Lunar Solo- wind and rain resistance

[Tim F]

Got my LSe last month and have only had it up in my yard so far. Living in the Midwest, we have our share of strong winds and driving rain. This is my first single wall tent (switching from a Seedhouse 1) and I've read in different places about "misting" inside a silnylon tent when it is raining hard. Is this common? If so, would some kind of silicone water repellent spray (like CampDry) help in this regard? The other major question I have is about how much wind this tent will take. I had it up in ~15mph winds and I would be hesitant to use it in stronger gusts. Any experience you guys can share?

[EndoftheTrail]

I've had this tent in pretty hard rain and never had any issues with misting — although I have read enough about it to know that it can happen under the 'right' conditions.

Unlike the longish tarptents where you are always advised to point the foot end toward the wind (never mind that winds often change directions throughout the night) — the hexagonal shape of the Lunar enables it to deflect the wind from most any direction. As long as you stake this puppy down properly — better yet weigh the stakes down with rocks if you expect winds to be howling — it will stand its ground. Obviously, given this is an UL piece of gear, you should also exercise some care in finding sheltered camp spots.

[Gail Lusk]

Our Trades on average on any given day our 15-20 mph and this tent is just fine. I use two stakes on each end when we are in gusts of 25-35 mph. In sand it is a problem…like suggested above use rocks, wood anything to tie down for extra insurance.

[Lynn Tramper]

As the others have said, wind is not a problem with proper staking. I don't think the tent really 'mists' either. All the silnylon shelters I have used are prone to condensation, and when hard rain or wind hits a canopy with condensation on it, the condensation will get knocked off the inner wall and feel like it's misting. No amount of sealant can stop this from happening as the tent itself is not leaking. the only way to prevent it is to hold your breath…or carry a lightweight bivy bag.

[David Ure]

nm

[EndoftheTrail]

David:

You are in good company actually. Henry Shires himself has experienced misting as well.

[Lynn Tramper]

What kind of conditions cause misting?? We have had a CloudBurst pitched with two days of rain approaching 30cm per day (12 inches) on the wet coast of NZ without misting, so either we had an exceptionally good batch of silnylon, or it takes more than just rain pressure to cause it. How can you tell misting (from outside penetration) versus inside condensation in an environment of extremely high rain pressure (and presumably high humidity too)?? Does anyone know what pressure silnylon is rated up to for water-proofness?

[Richard Nisley]

Allison,

Most of this material tests between 1 and 2 PSI. I think the discrepancy in personal misting experiences can be explained in part by how tightly the silnylon is stretched. If not stretched tightly, the areas near rain drop’s impact (~ 10.7 PSI) will give slightly to reduce, if not eliminate, misting. This is similar to the engineered “give” in bullet proof vests.

[Lynn Tramper]

Richard, does this mean it's better to have a floppy tent when it's raining? That's good news since it's hard to keep silnylon taut in cold rainy weather anyway!

[David Ure]

nm

[Lynn Tramper]

Aaaaah David, you've just given me justification as to why I need to constantly upgrade our tents with the newest models ;)

[David Ure]

nm

[Tim F]

Thanks for all the responses, some of the rains I have been through in my double wall tent had me a bit apprehensive about this one.

Thanks David- there is some great information on that website! It was immediately added to my bookmarks.

What are the highest winds you guys have had your LSe in?

[Franco Darioli]

Very little rain around here and we have water restrictions, so no testing…
I have had misting in my Tarptents several times. At times it appeared to be rain penetrating the silnylon at others just condensation being knocked off.
The last heavy rains I had on the Contrail were in Nepal, it rained solidly for hours for several nights (late monsoonal rains) . One particular night I was awaken by some sprays, the noise from the heavy rain was amazing. Anyway, I wiped the inside of the tent a couple of times, waited for 15 min or so, no more misting. It stopped raining about 4 hours after that but had no misting after the post midnight wipe.
Franco
David apparently Imelda Marcos was " a bit of " a shoe freak

[David Ure]

nm

[EndoftheTrail]

HEY!!! I ain't no tent freak. I own exactly two tents. Sheesh… :)

[Franco Darioli]

I tent therefore I am…

Ben conveniently forgot to finish the sentence. Here is the full version :
I own exactly two tents,at a time.
Franco

[EndoftheTrail]

Aye, you know me too well…

[John Carter]

I've come to the conclusion (but others will disagree) that you can't have both a fully enclosed shelter and strong wind/rain resistant shelter at UL weights. I wouldn't trust the way Henry or Ron sew their tie-outs to truly strong winds, and I think they would expect you would search for a protected site with their shelters.

A GoLite Hex 3 (now Shangri-La 3) will be stronger, more stable, less likely to mist (it's a thicker fabric), and has reinforced tie-outs, and tarp alone weights 25oz–about the same as the Lunar Solo. Of course you loose the bathtub floor and mosquito netting. Some say the Hex 3 is too warm, but you can fold back two of the panels for plenty of views and ventilation.

My suggestion would be this: if you expect normal 3 season conditions without a major storm in the forecast, stick with the Lunar Solo; it's an awesome shelter. If you expect high winds and rain in an unsheltered spot, go with a Hex 3 / Shangri-La 3 and a SMD Serenity NetTent. It's only half a pound heavier (maybe more with the extra stakes needed) but would add significant piece of mind. And it would weigh less than a Lunar Solo with a bivy.

Of course the truly UL way to handle high winds is a small tarp and bivy; you can stake down a tarp much lower than you can the Lunar Solo. But based on the fact that you got the Lunar Solo, I imagine you would appreciate some headroom while waiting out a storm.

[Author]

Posts