I'll also be at the SoRuck (Saturday only) with both tents.
I'll also be at the SoRuck (Saturday only) with both tents.
OK,hopefully I can these pictures to upload.
here are some photos of the new two person tent, it is not available until late April at the earliest
[IMG]file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/Owner/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/moz-screenshot.png[/IMG]
The first picture is an end on photo showing how the ridge pole is snug and secure so it won't pull out, the second photo is a side view with one side door open looking through to the other side door, third phot os if the inside, the pads are centered lengthwise so there is that much room at both ends of the pads, next, is a view so you can see the full lenght of the pads, and last is a view of the inside.
Judy
OK, here are some photos of the extra tie outs on the one man tent
You can't pull it out very much, just an inch otherwise it flattens the ridge line, but this essentially straightened the side wall and didn't flatten the ridge line.
Judy
One more picture, we're having poles manufactured for the tent for people that don't carry hiking poles, bike riders, kayakers etc, this picture shows the length of the folded pole, it folds down to the same size as the ridge pole, the pencil is pointing to an adjustable section so that if you want to tension up the pole a little you can. For a backpacker, this will add about 8.5 ounces of weight (per pair of poles), but for a non backpacking adventure the weight of the poles is essentially nothing.
That's exactly the way I made the mods. With those and the velcro at the ridge pole it should be much more stable in winds.
I've also been in touch with Petra at Hilleberg about design mods to the excellent Akto tent which they make. I have one I bought in 2005. I immediately changed the lines to spectra. I was informed that they have since switched to a spectra blend cordage.
For those who haven't used spectra cordage, it's much lighter for its strength than nylon, doesn't stretch when wet, and hardly absorbs any water when it rains.
If my ideas take hold at Hilleberg they may change the door design in the Akto to be similar to the door in the Lightheart tent (and many others). It will be easier to use and not drag in the dirt. We'll see......
As I live, declares the Lord God, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn back from his way and live. Ezekiel 33:11
Judy... thanks for the 2-person pics. Very nice! & all for 2#'s. Awesome!!
Do you know what the weight of the new 2 person tent will be or did I miss it ?
Hammock Hanger by choice
Warbonnet BlackBird 1.7 dbl
www.neusioktrail.org
Bears love people, they say we taste just like chicken.
Any idea when the new 2 person tent will be available and how much ?
Hammock Hanger by choice
Warbonnet BlackBird 1.7 dbl
www.neusioktrail.org
Bears love people, they say we taste just like chicken.
I have a TarpTent Moment at a few oz. more than the Lightheart. And, as nice of a design as the Lightheart is I would rather have the Moment's vestibule, fast setup and greater useable headroom.
It's the Moment's aerodynamics and vestibule that got me to sell my Contrail and buy the new Moment last summer.
All that said, I'm fascinated by the explosion of UL tent design in the past few years, mostly from American designers and a few Brits. It just keeps getting better and better.
Eric
I've updated the website to include info about the Duo tent
I suppose I should have included the website!
www.lightheartgear.com
I love that your tent has so much visibility due to all the mesh. That does bring about a concern though. What kind of mesh is it?
I am a fan of Henry Shire's Tarptents and I have owned several of his tents. I have been looking really closely at the Moment. But in this case I have to agree with Judy that the Lightheart offers distinct advantages. The biggest one for me is the much better visibility. The problem I have with most tarps and Tarptents is that once I get inside, I can't enjoy the views I worked so hard to hike to! The other problem is that most Tarptents are too hot and stuffy during the day. The one exception is the TT Double Rainbow, but that's 40 oz and still doesn't offer the same visibility.
While it's true that SMD's new Vamp tent does this, the setup is more complicated, it looks less wind resistant, and you have to fiddle with attaching a separate rain fly to all 5 corners once it starts raining. With the Lightheart, I can take an afternoon nap by a buggy lake in full sun, and stay in the same spot when evening rains come, without fiddling with a separate fly.
Another advantage to the Lightheart Solo is the simplified mesh perimeter. You can really let you arms/legs/sleeping pad slide up against the edges and still be protected. In the Moment you run the risk of sliding off your pad and onto the mesh perimeter, where you could get wet, let pooling water enter, or even damage the mesh. Further, the floor of the Lightheart Solo is firmly spread across the ground, and thus won't bunch up and slide around like some of the Tarptents are prone to.
I really hope the Lightheart Solo gets more media attention from other lightweight hiking sites, because I personally think, from the specs anyway, that this tent can compete with the best of them and appears to have one of the fastest and simplest setups. My personal feature requests would be an apex vent or two, side mesh pockets, and a small zipper on the backside mesh to allow raising and lowering of the rear fly without getting out of the tent.
A few other thoughts: The Moment does look more wind resistant than the Lightheart Solo, since the arched pole can provide a more taught awning. But it occurs to me that even if more flapping occurs with the Lightheart awning, the core structure of the tent should reman strong. The trekking poles really anchor the sides, and the head/foot end stakes should keep the poles taut and upright. I would be VERY interested in seeing side-by-side video of the Moment and Lightheart Solo in high winds.
One last comment about interior space: it is true that the Moment has more interior headroom, but I would argue that the Lightheart with the awnings raised (in all-mesh mode) would feel more open than the Moment. And here on the West coast where summer rains are less common, that would give me many more starry nights than what I would experience in the Moment.
Don't get me wrong, the Moment is an excellent shelter. I just think think there are definitely reasons to consider the Lightheart Solo.
I looked at both the solo and duo in Franklin this year. Got into both.
If I didn't already have a good backpacking tent I would buy the duo.
I may buy it anyway.
besides the standard grey, what colors are the solo and duo available in?