I need advise on which shelter to buy as my 1st single wall shelter.
I'll be using it for 3 season + shoulder season use for 2 adults along the AT and at State/National Parks in the Southern Pennsylvania, Maryland and Northern Virginia area.
The spring shoulder season (late March through April) is often near or just above freezing at night and with sporadic light rain and light wind during the day &/or night.
The fall shoulder season (late September through October) is the same, but also humid during the day – but with no wind when it's not raining.
In the summer it's hot and humid, often with no breeze but with lots of bugs. Sometimes the camping is along the beach, so there is more humidity but a mild breeze.
Site selection won't be something I can control much since the State/National parks require camping in "approved" areas where the tent sites are pre-defined. Even along the AT, we will typically camp near the shelter since otherwise we can't build a fire. Unfortunately, camping near the shelter also requires us to use the pre-defined tent-pads…
I think a tarp tent would be ideal for the summer season to cut down of the sauna-like heat inside my SD Lightning.
Would a single-wall shelter also handle the shoulder season(s) here – or is more wind required to hot have lots of condensation getting everything wet ?
I'm mainly considering the Tarptent Rainshadow (for it's big interior), and Lunar Duo (for it's vertical walls and room for 2 people to sit up compared to the Tarptent Double Rainbow). Which one would most people consider the best for convincing their spouses (etc) that they don't need to carry a 4.5 pound double wall tent ?
Also, we have down bags with very basic nylon taffetta shells (Marmot Sawtooth & Angelfire). How many degrees of warmth should I expect to lose by sleeping in the Rainshadow or Duo compared to the SD Lightning ?
Finally, does anyone know how the packed size of the Rainshadow, Lunar Duo and SD Lightning compare ? If the Rainshadow is packed in a standard shaped suff sack, does it take up more room than the Lunar Duo ? Would either take up about half the amount of space as the Lightning ?
Thanks.
