Cloudburst 2 vs Double Rainbow

Some comments I've seen around here are as follows:

1) The Cloudburst is wider at the head end than the Double Rainbow, but you are much more likely to brush up against the wet sidewalls of the Cloudburst. The mesh in the Double Rainbow, while closer to your body, will insulate you from the awning fabric.

2) Both are relatively stable in winds, but the Rainbow gives you the cross strut trekking pole option. There is no third hoop option on the Cloudburst, giving the Rainbow an advantage in strong winds of changing direction.

3) The Rainbow is much harder to seam seal.

4) People around here seem to prefer dual entries for couples.

I've been in the DR once, and I owned the Cloudburst. It seems as if the Cloudburst is more roomy because the walls are steeper (at the front of the tent). IMHO, I would be more likely to touch the walls of the DR. The Clouburst is considerably lighter (if you want even lighter yet, the Squall is another option – not as much headroom as the Cloudburst, but I bet you'd still be less likely to touch the walls than in a DR; also, you don't use trekking poles with the Cloudburst, but you would with the Squall).
The DR is nice because of the double entry, and the center ridge pole makes it more sturdy and freestanding. You can also get the optional inner wall for the DR.
Everything is a trade-off. The hard part is deciding which features are important/necessary for you. The easy part is buying the Tarptent (great products, no matter which one you buy).

"The Clouburst is considerably lighter"

Am I missing something? According to the website, the Cloudburst is 39oz, while the DR is 40oz. I guess this is BPL, and maybe 2.5% lighter is "considerable."

Also, I like the idea of being able to stay away from wet walls, but the two replies above seem to differ on which model you're going to be able to do that easier.

I do like the added stability of the DR.

"According to the website, the Cloudburst is 39oz, while the DR is 40oz. I guess this is BPL, and maybe 2.5% lighter is "considerable". "

I'm considering the weight to sq ft ratio: The DR at 40 oz with 36 sq ft is 1.11; the Cloudburst at 39 oz with 50 sq ft is .78 – this translates to a 30% difference in weight to sq ft. I bet if we tried, we could come up with a hundred other measurements, but this seems to level the playing field among those categories.

my .02

I would give the Cloudburst the nod over the DR, for stormproof-ness, having spent a few nights through intense thunderstorms, staying very dry.

I have the DR, although I have not used it, but leak tested it, after I seam sealed it. I did get drips, and had to seal the ridge strut area again, but have not re-tested it yet.
I was a little disapointed seeing the drips, as this is the first time that I've had this happen with a Tarptent.
I've owned a Virga, Cloudburst (sold both?) and now have a Contrail and Double Rainbow. No drips with the Virga, Cloudburst or Contrail other than condensation dripping, including blown-through or misting condensation.

Thanks, Dennis. It's hard to make sense of this stuff without having seen any of them. The tarptent website lists the DR as 29-36 sq ft, and the Cloudburst 2 as 30-37 sq ft. Is there something I'm not seeing? Are they counting vestibule space?

On that note, I'm assuming the DR has more vestibule space, is this true? Is there room for two packs and two pairs of boots in the vestibules of both of these? Is there still room to get out? I'm planning on using these for climbing trips, so often that will mean bigger boots and packs as well.

Ahh, I was mistaken – I quoted the figures for the Rainshadow. The CB weighs 38 oz for 37 sq ft, for a ratio of about 1 (relatively close to the DR).

As much as I like the CB, the DR wins the vestibule department. Any tent with double vestibules will allow one for storage and one for egress. You can store boots and a little gear in the CB's vestibule without tripping over it, but the rest will either have to go inside at your feet (not a problem if you're 6' or less) or under the beak at the feet. But, this could impact the airflow and create more condensation.

I realize you are not trying to compare the Rainshadow 2 in this mix, but I wondered why?

I originally purchased the Cloudburst 2, and I have to admit, it was primarily on the basis of aesthetics – I thought the arch in the front was "prettier" than the clipped "a-frame" of the Rainshadow. But that was back when I first got started in UL gear…

I quickly sold my Cloudburst 2 and replaced it with the Rainshadow 2. For 1oz more, you get a lot more space. Which meant I was able to keep 2 people (on full-length, LONG rectangular ground pads) plus gear INSIDE the tent, and not worry about stowing gear out in the vestibules on potentially wet ground. The extra space also meant that we have never had an issue with brushing up against the walls of the tent either.

Dual entry seems to be more of an advantage for couples if you would have to climb over one another to get to the exit. In either the Cloudburst or the Rainshadow, you each have equal access to the entry/exit without climbing over one another, and so I think it sort of nullifies that "dual-entry" advantage of the Rainbow. But that's just my opinion. I haven't had any entry/exit issues with the Rainshadow – especially using the one-center-pole setup. (Two front poles can be bothersome, but might be needed for better stability in high, shifting winds – if the windy is steady from one direction, your tent should be oriented with the foot into that wind anyway, making the one front pole nearly as stable as the two.)

Not sure if any of that info is helpful or what you're looking for. I don't have any experience with the Rainbow.

I just know that I absolutely ADORE my Rainshadow for the space-to-weight ratio. And it has been absolutely rock-solid even in torrential downpour (one morning woke up perfectly dry even though the bathtub floor was "floating" in about an inch of standing water – from a poorly chosen camp site), and has had little condensation issues. The worst condensation I had was with heavy rains and cold temps (October in MA) and was easily handled with a few swipes from my pack towel.

Cheers!