Help us choose our lightweight 2P Tarp Tent or DW Tent; Owner feedback

Denis just saw the subber pics you posted earlier… very professional looking!! Where did you get your tubing from?

While waiting for Denis to respond… I think those cords are the same as the elastic cords used in tent poles.

Ashley,
I called around to Medical Supply shops 'till I found it. Did you see the thread in MYOG? I did a tutorial with photos. It's quite fun, and I tested mine in the cold fog last night. No sag in my Evo2P, silnylon fly.

> Where do you buy the bungee cord?

Most fabric shops sell it in several gauges. Some gear shops do too.
OWFINC (etc) is another source.

Cheers

Ashley, arent you Down Under?

REI nearby carries tent pole shock cord, by the foot. I got mine via Questoutfitters.com in the 1/8 (~3mm) size. they also carry smaller/larger. The doubled-over 6" bungee has much more holding power than the Luhr Jensen snubber, so far as I can tell. Plus, they're not uber-bright. I like stealth!

Roger,
I was speaking of surgical tubing. I buy bungee at a ships chandlry.

and the thing blazes out of control. EJ was planning a deployment for a beta client on the E Coast around the clock, but dreaming of Tarptents and the Sierras. Looking forward to catching up tomorrow, but wondering if the choice will be even harder now.

And I have to share our NH bear encounter in the bear thread. Charged by a mother black bear with cubs at night despite taking all the precautions and calling out and banging our poles together after hearing what we thought was the sound of two bears fighting while we were descending Mt. Lafayette about 20 minutes before the encounter.

Thanks Michael, Denis. I'll see which of the tubing or the bungee I can get a hold of most easily. Yes, I'm in Aus. I was just wondering the type of store you would look in to find that sort of thing… it's not the sort of thing you see on the shelves everyday!

Thanks for the tips guys. I will definitely be trying it out.

Cheers, A

You can get shock cord (different thicknesses ) at Bunnings.
Franco

Thanks Franco!

So for a tarp tent, based on all the stats I read, since we already have a dedicated 2 person winter shelter we’re very happy with, it looks like Ben’s initial recommendation for the Six Moon Designs Lunar Duo was spot on for us – good balance of space, strength, double door convenience, good vestibule space, etc. It’s very close in interior space and vestibule space to the Allak. I also became intrigued taking a quick glance at the Big Sky International Evolution and Revolution 2P, and will read more about them later. The Rainshadow 2 is a close contender, but the Duo may offer a little more stability in the wind while giving up just a little space.

I read terrific reviews on the Rainshadow 2, Double Rainbow, Squall 2 and Scarp on this and other sites. They are great tents. When we expand the family, the Rainshadow 2 and Hogback would be go-to models for us. When I asked him, Doug Johnson had terrific things to say about the Rainshadow 2 for family use, and said it held up well in stronger winds above treeline.

(We were very happy with our Allak on a recent trip – it was by far the warmest and most comfortable tent in our party. Others brought 3 season double wall tents with mesh inners, a teepee tarp, a few solo single wall and double wall tents, etc. Also, we were hit with some strong winds in the middle of the night, and our tent didn’t budge and was very quiet. As for condensation, the tiniest bit – it was so easy to manage. You feel very comfortable and secure in the Allak).

That said about the Allak, I might be interested in a lightweight solo double wall like the Scarp for when sleeping alone and not traveling with a pulk, and I’d like to hear feedback on the Scarp 2 for winter use.

Have a bunch of quick questions which I'll post next.

How does the Lunar Duo compare with the double wall free-standing Big Sky International Evolution and Revolution 2P (and 3P) in terms of size, weight, foul weather ability, etc.

To compare apples to apples (well almost, ones a single wall and the other is a double wall), I should probably compare the 2P to the Lunar Duo. I'll take a closer look at specs later, but I'm wondering how much weight you add, how much space you give up, and what you get in terms of performance going with an Evolution or Revolution 2P.

On that note, is humidity a big issue in the SF Bay Area because of the fog that rolls in every night? How big a factor is it in the Sierras? I think the Sierras are bone dry in the summer.

Dennis, did you go with the 2P because of humidity?

Humidity is a big factor in a lot of places in the NE below treeline.

EJ,
I went with the Evo2P because of condensation. I hike a fair amount on the coast and have gotten away from single wall tents. (until I got the Sublite) I also like the Evo because of it's low weight. I've been using it for three seasons now and it's my go-to two person shelter.

That is if you can get one delivered. I waited a year for mine. Hopefully they're in stock if you want one

Thanks Denis. How do the Evolution and Revolution 2P compare for weight, space and stability with the Lunar Duo? Do you recall the L x W, interior sq ft and vestibule sq ft?

What's the main difference between the Evolution and Revolution?

I can imagine that condensaiton would be a big issue along the coast just thinking of the fog I see rolling in every night and out every morning.

Which options/colors did you order yours with and why? At a glance looked like a ton of choices.

A year? OMG.

1) Lunar Duo Gray or Green? Gray = tent won't heat up as much from sun, and will probably reflect more light inside when you need it at night, but will probably let a lot more AM light in, which could wake you up early. The green probably lets in a little less light, reflects less light at night, but the color looks like a bright green.

2) Which, if any, Lunar Duo stakes if any would you get – the Lunar Duo Stake Set (two 6” and two 9”) or Four 9” Easton stakes? Are there other stakes you recommend?

3) Would you get the Lunar Duo Tyvek Footprint 6.5 ounces?

4) Dennis where did you buy the tubing and parts for the tensioners?

5) When Henry wrote: "Scarp 2/Lunar Duo, they're both shelters but beyond that there is not/should not be a direct comparison since one is SW and the other DW" what did he mean by "SW" and "DW"?

Franco, does your Scarp have a mesh or fabric inner?

2. Great stakes for med. soft soil Personally I have an arsenal of stakes to chose from depending on conditions.

5. SW – single wall
DW – double wall

Duh. That's a good indication that I need to get some sleep fast…

The only stakes we have now are the stakes that came with our Allak, a few old heavy ones and some nylon dead men for snow and sand.

Try this link out for stakes –

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/tent_stakes.html

EJ
I have the fabric inner. This is the one…
Franco

You were OK in the warm weather you described with a fabric inner with that much coverage? I'm impressed. One person also probably generates a lot less condensation and heat than 2. How warm does the Scarp keep you in cold weather with that fabric inner?

BTW, have visited Australia twice for friends' weddings in Sydney and work (in both cases the American spouses moved to Australia). Hiked Uluru, the Olga's, King's Canyon and a bunch of spots in the Blue Mountains. Beautiful country. Yet to visit Victoria, next trip hopefully.

BTW, I started another thread on favorite lightweight solo tarp tents, double wall tents and bivvy + tarp setups here: http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=19701

There will be some trips I'll wind up going on with a small group where I'll be on my own, and I won't want to lug the extra weight of a 2 person tent.

Ah the gear bug is an affliction…start looking at 2 person tarp tents and then I have to have a solo one too.

EJ
In the afternoon it was cool because of the sun protection, at night I kept it zipped up to promote condensation but it remained dry whilst the underside of the fly was very wet, as it was on the outside on one or two nights (from condensation not rain) . I just got the shelter so I am only starting to find out how it works, but I suspect that the fabric of the inner breathes very well .
Don't forget that with the Scarp (1 and 2) you can leave the two doors partially open and still have rain protection (not horizontal rain…)
Franco