Need help for my 1P tent.

[SPIRIDON Papapetroy]

This is going to be my first tent so any advice will be much appreciated. I am looking for a lightweight 1person tent that packs small, sets up easy fast, has a small footprint, and condensation will be the least possible. The climate i am going to use it will not have snow at all, humidity is an issue and rainy (sometimes). I have come down to these:
1)Nemo Gogo LE
http://www.nemoequipment.com/product/?Gogo+LE+Tent
Packs super small, sets up very fast and easy, but condensation might be an issue because it has no vents
2)Tarptent Monemt
http://www.tarptent.com/momentdw.html
Sets up very fast and easy, needs only 2 stakes,good venting so condensation would be much less, but the pack size is too big (51x10cm).
3)Big Sky Revolution 1P or Mirage 1P
http://www.bigskyinternational.com/SummitShelters/Big_Sky_Revolution_1P_details.htm
http://www.bigskyinternational.com/SummitShelters/Big_Sky_Mirage_1P_details.htm
These are the only freestanding double wall tents i have found in which the inner is attached permanently to the outer so it is much easier to pitch and faster. You just clip the outer to the pole instead of clipping the inner first and then attaching the outer. They seem to have good venting so condensation will be less but the packed size is big (might be reduced if poles are kept separately).
Any advice for these tents or any other models would be grateful, thanks!

[Daniel Pittman]

I like the Big Agnes Fly Creek for a light tent, but I worry about ripping the floor. Any reason you're not considering a tarp? For me, it's lighter, easier, more versatile, and condensation is a non-issue.

[Josh Brock]

how much do you want to spend?

And you title says "1 persont tent" but you listed a tarp. Are you willing to look at all shelters like say hammocks and bivys.

If I was going to go out and get something new right now and money was not a big factor, I would get:

MLD Patrol shelter in cuben- 6.8oz- $315
MLD serenity Shelter in Syl- 8.5oz- $145

that is a full shelter for less than a pound. I havent used it so cant comment on that.

I have used a Hennessy hammock Ultralight Asym and love it
and this year im going to be trying a bivy Integral designs Nestor. Probably end up making or buying something like the MLD stuff above sooner or later also.

As for the condensaton, you can be in a tarp and still get a fair amount condensation. but that set up should breath really well.

[Angus A.]

Have you taken a look at the Six Moon Designs Skyscape? They have a PU Coated ($125 @ 34oz.) and Sil ($225 @ 24oz.) version of the tent. Easy to setup, uses two trekking poles.

[EndoftheTrail]

1) Nemo Gogo LE – To me, a "tent" that you can't sit up in is a glorified bivy. Nothing wrong with that, but depends on whether that feature is important to you.

2) Tarptent Moment – Good choice. Two things to watch for — if you use an air pad (2.5" thickness), make sure you are happy with how the ends slope down. Some people don't mind at all while others find it "confining" with the sloping 'ceiling' coming down so close to their face. The second thing to watch is the relatively large, unsupported slope on both ends. May be suboptimal in heavy rain and light snow. This, of course, is solved with the optional longitudinal pole — but that's an additional piece to bring, along with the weight. Still, even with the pole, this is a relatively lightweight shelter solution.

3) Big Sky Revolution 1P or Mirage 1P – I currently have the Mirage 2P (I crave space). The thing I really like about Big Sky is the way they stick to a "tried and true" design — a simple dome that is eminently weather resistant — and cut weight by using UL materials like silnylon. I also like the self-standing feature — although most times, you can always find ways to set up non-self-standing tents as well. One thing to be careful: If you decide on B.S. — email the company first to verify stock. If they have stock on hand, then you can count on fast delivery. If not, then it can be weeks and easily months of waiting!

[SPIRIDON Papapetroy]

I have read about the Big Agnes but i think the Big Sky revolution is easier and faster to pitch because of the inner being attached to the outer. As for the MLD shelters, i am not very interested in this kind. I need something with more "protection", like the ones i mentioned above. About 350$ is the maximum i can spend.

[J R]

How are you defining "protection"? There are a variety of hybrid tarp-tents that give you all the protection of a double-walled tent but are designed to use your trekking poles for support, saves a ton of weight and space to not be carrying tent poles. Fully-enclosed net inner with tarp rainfly, just like a "regular" tent. Some offer additional advantages such as more room. Tarptent, Lightheart Gear, Six Moon Designs all have good choices well within your budget.

[Jan S]

I found the Moment DW has one of the best interior room constructions I have ever seen in a tent. The usable space is excellent. I'm 1.86 m and used it with a NeoAir XTherm and didn't have the coffin feeling I usually get in my Akto and did not touch the head wall while sitting up.

As for condensation: I used it around freezing with just the top vent open and no wind at all and there was some but I doubt it would have been enough to take a shower (not exactly sure because it was all frozen).

Personally I would try to make do with pack size before I tried to cram me and my stuff into a tent that looks as small as the Nemo. And it should fit standing upright in most packs, but then I have no idea how you want to carry it.

[SPIRIDON Papapetroy]

By writing "protection" i mean that there are times that i don't want to be seen by other people. Also, i don't use trekking poles, so buying a tent that needs trekking poles means that i have to buy specific poles for it. I know that some tent makers have this option. Jan what do you mean by "try to make do with pack size"? I would like some more info about the moment DW if you can. The inner is full mesh or breathable fabric? Also, can you post a photo with tent packed? Thanks.

[EndoftheTrail]

@ Spyros:

Buying dedicated pole(s) — because you don't use trekking poles — is no different than buying a tent that comes with its own poles. Don't let that cloud your analyses. Simply add in the weight of dedicated pole(s) — and compare bottom line weights — apples to apples.

[Jan S]

"Jan what do you mean by "try to make do with pack size"?"

You wrote in your initial post that the packed size was to big for you. And well it's long and thin. About the length collapsed tent poles usually have and you can't make it shorter by packing the poles somewhere else because of the struts at the end. Given it's other virtues I think the pack size is something I would rather try to spend some time to make it workable instead of turning it down because of it. But then, I have bought it for a reason :)

Here is the packed Moment with the usual 1 L Nalgene bottle as comparison.

The inner is full mesh except for the bathtub floor which is silnylon. As far as I know Henry is planning to make a breathable fabric inner for use in colder temperatures, which will come out later this year (right on time for winter I would guess). You can completely unclip the inner or just parts of it should you need more vestibule space. I'm not exactly sure yet if I like the two vestibules or would prefer a single slightly larger one. The inner is quite narrow which suits me just fine and has plenty space on the head and foot end. It's the first tent with this general construction I have seen that manages to really make the whole length useable for me and does not cut a couple centimeters of by getting too low. All in all you really get the 2.13 m length. But you might get problems if you happen to be build squarely, i.e. short and wide – but not too sure about that.

Edit: Added photo.

P.S. The Moment is freestanding too if you add the second pole. Seems to me though that the two pegs would still be good idea.

[EndoftheTrail]

@Spyros:

I don't like having a bunch of stuff hanging off my pack. But the one thing I always attach to the outside is my tent:

1. You can save significant pack space — or maybe get away with using a smaller/lighter pack.

2. When arriving at camp and it's already raining — there's no need to open up your pack and fish out your tent — exposing contents to the rain.

3. When striking camp and it's raining — you can pack everything and close up your pack inside your tent. Then, you can put on your rain jacket, take down your tent, attach to your pack, and be on your way. But if you pack your tent inside your pack, then you can't finish packing until you take down your wet (and possibly muddy) tent to shove inside the stuff sack and then to stuff inside your pack — all the while exposing everything to rain. Not good.

[Daniel Pittman]

That's good advice, and another reason I like tarps. Very easy to strike camp and get moving when it's cold or rainy. Wet tarp and ground sheet goes in exterior pack pocket or mesh panel, stakes go in top pocket, and down the trail I go.

[SPIRIDON Papapetroy]

Well i hadn't thought of attaching the tent outside of the rucksack. Does the sack feel bulkier or uncomfortable when having the tent attached outside? I assume that the rucksack must have sleeping pad straps in order to attach the tent.

[Franco Darioli]

Spyros
I shot a video clip on the Moment DW to show the new features, compared to the previous version :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8HK1-nryaY0&list=UU0PuLUKvG7Fxxex5BMVK4vw&index=1
Setting it up is the same as the original.
You get the idea when you see me moving the shelter.

[Elizabeth Tracy]

I don't know much about the tent models you are asking about. However, thought I would mention that you do NOT have to use the stuff sack that the tent comes with. Get rid of the stuffsack and you have all kinds of options.

Each tent comes with several components: Tent body; fly (if separate); poles; and stakes. I pack each of those components separately. That way, they can fill in whatever corner (or outside pocket) of the pack still has room for tent parts. You can fold up your tent so that it is shaped like a square instead of, say, a long cylinder, as most tent stuffsacks are shaped.

If I'm carrying my bigger back, the tent poles can usually fit vertically inside. If carrying the smaller pack, the poles get strapped on the outside.

– Elizabeth

[Edward Silva]

Also recommend the Big Agnes Copper Spur UL1.

Once I ditched the stakes I don't need and guyline for lighter stakes and reflective guyline, it comes in at a respectable 2.5 pounds, extremely light for a freestanding double-wall bombproof tent from a major manufacturer.

Even uses tried and true aluminum tent poles. Had experimented with carbon tent poles and had them snap, so am back to using real metal.

Has enough headroom to sit upright comfortably and very steep side walls, so you have more truly usuable space and don't feel claustrophobic. Interior dimensions are sufficiently roomy that my Western Mountaineering 6' long bag does not touch the tent walls, so you don't end up with soggy feet in the morning. Feels like a palace.

As it's freestanding, you can haul it around the campsite once it's pitched, to find the optimum sleeping spot. Very easy pitch, takes just a couple minutes.

Handles condensation well so far, no issues with my nights in the Sierras.

That said, am also a big fan of Henry Shires' Tarptent Notch!

[SPIRIDON Papapetroy]

I tried to attach my friend's tent to the sleeping pad straps of my Exos 46 but the tent was too loose. Any other ways of attaching it outside of the pack, so it doesn't move around?

[Henry Shires / Tarptent]

" Tarptent Moment…but the pack size is too big (51x10cm)."

This has now changed to 46cm (18"). The Moment arch pole is now 18" packed to match the 18" strut length. Same is true for the Rainbow / Double Rainbow.

-H

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