Double Rainbow

[Chaco Taco]

I am going to use care in reviewing this tent as to not offend anyone. I do not think very highly of this tent. Very easy to set up, BUT I have dealt with condensation, I know its a fact of life, but I didnt think it would rain inside my tent. The vestibule space is very small, the inside of the tent itself is pushing it with two people. Very tight. Headroom?? What headroom? I think this more of a solo tent than a 2 person. I have been in rain for 3 nights in this tent and got wet on the inside of the tent. Woke up to a wet sleeping bag, wet pad, all of my stuff laying on the floor was wetter than when i got in there. I have tried single walls for the last time!!! Single wall tents in general are just not good for the rain and humid conditions. Say what you want, but Im done with single walls!!!

[Tuckahoe]

Thanks Chaco for your thoughts. I had been considering a Tarptent, but was very wary about purchasing a tent that I could not check out first.

This guy's reviews of a Tarptent is atleast pretty entertaining --
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vW2dKsLdHWg -- part 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONJSt...eature=channel -- part 2

[ChinMusic]

I ONLY use single-wall tents and have used them in rainy/condensation prone weather with condensation being a non-issue. Use a camp towel or your bandanna and problem solved.

I will never go to a double-wall tent again.

[mweinstone]

ive never slept in a tent or on a groundcloth and ive only ever pitched my mid to the ground maby 3 times. the ventilation of my megamid keeps me dry and warm and able to see out on all sides and able to cook inside and hang clothes. and at 2 lbs, my 4 man mid is palacial and i can stand up.eq coated marmot bags and a bd megalite are the ticket broskidoodle.hi wac!

[bigcranky]

I like single wall silnylon tents, in general. In my opinion the weight savings are worth the tradeoff.

We had a Double Rainbow, which was not really large enough for two people to live in comfort. Got the Lunar Duo instead. Used the DR as a solo tent, and it was fine, but sold it last month to get a Moment.

We did have issues with rain and my first seam sealing job in the DR. Did it over again and that seemed to do the trick.

[Chaco Taco]

I ONLY use single-wall tents and have used them in rainy/condensation prone weather with condensation being a non-issue. Use a camp towel or your bandanna and problem solved.

I will never go to a double-wall tent again.

I had a sham wow and it helped, but waking up in the middle of the night with water dripping on my face really sucks. Say what you want but Im not impressed with the overall performance of this tent. We have been testing single wall tents for a year now and think we will just go back to double wall. Too much work for just a couple of pounds

[Chaco Taco]

I like single wall silnylon tents, in general. In my opinion the weight savings are worth the tradeoff.

We had a Double Rainbow, which was not really large enough for two people to live in comfort. Got the Lunar Duo instead. Used the DR as a solo tent, and it was fine, but sold it last month to get a Moment.

We did have issues with rain and my first seam sealing job in the DR. Did it over again and that seemed to do the trick.

So would you say that the seam sealing is what did it? I sealed mine and did it correctly and it still just waters up on us. Yes the size dimensions are not the best either. i think we had this discussion at The Ruck

[10-K]

I like single wall silnylon tents, in general. In my opinion the weight savings are worth the tradeoff.

We had a Double Rainbow, which was not really large enough for two people to live in comfort. Got the Lunar Duo instead. Used the DR as a solo tent, and it was fine, but sold it last month to get a Moment.

We did have issues with rain and my first seam sealing job in the DR. Did it over again and that seemed to do the trick.

+1 on the Duo. Perfect for me by myself, plenty of room for 2 adults w/ gear.

[Jim Adams]

I ONLY use single-wall tents and have used them in rainy/condensation prone weather with condensation being a non-issue. Use a camp towel or your bandanna and problem solved.

I will never go to a double-wall tent again.

If you need a camp towel or bandana then you do have a problem. Why not just deal with dry tents instead of all the extra work and excuses? A wet towel just killed your weight savings.

geek

[bigcranky]

If you need a camp towel or bandana then you do have a problem. Why not just deal with dry tents instead of all the extra work and excuses? A wet towel just killed your weight savings.

geek

Oh, please. A small wet camp towel wrung out weighs an ounce or two, and dries on the back of my pack. And a double wall tent gets as much condensation as a single wall - most users just don't see it. Doesn't mean it's not there.

[bulldog49]

I like single wall silnylon tents, in general. In my opinion the weight savings are worth the tradeoff.

We had a Double Rainbow, which was not really large enough for two people to live in comfort. Got the Lunar Duo instead. Used the DR as a solo tent, and it was fine, but sold it last month to get a Moment.

We did have issues with rain and my first seam sealing job in the DR. Did it over again and that seemed to do the trick.

Have you used the Moment yet? Very interested in your opinion of it as I'm thinking of purchasing one.

[ChinMusic]

If you need a camp towel or bandana then you do have a problem. Why not just deal with dry tents instead of all the extra work and excuses? A wet towel just killed your weight savings.

geek

It is a fallacy to think that a double-wall tent does not get condensation....it DOES. You just cannot touch it easily, since you have ANOTHER tent inside it.

I prefer to carry ONE tent and not TWO.

[skinewmexico]

I used my moment this weekend for the first time, close to a river in high humidity. Lots of condensation. It wiped off, and never dripped. All of the tents we used had huge condensation, some of them dripped down on the mesh and got people wet. They all do it.

Did you try the liner in your Double Rainbow?

[Tinker]

Oh, please. A small wet camp towel wrung out weighs an ounce or two, and dries on the back of my pack. And a double wall tent gets as much condensation as a single wall - most users just don't see it. Doesn't mean it's not there.

He's right. You might see it inside your vestibule. What matters most in controlling condensation is venting - same as clothing. When the wind is blowing rain or snow every which way and your tent is buttoned up tight you will have condensation from your breath alone. Add to that the moisture coming up from the bare ground inside your vestibule, and, depending on how intelligently your tent was designed, you may have a little dampness or an indoor rainstorm.
Chaco - Two people make it much worse in a small tent. I'm not surprised with your results.

[Tagless]

For what it is worth, I wouldn't be so quick to write off single wall tents. If the DR didn't work for you, there are other good options.

My wife and I carried a Tarptent Rainshadow 2 throughout our AT thru last year. We slept in it over 145 nights and had minimal condensation concerns. This was in spite of 2009 being a very rainy year.

The Rainshadow 2 is three-person tent, yet weighed only a few ounces more than your Double Rainbow. It offered plenty of room for two and gear.

Because of the interior size it vented very well - minimizing condensation issues. We used down sleeping bags the whole way and never had a concern about them getting wet.

[bigcranky]

Have you used the Moment yet? Very interested in your opinion of it as I'm thinking of purchasing one.

Yes, I took in on a hike on the Florida Trail last week.

The Moment is insanely easy to set up. Insert the pole, stake out one end, then stake out the other. Getting the tension right on the guy lines is a little tricky the first time, but easy after that. (You have to loosen and then adjust them every time to get a tight pitch.) I did not purchase the "freestanding" pole.

It has a very small footprint, so it was easy to find places to pitch. I'm 6-2, 210, and found plenty of room inside. I can sit up in the middle, cook breakfast in the vestibule, change clothes, etc. Half of the vestibule opens, and I just left it tied up the whole time. The other half is permanent, and it's big enough for my pack, shoes, sticks, and other gear. Inside, there is room for all my gear except maybe my pack, should I want to have it inside. (I really, really wish there were a zipper on the other half of the vestibule so I could open both sides for ventilation and views.)

Unlike some other solo tents, there is a fair amount of usable head and foot room at the ends. The tent keeps going for a foot or so past the floor at each end. There is ventilation at the ends, the door, and the opposite side can be clipped up for more ventilation.

I did get minor condensation two of the nights I was out. It never dripped on me, and my bag didn't contact the inside of the canopy. My solution to condensation is to carry a small pack towel and wipe it down before packing the tent, but this was hard to do in the Moment. The tent is narrow enough at the head and foot that I needed to lie down on my back to wipe it -- I'm not much of a contortionist, so it probably looked funny.

Given the design, when you lie down your head/face is only a few inches from the canopy. If that makes you claustrophobic, it could be an issue (note that this is not limited to this tent.)

Overall it's a very well thought out design.

[Jim Adams]

I didn't say that double wall tents don't get condensation, they do but they do get less of it than a single wall due to the better venting between the fly and the user plus that condensation isn't falling inside the tent onto gear. The fly will usually dry quicker than that camp towel. My feeling is just that why put up with all of the hassles and extra work of the single wall just to save a pound or two. I will GLADLY carry 2 pounds more to have great working equipment without all of the little quirks that the single walls have, not only the condensation but most aren't free standing. If it's not free standing then you may as well use a tarp.

geek

[tzbrown]

I have a Cloudburst 2, It has condensation issues when it is closed fully. This is to be expected because of 2 people inside breathing. What we do is to make sure the tent is pitched with some airflow. Leave the front vents open at the top. This helps a lot but all single wall tents will condensate in cooler weather. It is the cost of going light.

[WalkSoftly33]

+1 on SMD Lunar Duo

Loads of space (probably fit 3 people in a pinch (very cozy)

very adjustable in height of pitch, Storm mode/vent mode

I like the green color, very warming to wake up to in the morning light

[Chaco Taco]

Oh, please. A small wet camp towel wrung out weighs an ounce or two, and dries on the back of my pack. And a double wall tent gets as much condensation as a single wall - most users just don't see it. Doesn't mean it's not there.

You dont see it because it aint there! Im not sold on spending $250-$300 bucks for a tent I will get wet in. I have never had so much build up on my gear. It really sucked! I carried a sham wow and it did well, but having to wipe it all down in the middle of the nite sucked because water was dripping on my face. Never EVER had that issue with any double wall. I have been in 30 mph winds, driving rain, in a double wall and sat and played cards through it, dry dry dry! Ill take the extra weight and couple of extra moments to set it up. Plus as with the Lunar Duo, if you set up on a not so flat area, it sags like poopie underpants!!! Set me free!!!!!!