Tarptents... Help me understand the concept...

[Socrates]

Sorry for multiple posts, but I figure each question should be placed into it's own category so that its meaning isn't lost in a scramble...
Anyway, I'm looking at the Tarptent Double Rainbow and between space and weight, it looks very inviting.
But since I'm no pro and have never seen one in person, this is where I need your help: It looks complicated and time consuming to set up. The bottom looks like an open invitation for water to come in and have a party with my down sleeping bag. I am NOT fond of the thought of being visited by bugs and snakes while sleeping. And if the wind blows too hard, it looks like it would rattle inside and out.
These are only my inital visual perceptions of it, however the word seems to be that they're sweeter than candy so please educate me on how they really work. Thanks.

[Ewker]

I don't have the tarptent you mentioned but I do have the Squall. Mine has the built in floor and mesh around the sides. I use a down bag and haven't had any problems with it getting wet. Tarptents are great IMO.

[bigcranky]

Okay here's the concept: A tent has solid walls that are sewn to a solid floor. There may or may not be a second tent on top (a "rainfly") that keeps the water off.

A tarptent is made of just the waterproof fly part. The floor is separate, and they are joined by bug netting all the way around. No bugs. The floor can be clipped up into a "bathtub" style if you need it, but careful site selection will prevent any water from coming under the tent. (Note that for some models the floor is entirely optional. You still get the bug netting, though.)

A tarptent is lighter and airier than a tent, but easier to set up and more protective than a flat tarp. With practice, you should be able to pitch the Rainbow in less than a minute.

Note also that the silicone nylon fabric of a Tarptent doesn't absorb any water. You can shake or wipe most of the water off after it rains, unlike many tents made of polyurethane coated fabrics.

The downsides are: more wind comes through under the walls, so it can be colder. (That's an upside in warm weather, of course.) The single wall design can have more condensation inside under certain conditions. Finally, some people get the heebiejeebies if they can see outside when they are sleeping in the woods. Those people can't use any sort of tarp.

[PJ 2005]

I have the squall 2 and love it... 2 pounds for everything I wanted - bathtub style floor (would definitely recommend), protection from bugs, protection from rain.

A nice little quirk is that the silnylon lights up like a lamp when the sun hits it. Makes for a nice alarm clock :-)

[map man]

Yes, if bugs and wetness are a concern order it with the sewn-in floor (my Virga II has a sewn-in floor). The floor is a "bathtub" floor with raised sides to keep water out. The netting between the floor and sides of the tent is designed that way to promote ventilation. Single wall tents are more prone to condensation forming inside the tent than traditional double wall tents, so a little breeze blowing through your tent is actually encouraged to prevent this. Personally, I think condensation concerns are overblown -- I've found that just having my lightweight MSR camp towel handy (mine is 2 ounces) to wipe down the inside of my tent once during the night (and not the whole inside, just the material over my upper torso), when conditions end up favoring condensation, takes care of any problems. (If you are still hyper about condensation, tarptent.com has some tips on where it's best to pitch the tent.)

Because you want to encourage ventilation, the temp inside your tent is often going to come close to matching the outside temp (in a tent that doesn't encourage air flow the temp inside your tent can be around 10 degrees higher than outside temps as your body heats the interior up), so keep that in mind when deciding on the temp rating you want for your sleeping bag (see how these systems inter-relate?).

I have not found my tent to be difficult to pitch. I don't know about your model, but my Virga II just takes 4 stakes, one multi-link curved pole to thread through a seam, and 2 straight poles (you can get by with one straight pole, and adjustable trekking poles can substitute for separate tent poles) in normal conditions, but you can add two more stakes to billow out the sides a bit more and make the tent more stable in significant winds. Also, by using different staking configurations, you can lower the silnylon wall significantly (decreasing the chance for rain to get in) if you are anticipating driving rain.

Finally, though they are called "tarp tents," with a sewn-in floor they are much closer to a tent than a tarp. But they are still very light weight (though not as light as a tarp), because the tent material is siliconized nylon, the same light weight material most tarps use these days.

I hope this eases your mind, some. I've found my tarptent to be a very good product for three season hiking.

Edit: Bigcranky is a faster typer than I am! He covered very well a lot of what I just said.

[hopefulhiker]

The tarptent rainbow is new. The new feature is that you can set it up as a free standing tent.. There are a few times you might want to do that on the AT.. I had the tarptent squall 2. I felt that it was complicated at first but really after just a couple of times it becomes second nature.. Several times on the trail I set it up in what seemed like seconds to beat a quick moving storm. The concept is that you have a bathtub floor with some mosquito netting around the sides back and at the door..

The only drawback is that with a single wall tent if there is a big difference in temperature between the inside and the outside then there can be condensation.. I had this a couple of times untill I figured out that if you don't bundle up so much you reduce the temperature difference..
I think Henry Shires deserves a great deal of credit for designing a really good tent. The other thing about the Tarptent is that it saves weight if you use your hiking poles, but any stick the right length could work....

[hopefulhiker]

Also It is important for the tent to catch some breeze. This is good for reducing condensation and to help you keep cool in the Summer.. The tent is Excellent for keeping bugs out... One night I spent on the trail, I call the night of a thousand spiders. I had to race into the tent and kill a few. But once in and zipped up I was completely secure from the creepy crawlies! The tent offers a bunch of room and I cooked several times in the rain under the vestibule. One night in MD a big storm came up, I stealth camped. It rained four inches! I stayed completely dry and waited out the storm till the next mid morning in the Tarp tent... It stayed completely dry inside!

[4eyedbuzzard]

The single wall design can have more condensation inside under certain conditions. Finally, some people get the heebiejeebies if they can see outside when they are sleeping in the woods.

Well, when the relative humidity is 100% everything is going to come to equilibrium and feel damp anyway, even in a double wall. There just isn't anyway getting around it. Even in cold(er) weather, I prefer keeping a tent well ventilated. Of course, I'm one of those who gets the heebiejeebies when I CAN'T see outside, probably due to mild claustrophobia and a close encounter of the Ursus americanus kind many years ago. I like to know what's prowlin' around out there. :)

[Big Dawg]

Okay here's the concept: A tent has solid walls that are sewn to a solid floor. There may or may not be a second tent on top (a "rainfly") that keeps the water off.

A tarptent is made of just the waterproof fly part. The floor is separate, and they are joined by bug netting all the way around. No bugs. The floor can be clipped up into a "bathtub" style if you need it, but careful site selection will prevent any water from coming under the tent. (Note that for some models the floor is entirely optional. You still get the bug netting, though.)

A tarptent is lighter and airier than a tent, but easier to set up and more protective than a flat tarp. With practice, you should be able to pitch the Rainbow in less than a minute.

Note also that the silicone nylon fabric of a Tarptent doesn't absorb any water. You can shake or wipe most of the water off after it rains, unlike many tents made of polyurethane coated fabrics.

The downsides are: more wind comes through under the walls, so it can be colder. (That's an upside in warm weather, of course.) The single wall design can have more condensation inside under certain conditions. Finally, some people get the heebiejeebies if they can see outside when they are sleeping in the woods. Those people can't use any sort of tarp.

AGREE!! I love my Double Rainbow!!!!

[Big Dawg]

Sorry for multiple posts, but I figure each question should be placed into it's own category so that its meaning isn't lost in a scramble...

Don't be sorry, you've done the right thing in my opinion. You'll get more responses to each question that way.

[orangebug]

The only potential downside to the Rainbow 2 is the size of a tentsite for it. That is also a bonus as you can have 3 folks pretty easily in it, and two with gear quite well. In summer, it can still be a pretty hot tent, but no one suggested Henry add an air conditioner. I've been in snow and pretty good cold (low 20's) without any problems.

That said, if I were hiking solo, I'd still consider a hammock and tarp cover for comfort. It will weigh more, but is a really good sleep.

[stickman]

I think the option of no floor doesn't get enough respect. Having a large "floor" but not sewn in allows you to tuck it under the edges of the bug net all around to seal the tent against most things, but also to untuck it if you need to (eg., for reaching outside to cook, taking a leak in the middle of the night, etc. I may the only one who has and likes this option, since I so often see recommendations for the sewn in floor.

Stickman

[hopefulhiker]

you know for thru hiking the "removable floor is probably the best bet.. I did end up sleeping in the shelters more than I thought I would. Mostly for the convenience. You could use your "floor" to put down in the shelter to help keep the dust and stuff away...

[rafe]

I can vouch for the regular (single-person) Rainbow. Think of it as a fly, a floor, and a band of mesh fabric connecting the two -- it goes all the way around the floor and connects the outer edges of the floor to the fly. The mesh isn't under tension, but the floor and fly are.

The tent goes up in about 2 minutes. Put the pole together. Push the pole through the ridge sleeve, hook it into the grommets at either end. Now insert four stakes, two at each end. Two more stakes guy out the sides.

Instead of the 2 stakes at each end, you can use a trekking pole across each end -- and the Tarptent becomes free-standing (except for the guy-out on the sides.)

[Frosty]

I have an 8' x 10' tarp I sometimes use in the fall. It is nice but sometimes a bit wet in widy-driven rain.

I bought a tarptent, which is basically a tarp cut and sewed to shape so that it hangs like a tent, and there is some mesh at the edges, and a lot of mesh in front where you get in.

So to me, a tarptent is a tent=shaped tarp.

Most people have tarptents with sewn in floors, but I never understood why they are call "tarptents" in stead of simply "tents." To me there is no difference bewtween these and single-walled tents.

[fiddlehead]

I've never gotten wet in my tarp/tent (sil shelter by integral designs)
I have gotten wet in my north fact tadpole.
Reason? No floor is drier than a (bathtub) floor (which holds the water inside)
And snakes have never come into anyone's tent that i've heard of (especially not mine, snakes are a lot smarter than you give them credit for)
go for the lighter weight and drier tarp/tent. It's a wise move.

[bigcranky]

tents with sewn in floors, but I never understood why they are call "tarptents" in stead of simply "tents." To me there is no difference bewtween these and single-walled tents.

Hi, Frosty,

The difference (to me, anyway) is that a single wall tent has the walls sewn to the floor. A Tarptent doesn't. That makes a huge difference in wind protection and ventilation. It also makes a difference in how much I can see -- if I lie down in my Tarptent I can see out in all directions under the tarp. Again, in a single wall tent this isn't possible.

[rafe]

The difference (to me, anyway) is that a single wall tent has the walls sewn to the floor. A Tarptent doesn't. That makes a huge difference in wind protection and ventilation. It also makes a difference in how much I can see -- if I lie down in my Tarptent I can see out in all directions under the tarp. Again, in a single wall tent this isn't possible.


There are Tarptents with floors, and Tarptents without floors. Most models can be bought either way. Tarptents are "single-walled" ... but the vestibule side of the Rainbow is not much different from any double-walled tent I've seen. Ie., there's a mesh inner wall, and then, a few inches further out, a waterproof nylon outer wall.

[The Solemates]

I am NOT fond of the thought of being visited by bugs and snakes while sleeping.

but you do like to hang out with mice while sleeping?

[Buckles]

I have a Double Rainbow and a Squall 2. Both have sewn-in floors with bug mesh. I've never had flooding or bugs. I've been through some very extended t-storms with buckets of water raining down and high winds. Never an issue. I can't imagine how anyone could get waterlogged in this tent, unless they staked themselves out in a flood plane! The DR's clip-in liner feature is a great 2nd ceiling. Both are easy to set up and light. I'm very happy that I bought the DR. Now I've got extra headroom, as well as space inside for me and gear. Also, Henry's great at customer service.

[jesse]

Ray Jardine's book The Ray-Way Tarp Book is an excellent resourse on this subject. It also has directions on how to make one. I constructed one and am happy with it. I have slept in the rain a few times and have stayed dry.
http://www.ray-way.com (http://www.ray-way.com/)