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Stir Fry
03-26-2008, 18:12
I am going to replace my two man tent with a solo tent. I have read several threads where the MSR Hubba at 2 lbs 12 oz is the claer winer. I have ben concidering the REI Quarter Dome T1 at 2 lb. 12 oz. The Big Agnes at 2 lb 6 oz looks good. Are ther any opinions on the last two.I havs seen a lot about the first. I am also going the go the trail day and was wondering if the diferant outfiter would have all three to look at at the same time. I am in the Charlotte NC area and onle the first two are available. :banana any help would be great:welcome

Hooch
03-26-2008, 18:17
I am going to replace my two man tent with a solo tent. I have read several threads where the MSR Hubba at 2 lbs 12 oz is the claer winer. I have ben concidering the REI Quarter Dome T1 at 2 lb. 12 oz. The Big Agnes at 2 lb 6 oz looks good. Are ther any opinions on the last two.I havs seen a lot about the first. I am also going the go the trail day and was wondering if the diferant outfiter would have all three to look at at the same time. I am in the Charlotte NC area and onle the first two are available. :banana any help would be great:welcomeIf you see something that you like outside of the MSR and REI tents, see Matt at the Ballantyne Jesse Brown's in Charlotte. He'll order about anything for you that he doesn't have in stock. :D

Summit
03-26-2008, 19:31
I saw the Quarterdome T1 at REI the other day set up. It is very small width-wise. You can sit up but a broad shouldered person would poke the sides out.

Jason of the Woods
03-26-2008, 19:35
I've got the REI 3 and love it. I'm sure that the smaller ones are just as good. We went through everything from rain to hail and high winds in it and came out ok.

taildragger
03-26-2008, 20:29
Any of the tarptents (henry shires and other brands) are nice.

I finally got to try my tarp out last weekend, man, that thing is slick, opened up a lot of camping opportunities for me that I would have otherwised missed, and provided enough coverage for two tall guys and gear (nothing got wet even when it got windy and rainy)

take-a-knee
03-26-2008, 20:33
Here is what many here have said is the best solo tent:

http://www.sixmoondesigns.com/shop/shopexd.asp?id=36

It is single wall and condensation is a issue, it is just as much of an issue with a mesh tent. Under conditions that will produce condensation, once it condenses on the bottom of the waterproof tent fly, it will drip through the mesh. I have to ask of what use is the mesh if it isn't fully exposed to the outside ambient air. A tarptent is, IMO a superior design.

10-K
03-26-2008, 20:51
Here is what many here have said is the best solo tent:

http://www.sixmoondesigns.com/shop/shopexd.asp?id=36

It is single wall and condensation is a issue, it is just as much of an issue with a mesh tent. Under conditions that will produce condensation, once it condenses on the bottom of the waterproof tent fly, it will drip through the mesh. I have to ask of what use is the mesh if it isn't fully exposed to the outside ambient air. A tarptent is, IMO a superior design.

I've got a Lunar Solo and a Lunar Duo and I'd urge anyone considering the Solo to have a hard look at getting a Duo instead. The Duo still comes in under 3 lbs and it's darn near big enough to have a party in.

I'm 6'3" and the Solo is on the verge of begin too small for me. I have plenty of room in the Duo. Even with my pack and boots in the tent there's still a lot of unused space.

hopefulhiker
03-26-2008, 21:10
If you are going to do long distance hiking you might even go lighter with a tarp tent, but many people hiked the AT with the Hubba and the BA Seedhouse.... I hiked with the Tarp Tent Squall made my Henry Shires.. Very roomy, and light.... but it is just a single wall tent.. But it was great for me!

Thrasher
03-26-2008, 22:17
I'd go with the hubba, or I've been thinking about getting that rei quarter dome t1. I've been happy with my old style rei quarter dome ul tent. The henry shires tarp tents and six moon designs lunar solo also look fantastic and seem to get much praise. Then again the six moon designs wild oasis looks tempting with the weight savings and the nice mesh skirt at the bottom. So many tough choices. I am in the need/want of getting a single person tent for solo outings. I only have a 2 person tent as well.

LIhikers
03-26-2008, 23:09
The Rainbow from Tarptent.com is a pretty nice solo tent too. www.tarptent.com/productsheets/RAINBOW.pdf (http://www.tarptent.com/productsheets/RAINBOW.pdf)

Dirtygaiters
03-28-2008, 21:43
I love my Hubba but remember it's only a 3-season tent. The fly soaks through in heavy storms.

1) No it doesn't. The fly on the Hubba is completely waterproof silicone and urethane coated nylon (silicone on the inside, urethane on the outside). Research this material. It does not wet out unless deliberately delaminated.

2) That's not what "3 season" means. "3 season" vs "4 season" refers to a tent's ability to withstand snowloading, not its waterproofness. Generally, also, "4 season" tents are a little warmer than "3 season" tents because of less mesh/more breathable nylon on the inner tent.

Dirtygaiters
03-28-2008, 21:50
I am going to replace my two man tent with a solo tent. I have read several threads where the MSR Hubba at 2 lbs 12 oz is the claer winer. I have ben concidering the REI Quarter Dome T1 at 2 lb. 12 oz. The Big Agnes at 2 lb 6 oz looks good. Are ther any opinions on the last two.I havs seen a lot about the first. I am also going the go the trail day and was wondering if the diferant outfiter would have all three to look at at the same time. I am in the Charlotte NC area and onle the first two are available. :banana any help would be great:welcome

The Hubba is a great freestanding, side-entry tent. For a little added winter warmth, you may want to check out the Hubba HP. People are recommending the Six Moon Designs and Henry Shires tarptents but keep in mind these are single wall shelters (basically just a fly, with bug netting attached to that, and a floor). They are great if you know how to use them, or if you like tarping but want a little additional protection from bugs...but if you're used to tents, you may want to re-consider a single-wall shelter. In the right conditions you get condensation on the inside. This will happen to the inside of a fly on a double wall tent, but with a double wall tent, you have that inner tent to procect you from falling dew droplets getting on your sleeping bag. With a tarptent, it's just you and vs. the dew. To be fair, tarptents are generally designed to be very airy so most of the moist air is vented off, and few tarptent owners I've talked to have experienced the dew soaking into their sleeping bag's insulation, but I have done plenty of tarping and you have to be careful in certain situations about condensation.

Lyle
03-28-2008, 21:51
Also check out The One from Gossamer Gear. Just slightly over one pound, netting and floor included. Good sit-up room, easy pitch (not free-standing, but in my opinion, that is an over-rated feature). It is on the expensive side, but looks to be very good quality. Will require reasonable care as all ultralight equipment does.

http://www.gossamergear.com/cgi-bin/gossamergear/The_One.html

Dirtygaiters
03-28-2008, 21:57
Why is it that when somebody asks for advice on a new tent on this forum, the only responses they get are recommendations for tarptents? Guys, the OP is asking about tents! Tarptents are great and all, but they are not tents in the sense that someone who is a traditional backpacker, who is used to feeling secure from the wetness in his shelter, could simply transition to one and feel good about the transition. There's a whole compromise you make when you take that inner-tent out of the 2-wall tent equation. Also, the Gossamer Gear tarptent is made of spinnaker fabric, which is about five times more crinkley (noisy) than a grocery bag. I don't mean to rub anybody the wrong way, but that's not generally something most traditional, or even most ultralight, backpackers find very conductive to a good night's sleep.

Lyle
03-28-2008, 22:09
Tarptents are tents - single wall tents.

As far as noise, from what I understand, the noise factor of Spinaker quickly lessons with use, and in my experience, once the tent is set up, it is not much different than the noise level of any other fabric.

If I asked about "tents" I would feel very cheated if no one mentioned the tarp tents just because they were single walled. No one is telling the OP that these are best, or that he/she should buy them. They are being suggested as popular alternatives, popular for some very significant reasons. He/She doesn't like the suggestions, no harm done, a few minutes checking out web sites. If he/she does, then they will save a significant amount of money getting what they want in the first place.

Dirtygaiters
03-28-2008, 22:41
Lyle- You're right. More information is always a good thing. It's just that people rarely if ever bring up the subject of condensation when they do bring up tarptents. I'm not trying to say that tarptents aren't worthwhile shelters because of this topic, but a lot of the poeple who do ask for advice on tents here are very much traditional backpackers and are not used to fiddling with their shelters to keep them up, selecting a campsite with good air movement, excellent drainage and soft groundcover, which ideally I think you'd want to do to stay dry in a tarptent. Again, condensation issues in tarptents are potentially minimal to non-existent, and they are definitely worthwhile shelters, but if someone gets one not knowing that condensation must be monitored, and then pitches it right next to a stream or lake on a chilly night, and then wonders why all this water is dripping off the silnylon onto his sleeping bag, well...

As for spinnaker, I think the reports of it becoming non-noisy are people who've spent a lot of money on some expensive tarp and are just being optimistic about their investments. I used a spinnaker tarp for about week on the trail and after that I realized that it was not for me. After that, I spent several hours, on and off, stuffing, unstuffing, and re-stuffing it. I tried as hard as I could to "de-noise" it and it did get less noisy, but even after several days of dedicating about 20-30 minutes to "de-noising" it, the tarp was still significantly louder than a grocery bag. Set a spinnaker tarp up in the woods on a quiet evening and you will be heard from a long way away. Throughout the night too if you don't have a bomber pitch.

Tinker
03-29-2008, 00:05
Again, I took too much time entering a post, and got blown off the internet.

In short, I like a side entry tent with the high point in the center. When you enter, it's at or near the highest point of the tent - no crawling, and when you sit up, you don't have to scoot to the "high" end of the tent for headroom.

I own a Hilleberg Akto, which doesn't have enough mesh for warm weather camping. I use it when there's snow on the ground and it's below freezing.

Terry7
03-29-2008, 09:25
I got rid of my double wall free standing 4lb tent and got the Lunar Duo at 2lb 10oz. With all the room inside the tent, condensation will not be a problem. Unlike other tarptents Six Moon Design gives you the choice of how much air flow or how little you want.

Cherokee Bill
03-29-2008, 10:09
:-? Check this new tent out and then do a searc on WB for discussions, some by new owners ;)

http://www.gossamergear.com/cgi-bin/gossamergear/The_One.html

Lyle
03-29-2008, 10:20
" Lyle- You're right. More information is always a good thing. It's just that people rarely if ever bring up the subject of condensation when they do bring up tarptents."

I guess the main reason I never mention it is because it has never been an issue for me. I have been using tarps and recently tarptents for over 3 years now. The Sierras, northern Minnesota, Michigan, Pennsylvania - spring, summer, fall, even a bit of winter; no problems.

The original poster, as most who ask questions, asked for personal experience. My experience does not include problems with condensation. I'm certain others will have their own experiences and will add their opinion, that is what the folks who ask are usually looking for.

As with any gear, one should become familiar with proper use and limitations of any items one chooses to use, to do otherwise is foolish.

To the original poster: The tents you are looking at are high-quality, and very serviceable according to most reports here and elsewhere. The equipment itself will not make you successful or unsuccessful, make you have fun or not have fun, survive or not survive. These choices will 'tweak" your experience, not make it or break it. Look at what's available, choose what looks good and meets your criteria, then go for it. Many of us, when we can't be out there actually hiking, become obsessive in our gear discussions - made worse with the availability of forums like WB. After a point, it is really not that important. Have fun!

Dirtygaiters
03-29-2008, 16:56
Then your tent is defective.

scout005
03-30-2008, 19:43
I just bought a Big Sky Evolution 2 person tent. Weighed it today. 2.98 pounds for tent, fly, carbon poles, 6 titanium stakes and an REI compression stuff sack. Spacious and has 2 doors and 2 vestibules. The manufacturer had some major problems in the past with delivery times. I got my tent 2 weeks after I ordered it. Not too bad. Quality and stitching is good and it came seam sealed. I'll post again when I road test it.

Rickosovitch
04-02-2008, 12:45
I had a TarpTent Contrail and hated it. I never had a dry night in it.

I got an Akto and, while it's probably good for near-arctic conditions, it has terrible condensation problems in temps above the high 20s farenheit.

I recently got an MSR Hubba and woke up to a completely dry tent! See my post on this tent for more info.

I love it and I'm sure you would too.

Jim Adams
04-02-2008, 15:29
Tarptents are tents - single wall tents.

...OR enclosed tarps...either way too much work for me.
I'll stick to either a tent or a tarp...not a compromise.;)


[quote=Dirtygaiters;579306]Lyle-

As for spinnaker, I think the reports of it becoming non-noisy are people who've spent a lot of money on some expensive tarp and are just being optimistic about their investments. I used a spinnaker tarp for about week on the trail and after that I realized that it was not for me. After that, I spent several hours, on and off, stuffing, unstuffing, and re-stuffing it. I tried as hard as I could to "de-noise" it and it did get less noisy, but even after several days of dedicating about 20-30 minutes to "de-noising" it, the tarp was still significantly louder than a grocery bag. Set a spinnaker tarp up in the woods on a quiet evening and you will be heard from a long way away. Throughout the night too if you don't have a bomber pitch.

Dirtygaiters,
If you still have the spinnaker tarp, try washing it in a washing machine. Don't know if it will work with spinnaker but it does with tyvek.:-?

geek

Dirtygaiters
04-02-2008, 17:32
I ended up selling my spinnaker tarp. I might have a spinnaker groundsheet laying around though and if I can find it I'll definitely try this. I've heard of washing tyvek, but it never occured to me to do it to spinnaker. I wonder if it would hurt its waterproof coating?

Foyt20
05-21-2008, 21:02
I slept in a BA seedhouse SL1 for a couple days this weekend, and i did not find a fondness for it. The tunnel design is not really for me. I think i would really prefer a side entry like a Hubba or a quarter dome.

ofthearth
05-22-2008, 09:07
i've got both of these TENTS and after skimming this thread(I may have overlooked some one pointing this out already) would like to note that the hubba is 3 plus lbs. I think the 2 lbs does not include fly etc. Good tent and I like it just little heavy to carry on a long hike. It does get wet inside and you can/will get wet on occasion. It has better ventilation than The One for use in warmer situations. I have not found The One to be overly loud. If it is blowing hard enough to shake the tent there is probably other noise I'm hearing as well. And it can be staked out pretty tight to keep the noise down. Not sure if some one defined a tent as having to have two surfaces to be a tent but I think of The One as a tent. IMHO. And I have found it useful when people offer more info.

Good thread.

Squeamish
06-05-2008, 21:23
Tarptent rainbow

Nearly Normal
06-06-2008, 01:19
Anyone know how the Six Moons Lunar Solo Enhanced holds up in heavy rain?

I recently got one for a trout fishing trip on the Chattooga River. It worked out very well. Two nights we had hard rain and it proved itself.
I stayed dry but I was careful with site selections, wind direction.
It has its place in my shelter collection.