View Full Version : Easiest Tents to put up in the rain
I'm new to this site and - although I'm sure this question is answered somewhere - I can't find it. I am about to purchase a solo tent for a five day section hike in the Spring. I know I'm going to be a spaz putting this thing up if it rains. Which solo tents have the option of putting up the rain fly BEFORE erecting the actual tent. I'm hoping to stay in the $150 range, but would be willing to spend a little bit more for this feature. I was about to buy the Eureka Spitfire but I don't think I can put the fly up first. I'd prefer not to carry a separate tarp. Any advice is appreciated.
Floorless pryamid tents with inner net tents - also the lightest/smallest packing double-walled/bathtub-floored shelter for the square footage/sit-up height (<2lbs). You can catch them on holiday sale for as low as ~$200, but more like $250+ MSRP. Lots of neat advantages over traditional tents (I certainly won't be going back), but they are NOT free-standing, so not sure if you'd be interested.
GorgeHikerKY
01-31-2018, 15:06
Here's my two cents.
I recently went from an older MSR Hubba Hubba (which I love by the way but is a little heavy) to this Chinese tent called a LanShan 2 3F UL GEAR two person ultralight tent. I got it from Aliexpress for about $100. It is not freestanding but is double wall. One of the things that makes it different from the MSR is the fact that I can leave the mesh liner/floor attached and inside the fly. As long as it's folded up correctly the fly will cover it while setting up. I have put it up twice in light rain/ snow just for testing. I have only used it once for a recent overnighter. I was down in a hollow near a creek with very high moisture. The fly was soaked by morning. I basically rolled it up into itself and stuffed it into a compression sack. I figured it would be soaked through by the time I got home to hang it up but to my surprise the interior was pretty dry still.
This type of design where the fly and mesh/floor are all together is probably the only way for a dry setup that I know of.
Keep in mind, this tent has to have trekking poles as its structure and the area needed for setup is a lot bigger than my MSR due to the guy lines. I'm still undecided if I like this tent or not. It will take some practice to get it setup fast and correctly. There are several other well regarded companies out there that use a similar design but come with the pricetag.
The Lightheart Gear Solong 6 was easy to setup in sudden downpours. The tent is all one piece (i.e., the fly is attached) and I would throw all of my gear inside then set my trekking poles in place. The only inconvenient part was having to set 4 stakes at the exterior corners of the tent, so I'd either have to set these up before I got in the tent, or after i set up my poles and placed my gear within the tent. Either way, the Solong 6 and Solo are very quick and easy to set up.
TwoSpirits
01-31-2018, 15:30
Look at Big Sky International tents (http://bigskyproducts.com), specifically the Revolution 1 or 2P. They are double-walled tents and are designed to be a simultaneous set-up: the inner tent is suspended from the fly, and the fly is supported by "exo-skeleton" poles...so once you have the poles snapped together and place in their corner grommets, the whole tent goes up in one piece, and the inner isn't exposed to rain at all. Similarly, you can take it down without exposing the inner tent.
In the Revolution series, the tent inner is suspended by a number of snaps, so that you can remove it. The outer fly can be erected independently; you can remove and replace the inner tent from inside the fly and out of the elements; you can get either a mesh interior or a breathable cloth interior, and you can use either one.
They have a selection of other tents as well, but the Revolution 2p is probably the most popular. I bought one last year and immediately fell in love with it. Their Chinook (4-season) tents are also excellent. Quality construction, attention to every detail. Their website is a throwback to the 90's and can be confusing, and their recent attempt at a mobile-friendly site is worse, but surf through it patiently and you'll figure it out. If you navigate to the "custom tents" page, you can basically build your own tent by selecting a number of "a la cart" options. These tents can be a little spendy, but the quality is superb.
They had a lot of complaints several years ago about charging cards and not delivering the product in a timely manner, but that has been resolved -- at least the charging bit. They still seem to have some problems with long delays in communication and delivery, at least for some people. It seems to be hit or miss; I ordered mine about this time last year and didn't get it until April, and was frustrated because my initial email didn't get a response for about 3 weeks. Others will tell you their service was prompt & smooth.
Tarptent Moment (https://www.tarptent.com/momentdw.html)
Minimally insert pole, push in one stake, pull tight, push in second stake. Double your budget though.
SoaknWet
01-31-2018, 16:08
I have the DD pyramid tent 4 corner stakes 1 trekking pole I'm in. If staying in place put up the inner net tent and go to bed. I don't think it get any better or faster when trying to stay dry!
I own several freestanding tents, and can each one setup in the rain without exposing the inner to the rain.
Explained it here for the MSR:
https://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php/127080-Pitching-Fly-first-BA-tents?p=2177087&viewfull=1#post2177087
Elaikases
01-31-2018, 21:11
I own several freestanding tents, and can each one setup in the rain without exposing the inner to the rain.
Explained it here for the MSR:
https://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php/127080-Pitching-Fly-first-BA-tents?p=2177087&viewfull=1#post2177087
Thank you. That was good to see.
Currently what I do is I carry a polycro rainfly that I put up and then put the tent up under it. But this sure is an improvement for those times when that just won't work.
Thanks everyone! I’ll look into these suggestions!
TX Aggie
01-31-2018, 23:06
Hammocks allow you to put the tarp up first, you can even hang it high enough to stand under and still be nice and dry.
If not that, several of the TarpTents will fit your needs as well as Mountain Laurel Designs.
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Eastern Adventures
01-31-2018, 23:12
Not a tent, but I'm an avid proponent of Bivys (MLD in particular). Pair it with a lightweight tarp and, just like with hammocks, can setup the tarp first and then the bivy. Admittedly, they're a bit of an acquired taste.
TX Aggie
02-01-2018, 00:23
Not a tent, but I'm an avid proponent of Bivys (MLD in particular). Pair it with a lightweight tarp and, just like with hammocks, can setup the tarp first and then the bivy. Admittedly, they're a bit of an acquired taste.
I’m adding a Serinity to my options for times I can’t hang. Especially since I already have a 11’ tarp with doors, for an extra $155 I have a very lightweight and roomy tent.
Slo-go'en
02-01-2018, 01:02
If you time it right, you can avoid setting up/breaking down in the rain more often then not. An early morning rain will usually tapper off around 8-9 AM, so sleep in a little. Afternoon rains usually tapper off around dinner time and gives you a couple of hours break before it starts to rain again after the sun goes down.
Once past the rainy season, it's just thunderstorms you need to deal with and those are intense, but generally short lived.
Rain Man
02-01-2018, 01:21
Is this a trick question? Hammocks are by far the easiest to set up in rain. Rainfly goes up first AND off the wet, muddy ground.
MuddyWaters
02-01-2018, 04:26
Tarp/net tent works best imo.
Tarp can be used to wait out rain on Muddy ground if needed as well.
Of course, like in many things, avoidance of situation works wonders as well.
Conventional tents can be assembled upside down, then quickly flipped and throw fly over. Just need really good pack towel to wipe out.
fastfoxengineering
02-01-2018, 08:43
There's not many times I have had to setup in the rain. If it's impending doom. Getting shelter setup becomes priority number one. In the am, typically sleeping in for a little while does the trick while the rain passes.
I rock a hexamid tarp with an innernet. Im not in love with it but it works. Never really got water inside if I setup quick and keep my innernet under the tarp while pitching. It's actually pretty easy to do with a mid type shelter. Lots of people say the hexamid is one of the easiest shelters to erect. I tend to agree.
I don't know if separating my innernet from the tarp would help at all. Seems like it be more of a hassle cause I would have to clip in the corners while leaving the storm doors open.
I do separate them sometimes after a heavy rain in the am. I like to pack the tarp separately if it's soaking wet and a pack towel won't dry it up due to the humidity/lack of sun.
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Maybe the biggest difference in setup time would be the users skill.
Personally, I was always good in tent setup, but after my first big motorbike journey where we slept in the Salewa Sierra Leone day after day I could setup and break down this tent in any condition, be it dark, stormy, downpour or whatever, within a minute.
And I still can do it now, 40yrs later (but maybe a tad slower), as the body never forgets such skills.
nsherry61
02-01-2018, 11:01
By far the cheapest and easiest and driest to put up in the rain is a flat tarp. And of these the flying diamond only requires about 30 seconds and three stakes. For a simple and informative intro, check out Sgt Rocks Tarp Page (http://hikinghq.net/gear/tarp.html).
For a week (or even two), a $10 8x10 poly tarp is perfectly adequate, and paired with a $5, 50 foot skein para-cord and $8 set of 10 aluminum gutter spikes from Home Depot (https://www.homedepot.com/p/7-in-Aluminum-Spikes-and-5-in-Plastic-Ferrules-10-Pack-25043/100080771) you're set. I also like rubber bands on my guy lines to reduce wind flapping and sagging for another $1. Oh, and some window shrink film for another $10 (https://www.homedepot.com/p/Duck-62-in-x-126-in-Crystal-Clear-Heavy-Duty-Window-Kit-Shrink-Film-3-Pack-284351/301290669) or so as a ground cloth.
For what it's worth, yes, I am speaking from personal experience backpacking with cheap poly tarps over many years in your choice of colors from blue to green to brown to cammo. . . never used an orange one.
I think that comes out to couple of hours playing in your back yard or a local park to get comfortable with pitching your two pounds and $33 worth of gear and you're set. You may never go back to wasting money on a relatively heavy, tiny, enclosed, claustrophobia inspiring tent again. . . just wasting money on expensive tarps that are even lighter and more durable.
I don't know if separating my innernet from the tarp would help at all. Seems like it be more of a hassle cause I would have to clip in the corners while leaving the storm doors open.
I didn't find the option available at Zpacks, but if your Hexamid set-up is a 360 floorless pryamid tarp/fly with fully independent inner tent (zippered door, bath-tub floor), like that of SixMoonDesigns and MountainLaurelDesigns, then I recommend you give it try as the interior modularity has lots of advantages over traditional tents.
I personally keep my inner tent collapsed, except for sleeping (still have a creepy crawly phobia while obliviously asleep) - no problem for me clipping the 4 corners from inside the zipped fly, and for the peak clip, just sit inside the open door of the inner tent, and then raise/clip the peak...
Keeping the inner tent collapsed while awake provides a lot more interior room and folding back the footprint to various degrees allows you freely vary clean/dirty floorspace so you can leave muddy shoes on while liying down, create a giant interior cooking space, set-up a low camp chair, and even dig an indoor cathole latrine. Lastly, and my favorite 'feature,' is that with a generous peak vent, and door latched open, it becomes a ~95% bug-free haven without needing to zip through doors, or remove boots (although in horrendous mosquito conditions, the inner tent will be required). I now find that fixed floor/door shelters are better at keeping me out, then the bugs out.
fastfoxengineering
02-01-2018, 15:08
I didn't find the option available at Zpacks, but if your Hexamid set-up is a 360 floorless pryamid tarp/fly with fully independent inner tent (zippered door, bath-tub floor), like that of SixMoonDesigns and MountainLaurelDesigns, then I recommend you give it try as the interior modularity has lots of advantages over traditional tents.
I personally keep my inner tent collapsed, except for sleeping (still have a creepy crawly phobia while obliviously asleep) - no problem for me clipping the 4 corners from inside the zipped fly, and for the peak clip, just sit inside the open door of the inner tent, and then raise/clip the peak...
Keeping the inner tent collapsed while awake provides a lot more interior room and folding back the footprint to various degrees allows you freely vary clean/dirty floorspace so you can leave muddy shoes on while liying down, create a giant interior cooking space, set-up a low camp chair, and even dig an indoor cathole latrine. Lastly, and my favorite 'feature,' is that with a generous peak vent, and door latched open, it becomes a ~95% bug-free haven without needing to zip through doors, or remove boots (although in horrendous mosquito conditions, the inner tent will be required). I now find that fixed floor/door shelters are better at keeping me out, then the bugs out.I have a Zpacks Hexamid solo tarp. Paired with a six moon designs Serenity bug shelter.
Weighs 16.9 ounces with lawson glowire (2.3mm cord) over ultralight Zpacks line attached. I also added two stick on loops on the inside of the tarp and changed the way to secure the storm doors when not in use. I couldn't get the toggle in/out of the small non stretchy loop with gloves. So I added a small piece of shock cord loop. Much easier to use for me.
I want to make my own serenity type shelter made of cuben and ultralight bug netting. I don't see why I couldnt cut this 3-4 ounces off of it using different materials.
Double wall shelter for about 13-14 ounces? Yes please.
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Puddlefish
02-01-2018, 15:19
The Lightheart Gear Solong 6 was easy to setup in sudden downpours. The tent is all one piece (i.e., the fly is attached) and I would throw all of my gear inside then set my trekking poles in place. The only inconvenient part was having to set 4 stakes at the exterior corners of the tent, so I'd either have to set these up before I got in the tent, or after i set up my poles and placed my gear within the tent. Either way, the Solong 6 and Solo are very quick and easy to set up.
My friend bought a Solong 6, after he got tent envy from watching me set up my Tarptent Notch quickly in the rain. On the Solong 6, you can set the stakes and then pretty much crawl inside before it's even up, and finish setting the internal poles. Lots of space in the Solong 6 as well.
how does the zpacks duplex do? I just bought one but haven't had the chance to use it yet. Seems like if the doors are tied closed when taking down, that it would stay fairly dry setting up....
rocketsocks
02-01-2018, 23:17
I like them ones ya pull out of the bag, drop it like it’s hot and the thing springs into action like a can of joke snakes and sets its self up.
nate.2346
03-02-2018, 01:02
Tarptent Double Rainbow! Insert single pole and then stake corners and fly!
cmoulder
03-02-2018, 12:07
Duomid. Stake corners, insert pole.
Duomid. Stake corners, insert pole.
Ditto trekking pole supported TarpTent models.
Wayne