Lightweight backpacking three person tent suggestions please

[sjd0397]

Hello All,

I am in the market for a three person lightweight backpacking tent. It may potentially be used to thru hike the CDT as well. We are looking for a tent that two adults can sleep in with our gear. We have considered a tarp tent but I am a little worried about the whole seam sealing deal. We currently have the Big Agnes UL Flycreek 2P. I am a huge fan of their products.... kept me dry for the 5.5 months on the A.T. Any and all suggestions are welcome.

Thanks,

Ginger Snap

[nsherry61]

Fly Creek 3?
Copper Spur 3?
Happy Hooligan 3?

[Franco]

You can get a Tarptent seam sealed for you for $35. (under extras)

[One Half]

Zpacks Triplex

[fiddlehead]

Megamid, or the lightweight version (not sure what it's called.
Lots of room.
I've used mine for many hikes and trips.
Actually just bought a bigger model, based on same design but bigger.
Bought it from China.
I love the design.
Simple and roomy.

[G-FOURce]

Once a Go Lite then, temporarily a Big Agnes, and now My Trail Company...

http://mytrailco.com/products/tent-ul-3

I had the Big Agnes "Triangle Mountain UL2" and it was a great tent.

[Engine]

Zpacks Triplex

+1 A dream to carry, amazing bathtub floor, quick and easy setup, a castle for 2 adults and gear, plenty of room for 3 as long as no one uses a pad over 20" wide.

[bigcranky]

We used a Six Moons Designs Lunar Duo for years. It's a "two person" tent but easily held all our gear too.

Now we us a Zpacks Triplex. Very similar tent, but more than a pound lighter.

[ScareBear]

+1 A dream to carry, amazing bathtub floor, quick and easy setup, a castle for 2 adults and gear, plenty of room for 3 as long as no one uses a pad over 20" wide.

And, therein lies the lie of the 3P tent. You MUST figure on NO LESS than SIXTY SIX inches of width in order to actually accommodate THREE 20 inch wide mats. NOT SIXTY INCHES. You have to have some extra room or you will be stretching the tent at the seams. Literally. Throw in one mat that is 25 inches wide out of the three and you see the issue. So, in all reality, the BA FlyCreekUL3 is not a 3P tent if there are 3 20inch wide pads because the minimum width on this tent is....exactly 60 inches at the door. I have one. Three 20 inch pads is a stretch. And, you have to sleep head-to-toe with the outer sleepers heads at the back of the tent so they don't lie against the tent walls all night. The Triplex is also exactly 60 inches wide...

Take a careful look at the photos of the Triplex on Zpacks website. What is missing in the photos with the three people in the tent? Hmmmmmm......no kidding?

[Engine]

And, therein lies the lie of the 3P tent. You MUST figure on NO LESS than SIXTY SIX inches of width in order to actually accommodate THREE 20 inch wide mats. NOT SIXTY INCHES. You have to have some extra room or you will be stretching the tent at the seams. Literally. Throw in one mat that is 25 inches wide out of the three and you see the issue. So, in all reality, the BA FlyCreekUL3 is not a 3P tent if there are 3 20inch wide pads because the minimum width on this tent is....exactly 60 inches at the door. I have one. Three 20 inch pads is a stretch. And, you have to sleep head-to-toe with the outer sleepers heads at the back of the tent so they don't lie against the tent walls all night. The Triplex is also exactly 60 inches wide...

Take a careful look at the photos of the Triplex on Zpacks website. What is missing in the photos with the three people in the tent? Hmmmmmm......no kidding?
Well there is a "trick" for gaining a bit of width which works well on a Zpacks tent. Pitch it a couple inches lower and you gain some floor space. The bathtub is a ridiculous 8" deep when pitched at the recommended 48" height and if you lower it to 45", you gain a few inches of usable width.

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[ScareBear]

With three people, you can easily split up the weight. Take a look at the BA Copper Spur HV UL4. Plenty of space for even FOUR 20 inch pads and still just over 5 pounds. The Copper Spur HV UL3 only gives 62 inches up front, but 70 in back, so it is better for three people than the Fly Creek...heavier too....just sayin...

[ScareBear]

Well there is a "trick" for gaining a bit of width which works well on a Zpacks tent. Pitch it a couple inches lower and you gain some floor space. The bathtub is a ridiculous 8" deep when pitched at the recommended 48" height and if you lower it to 45", you gain a few inches of usable width.

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Don't you need the sidewall depth of the floor to be that high to prevent splash-in? Does the fly actually go to ground level or is it four inches or so off the ground?

[Engine]

Don't you need the sidewall depth of the floor to be that high to prevent splash-in? Does the fly actually go to ground level or is it four inches or so off the ground? You don't need all 8 inches for sure, since there's only two of us I always pitch it that high, but looking at it critically I would say splash in isn't going to be a problem. There's considerable overhang on the walls.

[ScareBear]

As long as the fly wall bottom is more than six inches away from the screen wall, no issue. Less than that if the fly is three inches or so off the ground and splash-in/backsplash becomes an issue, in my experience with the FlyCreek. At least you can drop the sides of the Fly Creek down low to prevent this, at the loss of a little airflow. Plenty more airflow on the ends. Not so much with the Triplex?

[Engine]

As long as the fly wall bottom is more than six inches away from the screen wall, no issue. Less than that if the fly is three inches or so off the ground and splash-in/backsplash becomes an issue, in my experience with the FlyCreek. At least you can drop the sides of the Fly Creek down low to prevent this, at the loss of a little airflow. Plenty more airflow on the ends. Not so much with the Triplex?
Actually tons of airflow, the end walls are separated from the floor by screen, so good exchange there. The side walls can be raised or lowered from the ground as needed. I used a Tarptent Double Rainbow for a few years and I'm well aware of splash-in problems, that tent had them. The Triplex was chosen largely because it doesn't. Is it better than a Big Agnes or other options? I don't know, but it's an excellent tent...

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[DuneElliot]

+1 for the Triplex if you can swing the cost. Two people plus gear...very roomy. I use the Duplex for me, my gear, occasionally one dog (sometimes 2) and it has plenty of room, and definitely palatial if the dogs sleep under the awnings.

[bfox]

Just got a tarptent rainshadow2 for my wife and I's AT thru this year. It is enormous, reasonably priced and just as light as some of the other 2 person tent options.

[HooKooDooKu]

And, therein lies the lie of the 3P tent. You MUST figure on NO LESS than SIXTY SIX inches of width in order to actually accommodate THREE 20 inch wide mats. NOT SIXTY INCHES. You have to have some extra room or you will be stretching the tent at the seams. Literally. Throw in one mat that is 25 inches wide out of the three and you see the issue....

I've stated before, and I'll state again... when it comes to tent specifications, the manufactures seem to be getting away with quoting what is the dimensions of the tent where the poles hit the ground, not the usable space inside the tent.

I can confirm the above statements as I once looked into a Mountain Hardware 3P tent that was quoted as being 66" wide. Found one on display at a local retailer and tried to place two 20" pads and a 25" wide pad inside the tent. Should have 1" to spare right? No. Even turning the pads to take advantage of their mummy shape to pack them closer together, it was impossible to fit all three pads inside this supposed 66" wide tent.

It seems like you have to take 5" to 6" off the specifications to get your usable space.

The BA Copper Spur UL3 appears to be quoted at 70" wide. That means in reality, it has about 64" of usable space. If three people have 20" pads, it's possible for them to squeeze in there. But if any of them have a wide sized pad, three people will NOT fit inside it well. It also means that two people that both have wide size pads will easily fit with lots of extra room... however that extra room is only 14" wide. So 2+ all their gear might be a little tight unless they keep some of the gear under the vestibule.

I used the BC CS UL2 as a one person tent with a wide pad. I found that I had plenty of room for me and every bit of my gear (boots and pack included).

[ScareBear]

Just got a tarptent rainshadow2 for my wife and I's AT thru this year. It is enormous, reasonably priced and just as light as some of the other 2 person tent options.
See previous post re: splash-in and your tent...just sayin...

[ScareBear]

I've stated before, and I'll state again... when it comes to tent specifications, the manufactures seem to be getting away with quoting what is the dimensions of the tent where the poles hit the ground, not the usable space inside the tent.

I can confirm the above statements as I once looked into a Mountain Hardware 3P tent that was quoted as being 66" wide. Found one on display at a local retailer and tried to place two 20" pads and a 25" wide pad inside the tent. Should have 1" to spare right? No. Even turning the pads to take advantage of their mummy shape to pack them closer together, it was impossible to fit all three pads inside this supposed 66" wide tent.

It seems like you have to take 5" to 6" off the specifications to get your usable space.

The BA Copper Spur UL3 appears to be quoted at 70" wide. That means in reality, it has about 64" of usable space. If three people have 20" pads, it's possible for them to squeeze in there. But if any of them have a wide sized pad, three people will NOT fit inside it well. It also means that two people that both have wide size pads will easily fit with lots of extra room... however that extra room is only 14" wide. So 2+ all their gear might be a little tight unless they keep some of the gear under the vestibule.

I used the BC CS UL2 as a one person tent with a wide pad. I found that I had plenty of room for me and every bit of my gear (boots and pack included).That 70 inches is for the old discontinued CSUL3 the new CSHVUL3 is 70 inches at the REAR and 62 inches in the front....

[HooKooDooKu]

That 70 inches is for the old discontinued CSUL3 the new CSHVUL3 is 70 inches at the REAR and 62 inches in the front....
I see the difference now.
https://www.rei.com/product/865390/big-agnes-copper-spur-ul-3-tent
https://www.rei.com/product/110291/big-agnes-copper-spur-hv-ul-3-tent

[sjd0397]

Thank you for all of the suggestions!

[benjamin.l.richard]

I use an REI quarterdome


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