or bush via the grommet there.
pt_7.jpg
(the minimum pole height at the rear is 24")
franco@tarptent

[Just Tom]

The Mountain Hardware Hoopla is a horse of a different color, so I wouldn't want to compare it to the Protrail.

I have seen how silnylon can sag when wet, but the solution is a cuben fiber tent, which is beyond my budget I suspect. (Though I'd be open to suggestions).

I'm 6'1", so a lot of 1-man tents are just a bit too small for me, with my feet rubbing up against the edges/end. So perhaps the LHG Solos might not be the best fit?

I'm not a fan of front entry as well to be honest, though mostly because I find they let more water in when entering in the rain. I'm a skinny guy and don't have problems generally with the agility-portion of the effort of using a front-entry.

Thanks for the feedback so far!

[Just Tom]

From V1...
1. You're not going to be doing much sitting up, especially if you are tall like me--6'3"
True, however many shelters can't fit a 6'3" person without touching the ends, the Pro Trail can.
2. Rear entry gets old when you have to crawl in and out around the pole.
You can tilt that pole out of the way and then have it perpendicular (for best stability) when going to sleep.
3. Length is great but there's not a ton of space to spread out laterally--fine for back sleepers but not so hot for larger side sleepers.
Not sure if I read that correctly but the Pro Trail is 42" wide at the front and 30" wide 84" back at the end so again a bit wider than some.
4. Condensation in humid/wet environments might be a problem.
Yes, no shelter is immune from that.
There is mesh 360 degree around the floor so as long as the shelter is set up correctly with the sides guyed out and the end vent open, it should do OK.
The end vent is much larger than on the similar Contrail and that did well enough for many (including me...)
This photo might give a better idea :
pt_1.jpg
note the 20" wide mat.

Just Tom
You can use a stick or a short 2 section pole for the back or just guy it up to a tree or bush via the grommet there.
pt_7.jpg
(the minimum pole height at the rear is 24")
franco@tarptent

Thanks Franco for the feedback and pictures!

[v1k1ng1001]

The Mountain Hardware Hoopla is a horse of a different color, so I wouldn't want to compare it to the Protrail.

I have seen how silnylon can sag when wet, but the solution is a cuben fiber tent, which is beyond my budget I suspect. (Though I'd be open to suggestions).

I'm 6'1", so a lot of 1-man tents are just a bit too small for me, with my feet rubbing up against the edges/end. So perhaps the LHG Solos might not be the best fit?

I'm not a fan of front entry as well to be honest, though mostly because I find they let more water in when entering in the rain. I'm a skinny guy and don't have problems generally with the agility-portion of the effort of using a front-entry.

Thanks for the feedback so far!

Yeah, you might be cramped in the LHG Solos. I ended up ordering a LHG Solong but it cost me a pretty penny.

Something to consider is the Six Moon Designs Lunar Solo which only requires one pole. I know that one would be smaller too, but offer more usable space than the LHG solo.

Hard to say. I mean I think if you can live with the front entry and a little less headroom, the Protrail would be an awesome shelter. If I had had more time, I might have ordered a Protrail prior to the SoLong to see if I would have liked it enough to save $150 and a few ounces. The simplicity, cost and weight savings make the protrail very attractive.

Get TT to seam seal it for you and, if you end up hating it, you can always sell it and recoup a substantial amount in a month or so.

[Venchka]

The Protrail is an awesome tent for the money, great value!

Here are the cons as I judge them:

1. You're not going to be doing much sitting up, especially if you are tall like me--6'3"
2. Rear entry gets old when you have to crawl in and out around the pole.
3. Length is great but there's not a ton of space to spread out laterally--fine for back sleepers but not so hot for larger side sleepers.
4. Condensation in humid/wet environments might be a problem.

I think if you're a taller guy that just wants a light, simple to deploy, economical shelter to crawl into when it's time to sleep, the Protrail is an awesome choice!

Also check out Light Heart Gear which is running a sale on 2nds, demos and returns...LHG Solos from 125 to 175 right now which would accommodate anyone up to 6 feet and offer a double wall and more room to sit up. Wish they fit me.

Why do you feel that the Solo will only fit a person up to 6'? The tent is 133 inches long point to long point. My new sleeping bag, sized for someone 6'-6" tall, is 7' feet long from the tip of the open hood to the tip of the foot box and 31" wide at the shoulders. If you center the bag in the Solo, the bag will be 2' from either end of the tent. I realize that the ends slope toward the middle of the tent, but the canopy would clear your head and feet 2' from the ends. The width at the middle is over 5'. Big even for a 2 person tent. Acres of netting for ventilation. Altogether a nice tent.
Just curious.

Wayne

[q-tip]

If you are committed to one pole, a used TT CONTRAIL will work.

[Franco]

The Pro Trail is replacing the Contrail in our line up.
It started with the original Shires PCT "tarp tent", sold first as the Virga, then Contrail (3 revisions) and now the Pro Trail.

[polrbear]

I bought a ProTrail two months ago. There's a little practice needed to set it up correctly and preserve the bathtub floor; one also has to put up with the aforementioned pole in the way of the entry. Leave enough space under the sides (will come naturally as you become more proficient at the bathtub part) to help with ventilation.

The length is generous, although when it comes time to replace it, I'll look into something where my 6' frame can sit up more comfortably for reading late at night. However, its width is great and I could realistically fit a medium sized dog in there with me.

[Franco]

Setting it up, here is how I do it :


as for the pole in the way, it does not have to be :
ProTrail-pole-out.jpg
(I'm just under 5'8")

sagging silnylon.
I think we have done this before but...
It is very simple to re-tension the ProTrail (and similar shelters) by increasing the pole height.
Here it is in reverse :
Sagging-ProTrail.jpg
I moved the pole further out from the position above to simulate "sagging", it works just as well on reverse.
Weather wise it works best with the pole perpendicular , so just before going to sleep put the tent in tension (once the fabric is cold it has relaxed so most likely you will not have to do any adjustments after that) and that pole perpendicular.
Now if by any chance it does sag , just set that pole a bit higher.