Talk me out of the Tarptent Rainbow

[Franco]

"The bathtub in the the Tarptent Rainbow is a bit lame"
The Rainbow was first produced in 2005 , it has had several modifications since then.
The current version has a higher bathtub :
rb-5 (1).jpg
it can be further clipped up at either end and on the non door side

[Casey & Gina]

And the oft forgotten and major weakness of any trekking pole based setup... without the trekking poles you don't have a setup.

Unless there are a couple trees nearby, you have a bit of cord, and your tent has guyout loops where the trekking poles touch the top of the tent. You just tie those points to the tree rather than to the ground. I am betting that applies to most of that style of tent in most situations along the AT.

We enjoyed my Scout UL2 set up this way so much that I think using the trekking pole pitching option will become my fallback option rather than default.

[Drybones]

Don't do it.

[Sarcasm the elf]

"The bathtub in the the Tarptent Rainbow is a bit lame"
The Rainbow was first produced in 2005 , it has had several modifications since then.
The current version has a higher bathtub :
rb-5 (1).jpg
it can be further clipped up at either end and on the non door side

I was going to say that I have found the TT double rainbow's bathtub floor to be more than adequate.
, mine is a more recent model.

[rafe]

I was going to say that I have found the TT double rainbow's bathtub floor to be more than adequate.
, mine is a more recent model.

Mine was purchased late '06 or early '07. The tub walls are not nearly as high as in the photo.

[Tipi Walter]

Single wall tents are horrible due to the condensation issue. I can't stand them. I use a big agnes fly creek and use the rain fly as needed which eliminates that issue. I also got the weight down under 2 pounds with titanium pegs and some minor mods.

I always love to hear about the negatories of a product, especially a tent. No tent is perfect, all brands and models have their weaknesses. Problem is, most users don't use a tent long enough in all conditions to discover their "flaws".

I wouldn't call the Tarptent "horrible" in any way. On those occasions when I've experienced condensation in it, it was either my fault (avoidable) for setting it up in a meadow in September, or sort of a minor nuisance (misting effect) in a thunderstorm at Dahlgren Campground a few weeks earlier.

My Eureka Solitaire was a dryer tent, but it was 1 lb. heavier and had far less space.

I don't think it was your fault for getting condensation in a meadow, and definitely not your fault for the misting effect a few weeks later. No tent should allow you or your gear to get wet, either due to condensation or "misting". Site selection should not be factored in if you're carrying a One-Tool-For-All-Jobs kind of tent.

I have a love hate relationship with my Contrail. I love the easy setup, light weight, quality construction and its roomy for a small tent. What I hate is that it mists when it rains any harder than a gentle shower. I can deal with the condensation but I really don't like the misting because everything in the tent ends up damp. Call me crazy but I expect a tent to keep me dry when it rains. I am going to replace the Contrail with a conventional tent, mostly likely some version of the BA Fly Creek.

This has been a challenging topic on the TarpTent forums---Misting, water penetration thru the fly in a hard rain etc. Do some googling on the subject and you'll find you're not the only one experiencing this problem. Other tent flys do this too but a solid double wall canopy keeps you from feeling it.

+1 on all of that. I've never gotten seriously wet in my Rainbow, but the misting is a bother. I don't recall having to put up with that with the tents I'd used before; that was a new problem.

So that's the tradeoff as I see it: for a given carrying weight, you get a lot more volume and floor space with a Tarpent. But not reliably bone-dry in heavy rain. Being a section hiker, I get to choose my seasons, so hopefully I plan around heavy rain. Thru-hikers don't have that option.

Depending on length of trip, winter temps, cold rain and longevity of storm, misting can be a real problem. What's moist yesterday on Day 2 may be more moist by Day 3 and then on Day 5 a real blizzard hits and real condensation begins so by Day 7 everything is soggy---not soaked of course but never dry. So, all efforts must be made to keep you and your gear dry with no compromises and therefore never using a shelter which gets inside misting. This challenge is much more important than the overall weight of a tent. Weight comes in second, protection is #1.

[Franco]

Mine was purchased late '06 or early '07. The tub walls are not nearly as high as in the photo.

The silnylon we use now is also different from the one in pre 2010. A bit heavier but with a higher waterhead.
franco@tarptent

[rafe]

[...]Depending on length of trip, winter temps, cold rain and longevity of storm, misting can be a real problem. What's moist yesterday on Day 2 may be more moist by Day 3 and then on Day 5 a real blizzard hits and real condensation begins so by Day 7 everything is soggy---not soaked of course but never dry. So, all efforts must be made to keep you and your gear dry with no compromises and therefore never using a shelter which gets inside misting. This challenge is much more important than the overall weight of a tent. Weight comes in second, protection is #1.

I'm not as hardcore as you, Tipi. Duking it out with Mother Nature isn't my favorite recreation, I'd just as soon head for the comfort and safety of town until her tantrums blow over. I've never spent a full day in a tent, and don't intend to start now.

[Tipi Walter]

Duking it out with Mother Nature isn't my favorite recreation, I'd just as soon head for the comfort and safety of town until her tantrums blow over. I've never spent a full day in a tent, and don't intend to start now.

Duking it out with Mother Nature is a giant part of backpacking. Here's my definition of Backpacking: Managing Discomfort. But your post brings up a weird fact: I assume everyone has spent a day inside a tent. My fault I guess.

Del Gue and Jeremiah Johnson comes to mind:

Del Gue: Jeremiah, maybe you best go down to a town, get outta these mountains.
Jeremiah: I've been to a town Del.

The whole point of it to me is to get out of a town and stay out. Towns aren't that safe and never feel comfortable. But then yes I have to come home. And I know for a fact that Miss Nature loves to watch us squirm---and she usually allows us to keep our gear most of the time.

[donthaveoneyet]

Duking it out with Mother Nature is a giant part of backpacking. Here's my definition of Backpacking: Managing Discomfort. But your post brings up a weird fact: I assume everyone has spent a day inside a tent. My fault I guess.

Del Gue and Jeremiah Johnson comes to mind:

Del Gue: Jeremiah, maybe you best go down to a town, get outta these mountains.
Jeremiah: I've been to a town Del.

The whole point of it to me is to get out of a town and stay out. Towns aren't that safe and never feel comfortable. But then yes I have to come home. And I know for a fact that Miss Nature loves to watch us squirm---and she usually allows us to keep our gear most of the time.

I'm kinda new here, and so trying not to offend... But tipi, I find your posts refreshing and occasionally amusing. That said, yeah, I have spent an entire day in a tent, more than once, and I strongly prefer not to do it again, if I can avoid it. Backpacking, for me, is not just a variation on masochism. My happiest moments are summiting a modest mountain with the sun high in the sky and plenty of time to set up a comfortable campsite, on a flat dry spot, with my 11 year old son, and cooking up a nice meal, and NO RAIN.

Back on topic, I find my Double Rainbow suits my purposes very well. Me and the boy and luxuriate in the darn thing. He reads a book with his headlamp, and I stair out the open porch, until we drift off. That, my friend, is what it's all about.