the great single wall tent debate

http://www.tarptent.com

Enough said!

I second "Ashley": http://www.tarptent.com Enough said!

Hit by a 50 mph storm of wind blown rain on the Harding Icefield last month, I was very impressed by the sturdiness of the BD Lighthouse, but it was darn wet inside.

Do the Tarptents stand up to those kind of bruising winds? The x-pole in the BD tent seems very sturdy.

BTW with the vestibule and vent we didn't have bad condensation.

Comprehensive report here:

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/sotmr_single_wall_tents_2008.html

You do have to be a member, but the info might be worth it…

I'm also a big fan of Tarptent

ok for all the die hart tarptent fans

WHICH ONE!!! there are a good selection on the site so
which work good for an adult and 5 yr old child is the cloudburst a good choice??

thanks
divr6347

I was rained on inside a tarptent. It was a version similar to the contrail. It held up very well in high winds. Worked best if I set it up inline with the wind, but even when not, it didn't fall down. It was for one person, but you could fit another person in there, especially a small child.

We have a lunar duo now. I can't tell you how it will do in the rain, but it does have a door on both sides so there's a chance it'll have good ventilation. Seems heavy.

"ok for all the die hart tarptent fans

"WHICH ONE!!! there are a good selection on the site so
which work good for an adult and 5 yr old child is the cloudburst a good choice??"

Please don't make the mistake of squeezing you and the kid into a single-person tent. It can probably be done now, but that kid is going to grow! Should the two of you be stuck in the tent for several hours during a rainstorm, both of you will be very uncomfortable with no wiggle room, especially for a young child who needs a LOT of it.

Any of the 2-person models will work fine. If you normally use trekking poles, the Squall 2 (use the 2-pole configuration in front for more stability and for easier access for you and the kid) is your lightest and least expensive option. If you don't use trekking poles, the Cloudburst. With the Double Rainbow and the Scarp 2, I'd be concerned about a 5-year-old's having his own private exit to sneak out and get lost while you're still asleep. This depends on the maturity of your child!

EDIT: Just a note that you will have little or no condensation if you pitch under trees. Just make sure the trees are alive and don't have any big dead branches to clobber you in the middle of the night.

thanks for the info

im trying to decide between the tt cloudburst 2 and the bd lighthouse

those two seem to be of top quality
but it seems that bd doesn t stand behind thier stuff as well as henry does i have a bd mesa and its a bomber tent
i love it but its a tad over 4 lbs so i would like to kick out the coin to get somethinga little lighter as dad ends up carrying the sons gear after we are halfway to the campsite lol
divr6347

If you carry trekking poles, the Double Rainbow is a solid and delightful tent to use. I say this as an ex-owner of the Cloudburst…but any of Henry's tents are a safe bet!

Taptent. Rainshadow 2, huge!

I've had good results in my SMD Refuge-X, but living in Vegas (i.e. very low humidity), condensation is not much of a consideration. That said, I have woken to some good condensation in the 'X', even in our conditions.

Consider a tarp…I've stayed dry in some heavy storms in my GG SpinnTwinn…

There isn't a single walled tent that won't get condensation in cool, calm weather. Better to choose your tent on comfort, stability in all kinds of weather and ventability. We have used the Cloudburst, Refuge X and Double Rainbow, and the DR is by far the nicest in our honest opinion. In the Cloudburst it is too easy to brush against the wet sidewalls, and ventilation in the rain is not ideal. The Refuge-X also suffers bad condensation. The Refuge-X is NOT a tent you would want to get caught in strong winds in either, and also doesn't have good venting options in the rain. neither the Cloudburst nor the refuge-X have dual entries.

OTOH, the DR can be pitched with the rain porch up in wet weather to improve ventilation (and scenery), and even allows limited cooking space. We have survived several gales in the DR by using trekking poles to support the main ridgeline. Double entry is blissful, and there is little chance of brushing up against wet walls in the DR. Best of all you can get an optional liner for the inside that helps keep the condensation from falling on you (makes it a virtual double wall tent), plus the liner helps reflect the heat of hot summer sun. Although just personal opinions, we have tested all these tents in some pretty atrocious conditions and have a sound idea of what works in bad conditions including very wet, gale force winds, ravenous insects and calm cold nights.

Lunar Duo?

Golite Hex-Pyramid shape!!!! You can not beet the engineering skills of the Plains Indians…They had it right thousands of years ago..

We have a Rainshadow 2. It’s very roomy inside, about 2.5 lbs. and packs easily. My wife wanted the extra room inside, but then discovered that we would have to work a bit harder to clear the ground for the tent. I can set it up by myself now, but I suggest taking a few practice setups at home first. It has enough room for our stuff, including packs. (Put all smellables into your preferred Anti-Bear storage system)

"There isn't a single walled tent that won't get condensation in cool, calm weather. Better to choose your tent on comfort, stability in all kinds of weather and ventability."

Lynn says it best.

Add the MLD TrailStar Shelter. This is a spacious shelter for two. Any side can be set up as its entranace, so its set up does not have to be moved if the wind changes direction. It is also easy to sit up in without touching the sides. With guyline tensioers it is easy to set it taut, without sag.

I'll throw in my $.02. I've used the original TT Squall, original TT Cloudburst, SMD Lunar Solo (though not a 2-person), and most recently an Oware 8x8x5 pyramid with perimeter netting.

I would check out a pyramid design with netting sewn into the perimeter. I got it to use with my wife and dog and there is tons of room inside and it allows us to almost stand up inside (plus it pitches with two trekking poles). I'm pretty impressed with the simplicity, and out west there is less to obstruct pitching as it does require a larger footprint–the only downside. Ours weighs 28oz + 10oz for the tyvek–I'd go for a lighter fabric but tyvek stands up to dog's nails. Not bad for a 4-person shelter. You could maybe get a MLD DuoMid with netting sewn in for just you and your son. With tyvek thrown down for a groundcloth (or any other type of lightweight fabric like polycro) it will feel just like a tarptent but weigh less.

A BILGY kit from Quest Outfitters