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View Full Version : New Tent soon to be available/ Six Moon Designs



GolfHiker
09-13-2004, 19:53
Does anyone have good info on the new Lunar Solo Tent from Six Moon Designs? I know it is being talked about. Light, well made, innovative design.. Don't know the cost yet, since they have not released it. Everything is supposed to come together in mid Sept., pricing, orders, etc. Delivery in Oct. I'm kinda getting interested, and just wanted to know if anyone else was checking these out.... btw, if this does not fit, how about the Europa II. 2 man tent for a single???? Sounds pretty nice. :rolleyes:

MOWGLI
09-13-2004, 20:21
Does anyone have good info on the new Lunar Solo Tent from Six Moon Designs? I know it is being talked about. Light, well made, innovative design.. Don't know the cost yet, since they have not released it. Everything is supposed to come together in mid Sept., pricing, orders, etc. Delivery in Oct. I'm kinda getting interested, and just wanted to know if anyone else was checking these out.... btw, if this does not fit, how about the Europa II. 2 man tent for a single???? Sounds pretty nice. :rolleyes:

I don't know anything about that specific tent, but I do know that Ron "Fallingwater" Moak makes a nice product, and he is a hiker, and knows what hikers need and want. He's a nice guy too. I had an exhibit next to him at Trail Days. If I ever have any disposable income, I am seriously thinking about purchasing a Six Moon Designs tent.

SGT Rock
09-13-2004, 21:16
His tent had a lot of room for the weight. That would be a nice set up for a pair of hikers needing room and wanting to keep the weight low. Perfect for a couple on a lightweight hike that wanted some shared space. I can't recall the name of the design.

Tin Man
09-13-2004, 21:31
Here's the link. Sounds promosing...

http://www.sixmoondesigns.com/

Drala Hiker
09-13-2004, 22:06
Ron said he's waiting to get a batch back before taking orders in an email I received. He's going to offer a special price on the first few dozen sold, he said - I guess to build up word-of-mouth. I took the line drawing and scaled it up to get more dimensions than what is posted on the web site (see below). I had to wonder why it wasn't just a lil bit wider to accomodate 2 - but Ron is a smart guy, and my guess is he'll offer a 2 man version a few months after the Lunar proves itself on the market. It just may be the killer shelter for the 2005 AT starters. Bug proof, (nearly) storm proof shelter for less than the weight of a tarp/bivy combo.

Sgt. Rock, hope all of you get through Hur. Ivan without too much bother!

Lunar dimension additions:
the vestibule extends ~38 in. out from the door
the angle break point on the backside is ~38 in. tall (where the guy line is attached)
though the tent interior is 54 in. wide, the rectangular area for a pad/bag is ~36 in. wide, leaving a nicely sized storage area. Two could sleep there is they like to be cozy ;)

tlbj6142
09-13-2004, 22:48
shelter for less than the weight of a tarp/bivy combo.I wouldn't go that far. A tarp/bivy (actually a sleeping bag cover) including guylines and steaks can easily weigh less than a pound.

That said Ron makes great products. But I've never understood why you don't see more of them (packs and/or shelters)? I guess since they only sell by word of mouth. And get very little online time. Unlike Gossamer Gear (http://www.gossamergear.com/) (formerly GVP Gear) and Tarptent (http://www.tarptent.com/).

Since most folks sleep in shelters, its stupid to carry anymore of a shelter than absolutely necessary. The Europa II (and I assume the Lunar Solo) are perfect fits. Heck, if never spend a night in a shelter, his gear is perfect for all but jungle campsites.

I bet his gear sells more out west where the lightweight (and ultra lightweight) crowd is more established. I've noticed that AT hikers tend to be heavy weights even when you meet them in Maine. Weird. You'd think they'd have it all figured out by then.

My brother was looked at as some sort of lightweight freak and his base weight was a portly 13# (Yikes!) on Springer.

If I ever decided to go "heavy" again, Ron's gear would be tops on my list. I actually owned a Moonlite (precursor to the Starlite) for a couple of weeks, but had to return it because the fit wasn't quite right. Ron gave me full credit without issue.

chris
09-14-2004, 02:12
When I was in Utah visiting Brian from ULA I happened to run into Ron, who was down for the OR meeting in SLC. He ran me through the new tent, and I must say that it has a number of very interesting features. For example, self tensioning devices on the guylines. One of the biggest problems with silnylon is that it begins to sag when the fabric gets wet. This requires one to restake the tarp to keep it off you. A self tensioning device, if it worked, would alleviate one of the great problems with tarps. Another feature that his tarp has is that the netting is protected from the rain by being sewn in not to the bottom of the silnylon, but rather a few inches up. This keeps rain from running down the tarp, onto the netting, and then down the netting and onto the groundcloth. Space looks outstanding, as well. The main problem that I saw with the new design was the price and the weight: For what he forecast the new tarp weighing and costing, one could almost buy one of Bibler's new Lightspeed series of tents. However, price and weight were not yet set, so keep you eyes open for Ron Moak's very interesting new tarp tent.

GolfHiker
09-15-2004, 09:08
Thanks to everyone for your insight. I must have been psychic, as we no more that posted about the Lunar Solo, than Six Moons finally made it available. I did order my new tent. Don't know when delivery is coming, but it should be in plenty of time for some fall hiking. :clap

Kerosene
09-15-2004, 13:12
I purchased a Europa II this spring and used it for several nights in Georgia in early April. Very nice tent with a lot of space for one person for 2 pounds total. Great airflow, and I like the flaps over the side netting better thant the TarpTent Squall design. The Lunar looks neat...I especially like the vestibule option and the half-pound of savings.

Drala Hiker
09-15-2004, 13:16
Golfhiker, I'm glad you said it's available, as I've been checking every few days since Ron Moak sent me an email about the intro price. That's a pretty sweet price I think, as the real competitor is the Tarptent Virga. Compare the Lunar to Brawny's Tarp at $145 for the 9 ft, $165 for the 10 ft. I know Dancing Light has a good rep, but their tents have no where near the features of the Lunar. For any thruhiker wanting a bit more protection than a tarp offers, the Lunar is hard to beat.

tljb-The upside is the versatility of the tarp setup. No need to defend your minimalist choice. I prefer some bug/critter protection in the warm months. Still, it's a stretch for most people to get a complete tarp kit with tarp, stakes, cord, bag cover, ground sheet, and bug nest down under a pound. I'd say 1.5 lb is more typical. Leave out the ground sheet and bug nest and you can get down to 1 lb with a 1 person tarp. However, I prefer a larger tarp so that I can fit all my gear under it with me.

rumbler
09-15-2004, 20:01
I have both the Europa I - which I carried on my thru - as well as the Starlite pack. I have been extremely pleased with both. Very good equipment.

And I will order the new tent, even though I doubt I am going to be able to use it for awhile.

So if someone is interested in purchasing a used Europa I... :)

Hikerman
09-15-2004, 21:30
I purchased the Euporia II this past Feb. I have spent a couple of weekend trips here in Florida so far and love the tent. It is light at 33oz and has plenty of room for me and backpack inside. Sets up very fast. Everyone that sees it asks where I got it. They come in blue or green. I got the green with a beak. I would only use the beak in very cold weather or hard rain. I was worried about condensation but no problem with the large vents on the sides and the large door screen area. Just be sure to set up with the foot into the wind. I can't wait to do an extended trip soon. Just don't leave your hiking staff at home or in the car. I almost did that once. I guess a stick would work in a pinch. I don't see any room for improvement. I love this tent! Ron is a great guy to work with. He has good customer service skills. Thanks Ron, Hikerman.

rumbler
09-15-2004, 22:47
Just don't leave your hiking staff at home or in the car. I almost did that once. I guess a stick would work in a pinch.

Amen, speaking from unfortunate experience.

ronmoak
09-29-2004, 09:21
I'll be out the next few weeks with the new Lunar Solo at the two major hiker gatherings. ALDHA-West (www.aldhawest.org) this weekend at Donner Pass in California and ALDHA (www.aldha.org) the following weekend in Southern West Virginia.

If you're interested in seeing this new tent in person, this will be your best chance. At least until your hiking buddy buys one.

I'll be shipping first tents on the week of October 18th.

Ron
Six Moon Designs