View Full Version : Tarptent Contrail vs. Tarptent Sublite Sil--Warmer????
Has anyone been able to discover which of these tents are warmer; the Contrail or the Sublite Sil. I am doing the CT in July, I have a
Contrail but might be willing to buy a Sublite if it is a better fit for warmth.
The last couple of times I have visited tarptent.com the silnylon version of the Sublite had gone away -- the version made out of tyvek was the only one there. You might want to check with Henry Shires to see if he is still making the Sublite Sil.
skinewmexico
11-19-2011, 11:34
Henry posted that the Sublite was being replaced on a forum the other day. If you need more warmth, you need a better bag; that's not something you get from a tent. Unless you get a double wall, solid inner type tent. Marginal then.
FamilyGuy
11-20-2011, 14:45
And it will be worth the wait.
Thanks Much---I have a WM Kodiak 15d that has taken me to the low 20's...Most Psyched...
FamilyGuy
11-20-2011, 22:40
Like I said - worth waiting:
The new Tarptent Notch, which appears to be the replacement of the Sublite Sil:
http://tarptent.com/notch.html
skinewmexico
11-20-2011, 23:41
So what's the differece in the Notch and the Stratosphire? I sold my Double Rainbow to finance a Stratosphire, and now I've nickel and dimed all that money away!
FamilyGuy
11-21-2011, 01:11
So what's the differece in the Notch and the Stratosphire? I sold my Double Rainbow to finance a Stratosphire, and now I've nickel and dimed all that money away!
(haven't we all...)
The Notch is essentially the Moment with double walls and no pole as it uses trekking poles for set up.
The Stratosphere is a modified mid design - it isn't an a-frame (although some pics make it look like it is). The fly actually sits somewhat off centre from the inner tent so the carbon struts at each end are at opposite corners of the footprint. The cad drawing at TT helps. The tent is therefore bigger and heavier.
The offset poles of the Stratospire allows one side of the tent to have greater headroom, so it shines if the two occupants of the tent sleep head to foot. This allows each person to have an equally greater amount of headroom instead of splitting headroom equally between their head and feet. You can sort of think about it like two Contrails pasted together, but with one flipped around, and the roof spread out to cover all the areas in between.
OK, let me try...
The Sublite Sil is definitely discontinued.
Nothing wrong with the design, it was a bit too complex to make.
The direct substitute is the Notch. (the Tarptent 10th anniversary shelter...)
It is a bit heavier but you get an extra door and vestibule as well as well as a full double wall environment.
(Integral pitch or either fly or inner by itself)
The design is fully symmetrical so each half (back/front, right/left) is the same as the other.
And here is proof that sometime a picture does not tell the story :
14421
The StratoSpire 1 is a larger version , it can be used by two in emergency or a close couple (parent/child- a man and his dog)
The design is indeed very tricky so you need to compare pics and see the CAD drawings(as suggested by the Family Guy) to get it.
14422
Franco
This shot shows a bit better how the Notch really looks like :
14423
skinewmexico
11-21-2011, 11:41
I think the best way to figure these out if for Franco to loan me his tents.
The Notch looks pretty good, but $ 250, I think I'll keep my Contrail.