Decisions: Tarptent Protrail vs Six Moon Lunar Solo LE?

[v1k1ng1001]

First post from a dedicated lurker--I've learned so much from you all already!

Haven't backpacked in over 15 years (been too long!) and I've decided to get re-outfitted this year for a few trips in Minnesota and New Mexico along with more ambitious plans to thru hike the first half of next summer, perhaps in Europe (I teach in Spain every summer), once I dial everything in. As you might expect, I'm experiencing some frozen-caveman-lawyer syndrome: simultaneously in awe of the new tech/designs/trends (much has changed) but also confused as to what to buy.

I'm trying to decide between the TT Protrail and the SMD Solo LE. I'm a larger guy 6'3", 225 lbs so the roominess of both appeal to me. Also the fact that they both can be pitched with one [trekking] pole is nice.

Tarptent Protrail
https://www.tarptent.com/cgi-bin/sur...MCAQMIAggRFAAA

SMD Solo LE
http://www.sixmoondesigns.com/tents/SoloLE.html

Both come out to about $250 with extras--more than I would like to spend ideally but better to buy once than buy twice, right?

The TT Protrail seems to excel at ventilation and weather resiliency. What bothers me is that it is a rear entry, near the supporting pole.

The SMD Solo seems to offer more room and side entry, but not as well crafted.

Is this about right?

I've been doing my homework the last few months, narrowing down options, but I know I have blind spots due to my lack of experience. In other words, what factors should I be considering that would help me arrive at a decision?

[bigcranky]

I think both are well made. I've owned a bunch of Tarptent shelters and one amazing Six Moons Designs tent, the Lunar Duo.

If I had to choose between these two, I guess I'd take the SMD, but I would be much happier with the Tarptent Notch. I much prefer my doors on the long side, and I like having ventilation and doors on both sides of the tent. I found the Lunar Solo felt very confining, and I'm only 6-1 and 205. We used a Squall and a Rainshadow from Tarptent, both with the door at the head end (not the foot), and I disliked that feature.

The Notch does require two poles, but then I use two poles while hiking, so no big deal. Being able to open everything for ventilation on a hot night is priceless, imho.

Good luck on getting back into it. It's really a brave new world, huh?

[v1k1ng1001]

I think both are well made. I've owned a bunch of Tarptent shelters and one amazing Six Moons Designs tent, the Lunar Duo.

If I had to choose between these two, I guess I'd take the SMD, but I would be much happier with the Tarptent Notch. I much prefer my doors on the long side, and I like having ventilation and doors on both sides of the tent. I found the Lunar Solo felt very confining, and I'm only 6-1 and 205. We used a Squall and a Rainshadow from Tarptent, both with the door at the head end (not the foot), and I disliked that feature.

The Notch does require two poles, but then I use two poles while hiking, so no big deal. Being able to open everything for ventilation on a hot night is priceless, imho.

Good luck on getting back into it. It's really a brave new world, huh?

No doubt it is!

I really really like the Notch too but the price tag is steep!!

I was originally considering the Scout at $125 just to get back out there--but I'm wise enough to recognize that it's better to buy what suits your needs once than continually upgrade yourself into poverty.

As far as sleeping goes, I don't know that I'd mind the smaller headroom with the SMD solo as long as I could sleep sideways comfortably. I live in South Texas now, so I'm fairly immune to the heat. 90 degrees is a cool summer day down here.

[HeartFire]

Have you looked at the LIghtHeart Gear SoLong 6? made for the big and tall. made in the USA.

[v1k1ng1001]

Have you looked at the LIghtHeart Gear SoLong 6? made for the big and tall. made in the USA.

Nope! Gunna add that to my list though.

I'll check it out more carefully when I get home.

[v1k1ng1001]

Have you looked at the LIghtHeart Gear SoLong 6? made for the big and tall. made in the USA.

I really like this option, only 2 lbs too.

[Maui Rhino]

I have ~50 nites in my TT Contrail which has the same entry as the ProTrail. I've been more than satisfied with the tent. The entrance opens wide and the vestibule is nicely sized. I also have a SMD Lunar Duo, but I haven't taken it out on a trip yet. Construction and stitching on both is top notch, as was that on a LightHeartGear I saw on trail recently. I don't think any of them would be a bad decision.... Still, as happy as I am with my Contrail, I wish I had side entry....

[10-K]

I don't like front entry tents and personally I think the Contrail is difficult to move around in. The entry way isn't high enough for me to sit up and I can't reach below my knees without my head hitting the top of the tent. When gear slides all the way to my feet it's impossible to reach without my head sliding down the top of the tent as I reach down - a real annoyance when there is a lot of condensation.

I still would recommend it highly for a thru hike and if I weren't using a Duomid for my CDT hike I'd take the Contrail I took on the PCT. Why? Because you can pitch it with 1 pole and 4 stakes. On a long hike I like to eliminate as many points of failure as possible - what happens when your tent requires 2 poles and one gets lost/broken/stolen? (and you can't find a stick.....)

It's a lot easier to deal with only needing to make/kludge 4 stakes than it is 6-8 if you lose your stake bag.

Just something to think about. Neither of these things happened to me but I wanted to be prepared if they did.

[v1k1ng1001]

10-K

Good points to consider--and that is what I was thinking when I narrowed it down to these two--the shelters that pitch with one stake/pole are going to to be more dependable in the long run as long as the design is worked out well.

Now my choice has been re-complicated by the REI sale. There are a lot of decent big-manufacturer tents that have dropped out of the statosphere into my expanded price range. I'm going to have to peruse reviews this evening to see if any tempt me away from the choices above.

[v1k1ng1001]

After hashing through all considerations, I'm 99% on the Lunar Solo! May pull the trigger tonight.

[rustmd]

LightHeart Gear tents, awesome! LHG solo very roomy, easy set-up, 2 hiking poles. . .Judy of LHG very easy to work with.

.com

[Mr Liberty]

After hashing through all considerations, I'm 99% on the Lunar Solo! May pull the trigger tonight.

Let us know what you think! I've been eyeing the Lunar Solo (not LE, but should be similar) and I've not been able to find many substantial reviews.

[v1k1ng1001]

FWIW, I ended up pulling the trigger on a Light Heart Gear Solong 6 after a few weeks of hrming and hawing.

I ended up doubling my budget (ouch!) and having to invest in a pair of trekking poles (double ouch!) but the extra room and substantial awning seemed worth it to me in the long run. I think this shelter will be able to serve me in a variety of situations instead of buying several shelters for different situations. The only other thing I could possibly want is a hammock for summer temps--maybe next year!

I'll post up some pictures of the solong when I get back from Spain next week.

I have my ULA Catalyst, my JRB quilt and a load of other gear ready to go. Only major item I'm missing at this point is a sleeping pad!!

[v1k1ng1001]

Some pics as promised.

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[v1k1ng1001]

More pics.

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[v1k1ng1001]

My tent is the LHG SoLong 6 and the other one is my brother's SMD Lunar Solo LE.

As I've said, I'm 6'3" and the SoLong 6 is luxurious in terms of space. Side sleeping, sprawled out with extra gear in the SoLong is not a problem and if that's not enough, the awning creates an enormous amount of space. Once you figure out the cross beam and get your trekking poles set up, this shelter is beyond easy to pitch. You can see on the pics that the tent is a little slack with the minimal amount of staking so I'll probably bring 10 stakes instead of just 6. This tent is a costly investment and weighs a bit more than some of the other UL offerings, but the luxuries are worth it if you're over 6'.

My brother is 6'4" and it's a much tighter fit in the SMD Lunar Solo LE. There's room on the side for sprawling out in one direction and stashing gear. Space for head and feet is tighter obviously. There's a lot of press on how finicky the SMD LS LE is to pitch. It is much tougher to pitch the SMD Lunar Solo LE correctly but it is by no means impossible. 20-30 minutes of experimenting and we had it nailed. The only issue is the bathtub floor which is very shallow and, ironically, tends to sit flat when you pitch the fly low. Ventilation is tougher but the tradeoff is that the backside of the SMD LS LE really sheds the wind compared to my SoLong. For anyone 6' and under, this is a great value at $180.

[Venchka]

I'm confused. I recognize the Solong 6. What is the other tent? Did you buy 2 tents?

Wayne


Sent from somewhere around here.

[v1k1ng1001]

No. My brother bought the six moon designs lunar solo LE which is the greyish one.

My opinion of the Lunar Solo improved tonight after pitching it with a trekking pole. The pole smd provides is neither tall enough nor strong enough to optimally pitch the tent. A couple extra inches and the ability to tension the support pole makes all the difference. The lunar solo is a very nice one pole shelter.

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[Singto]

I bought a used Lunar Solo (not LE) after spending weeks deciding upon a tent. My initial choice was the Eureka Solitaire because of weight and cost but I decided being able to sit up and move about inside my shelter was of great value. I checked them all out by reading and watching videos a tremendous amount. The SMD was the clear winner for me because of the weight, floor space, vestibule space, good reviews and I don't want a 2 trekking pole required design or one that uses it's own specialized poles. Trekking and tent poles break and I didn't want such an event taking my shelter away from me, even if only for a short time. The floor space is only 2 sq. feet smaller than the BA Fly Creek UL2 and weighs less. The Lunar Solo with a polycro footprint, 8 groundhog stakes and a couple of lightweight guy lines is 30 ounces.

[Venchka]

No. My brother bought the six moon designs lunar solo LE which is the greyish one.

My opinion of the Lunar Solo improved tonight after pitching it with a trekking pole. The pole smd provides is neither tall enough nor strong enough to optimally pitch the tent. A couple extra inches and the ability to tension the support pole makes all the difference. The lunar solo is a very nice one pole shelter.

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Thank you for the details. If I buy a new summer tent, I would like to use it for backpacking and bike touring. While I could carry a trekking pole on the bike, the poles are long & weigh more than a dedicated tent pole. Lightheart Gear sells an adjustable aluminum pole that would work with the Lunar Solo. One more tent to ponder.

Wayne