View Full Version : Tent vs. Tarptent
So i am officially going to be thru hiking March 2011 which i am totally psyched on! It is a bit more spur of the moment than expected so i have a lot of things to get in order before then. I am quite an avid backpacker and have done some 7-10 day trips and cant wait to get out in the woods for an extended time. RIght now im quite comfortable with my Osprey Atmos 50 pack and am looking for ways to cut weight down. One of the biggest seems to be the tent. Right now i have an older (maybe 3 or 4 years old MSR Hubba). I really like the Hubba for weekend trips and it has never failed me thus far. Im a bit worried about its age and would love to cut down on some weight. Ive looked at the Tarptents but it seems all of them (i could be wrong) require hiking poles for setup (i dont carry hiking poles).
Is there a light tarptent option that could save me some weight over my MSR Hubba and could also provide similar protection from the elements, also without having to use hiking poles?
Lightheart Solo with optional poles. Hexamid Solo with optional pole, beak and custom bathtub floor. Use lightweight optional poles or branches...
Bags4266
11-04-2010, 19:32
http://www.tarptent.com/cgi-bin/surfshop/shop.cgi?ud=AgUMCgcLDwwFCRQUHR***wADBQ8DAggJBgISEQ AA&t=main.htm&storeid=1&sortby=categories,itemid&cols=3&c=search.htm&categories=00011
Here's the list of extra's for the tarpent's . You can buy the poles extra if you don't use hiking sticks. Also the moment doesn't require any, they include it w/ the tent.
Bags4266
11-04-2010, 19:34
Also if you are going to buy the tarptent I bought mine here... http://www.backcountrygear.com/index.cfm
They offer free shipping over $49.00
THanks for the responses guys. The Tarptent Moment looks like exactly what I was looking for ( i dont know how i missed it the first time around). Anyone have any long-term experience with the tent? Particularly on a thru? Thanks!
lilricky
11-04-2010, 22:14
The only downside to most of the Tarptent shelters is condensation. It is very easy to close them up enough to have a shower in the morning coming from your tent. I bring along a small battery powered fan to exhaust out air if I believe condensation will be a problem. Only adds a few ounces.
skinewmexico
11-04-2010, 23:38
The Rainbow and Double Rainbow don't need trekking poles either. Seach for posts by Franco, and you can find out all things Tarptent. Or call them, and talk to Henry, the owner/designer. That's one of the advantages of buying a product made in the USA.
Bear Cables
11-04-2010, 23:52
The only downside to most of the Tarptent shelters is condensation. It is very easy to close them up enough to have a shower in the morning coming from your tent. I bring along a small battery powered fan to exhaust out air if I believe condensation will be a problem. Only adds a few ounces.
Sounds like a good idea. What kind of fan is it?
I have a Moment and the Contrail, and never needed a fan for condensation. They are both well vented.
daddytwosticks
11-05-2010, 07:27
I'll be totally different...start w/your tent. If it's not working for you up the trail, switch out to something else. I'm just a section hiker, but I can understand the thru hikers who constantly change-out their equipment as they proceed up the trail. You'll probably learn quickly what works and doesn't work for you. :)
I have an Appy Trails Mark III... its a tarptent without a floor. I won't recommend it simply because I don't have any experience with it other than in the backyard, but with this tent I have the option of using an included colapsable pole, a trekking pole, or hanging it from a tree.
Does anyone know if this is possible with other tarptents?
Also, Tea, you might wanna change your "Year of thru-hike" on your profile. Hope to see ya out there! :welcome
I have tarptents rainbow and moment. On a recent backpacking trip to Mt Rainier Nat'l Park I ran into 2 days of continuous heavy rain where I had to close off some of the venting on my moment. This caused condensation which in the past has occurred but hasnt been a major problem---Id just wipe it off before packing up the tent in the morning. But this time it was raining so hard that the rain droplets hitting the outside of the tarptent caused the condensation on the inside of the tent to spray down on me. My down sleeping back was OK only because it has a repellant finish. To avoid this on my 2011 thru Im going with a double wall--MSR Hubba Hubba HP.
Extra weight? YES.
More weather protection? YES
garlic08
11-05-2010, 10:09
... But this time it was raining so hard that the rain droplets hitting the outside of the tarptent caused the condensation on the inside of the tent to spray down on me. My down sleeping back was OK only because it has a repellant finish. To avoid this on my 2011 thru Im going with a double wall--MSR Hubba Hubba HP.
Extra weight? YES.
More weather protection? YES
This is the reason I hesitate to recommend a single-wall silnylon shelter to absolutely everyone for every hike. In my experience, a silnylon shelter is good for no more than three nights of continuous heavy rain. After that, you need a few hours of good sunshine or a night in a motel to dry off.
But on a long trail thru hike, you're seldom more than three nights away from one of the above. Especially if the rest of your load is as light as the tarptent and you can walk 25 or more miles a day.
If you like to head out in the worst possible conditions and base camp somewhere, or enjoy a lingering pace of 10 miles per day in the 100 mile wilderness when a hurricane blows through, a tarptent is probably not a good choice. Get the right tool for the job.
Get the right tool for the job.
Ain't that the truth. That is why there is no such thing as the best gear...just what is best for a situation. :)
With the new Moment you can get a liner.
You can also check out Alpinlight and Bearpaw tents (formed tarp outers with optional bug liners). The all require the use of poles of one sort or another but are very simple and pretty affordable (disclaimer: I haven't seen these items in person).
Here's Alpinlight's link: http://www.alpinlitegear.com/index.php
.......and Bear Paw Tents: http://www.bearpawtents.com/
Trailbender
11-06-2010, 08:05
I used an Appy trails mk5 that I heavily modified. I cut it down to a 1 man and resewed stake grommets and a system where I tie off the ridgeline around a tree with 550 cord and stake it out. With groundcloth and stakes it is probably around 18 oz.
I used it my entire thru, and seam sealed it when I got back.
I used the Six Moons Design - Lunar Solo on my 2009 thru (and many times since), and only had a couple of nights where condensation was an issue. That was probably because I set up quickly in the dark on those nights. If set up well, you shouldn't have many issues because the ventilation is very good (IMHO). Just practice before you hit the trail. Lightweight with lots of room inside, just a little more $ than the Moment. I think it has more room than the Moment and a little less weight, 23 ounces, and they sell a carbon fiber pole to use instead of a hiking pole.
http://www.sixmoondesigns.com/tents.html
Thanks for all the excellent responses guys! Ill definitely give the Moment and Lunar Solo serious consideration.
Tipi Walter
11-15-2010, 23:06
This is the reason I hesitate to recommend a single-wall silnylon shelter to absolutely everyone for every hike. In my experience, a silnylon shelter is good for no more than three nights of continuous heavy rain. After that, you need a few hours of good sunshine or a night in a motel to dry off.
But on a long trail thru hike, you're seldom more than three nights away from one of the above. Especially if the rest of your load is as light as the tarptent and you can walk 25 or more miles a day.
If you like to head out in the worst possible conditions and base camp somewhere, or enjoy a lingering pace of 10 miles per day in the 100 mile wilderness when a hurricane blows through, a tarptent is probably not a good choice. Get the right tool for the job.
The TarpTent is good if you can walk 25 or more miles a day?
Ain't that the truth. That is why there is no such thing as the best gear...just what is best for a situation. :)
Thing is, the situation changes. You go to the roof with a hammer and find out you also need a saw. The job changes. So does the environment. The "best gear" would be something that can handle all conditions within reason(no tornadoes please)and still be light enough to pack. On a recent 20 day trip I tied in with 6 backpackers for 7 days doing the BMT. One of them had a single pole hoop TarpTent and we got caught in a windstorm with heavy rain. The tent is pictured below. The guy had to bail out of the trip because his TarpTent leaked around the pole seams and got his bag wet.
Later in the trip the rest of us walked thru a cold rain and arrived at a 5,000 foot open bald, Whiggs Meadow, in a fierce windstorm. See second fotog. I was the only one who decided to camp on top in the wind while the rest found a sloping hillside in trees. I did so because I had 12 stakes for a tent that is designed to take high winds and rain, while also working perfectly well in calm conditions on quiet summer days.
The point is? The job changes and you need a tool that can do more than one thing, a shelter that can handle 70F with no wind and 25F in a wet gale ON THE SAME TRIP.