Recommended 2p tent – need flexibility

[Terry Hoover]

Looking for a flexible, lightweight 2p tent or tarp/net combo. I do a lot of weekend Boy Scout camping (I stay pretty light), some backpacking with scouts and my family, and am planning multiple trips to Philmont with each of my four kiddos. As a baseline, I'm looking at a SMD Haven Tarp (18 oz, 2 person, $200) combined with a Haven NetTent (16 oz, 2 person, $150). So, 34 oz and $350 is my baseline and about my max price. I think this will give me flexible options to handle all of my camping/backpacking needs. Tarp alone, NetTent alone, or use in conjunction for a fully enclosed shelter (required now by Philmont). Is there a better setup for similar dollars? Side notes – I am 6'3" and my kiddos will also be tall. Only interested in three season…not worried about any significant snow load. Most of our camping/backpacking is in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas. Thanks in advance for your feedback. Terry

[Sam Riggle]

Hey Terry, Just a couple questions some people like to see answered to better give you advice and suggestions. -Do you prefer side entry, or will front entry work for you? (Guessing side because of the Haven) -Do you prefer to have all of your headroom in the middle of the tent, spread out across the whole tent, or above your head while sleeping? ( just ex. Of what I mean (not necessarily suggestions)- middle=haven, spread out=Double Rainbow, head end= TT Squall 2) -Do you tend to hang out in your shelter, or just use it for sleeping? In other words; Do you need room for two people to be able to move around, or just enough to sleep and maybe change clothes? Just trying to better understand your needs and wants. I think the Haven may be your best bet IMO, for what you described so far. Sam

[Terry Hoover]

Thanks for the insight Sam. Prefer dual side entry…really don't like front entry. Want good headroom since I am tall…not overly concerned about middle vs. one end. Limited hanging out in the shelter but would want that option if caught in a rain storm… Thanks again. Terry

[Sam Riggle]

After doing a bit of researching, I don't think you could find a tarp/inner net combo with a better cost/weight ratio as the Haven. Going much lighter will cost quite a bit more. There other slightly heavier combo options out there for around the same cost. -The TarpTent Stratospire2 is 46oz, has dual side entry, trekking pole supported, removable interior and costs $350. With the weight increase comes a lot more room. The floor can fit three standard pads, though it would be cramped. You can camp three easy under the tarp alone though. -For a bit more weight, and potentially quite a bit cheaper you could seek out a used GoLite ShangriLa 3 tarp and inner. Enough space for two plus gear and good weather shedding abilities. I think Big Agnes bought the rights for it and has been selling some new ones under their brand. -There's other combinations of tarps and inner nets you can combine. I know BearPaw Wlderness Designs, while maybe not the greatest company, has quite a few lightweight options you could check out. Weights and prices vary, but should be on par with what your searching for. Hope I've been somewhat helpful. Sam

[Terry Hoover]

Very helpful indeed Sam. The TT StratoSpire 2 is interesting. Hate the weight penalty but the extra room would be very nice. Probably still leaning toward the SMD Haven combo, but I can see the TT being a better choice in certain applications. Most of the usage would be just me, in which case the SMD would be perfect. Sharing with another adult might be a bit tight, but rare. Terry

[J-L]

Just a note: the Tarptent weights include stake weights, whereas the SMD weights do not, so need to account for that in weight comparison. I don't know how much the Tarptent stakes weigh I think the Haven sounds good for you. I used to own one and thought it was a great shelter. It handled wind and rain well, and packed up small. Biggest downside was that the vestibules were kind of small. Good option for a tent that is mainly used solo and only occasionally by 2 people. I sold it because I started sewing my own tents, and generally don't use trekking pole supported shelters much anymore. You could also look into the Yama Mountain Gear shelters, such as their Swiftline. There's limited info on it since it only came out recently: http://www.yamamountaingear.com/swiftline-2P/ The Big Sky Mirage 2P could be another good option for you. 39.9oz/$330 in the base configuration, and you get a semi-freestanding 2-person single-wall tent. I have the Big Sky Chinook 2P – it's very well made and an overall excellent tent, so I imagine the Mirage 2P would be similar. I mention the Mirage for two reaons: 1. It has a smaller footprint than the Haven. The few times I've hiked by a Scout camp, they always look super crowded to me, so it seems a tent with a small footprint that can be easily moved would be useful. 2. In order to get a good pitch on the Haven, you really need to use the peak guylines to tighten that center ridgeline. It creates something to trip over, which the Mirage minimizes. The Double Rainbow from Tarptent could be another good single-wall option. The Rainbow models always feel like they have a lot of headroom to me

[Franco Darioli]

I don't know how much the Tarptent stakes weigh 6x 8" Easton included, 3 oz total On exposed areas it works much better with separate stakes for the apex guylines, so 2 extra stakes are required for that.

[Joe Lynch]

I have the heavier version of the six moon designs lunar duo and use it for scout outings. The tent has a lot of head room and has served me well. It's a little under your budget and is a really solid choice for car camping if you need a tent for that too.

[Terry Hoover]

Ok.  Have not been able to get comfortable with the 44″ width of the SMD Haven NetTent.  Starting to lean toward one of the Lunar Duo’s, which are 54″ wide by 90″ long.  While I won’t get the standalone NetTent, it looks like the Lunar Duo opens up pretty good.  Also appears that I would not have trouble keeping from touching the sides/top when wet.  SMD will hopefully put them on sale again around Valentine’s Day.  Any better tent for the money? Probably open to a front entry tent as well after thinking about it (e.g. TT Rainshadow 2 or Squall 2???).  Again, three season, fairly light, I’m tall (6’3″), will mostly camp in Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas, mostly car camping, but will have several weekend backpacking trips and a 2017 Philmont trip where I’ll be sharing the tent with someone else.  Thanks for the help.

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