View Full Version : Looking at UL Solo Tents
Mr Liberty
05-12-2015, 21:22
What should I look for as far as UL tents (or tarps, with bug protection :p) for solo hiking? (I'm looking to solo SOBO the AT next summer, if all goes well.) I'm looking for recommendations, what others use, what seems popular with ULers, etc....
I like the Zpacks Hexamid, but it is spendy... are there any less-expensive cuben options?
bemental
05-12-2015, 21:31
I tarp straight on the ground with a BearPaw Designs flat tarp and a Mountain Laurel Designs super light bivy (with the full face no-see-um mesh).
Lightweight, open air, beautiful views. Just need to be a bit smarter about site selection on iffy days is all (although the bivy is very forgiving).
MuddyWaters
05-12-2015, 21:33
Items that are handmade, of expensive materials, arent cheap.
That doesnt mean they are suitable for everyone either
bemental
05-12-2015, 21:37
Items that are handmade, of expensive materials, arent cheap.
That doesnt mean they are suitable for everyone either
I just got my first piece of cuben gear, the flat tarp from BearPaw - every time I unfold it I feel like I'm going to break it. Might be because of its price, might be because I've read so much about 'pine needles puncturing cuben' that I'll be babying the damn thing until a major incident like it's God's gift to hiker-kind.
(I do come from a military background of old-school canvas and heavy, bomber gear, so leave it to me to screw up some UL gear in a heartbeat)
MuddyWaters
05-12-2015, 22:29
Well, a kid threw a small marble sized rock that went THRU my hexamid. In one side of the canopy with a 1" hole tear, and out the other leaving a 6" long slit.
Might have made him pay if it hadnt been my son.
Nothing duct tape couldnt fix for the remaining week of the trip.
A squirrel has done serious damage to one cuben shelter i was told about, while the owner was doing camp duties.
swjohnsey
05-12-2015, 22:40
Big Agnes Flycreek UL1 is popular.
daddytwosticks
05-13-2015, 07:18
Eureka Spitfire solo, MSR Hubba NX, etc. Lots of good options out there if cuben or silnylon is too pricy. If you want silnylon, look at something like the Tarptent Notch. :)
Dochartaigh
05-13-2015, 09:56
I think the lightest non-cuben full/complete tent seems to be the TarpTent ProTrail at 26 ounces and $209. The Hexamid is about 17 ounces with stakes and everything, and $470. There is other options like tarp + standalone bugnet and such but I always like my shelter to be a complete item.
It's up to you if that's worth the extra money for the lower weight. I'm still at under 10 pounds base weight with a 35 ounce tent so ultralight is still doable with either tent.
I personally choose a TarpTent over ZPacks because of two things. The most important deciding factor was ease of setup. I didn't want to have to mess with 6-8x guylines to get a ZPacks tent setup. That's the last thing I want to do at the end of a long day (and yes, I know it gets easier to setup over time, but still). My particular TarpTent gets a single pole installed, then a single stake in the back, and a stake in the front and it's completely setup. Literally 1 minute.
The secondary reason is price. The ZPacks model I want is something like $600 and that's just insane!
The Splitter
05-13-2015, 15:32
If you can wait until June Nemo is releasing a semi free standing tent called the Hornet that will weigh in at about 2.5 lbs for the two person with footprint and everything.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Not cuben but take a look at www.Lightheartgear.com their solo is 27 ounces with lots of room
Mr Liberty
05-14-2015, 16:53
Well after doing a little more homework on the topic and checking out what you all recommended, I'm liking the weight (24oz) and price ($245) of the Six Moon Designs Lunar Solo (http://www.sixmoondesigns.com/tents/LunarSolo.html). Does anyone have experience with that tent that they'd like to share, or a recommendation of a tent that is of similar weight and price? I like it because it only requires one pole, unlike a lot of other very light tents; since I don't use trekking poles, I'd like to minimize the number of tent poles I have to carry. (Although, I've been eyeing that ZPacks carbon fiber staff (http://www.zpacks.com/accessories/staff.shtml)...)
v1k1ng1001
05-17-2015, 14:11
Well after doing a little more homework on the topic and checking out what you all recommended, I'm liking the weight (24oz) and price ($245) of the Six Moon Designs Lunar Solo (http://www.sixmoondesigns.com/tents/LunarSolo.html). Does anyone have experience with that tent that they'd like to share, or a recommendation of a tent that is of similar weight and price? I like it because it only requires one pole, unlike a lot of other very light tents; since I don't use trekking poles, I'd like to minimize the number of tent poles I have to carry. (Although, I've been eyeing that ZPacks carbon fiber staff (http://www.zpacks.com/accessories/staff.shtml)...)
I'm looking for roughly the same thing right now and I like the SMD Lunar Solo. I also like the Tarptent Protrail.
Big Sky International has something along the same lines that pitches with one pole:
http://bigskyproducts.com/big-sky-wisp-1p-trekking-pole-tent.aspx
Right now REI has a number of lighter weight tents on sale in that same price range. Expect price wars on the mainstream tents this week so we might see some UL freestanding tents drop into this price range.
Can't go wrong with anything from Henry Shires. I have one of the original Virgas, no longer in production, and if it ever wears out, I'll get a Rainbow.
Sarcasm the elf
05-17-2015, 14:33
Can't go wrong with anything from Henry Shires. I have one of the original Virgas, no longer in production, and if it ever wears out, I'll get a Rainbow.
I Second this all of the items at Henry Shire's www.tarptent.com (http://www.tarptent.com)are great. I currently have a double rainbow and if I were going to do a long solo hike I would probably get the one person Tarptent Notch for the trip.
Drybones
05-17-2015, 16:00
I Second this all of the items at Henry Shire's www.tarptent.com (http://www.tarptent.com)are great. I currently have a double rainbow and if I were going to do a long solo hike I would probably get the one person Tarptent Notch for the trip.
+1...................