Tarptent vs Small Double Wall Tent

John

>Since you've used them all in the field: Do you think the SL3, the Hubba Hubba, the Rainshadow, or the Cloudburst would be the best for camping in condensation prone conditions and occaisional windy rain with 8 – 12 year old kids &/or inexperienced adults ?

I know the question was directed to Doug. Allow me to share my experience. I currently own the BA SL1, BA SL3, and TT Rainshadow2.

I bought the SL1 for myself. The SL3 when my kids wanted to follow me camping. The Rainshadow2 I bought 2 months ago to find out what is the big deal with single-wall tarptent.

The Rainshadow2 is the roomiest and also the breeziest. In a recent trip in the French Alps, my wife complained of the "slight" breeze creeping in from the back end. I had the smaller back end facing the wind. No condensation at all. My 10 year old daughter and my wife (inexperienced adult) were moving around so much because of the slippery floor. No damage to the tent. This will be the tent I will take for my Tour du Mont Blanc next summer with wifey and kid. 44oz.

The SL3 is NOT a 3-person tent. At best a 2.5 person tent just like Doug said. I usually have 3 kids in the tent. They fit… but just. It is not really doubled wall because the inner top material is almost 100% mesh. The SL3 took a lot of abuse and survived. SL3 behaved better in the wind and rain. I never felt any cool breeze once I pitched it down. My 3 teenagers use this tent a lot. They split the weight equally 3-ways. BA also always under-report the weights by 10%.

The SL1 was my first UL tent. Fits only one. I did not experienced the snags reported in the BPL review. Nowadays, the SL1 I consider too heavy for UL backpacking. I may use the SL1 Fastfly setup (1kg) one day but I am already thinking of a tarp + bivy setup (max 0.5kg).

The Tarptents blow the BA tents in terms of weight. In terms of performance, they have their own advantages…almost equal. Considering everything being equal, the weight was my deciding factor. I am planning to buy the GG/TT Squall Classic (24oz) for my 2-man tent.

Hope this helps.
Shah

Thanks Shah. This is exactly the kind of head-to-head comparison I was looking for.

If anyone else has any experiences that may help me decide what to order, please share it. I didn't really mean to just direct my question to Doug.

Thanks.

John.

We use a Rainshadow tarp tent. (Need to keep the Rainshadow and the Rainbow and Double Rainbow tarptents from getting mixed up. The Rainshadow and the Rainshadow 2 are 3-person tarp tents in the original Shires design. The two Rainbows are single-arch-pole tents.) It has enough room for three adults and some gear, but it does get condensation under the proper conditions. I'm usually on one side, and being the largest person, get the brunt of the condensation. It's usually all over my bag by morning, as I tend to thrash a bit.

I'm using a high-quality down bag with a DWR coating, and I have to say, any condensation has *never* been a problem. Even with the outside fabric fairly wet, the loft is never compromised, and I stay nice and warm. A few minutes in the sun, either when packing up or at lunch, and the bag is dry. Even if I have to pack up damp, I've never had an issue that evening. The down is fine. Anyway, that's my experience.

–Ken

John,

I live in Washington, actually, so our rain comes at all times of the day and from all directions. :-)

In a trip two years ago backpacking the Long Trail, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland, my wife and I used a Tarptent Squall 2 and it was just as great as all the times we used it in Washington and Oregon. We are huge fans.

Now, a Virginia summer is a sweat palace, correct? High humidity? That's something that we aren't as used to. But the Rainshadow is much larger than either the SL2 or Hubba Hubba (or the Cloudburst). I've always found that the extra ventilation of the Tarptents have been perfect in higher humidity conditions becasue it allows for airflow, but if the wind is zero, you will still get some condensation.

Sorry- I don't know your particular area…but I'd get the Rainshadow.

And everything that Shah said is EXACTLY right. This guy really knows what he's talking about.

By the way, I just spent 2 days of constant drizzle to hard rain in the Cascades…high winds too. I was in a Gossamer Gear/Tarptent Squall Classic. Almost zero condensation and we were totally dry. I love these tents!