View Full Version : Tarptent Cloudburst / MSR Missing Link
Ok, I need some opinions on what other people would buy. Eithier a MSR missing link or a Tarptent Cloudburst are my choices, but which one? I need feedback. I will be section hiking the AT and Alabama Pinhoti trail this summer and looking for a good shelter. I expect rain/humidity.
I think the greatest advantage the Tarptent with a floor has over the Missing Link is ease of setup. I can have my tarptent set up well before my hiking partner can set up his Hennessey hammock. You can literally have the shelter set up in less then a minute and a half. The missing link takes more stakes and more attention to get a tight pitch. The Tarptent cloudburst is ridiculously easy to get a strong taught pitch. On top the setup time of that you save over 1/2 a pound. You do have more headroom in the link, and the awning looks like it would be nice to shelter under and not get that cramped in your tent feeling. You can now get the Tarptents with a zipper to attach the floor to the door, something new to the tarptent lineup. Previous models relied on a 6" overlap of material to keep crawlies out of the tent. While this worked extremly well when you were in the tent, it was hard to get a bug seal while you were outside the tent. I love my Tarptent Cloudburst. Don't get either shelter expecting zero condenstion. Here in the humid SE I've gotten condensation under my tarp pitched 2 feet off the ground! It's rare that I get condensation in my Cloudburst, but when I did get condensation I've never woke up in puddles of water, nor have I had it drop on me from the ceiling.
Rain Man
02-18-2004, 23:56
Ok, I need some opinions on what other people would buy. Eithier a MSR missing link or a Tarptent Cloudburst are my choices, but which one? I need feedback. I will be section hiking the AT and Alabama Pinhoti trail this summer and looking for a good shelter. I expect rain/humidity.
Henry Shire, maker of Tarptents, sent me a Cloudburst loaner last fall for my mini-section hike. I only got to use it afterwards in my own backyard, but thought it was great. This version had a sewn-in floor and bug netting.
I suspect Henry would send you a loaner, if you have enough lead time. He was a very nice fellow to deal with!
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