How to pitch a Lunar Duo in bad weather

David

I own the Duo but have yet to use it in bad weather. I pack my shelter in the outside pocket of my pack. For multi trip days with rain in the forecast I am planning on leaving the poles in their sleeves and just stuffing the tent in the mesh pocket as is. Very easy to set up the next night.

I stake the corners first and then go back and re-place them after pitching. You can just lift the vestibule over yourself without crawling on the ground to access the pole sleeve this way. The sleeve inside is my only gripe with this tent, but minor in the long run.

Hi Jeff. Thanks for the input.

I suppose I'll be leaving my shelter in one of my pack's outside pockets too. Except when I'm bushwhacking that is. I'm not sure how I feel about leaving the poles inserted while the tent is packed away though…seems a recipe for punctures.

I guess crawling under the vestibule is no great hardship. The annoying thing in my situation is that, living in Brooklyn, I have no back yard. Rather, I do, but it's all concrete except for the planted garden, so I can't just step outside and try out pitching the tent. I have to go to a park to do so…and half the time the cops hassle me when I try do so. I guess I look disheveled enough to be mistaken for homeless – even with a Lunar Duo and Double Rainbow pitched side by side for comparison purposes. The finer points of UL style are lost on urban cops I guess. ;)

The detail of the poles being inside the tents really stands out to me as being an unfortunate oversight. Everything else about the tent is great, especially its spaciousness. (However, pitching the Double Rainbow in the rain will be easier.) I figure there must be a reason for the poles being inside given the thoughtful nature of the rest of the design. But it's still gonna drive me nuts!

Sometimes I hate the decision making process when it comes to gear.

Keep the Lunar Duo. Yeah the poles are a little bit of a hastle but minor when compared to the overall features of the tent. As far as setting up in the rain, I 've set mine up a couple of times when it was drizzling and it was no problem. The other alternative is the Refuge or Refuge X.

Hey Bill, How do you typically pitch your Duo? Do you do anything different when pitching it in the rain?

I just stake the corners, and then put the spacer pole in then the front pole, vestibule then the rear. If it is pouring down rain you will get wet but the inside of the tent will not get soaked.

David,

You said "…so I can't just step outside and try out pitching the tent…"

If you have a large area rug try loops of velcro 'hooks' and tie off to those. If you have wall-to-wall carpet and a sacrificial OSB/ply sub-floor just drive nails.

I've done both quite effectively.

>>If you have a large area rug try loops of velcro 'hooks' and tie off to those. If you have wall-to-wall carpet and a sacrificial OSB/ply sub-floor just drive nails.

Dude, did my landlord put you up to this? I can just see my security deposit being withheld for damages associated with pitching a tent inside. ;)

Unfortunately, I have hardwoood floors and a couple throw rugs, so your ideas probably wouldn't work well for me.

I appreciate your dedication though, Greg!

Was not fun, but stayed dry. It was pouring and tent stayed dry. Stake 4 corners, keep vestibule flaps down, pitch side and zip, then do the same on other side. The only thing that was not fun…trying to find the little black on black hole designated for the poles. I actually spoke to Ron about this and I marked the hole with yellow to see next time. Boy that slowed me down in the pouring dusk rain.