SMD lunar duo: easy to get a taut pitch?

For example, does your pitch often end up like this? Looks rather saggy (not sure whether this after a night of use though, and what exactly the conditions were like).

I purchased the Lunar Duo after a lot of study of other possible lightweight tent solutions. For me, it came down to the Tarp Tent Double Rainbow and the SMD Lunar Duo. Some will point out that there are lighter and smaller alternatives, but at 6'6" and 270 pounds, my first option was to fit ME and other options simply didn’t work.

To make a long story short, the Lunar Duo is longer and has more headroom which was exactly what I needed being a big person. Much like you, I was curious how it would stand up to both the elements and normal pitching considering it doesn't have the support structure that many mainstream tents design to accommodate.

The Lunar Duo has the same pitching challenges as my tarp in the sense that both are usually supported by hiking poles with the corners staked out. In both cases, you have to stake the corners first, get the poles set, then reset the corners again. The need to “reset” is merely a criteria of getting the height right with the hiking poles and collectively they all aid in how tight you can get the overall structure. Being that the tent lacks the conventional tent structure, it does lack a certain tightness. To me, however, this is a reflection of the lightweight design (i.e. lack of conventional pole structure) and is one of those things that simply needs to be taken in stride with the whole “lightweight” goal being of greater importance.

With that said, my intent isn’t to knock on this tent as I actually really like it and it is still my first choice in tents built for someone my size. I find that it pitches “tight enough”, although I’ll admit it does sag a bit with wetness, but the sag is negligible. I think the tightness of the pitch has a lot to do with the floor too and how SMD designed the ventilation of the system as the lower mesh ventilation, the sides, and the floor all connect at the same point and it would take someone with a lot of time and finesse to get the pitch perfect by adjusting all of these things collectively. To me, it simply didn’t sag enough to really make me concerned and it isn’t worth my time to mess with it until it is perfect.

Hi Ashley,

I have the Lunar Duo so I might be able to give you some useful info.

I find that it’s very possible to get a reasonably taught pitch. You might not be able to bounce a quarter off it, but the tent pitches well. With respect to your concern about pitching the LD on uneven ground, I wouldn’t worry too much. If you have adjustable trekking poles, you can lengthen the pole on the downhill side. But I wouldn’t pitch any tent on terribly uneven ground and expect a good set up.

Likewise, the trick to minimizing sag is to use adjustable poles. During setup, lengthen them until the bathtub floor rises of the ground a bit. That’s the tent’s sweet spot. The overall difficulty in getting a good pitch is pretty minimal. Keep in mind though, you will get some sag during rainy weather and the like, but this can be said of any tarp tent…and making adjustments to tighten up the pitch is really simple. Takes about 30 seconds. There shouldn’t be any need to re-peg the tent if you pitch it right as there adjustment straps specifically designed to avoid re-pegging.

Now, in my opinion, the LD isn’t set up properly in the photo you linked, or, at least, not set up fully. The sag in the photo is due to the fact that the middle guy lines are in use without the corner guy lines. This results in an uneven distribution of tension. I think it’s best to use either just the four corner guy lines or all six. All six in a “W” shaped single guy line is particularly effective and recommended by the tent’s designer.

Personally, I really like the LD. I’ve used it a lot this summer and it has seen its fair share of rain and wind. No problems to speak of.

This might be helpful for you:

http://picasaweb.google.com/dhorton79/TomFieldWilleyTecumseh6146152008/photo#5213051479775337410

That’s what my LD’s roof looks like after a long night’s rain. Not too much sag, eh? You can flip through there are a few photos from that morning that show the tent’s roof.

Hope that helps.

– Dave

James, Dave, great feedback. Thank you!

So I think you just sold me a tent! I don't mind a bit of sagging during rain… just wanted to check that the roof/walls weren't going to be sagging and brushing against me all the time.

I've got adjustable poles (thank you Ben!) so getting the height just right should be no problem. Also, I'm glad to hear that you can keep the pitch taut by pulling on the tensioners without needing to repeg.

Dave, your photos are making me rethink my choice of colour… I was thinking of going green before. I think the green looks nice on the outside, but your silver colour looks like it lets the light through very well… quite cheery on a dull, rainy day if you have to sit inside your tent for a couple of hours. Hmmmmm!

Did you guys end up going for the ultralight or the standard floor? I am thinking of getting the standard floor and not bothering with a groundsheet (I don't use one with my current tent).

Thanks for your feedback… really helpful!

Yeah, I have the Lunar Solo in the green color. I prefer the grey of the LD. It blends in much better and lets more light in.

I got the standard floor. My thinking was that the appeal of the tent was that it was livable and I might be spending some time inside it. I think I'd pick the UL floor if I had it to do over again. I have the UL floor on my Solo and it's fine, especially if you have a ground cover that you can take if needed.

Dave,
In your post you said

'All six in a “W” shaped single guy line is particularly effective and recommended by the tent’s designer.'

I looked through the SMD site but couldn't find a photo.
Can you point me to a URL?

Thanks.

Greg – sorry, there is no URL. I got the info from Ron in a phone conversation. I beleive that the "w" shape is the way that the LD is meant to be guyed out. Don't quote me on that though.

Just give Six Moon Designs a call. I'm sure they'll be happy to chat about it.

– Dave

I got the standard floor too and I sealed it. One thing that I think is constantly lost in these forums is often in regards to things which are truly UL. I'm a regular guy which means I'm not rich. I would love to buy the lightest stuff in the world which is ultimately disposable after some remedial use, but my purchases are made with the intent on going as light as possible while getting something that will last a little longer then just a handful of uses. I guess this is the reason I purchased the standard floor versus the UL floor. Simply put overall, I really like the Lunar Duo for its size and the fact that it is a viable lightweight option which works.