In search of the Perfect tent for 2

[MuddyWaters]

If I was to buy another 2 person tent (use a hexamid twin now, and yes it is > $500) it would be the SMD cuben Haven and net inner.

1. Double wall , 26 oz
2. Haven tarp is taped, no sealing required
3. It can be split so each person can carry part of the wt, hybrid tents like lunar duo are one piece
4. You can take just the tarp much of the time (10 oz)
5. Plenty of protection
6. Use it with a bug bivy or solo inner net for a 18oz solo tent
7. Repair it yourself with cuben tape if you get a hole, etc.

As far as Im concerned, its the best 2p item on the market right now for people wanting a full tent. The hexamid is light, but it takes a little work to stay dry in it.

[ERNMAN]

I have a lightheart solong 6 with a wedge...... love it. alot of room for under 2 lbs.

[Not Sunshine]

What is the magic behind this cuben material????

If I was to buy another 2 person tent (use a hexamid twin now, and yes it is > $500) it would be the SMD cuben Haven and net inner.

1. Double wall , 26 oz
2. Haven tarp is taped, no sealing required
3. It can be split so each person can carry part of the wt, hybrid tents like lunar duo are one piece
4. You can take just the tarp much of the time (10 oz)
5. Plenty of protection
6. Use it with a bug bivy or solo inner net for a 18oz solo tent
7. Repair it yourself with cuben tape if you get a hole, etc.

As far as Im concerned, its the best 2p item on the market right now for people wanting a full tent. The hexamid is light, but it takes a little work to stay dry in it.

[MuddyWaters]

Cuben:

1) it is LIGHT and strong
2) it does not stretch at all, even when wet, silnylon stretches horribly and requires re-tensioning, and when wet can be very dissapointing.
3) the seams are taped, so you dont have to do a horribly messy ugly seam sealing on your expensive new pride and joy to use it.

[on_the_GOEZ]

My GF just purchased the Double Rainbow from tarptent. Great piece of equipment!

[thebrewguy]

I have a Kelty Gunnison 2.1 which is my favorite 2-man tent. It weighs in at about 5lbs. with the body, poles, and rain fly, but when you split this between 2 people it makes it very easy to carry. It has 2 doors and 2 vestibules so its perfect for sharing with a friends who you are NOT intimate with. Super simple to setup and take down, sturdy and reliable. Also it only costs about $160. If you can split up the weight, the simplicity and comfort of this is worth it.

I also have a GoLite ShangriLa-1 trekking pole-base tent. This is extremely lightweight, easy to setup and quite roomy for a 1-man. I only have experience with mine, but they also make a ShangriLa-2, which is the 2-man version, however its still 3lbs 2oz. according to their site. The 1-man is only 2lbs. 3oz. but I'd only want to share it with a girlfriend/wife if anyone at all. They are $120 and $150 right now on clearance.

My last recommendation would be a silnylon (Globe Skimmer Ultralight) tarp from Equinox (equinoxltd.com). I have the 8x10 version, which costs about $92 and weighs in at just under 1lb. with stuff sack and guylines. You can set these up a million different ways including using trekking poles. But it takes some practice and most people will want to carry some kind of ground cloth(Tyvek ground cloth also from Equinox), and possibly a bug net (Sea to Summit Mosquito Pyramid Single) too. This setup with the ground cloth and bug net weighs in at about 2lbs. 4oz with 8 MSR needle stakes.

Hope this helps.

[thebrewguy]

Cuben:

1) it is LIGHT and strong
2) it does not stretch at all, even when wet, silnylon stretches horribly and requires re-tensioning, and when wet can be very dissapointing.
3) the seams are taped, so you dont have to do a horribly messy ugly seam sealing on your expensive new pride and joy to use it.

I don't agree that silnylon stretches. I have 2 products from different companies that use it for the rainfly and have had no such experience.

[Not Sunshine]

Does anyone have a Stratospire2 by Tarptent????

It looks like a spacious, but I'm not sure how it would fare in windy weather.....

Also looks like it could be big enough for 3 people...tight, but 3.

http://www.tarptent.com/stratospire2.html

[fadeaway]

I have a Big Anges Copper Spur 3. Its lite weight and roomy for two. Paid $400.

[Deacon]

From what I see out there, any of the TarpTents are the best engineered most well thought out designs available.

If I wasn't a hammocker, that's what I would go with. The style is your choice of course.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[cknight]

I have used a Double Rainbow for about four years. Glacier, Yellowstone, Zion, and all over the lower 500 miles of the AT. It only has one flaw, rain will splash in the ends if it rains hard. It also requires you to manage your space very carefully during any rain event making sure you do not push the mesh on either end out. I really see no reason for this mesh and do not believe is adds enough ventilation to outweigh the rain issues.

I just completed a 150 mile section in PA and one of the through hikers (a couple) echoed my opinion.