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View Full Version : Free standing tent vs. trekking pole supported tents



Ernest Snomin
04-19-2012, 12:30
I'm trying to decide on a new tent. On one hand there is a lightweight one-man tent that is free-standing and weighs 2lb 11oz (L.L. Bean) and another that uses trekking poles to set up and weighs 2lb 3oz (GoLite).

I've never used trekking pole supported tents. Has anyone used them on the A.T. that could share their thoughts?

Ender
04-19-2012, 12:40
Tons of people use them. A good chunk of thru-hikers. You can find tents lighter than that fairly easily.

Ender
04-19-2012, 12:56
Here's some links to other tarp-tent makers:
http://lightheartgear.com/
http://www.tarptent.com/
http://gossamergear.com/

q-tip
04-19-2012, 13:13
I have used both. I currently use a Tarptent Contrail (uses one pole) and my go to shelter is a Six Moons Wild Oasis tarp. Uses one pole--not a problem. With Sil Nylon tents, it is critical for the sil to be taught for best performance. If it is sagging, it is probably not set up right. Using a hiking pole is an easy way to adjust for taughtness.

Creek Dancer
04-19-2012, 13:13
If you are already using trekking poles to hike, using them as supports for your tent can save you weight because you wouldn't have to also carry tent poles.

I can vouch for both LightHeart gear Solo and the Henry Shires Contrail tarptent. Easy set up, reliable shelters and low weight.

Ernest Snomin
04-19-2012, 13:28
Those are good points. I would like to make it to the insanely light tarptents, etc., but the cost is too much at this point. GoLite is selling their Shangri-La-1 for about $137 during its 50% off sale right now. L.L. Bean's free-standing Microlight FS 1-Person comes in at about $170. I thought about Six Moon Designs Skyscape Scout, but it is pretty much the same weight, though a hair cheaper.

I've used an old Kelty Teton 2 at 4lb 10oz for my lst three section hikes. My knees start to scream after day 3, so I'm dropping weight as affordably as possible.

I suppose my biggest concern is how stable the structure is when you're using trekking poles, plus if it is ever difficult to keep the lines taught in bad weather.

Blissful
04-19-2012, 14:58
The only thing is - eventually your poles are gonna wear out with use and will have issues collapsing each day to fit the tent. But this is over a period of time from trail dust, use, etc. I also find like with Leki, if they get wet, they are hard to retighten.

Papa D
04-19-2012, 21:14
I have done a ton of tarp camping - I even had custom-made tarps made for a youth adventure program that I ran for 10 years - - we would do 10 day unsupported backpacking trips and stay very nice and dry even in the worst downpours BUT it takes work - - and keeping teenagers dry took nearly constant monitoring before bed when the rains were upon us.

Using trekking poles to set up your tarp or tent does work. For about a year of weekends I camped under a Mountain Hardware Stingray Tarp that I set up with trekking poles - - it's very crafty. One day, I re-discovered tent camping in the form of a MSR Hubba (and later the lighter Carbon Reflex) - - what a pleasant and relaxing feeling to KNOW that unless you really do something bone-headed in your set-up, you will sleep dry and worry-free. So this is my strong recommendation for fun backpacking is that each hiker carry a small light solo tent - - it's so much fun throwing yourself in a dry tent and your stuff in a dryish vestibule, kicking back and not worrying about blowing rain or splash-up or whatever.

I occasionally use a little MSR Wing that is sort of like the stingray that I set up with poles - - I usually do this when I'm trying to go really fast on the AT and want to carry as little as possible probably for a weekend and plan to use shelters - - it makes a great little emergency bivy or can be used if the shelter is full - - weighs less than a pound - - but not my "go-to" for general use.

ChinMusic
04-19-2012, 21:20
I suppose my biggest concern is how stable the structure is when you're using trekking poles, plus if it is ever difficult to keep the lines taught in bad weather.

Trekking poles make the shelter more stable than dedicated tent poles in my opinion. The design of the tent will be your weak link and not the trekking poles. Trekking poles are tough.

Latch lock poles are better than the twist types common to older Lekis. I have had issues with twist lock poles slipping and will never buy them again. Newer Lekis have models with latch locks.

Ernest Snomin
04-19-2012, 23:16
I'm glad you mentioned the locking style of poles. I use an older style of Leki twist locking poles that so far haven't slipped much, but I also rarely adjust them. I'll have to keep this in mind when setting up the tent. I'm probably going to go ahead and buy the GoLite Shangri-La 1 tent because the weight to price ratio is pretty good if I can still buy it on sale for $137. I really want to get a nice tarp style of tent with all of the benefits of excellent airflow, but I'm bug-averse and have to have one with a built in nest or bug screen. I even checked out one of the make your own gear outfitters, but I have issues with paying $100+ for materials when I have to do all the work. So, until I can afford the price for one of those great tarp style tents, I'm stuck with what I can afford. Although, I don't think a 2lb 3oz GoLite is a tent you would feel "stuck" with, particularly for $137.

I only get a week each year to do a section hike, which usually corresponds to 50-75 miles over 3-5 days, respectively, so I'm glad you all offered such useful info! I'm not as fit as I once was, so I need to figure out ways to reduce weight so I can keep up the 15+ miles per day I like to do. Using trekking poles or switching to a tarp style tent always sounds attractive, but I'm slow to change. Heck, this trip will be the first time I'm going to use non-waterproof trail running shoes instead of hard core waterproof boots (thanks to a great recommendation from Andrew Skurka via facebook-that guy actually responds to questions...amazing). Who knew long distance hiking came with such a peculiar learning curve?

shelb
04-20-2012, 00:02
GoLite Shangri-La 1 tent because the weight to price ratio is pretty good if I can still buy it on sale for $137.

The description says it is a: "Floorless shelter system works alone or with Nest depending on conditions." Does this mean there is no bottom to the tent?

Tinker
04-20-2012, 00:05
I'm trying to decide on a new tent. On one hand there is a lightweight one-man tent that is free-standing and weighs 2lb 11oz (L.L. Bean) and another that uses trekking poles to set up and weighs 2lb 3oz (GoLite).

I've never used trekking pole supported tents. Has anyone used them on the A.T. that could share their thoughts?

Even free-standing tents need extra line and stakes (or tieout points) when the wind hits. Aerodynamics play a more important part in tent design than most people are aware of, but flexible poles are more likely to bend to the breaking point than stout hiking poles if they are not adequately supported by guy lines. The Tarptent Moment would be my current choice overall for weight, size, ease of setup, ventilation, and aerodynamics (when guyed out correctly). It could probably shed some snow as well , since it doesn't have a hint of a flat roofline anywhere.
I owned a Lightheart solo tent briefly a couple of years ago, but since I'm a diehard hammocker, I sold it shortly after a brief testing. It's a nicely designed tent, too. The ventilation can't be beat unless you sleep in a hammock which allows the night air to flow completely around your body (only important in hot weather - it's coming! :D).

Tinker
04-20-2012, 00:06
The description says it is a: "Floorless shelter system works alone or with Nest depending on conditions." Does this mean there is no bottom to the tent?

Yes, it does. It's a shaped tarp. A netting inner tent is available which has a floor.

Tinker
04-20-2012, 00:07
I meant to say, "Yes, it does mean that there is no bottom to the tent".

dornstar
04-20-2012, 01:21
The older I get, the more multi-use items I look for, so I dropped my Big Agnes Fly Creek UL2 for a Lightheart Solo w/ an awning. With the awning pole and the trekking poles factored in, it's still lighter than my UL2 was, so it's a win in my book.

garlic08
04-20-2012, 09:30
The Tarptent Contrail is $200, not too much above your upper price point, weighs 24 oz, has a floor, and only uses one pole so you'll have a spare if you hike with two poles.

There is no perfect support system. Flexible poles definitely break or get lost, trekking poles break, but that's where ingenuity and spare paracord, trees, or stout sticks come in. Poles just make it easy. I trust my trekking pole more than a flimsy tent pole any day, but the trekking pole sees abuse all day. I think I'm just lucky I've never broken one, while I've broken and lost flimsy tent poles a couple of times.

steveinator
04-20-2012, 12:23
Free standing FTW... Coppur spur UL 1 wooooooo!!!!!

scissor
04-20-2012, 12:23
Those are good points. I would like to make it to the insanely light tarptents, etc., but the cost is too much at this point. GoLite is selling their Shangri-La-1 for about $137 during its 50% off sale right now. L.L. Bean's free-standing Microlight FS 1-Person comes in at about $170. I thought about Six Moon Designs Skyscape Scout, but it is pretty much the same weight, though a hair cheaper.

I've used an old Kelty Teton 2 at 4lb 10oz for my lst three section hikes. My knees start to scream after day 3, so I'm dropping weight as affordably as possible.

I suppose my biggest concern is how stable the structure is when you're using trekking poles, plus if it is ever difficult to keep the lines taught in bad weather.


I had a similar approach as you do and went with the Scout and I'm very pleased with it. Tons of mesh so its a great summer tent + easy setup,takedown + nice price point.

An advantage of using treking poles as tent poles that I really like and no one seems to mention is its just a lot easier to pack with no poles. I think one of the most underrated aspects of backpacking is keeping weight close to your body and using trekking poles as tent poles makes that a lot easier.

Ernest Snomin
04-26-2012, 19:52
I had a similar approach as you do and went with the Scout and I'm very pleased with it. Tons of mesh so its a great summer tent + easy setup,takedown + nice price point.

An advantage of using treking poles as tent poles that I really like and no one seems to mention is its just a lot easier to pack with no poles. I think one of the most underrated aspects of backpacking is keeping weight close to your body and using trekking poles as tent poles makes that a lot easier.

I ended up getting the GoLite Shangra-La 1. After I ordered it I wished I had gone with the Scout. I'll likely order some of their stakes, though, because they are super light. I'm glad I didn't get the L.L.Bean tent even though it got the Backpacker editor's award. I pike a lot of their gear, but lighter is lighter, especially when it is from a good company at a good price.

Thanks everyone for the discussion. No matter how many miles you hike, an outside opinion helps. With a little luck, maybe I'll get my total pack weight down to 20lbs. My body would thank me.

Game Warden
09-07-2013, 22:26
I used an M-16 rifle to replace a broken tent pole. The muzzle brake fit right through the grommet in the canvas tent Uncle Sam gave us. Nowadays, I could never find a field expedient method to replace my shock-corded slip-through poles.

mtnkngxt
09-07-2013, 22:37
I used fixed length poles from Gossamer Gear that just happen to be a good height for my Tarptent Contrail as well.

I do like free standing tents for winter though.

BirdBrain
09-08-2013, 08:32
I have no experience with a tent without poles. As such, I am not qualified to comment on them. However, I have the LLBean tent and love it.

bangorme
09-08-2013, 10:35
I've got the Beans microlight one man tent and love it too. What I especially like is that it is free standing, so can be pitched on platforms easily. I was backpacking the Wild River/Carter Notch portion of the AT this week and saw a SOBO'er with one of these tents pitched on a platform and it wasn't pretty. Lines, rocks etc. We had a night of driving rain. His gear got wet, mine didn't. I certainly no expert though, maybe he did something wrong.

Water Rat
09-08-2013, 10:49
He may have had the earlier version of the microlight 1-person. That one was not freestanding and did rely on being staked out. I have the newer versions of the microlight 1 & 2-person tents. Nice tents and pretty dang inexpensive when you pick them up at the outlets...especially during the tent sales!

But, my BA Fly Creek is my favorite and has become my go-to tent.

bangorme
09-08-2013, 10:53
Sorry, my post is unclear. He was using a hiking pole supported tent.

Drybones
09-08-2013, 15:30
Trekking poles make the shelter more stable than dedicated tent poles in my opinion. The design of the tent will be your weak link and not the trekking poles. Trekking poles are tough.

Latch lock poles are better than the twist types common to older Lekis. I have had issues with twist lock poles slipping and will never buy them again. Newer Lekis have models with latch locks.

Agree...............

Drybones
09-08-2013, 15:37
I'd trust a shelter using hiking poles over traditional supports anytime for durability. To make traditional tents lighter they make the poles thinner and subject to breaking...had that happen...the lighter the tent the thinner the poles. Hiking poles are much stronger and much faster to set up and take down.

Tinker
09-08-2013, 21:21
Ultralight freestanding tents often have large areas of unsupported fabric making the susceptible to deformation under high wind loads. the more vertical the sides are, the more the deformation until the inside volume is reduced to uncomfortably small dimensions, or the overloaded poles bend or break. The more turtle-shaped the tent is, the better it will be at shedding wind. A catenary cut pyramid is a good shape for shedding wind also, requiring only one pole, but the interior volume is wasted around the perimeter and at the peak, but it's nice having that little extra height when getting changed. I still like the Moment or Lightheart tents - good aerodynamics and use of interior volume, especially on the Moment. I used the Lightheart tent in tropical storm force winds strong enough to pull out a stake. I haven't used the Moment in any wild weather, but I think that it would do fairly well if it was properly staked out. In an earlier post I mentioned the necessity of solid staking in wind, whether the tent is freestanding or not. Sorry, but could not shut off the bold characters. :)

BirdBrain
09-08-2013, 21:51
What I like about my freestanding tent is the ability to set it up in one place and move it to another. I cannot count the times I have felt the bottom and discovered a pointy object under it. If it is free standing you can toss it to a side, move the object, and then drift the tent back over again. It can also be set up in a lean-to in the rain and then drifted to a spot outside fully assembled. I always stake it down once in place.

Theosus
09-10-2013, 20:27
I've seen the shires tarptent contrail in use several times. It is supported with one pole. If I was going to go to the ground I would buy that one. Very simple in design, goes up really quickly. I thought hammocks were supposed to go fast, but my friend with the tarptent gets his tent up and is inside before I'm halfway done (and I'm using whoopie slings - no knots to do).

Del Q
09-10-2013, 22:32
I started with a Big Agnes free standing, super gear, nice to be able to move it once you lay down and find out that they spot you picked is not that level or what you wanted.

Now I use my hiking poles vs carrying tent poles as well.................comes under the heading of using gear for more than one thing if/when you can. Tent is about 22 ounces. For the 1st time, my total weight with food, water and a pint of Scotch was 28 pounds for Spring 2013 hike.

Marta
09-11-2013, 01:11
I started with a Big Agnes free standing, super gear, nice to be able to move it once you lay down and find out that they spot you picked is not that level or what you wanted.

Now I use my hiking poles vs carrying tent poles as well.................comes under the heading of using gear for more than one thing if/when you can. Tent is about 22 ounces. For the 1st time, my total weight with food, water and a pint of Scotch was 28 pounds for Spring 2013 hike.


If you left the Scotch at home, the weight would be down to 27 pounds.

Nah....what's a pound?

BirdBrain
09-11-2013, 01:31
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PR Man
09-11-2013, 21:09
Had an interesting experience a few weeks ago. I love camping with a tarp and using my trekking poles for support.

However - on a downhill I slipped and broke my trekking pole in half ! ( Lucky I didn't hurt myself )

Anyway - the moral of the story is this. If you plan to use your trekking poles make sure you have a backup plan. I carried some lightweight line to "tie off" my tarp to trees "just in case" this happened.

I was happy that I had another way to pitch the tarp.

Drybones
09-11-2013, 21:12
Had an interesting experience a few weeks ago. I love camping with a tarp and using my trekking poles for support.

However - on a downhill I slipped and broke my trekking pole in half ! ( Lucky I didn't hurt myself )

Anyway - the moral of the story is this. If you plan to use your trekking poles make sure you have a backup plan. I carried some lightweight line to "tie off" my tarp to trees "just in case" this happened.

I was happy that I had another way to pitch the tarp.

If you have a knife you can always cut a pole.

Drybones
09-11-2013, 21:15
I started with a Big Agnes free standing, super gear, nice to be able to move it once you lay down and find out that they spot you picked is not that level or what you wanted.

Now I use my hiking poles vs carrying tent poles as well.................comes under the heading of using gear for more than one thing if/when you can. Tent is about 22 ounces. For the 1st time, my total weight with food, water and a pint of Scotch was 28 pounds for Spring 2013 hike.

Only a pint....now that's serious UL...bet Tipi carries a handle.

Zipper
09-11-2013, 22:57
I used a Six Moon Designs Lunar Solo with one trekking pole. My poles were Black Diamond Flicklocks so I didn't have any trouble with the poles not working properly, and happily, my hiking pole height and tent pole height were the same, so I didn't need to adjust anything to set up the tent. This tent is now nearly 5 years old and still going strong. I love its spaciousness and big open windows on one side. Even if it's raining I can leave the flaps up unless it's coming down sideways. I've had so many great nights' sleep in that tent.

I know a lot of folks also love the Lightheart tents. I never had a problem with having a non-freestanding tent on the AT. Even was able to set it up on a tent platform in the Whites without too much trouble. As others have said, I love that it's compact and light with no extraneous poles. But I also know thru hikers who are really happy with freestanding tents like the Copper Spur.

MuddyWaters
09-11-2013, 23:10
No such thing as a free-standing tent, except in the best weather.

To be storm or wind worthy, every tent must be staked down and guyed out.

The difference is not really an issue.

bangorme
09-12-2013, 09:46
No such thing as a free-standing tent, except in the best weather.

To be storm or wind worthy, every tent must be staked down and guyed out.

The difference is not really an issue.

Yeah, a freestanding tent can be moved around easily, which is a huge benefit on its own. Additionally, at my campsite last week were three freestanding tents and one non-freestanding tent (all on platforms). None of the freestanding tents were staked or guyed out and all survived the driving wind and rain fine. The poor guy in the non-freestanding tents had to go into town to get his gear dried out.

But, I did have something "funny" happen to me the following night. I was camped up at Carter Notch in heavy winds and my unstaked tent blew into my alcohol cooking stove. Fortunately, I didn't burn my tent, but I did lose all my water. Lesson learned: stake if you can. I just got lazy. Takes about 45 seconds... unless you are on a platform. Guying out is a PITA.

BirdBrain
09-12-2013, 11:21
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