TarpTent Rainbow for a Tall Person?

[Scot Reed]

Hi All –

I've been looking to upgrade my tent to a lighter model for an upcoming trip to Absaroka, and I've been looking at the Henry Shires 1-2 person tents.

The Rainbow model sounds like it might meet my needs (needs to fit me plus gear), but I'm a little concerned about the length. I'm 6'3", 225lbs.

I'd be grateful if anyone would share their experiences with this tent. Thanks!

[Ron Jameson]

I'm 6'5" and it has plenty of room for me.

Ron

[Jolly Green Giant]

Take a hard look at Six Moon Designs Lunar Duo. I am 6'5" and I'm pretty big all over so I was looking for quite a bit of space in a lightweight package. Ultimately I had to decide between the Rainbow, Double Rainbow and Lunar Duo. I settled on the Lunar Duo for the extra space…but I must admit I've been constantly looking for something between 16-30 ounces. 34 ounces seems a bit much for a one-man tent…but 34 ounces is lighter than the 43 oz Lunar Duo.

I'd be interested in hearing if at 6'5" I'd fit in the Rainbow, but I'm still not convinced that 34 ounces is the best out there.

Another option is the Refuge by Six Moon Designs. It is only 27 ounces and has a ton of floor space. It also comes in a 16 oz Cuben fiber, but don't plan on seeing it soon as it is being redesigned and won't come out until next spring/summer.

One other option possibly worth mentioning is the Mountain Laurel Designs MidDuo. I just saw it at Trail Days this weekend and was pretty intriged by it. It is a floorless pyramid-style tent, so if you are uncomfortable with bugs, perhaps you could get a decent floor (Gossamer Gear polycryo or spinnsheet). The DuoMid is $195 and 10-14 oz (depending on silnylon or Cuben) and the ground cover is 1.5-4 oz.

[Michael Davis]

I am 6'-2" and I fit in a solo Rainbow with plenty of room to spare. Not only length wise but with plenty of headroom, too. I can even put my arms over my head to get dressed.

There is also plenty of width in the Rainbow to thrash about or store gear or both.

Another thing I find special about the Rainbow is that with all it's interior space, it has a fairly small footprint. This is especially important if you camp in dense forrests like I do, where a level, clear spot is hard to find.

[David Ure]

Oh Yes – you will definitely fit in the Rainbow – lots of usable length.

[Author]

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