View Full Version : Anyone use a Tarptent Squall as a solo tent?
Anyone use a Squall as a solo tent? I'm trying to decide whether or not to go ahead and get a bigger tent since the weight difference between the Squall and Virga is minimal. Maybe extra room for gear is better. Your thoughts?
There is a half a pound difference between a fully decked out Squall and a fully decked out Virga. Tyvek sheet is included in the weight. I hope my calculations are correct.
When faced with this decision I purchased a Squall mainly because I knew I would sometimes need to provide a shelter that I shared with another person... and 6oz of extra weight seemed like a reason weight tax for the extra versitility. And indeed, I have used the squall with others, typically on backpacking trips I lead for newbie (and some experienced) backpackers where I need to share a shelter. The Squall has been perfect for these trips.
Is the Squall all I use? Nope. A lot of the time it is overkill for my needs and I take a poncho/tarp which is significantly smaller and ligher. When do I use the Squall? When I am sharing a shelter, when I am expecting heavy winds and rain and want an extra magin of safety beyond using my poncho, or when I am expecting bad bugs and will be spending more than just sleeping hours in camp.
poison_ivy
10-21-2004, 09:54
Like Verber, I bought the Squall to use as a solo tent because I occaisionally have someone else hike with me... it was awful having to give up my lightweight solo shelter and carrying an eight-pound tent (only two-person I had at the time) when convincing one of my friends to try backpacking. The Squall actually weighs less than my prior solo tent (Eureka Solitaire) so I'm happy.
I like having the extra space when I'm by myself because it means I can put all my gear in the tent with me. However, if I didn't have the possibility of others coming with me sometimes, I probably would have gone with the Virga to save the extra weight.
- Ivy
There were a fair number of people this summer with the Squall as a 1-man tent. As observed it is not much more weight. But, it is a ton more space. That is why I went with the Virga. You don't always have the luxury of a huge area to pitch. The smaller footprint of the Virga makes it more versatile, more agile, to steal a phrase from my military friends. I'm 6'4" and the Virga provides enough space for me and my gear. It would be tight, but a slim woman could get in with me, although our gear would have to be mostly outside. I have to crouch a little to sit up in it anywhere other that right near the front pole. When the air condenses, silnylon can sag, which means you lose space if you set up your tarp and hop right in. Restaking solves the problem. Henry is working on a way to fix this. I would add the extended beak, but would not get the floor option. Carrying a separate ground cloth gives more function (you can use it in shelters).
Footslogger
10-21-2004, 10:36
Well ...I own the Squall and I've been inside the Virga (but did not actually spend the night inside). Based on my experience and preference regarding room for pack/gear, I would go with the Squall. My wife and I use the Squall when we hike together and it is adequate, but not what I would call "roomy".
When used as a solo tent, you can pitch the Squall a bit "higher" by extending your hiking pole. This gives you better height inside the tent and brings the sides in a bit.
From what I've seen the Virga is a great little tent and for someone of average size who does not intend to pull a backpack inside at night.
Either way you can't go wrong. But the above would be my consideration.
'Slogger
AT 2003
Kerosene
10-21-2004, 11:15
I saw a lot of aspiring thru-hikers with using the Squall as a one-man tent in Georgia back in April. I know of one who completed the entire trail with the Squall as his shelter. I ended up going with the Six Moon Designs Europa II, which is very similar to the Squall. I liked the extra space and larger door for more airflow. I have had less of a problem finding sufficient tent space for a 2-man than I have finding any tent space (or in the case of when I hammock, finding two trees of the right diameter just the right distance apart that don't have a lot of deadwood above them).
Footslogger
10-21-2004, 12:13
Another way to think about the difference in the two tents is to use the dimensions of an average sleeping bag. The footprint of a typlical mummy style sleeping bag (at the shoulders) is around 30 - 32". The width of the Virga at the door is 54" and for the Squall it's 80". That may sound like a big difference but first off ...you don't sleep wall-to-wall in any tent. So that 54" and 80" measurement is a tad misleading in terms of interior space. Even if you use the 54" dimension, that leaves approx. 20 inches or so for your backpack and gear (unless, of course, you plan to cram your backpack down to the foot end of the tent. In the Squall you have around 80", give or take. That gives you room for a good sized sleeping bag and an average backpack, without touching the walls of the tent (which might be covered with condensation on those cold, damp nights.
Another thought is that most folks don't sleep motionless in the same place all night, so a little extra wiggle room is not such a bad thing to have.
If you're counting ounces and can't justify the extra 6 then the Virga might be the way to go. Then again ...if you're planning to bring your backpack inside at night and don't want it or your sleeping bag to get close to the tent walls you might want to consider the Squall.
Anyhew ...just my .02
'Slogger
AT 2003
BTW ...I started my thru last year with the Wanderlust Nomad Lite. It has a somewhat diamond shaped footprint and thus has a bit of extra space to the right and left of your sleeping bag the mid point. Even with that space I found myself up against the inside walls of the tent at night and often got condensation transfer to my sleeping bag. With the Tarptent I have never yet had that problem.
TREE-HUGGER
10-21-2004, 12:31
What I have found with single wall shelters is that we need twice as much room as we require in a double wall tent. And the reason for this is that we need to have room to be able to stay off the condenstion on the walls. In reality..... the squall and the eroupa ll are one man tents. If you read between the lines in a couple of the previous posts they say that it's doable but a bit tight for two. And the reason is because you have to stay away from the walls and that certainly pushes you together. But the great thing about a single wall is that you get all that extra room and half the weight or more of what a double wall would be with the same space.
No reading between the lines here. The Virga has enough space for me and my stuff. Period. No, there isn't a lot of extra space to thrash around in. Yes, you do have to worry about condensation. These are not big problems. I'm 6'4" and 210 lbs, and fit quite nicely in the Virga. The smaller foot print of the Virga really helps in finding a campsite on the AT, particularly in out of the way places (i.e, true stealth sites).
poison_ivy
10-21-2004, 18:12
I find the Squall has plenty of room for two -- not tight at all. It would be tight if you wanted gear for two inside with you.
- Ivy
Lots of good info. I'll probably go with the Squall based on the fact that I want my gear inside with me. I move around alot when I sleep so the size of the tent might be a good thing. I just hope I will always have a place to pitch the tent because of it's size.
hikerdude
10-23-2004, 15:28
The first day I bought the squall with the 2oz? optional cape mainly cause I can't hike with 2 poles only one. I set it up in my backyard only to watch the moisture in the tent fill up while is was total dry on the outside all day cause of barametric pressure changes in the pocono mountains here. So I looked dumbfounded at it all day like that. Till I realized, hey, its dry outside here, why would I sit in a dewed tent all day anyway when its dry enough to hike. So I picked it up shook off the inside dew and weighed it. One ounce of dew when it totaly full of dew, it runs down the side and drips on the ground for the most part anyway. And my Backcounty 2 had a little mosture set up next to it anyway to.
So after I realize all this. I took it camping and got stuck in a hurricane, you know the one. 6 inches of rain. had some problems with tying down and so will you without a floor, till I got it all down pat. I have to pitch the tent into the wind. I will admit my Backcountry 2 has such a small footprint and no lines and is more winter worthy. The fact is I pitched my tent right over a stump and leaned on the stump and had all sorts of smaller stumps in my tent and I wrapped the side strings around some hulkleberry bush. Its don't matter bout footprint size. You don't have to be perfect. I told Henery, " I better not get wet" He said "you won't get wet", darn if he wasn't right. I never got wet and it was a hurricane and you know its was a hurricane to.
Most of us stay in the bag till nature calls really bad. Here's what I love about my sqall nobody mentioned. I pull all the tent stakes, let the tent fall over remove my leki pole right after natures call and I can pack up or cook right on my tyvec sheet without the tent in the way of the morning sky or elbo's. But its got lots of room for me and my Malamute and both our packs. In the rain your screwed with a tent. I can now set up my squall in the rain and put the tyvec in last.:-? in 4 minutes rain or shine. I love it. I couldn't live without the optional cape. And wish they would add some bright different color wand pocket for finding the wand pocket would speed things up. So I took a magicmarker to these areas so not waste time looking in a sea of gray silnylon for the wand pocket.
And the moral; It never had dew on inside like that first day, what a first day and I stayed in the house yet.So don't be influenced by first impressions I won't.
I chose the larger tarptent, with the floor. The floor was lighter than tyvek and it's nice to have it sewn in and ready. The extra space is wonderful when hiking alone (99% of the time for me), and like the corkscrew on my knife, a real nice thing to have on those rare ocassions when someone else comes along.
Hiking alone most of the time, the Virga is the right size. Very flexible for tight spots and a breeze to set up after an exhausting day. Little tight when the pack must come inside but it works. LT end to end last year with no problems.
Mr. Shires advised me, based on my size --- 6'4"+, 260 --- to go with the Squall for increased shoulder room. He felt the Virga would be a bit tight at shoulder level when sitting up. Chances are that won't be an issue for most, but if you prefer a little extra room then maybe the Squall is the way to go. Plus you have room for the second peron if that need may exist for you without having to haul a "lightweight" five pound tent.