View Full Version : Tarptent Comparison
Hillbillyhanger
07-28-2020, 12:39
Looking potentially at my first Tarptent shelter. I have never seen one in person. Looking for a 1 person, but would like to avoid the "coffin". What is the main difference between the Bowfin and Rainbow. They look very similar to my untrained eye? Pros/cons of either? Thank you in advance.
I own a Stratospire 1 with the part solid inner tent making it a real double wall tent. Floor width 40”. Definitely not a coffin. If insects aren’t a problem, I use the rainfly alone. Saves weight.
The Bowfin is a double wall tent and the Rainbow is definitely a single wall tent.
Talk to Henry at TarpTent. He can tell you everything about his tents.
Wayne
hopefully Franco will come in and discuss this.........
franco works (maybe owns, i dont know) with/for tarptent.....
needlefish
07-28-2020, 19:37
i have the Protrail in silnylon. have about 25 nights in the tent, including some down pours, stayed dry and the tent works fine for me. 4 stake set up can literally pitch it in 3 mins
Hillbillyhanger
07-28-2020, 21:42
i have the Protrail in silnylon. have about 25 nights in the tent, including some down pours, stayed dry and the tent works fine for me. 4 stake set up can literally pitch it in 3 mins
I like the simplicity of the Pro Trail. I just don't know how I would like the end entrance. I'll be 53 in a few months and think a side entrance might be easier.
Hillbillyhanger
07-28-2020, 21:42
Thank you all for the feedback.
The Bowfin is pretty much a two wall freestanding Rainbow.
Depending where you are , a single wall tent may have too much condensation on the inside walls for your taste. I have camped in some very humid areas with some and to me it wasn't a problem (i just wiped the walls down if needed) but some are really bothered by it. At the same time the Rainbow has a lot of ventilation options to minimise the problem.
BTW, I am still very close to Tarptent but I don't work for it. It's just a hobby.
Siestita
07-28-2020, 22:38
I bought a Rainbow (1 person version) about 12 years ago, shortly after they first appeared on the market. I like it a lot and have used it without problems many, many times, usually doing so here in Kentucky or in the southern Appalachians. I like the Rainbow's large side entrance and also the fact that it sets up without requiring trekking poles. When I bought my Rainbow I was not yet a trekking pole user. I now sometimes set up a base camp and then leave the Rainbow erect there while I take my poles with me on side hikes. I've never bothered to use the Rainbow's "free standing using trekking poles" feature.
treroach
07-29-2020, 01:35
I’m using my 2014 Rainbow 2P on my 3rd AT thru - a few hundred nights in it, and it has never failed me! Can’t imagine why anyone would ever buy a 1P tent, but that’s just me...
I know that many DRs have been sold to solo hikers but the Rainbow is larger than many solo tents.
The 88"x40" floor is fully usable , you can put two std 20" mats on it and the footprint is a bit smaller.
With the DR you gain another door and vestibule so it just depends on how much space you like to have.
Love my Rainbow. Very roomy for one, and easily vented so I've not had any condensation issues. If I were looking from scratch, the only benefit I see to the Bowfin is the ability to roll back the cover and stargaze. Might be worth the $50 difference. Downside - the Bowfin looks a little more complicated, and a good deal smaller inside.
greentick
07-29-2020, 15:56
We are similarly aged. I have the Contrail, predecessor to the Protrail (PT looks to be better ventilated). There is crawling in/out involved but it packs so small/light that I consider it an acceptable trade. I haven't looked at TT's lineup in a while but were I shopping a one person shelter I can't say I wouldn't go for the PT (or even the PT Li if I had the spare jing) for the same reasons I like the Contrail.
Siestita
07-31-2020, 06:52
"Can’t imagine why anyone would ever buy a 1P tent, but that’s just me..."
Like Deadeye I find the regular Rainbow quite roomy. And, I often camp in locations where it its difficult to find much ground that is both clear and flat. Then, it's helpful to be be using a narrower tent. Also, choosing the two person version would have unnecessarily added five ounces to my pack weight.
Siestita
07-31-2020, 06:53
Removed duplicate post
needlefish
07-31-2020, 22:09
I like the simplicity of the Pro Trail. I just don't know how I would like the end entrance. I'll be 53 in a few months and think a side entrance might be easier.
i'm 63, 6' tall, 190lbs and it's not a problem for me.
k2basecamp
08-01-2020, 13:35
I also have the contrail and it’s great, a 1 person but will fit 2 people who like each other.
While we are talking about TarpTents and 1 versus 2 person tents.
The floor of my Stratospire 1 person tent is 40” wide.
The floor of the newish 2 person Stratospire Li is 45” wide.
Really?
Wayne
The floor width on the SS Li has to do with the width of the DCF rolls. However the factory in China has a way of bonding the fabric so this limit has been overcome in the DR Li version. ( 50" wide)
FamilyGuy
08-28-2020, 00:09
I like the simplicity of the Pro Trail. I just don't know how I would like the end entrance. I'll be 53 in a few months and think a side entrance might be easier.
You are not old by any stretch. The entry is actually quite large and you would offset the pole for essentially unrestricted entry and exit. It is larger than the Notch and Bowfin inside. Probably similar to the Rainbow. If you don't like fabric closer to your face when you sleep, then the Bowfin, Rainbow, or Protrail are your best bet.
While we are talking about TarpTents and 1 versus 2 person tents.
The floor of my Stratospire 1 person tent is 40” wide.
The floor of the newish 2 person Stratospire Li is 45” wide.
Really?
Wayne
That second person better be on a pretty good diet :eek: ! ( makes no sense).
Pros/cons of either? Thank you in advance.
I don't have any experience with the Bowfin or Rainbow, but since the ProTrail and Notch have been brought up, I'll chip in there. They're very different shelters. I like the simplicity and packed size of the ProTrail, but much prefer the modularity of the Notch, the double doors, the peak being in the center, and being able to use the fly alone as a convenient tarp.
The ProTrail has a lot more floorspace, especially compared to the Notch with an inner, which I only use when bugs require it.
For me, it always boils down to how much room I actually need, and that is very little, so other features drive my choices.
My friend's wife bought a ProTrail, but quickly sold it. He decided to give it another shot, bought one before a trip we did in 2018, and decided he didn't like it, either. I think that was mainly due to the entryway, and not being able to move around while sitting up.
This is very much a perspective pic, just shows them better:
46728
While this is more representative of how they compare in real life:
46729
...much prefer the modularity of the Notch, the double doors, the peak being in the center, and being able to use the fly alone as a convenient tarp.
The ProTrail has a lot more floorspace, especially compared to the Notch with an inner, which I only use when bugs require it.
I was thinking about this statement. It's far from the first time I've said something along those lines, but it struck me as being a bit ironic.
There really isn't that much more usable space when just using the fly, it's a matter of perception. It always feels cramped to me when using the inner, and quite roomy without. The reality is that I'm not rolling around and into the vestibules of the Notch, there's a trekking pole on either side of me, either way! The narrow ends don't actually afford much room, either, 'cause if you do scoot or slide around too much, you're liable to end up with the foot of your bag and pad up against, or even sticking out from under, the fly.
That bug netting really does bug me, though. Hate the stuff, especially in the Solomid XL I've used a few times, but only recently gotten an inner for. Its inner has more room than the Notch's but really doesn't *feel* that way, due the sloped walls putting the mesh closer on one side. By contrast, the tarp alone seems huge, especially with the pole kicked out, and a bathtub floor centered right in the middle.
I'm always thinking about a roomier shelter for warm weather, but I'm also always working with fairly strict time constraints on the short trips I do outside of shoulder seasons and winter. Even then, my shelters are almost strictly for sleeping. So I don't care that much, but it may be something to think about for anyone who spends much time in the shelter(whatever y'all do in there!:p).
MtDoraDave
05-15-2021, 07:29
I was thinking about this statement. It's far from the first time I've said something along those lines, but it struck me as being a bit ironic.
There really isn't that much more usable space when just using the fly, it's a matter of perception. It always feels cramped to me when using the inner, and quite roomy without. The reality is that I'm not rolling around and into the vestibules of the Notch, there's a trekking pole on either side of me, either way! ...
I haven't ever taken the interior our of my Notch, but I would assume that if it wasn't being used, the poles could be angled out quite a bit to provide more room between them.
On a different Notch topic, I've been in contact with Tarptent, and in the next couple weeks (today is 5/15/21) they are supposed to have the new interiors available that have the solid "roof" section with the mesh sides. I will buy one of those, because I've never needed solid sides, even on cold windy nights, yet I have felt the "misting" of condensation being knocked off the underside of the canopy by rain drops.
Somewhere in this thread, it was stated that a person doesn't know why anyone wouldn't use a 2 person shelter. I, for one, started with a two person shelter, and switched to a solo shelter because 1, I realized I didn't need to spread my stuff out inside the tent like I do when I'm car camping especially with two good vestibules to store things and 2, I did have trouble more than once on a trip finding a suitable spot for the larger footprint of the 2 person tent.
I love my Notch.
Odd Man Out
05-15-2021, 09:11
I too have a Notch. Have considered getting a bigger tent to avoid that coffin feel I decided I like everything else and to keep it for now I am usually only in the tent for sleeping and if I'm asleep, I don't care about the tent size. If I get a heavier tent, I will care about it all day while carrying it. If I'm stuck in the tent for a prolonged rain I curse the rain, not the tent. When I'm set up for sleeping there is not much in my tent other than bag, pillow, and pad. Pack hangs on the vestibule side of a pole. Shoes in the vestibule. Pocket contents in a pouch hanging from the roof. Love the easy set up.
Dan Roper
05-18-2021, 00:11
Final Report from the OP: I used my new BA Copper Spur 1 on six-day, 100-mile trip from Lickskillet to Dragons Tooth, VA, over the past week. Very satisfied. Easy to set up. Plenty of room (I'm 6'2"). Thanks to all for helping me find a tent that served well.
P.S. On the first night (May 11), the wind on the high ridge above Dismal Creek valley was blowing about 30 miles an hour with sleet and snow. What the hey? Tent and I survived.
Dan Roper
05-18-2021, 00:13
Oops, my previous post was meant for another thread. Disregard.
Bluegrass
05-20-2021, 14:11
I just received my Notch Li, to replace my non-Li Notch I had for several years. I looked at various other options, but came back to the Notch.
Pros:
+ Dual doors and vestibules
+ Decent space for sitting up
+ Poles do not block door access
Cons:
- Larger footprint requires more space to set up
- Practice to get it set up properly
I have not set up my Notch Li yet, and I am really hoping the pockets are not the same as my friend's StratoSpire Li - those internal pockets are USELESS. Everything falls out of them.
Big_Old_Dog
05-20-2021, 19:35
I just received my Notch Li, to replace my non-Li Notch I had for several years. I looked at various other options, but came back to the Notch.
Pros:
+ Dual doors and vestibules
+ Decent space for sitting up
+ Poles do not block door access
Cons:
- Larger footprint requires more space to set up
- Practice to get it set up properly
I have not set up my Notch Li yet, and I am really hoping the pockets are not the same as my friend's StratoSpire Li - those internal pockets are USELESS. Everything falls out of them.
I keep my cell phone in one and my headlamp in the other. Seems to work fine for me. If you are a thrasher, it is possible to kick them out
pesphoto
05-21-2021, 14:20
recently bought the protrail Li and spend first night in it last weekend, super light, easy to setup and surprising room inside.
Thats very good to hear. I also recently purchased the Protrail Li but as of yet I have not had a chance to try it out. Soon.
I just received my Notch Li, to replace my non-Li Notch I had for several years. I looked at various other options, but came back to the Notch.
Pros:
+ Dual doors and vestibules
+ Decent space for sitting up
+ Poles do not block door access
Cons:
- Larger footprint requires more space to set up
- Practice to get it set up properly
I have not set up my Notch Li yet, and I am really hoping the pockets are not the same as my friend's StratoSpire Li - those internal pockets are USELESS. Everything falls out of them.
Heavier stuff, like a large cell, is going to fall out of them unless you do not roll during the night. I don't think I had one night when my phone or something else stayed in a pocket.
MtDoraDave
06-07-2021, 07:14
On a different Notch topic, I've been in contact with Tarptent, and in the next couple weeks (today is 5/15/21) they are supposed to have the new interiors available that have the solid "roof" section with the mesh sides. I will buy one of those, because I've never needed solid sides, even on cold windy nights, yet I have felt the "misting" of condensation being knocked off the underside of the canopy by rain drops.
Apparently, the first person from tarptent who responded to my inquiry misunderstood my question. I asked again a couple weeks ago, and Henry responded. It seems that they are NOT going to produce a mesh interior with the solid roof panel, only the solid interior with the roof panel.