Need your experience and input please - ultralight shelters!

[Sassafras Lass]

Hey everyone. DH and I weren't happy with our TarpTent Double Rainbow and are looking for other options.

Our biggest issues?

Size and condensation. Both were unacceptable for us.

So we're looking at other tents but of course haven't the funds to buy other tents and field-test them . . . so hopefully ya'll have done the work already!

We're looking for a sub-4 lb tent (preferably a bug nut + tarp setup so we can share the weight) that is the most breathable thing on the market, with room for a 6'2 "well-rounded" man and his 5'6 "sort of well-rounded" wife.

What shelters do you recommend that will withstand a thru-hike + additional hiking adventures??

[sbhikes]

My boyfriend is 5'9" and normal weight and I'm 5'3" normal weight and our Lunar Duo seems relatively roomy. It's longer than wide, though, so any extra room for my stuff is at my head or foot. I think its ability to handle condensation is probably not the tops but we live in a dry climate so it hasn't been easy to determine. It is very light, though. I carry the tyvek and stakes and if we bring them, the easton poles. He carries the tent. That works out to about 1/2 and 1/2.

[ChinMusic]

I agree with sbhikes. The Lunar Duo is a palace and that solves your #1 complaint. BUT, you are gonna have condensation with ANY tent. With the Duo you will have less of a chance of bumping into it. The Duo is so big that four people could play bridge in there.....not kidding.

[Wags]

while a little pricey, maybe looking into MLD's mids and inner nets would be worth some exploration on your part.

http://www.mountainlaureldesigns.com...x.php?cPath=47

[Wags]

i saw a lunar solo out on the AT 2 years ago. it looked like a really smart shelter and did great during a pretty bad thunderstorm we were all hunkered down in. i'm sure the duo is a great piece of gear.

[skinewmexico]

Not sure where you're hiking, but condensation is an issue with any single wall tent. Site selection and ventilation are key. Having said that, I've never had any condensation issues with my DR, so climate is a big deal too. Anyway............I've read great things about the Lunar Duo. My Lunar Solo was a nice piece of gear, but had a giant footprint. The soon-to-be released Tarptent Stratospire is the exact tent you've described you're looking for.

[FamilyGuy]

You are going to need to look at a well ventilated double walled tent to help better manage any condensation issues. A single walled shelter provides no barrier to the droplets. Having said that, for many that is a fair trade-off given the weight savings.

As Joe mentions - the Stratospire is definitely worth a consideration. There is also the Tarptent Scarp 2 but the cost may be prohibative. What about the Light Heart Duo, a single / double walled hybrid of sorts?

From mainstream manufacturers - the Nemo Obi 2 (Chin Music has one so can probably chime in here better than I) or the Big Agnes Fly Creek 3 (The 3 is more a 2 person tent than the 2)?

[ChinMusic]

From mainstream manufacturers - the Nemo Obi 2 (Chin Music has one so can probably chime in here better than I) or the Big Agnes Fly Creek 3 (The 3 is more a 2 person tent than the 2)?

ChinMusic HAD one. The NEMO Obi 2P is VERY small for two people. I ditched it. It would be worse than the Double Rainbow for space. The NEMO Losi 3P is the bomb for 2 people but weighs a total of 6 pounds and does not fall into the sub 4 they desired. The Losi 2P is in the 5-lb range.

I don't consider the LightHeart tents to be "hybrids". I consider them true double-wall tents. The fly is permanently attached to the peak but has full coverage. The LightHearts function just as a "true" double wall. The OP wanted to share the weight between two people too. That could not be done with the Lightheart, but IMO that can be solved easily by having the other person carry something else to split the weight.

[Sassafras Lass]

Thanks guys. Does anyone have a ZPacks shelter - seems as though the Hexamid series is 2 separate pieces, am I right?

[ChinMusic]

Thanks guys. Does anyone have a ZPacks shelter - seems as though the Hexamid series is 2 separate pieces, am I right?

Yeah, you got the tarp and the bug netting with the Zpacks. I don't think you would like the Hexamid if the Double Rainbow didn't suit your needs. It is a pretty spartan shelter. The floor in the Hexamid is mesh too. IMO, one needs a lot of prior experience in backpacking before going this route. It is DEF under your 4-lb limit..........lol

Don't fixate on the separate pieces issue. If you got the LightHeart and it was one piece, the other person could just carry more food (for example). The sharing of tent "halves" is overrated.

At least check out the LightHeart. Look at the views you get in that baby for nights you know it ain't gonna rain.

[Bigbaby]

Get a hammock... you will be a believer, trust me

[ChinMusic]

Get a hammock... you will be a believer, trust me

Those of you that had #11 in the poll, you are the winners.

[trailangelbronco]

Just bring an RV! There will be condensation with any tent. Hell, condensation is a light word. Sometimes, it just rains like hell for days and every single thing in your pack is dripping wet, including your bag and stuff.

[skinewmexico]

You might check out the offerings from Bear Paw Wilderness Designs too. And I think I had #11!!! Pay up guys!

[Sassafras Lass]

Just asking what, in your vast learned experience, is the most breathable shelter setup - I'm super not in the mood for sarcasm, just looking for some friendly advice . . . .

[Buffalo Skipper]

F-Stop, I am a hammocker, and I have never had an issue with condensation. But that is not what you asked so I won't go any further down that avenue. I am, however, looking into multiperson lightweight tents for another project. I have looked closely at the Lunar Duo, Double Rainbow and the Lightheart Wedge, but have not physically seen any of these. I am also looking at a pyramid style tent, as there are several of these out there. Very roomy, and pricy, but also often single wall. Prehaps the extra volume and ventilation of one of these may be better for you.

May I ask what climate you were in when you had condensation problems?

[Sassafras Lass]

F-Stop, I am a hammocker, and I have never had an issue with condensation. But that is not what you asked so I won't go any further down that avenue. I am, however, looking into multiperson lightweight tents for another project. I have looked closely at the Lunar Duo, Double Rainbow and the Lightheart Wedge, but have not physically seen any of these. I am also looking at a pyramid style tent, as there are several of these out there. Very roomy, and pricy, but also often single wall. Prehaps the extra volume and ventilation of one of these may be better for you.

May I ask what climate you were in when you had condensation problems?

We were hiking the AT this spring, from Springer-Spence Field, late March-late April.l We were unhappy with water raining down on us from inside the tent. We were unhappy that we couldn't leave the tent as open as we liked because of the mountain mist sweeping through and soaking us. We were unhappy that our head and feet would brush against the wet tent and get soaked, and that the netting would collect water and wasn't held taut away from us (no matter how we set up the tent) so unless you were not touching a single wall (not possible) and away from a puddle (sometimes not possible), then you were not dry.

I don't expect to be dry all of the time. I don't even expect to be dry most of the time. But nearly always wet at night, with down bags that we won't have a chance to dry in sunlight or a dryer? What does everyone else do, bring a generator-run blowdryer?

[Sassafras Lass]

You might check out the offerings from Bear Paw Wilderness Designs too. And I think I had #11!!! Pay up guys!

Thanks, you've always been helpful, I'll check those out!

[Sassafras Lass]

Yeah, you got the tarp and the bug netting with the Zpacks. I don't think you would like the Hexamid if the Double Rainbow didn't suit your needs. It is a pretty spartan shelter. The floor in the Hexamid is mesh too. IMO, one needs a lot of prior experience in backpacking before going this route. It is DEF under your 4-lb limit..........lol

Don't fixate on the separate pieces issue. If you got the LightHeart and it was one piece, the other person could just carry more food (for example). The sharing of tent "halves" is overrated.

At least check out the LightHeart. Look at the views you get in that baby for nights you know it ain't gonna rain.

Looks like nice gear - but those sides look awfully steep, is there an issue with brushing against condensation at the foot and head ends?

[Buffalo Skipper]

We were hiking the AT this spring, from Springer-Spence Field, late March-late April.l We were unhappy with water raining down on us from inside the tent. We were unhappy that we couldn't leave the tent as open as we liked because of the mountain mist sweeping through and soaking us. We were unhappy that our head and feet would brush against the wet tent and get soaked, and that the netting would collect water and wasn't held taut away from us (no matter how we set up the tent) so unless you were not touching a single wall (not possible) and away from a puddle (sometimes not possible), then you were not dry.

I don't expect to be dry all of the time. I don't even expect to be dry most of the time. But nearly always wet at night, with down bags that we won't have a chance to dry in sunlight or a dryer? What does everyone else do, bring a generator-run blowdryer?

I like to be dry also, so don't worry about it. Again, you didn't ask about a hammock, but I do have a relevant experience to pass on. At Boy Scout summer camp this past July, we were in the foothills of NE Tennessee. All scouts were in camp provided canvas tents with raised platform floors and cots. I elected to hang my hammock and tarp behind the row of tents. Over the course of the week, we had rain 4 days (often in the evening) and received 4-5", including 2 significant hard rains lasting a few hours each. Every camp tent leaked, some badly, and everyone and their gear was wet to a point, with one exception. Under my silnylon tarp, my hammock and gear remained completely dry (not even a drop), and I slept snug as a bug.

I am not trying to make a pitch for a hammock. What I am saying is that even a tarp tent, if well selected and proplerly pitched (and in the right location) can keep you dry. Do not dispair. For me, that took some research, some practice at home, and even some practical experience. But I can say that I now I do better.

Keep at it.