Tarptent Rainshadow 2

[Mike Barney]

This is an excellent tent with more room than anything else close in its’ weight class. We took this on a 10 day 75 mile trek, and it performed very well. With Tyvek ground cloth and factory seam sealing, this weighed in right under 3 lbs, or 1 lb per person. With 2 people utilizing the Rainshadow 2, the room is incredible and still one of the lightest tents around.
It’s tall enough to sit up in, and have a card game with several people out of the weather and insects, and or keep extra gear inside out of the elements.

Setup is about 2 minutes if you’ve read the instructions, about 3 if you didn’t, as it’s very intuitive regardless. It does well in strong winds, and has insect screens and sewn in floor. The bathtub sides combined with the vents all the way around does a reasonable job at helping to minimize condensation, the bane of single wall silnylon tents. When used for 2 people, it appears to have less of a condensation problem than smaller volume tents.

It does take a time or 2 to get the bathtub sides right, but it becomes obvious after you’ve set it up.

What we liked:
Weight
Floor space
Volume
Large
Very easy, intuitive setup
Performance in wind and rain

What could improve:

Very slightly longer front fly to provide a little more weather coverage while extended.

[b d]

Update:

The front overhang works great to cut down on wind when in weather.

It has worked all day here in 15 – 40 mile an hour winds.

Tip on connecting the front flaps fro inside: From inside the easiest way to fit the velcroed front entry flap back in place onto the other side flap is to put the very top together, then pull it down and connect it from the bottom up.

The vent at the top of the front works great, you just undo the velcro however far down you want it to be open and how much you want it to vent. This is a great tent, and if you want space for some extra weight this tent will give it to you.

Original Review:

First it is a 5 w/o doubt. Quality, support service from Tarptent, comes with all lines, stakes, pole for back, little pole at the top of the front, mesh bug protection at front, back and on the sides, floor, and you can order two poles for the front or use trekking poles. (Make sure if you order it and you want the floor in that you are not getting the floorless model. And, if you're not going to use one or two trekking poles to support the front order two front poles)

It is big, see the specs at tarptent's website.

It does not weigh much more (37 oz. for the tent) than my Squall Classic GG/HS. Of course weighs more with Tyvek groundcloth (I don't think this groundcloth is really necessary but it is nice to have), extra stakes for sides, two poles, etc. (Never weighed it, that is based on my reading of the literature and handling it.)

The reason I got it is that it is bigger than the Squall 2 or Squall Classic. Big enough I figured to use in the snow as a two person tent, with snow piled up at the rear, around the sides and half the front, leaving one side for an entrance and the other protected. Yet it will ventilate well down to 0 F in my theory and still be habitable with the right gear.

So I just set it up that way and it looks like the theory will work. I will post a picture series in the Multi-purpose gear forum. (It was not pitched taut because of the experiment with the sides, but after comments by RJ and others I can see that it should be put up taut and it will still take snow on the sides to seal them down.) Here are a couple to show what the first experiment looks like:

[Kevin Schneringer]

I would like to get an update out for this item since it has been some 6+years since a review was made.
If you are looking for a 14 ounce per person tent this is it. Great family tent with good ventilation as well as roomy for wiggly little people!
My wife and I grab two kids each and pile in, yes we carry less than 6lbs of tent for six people.
The kids can practically put it up themselves
And it handles condensation fairly well.
I highly suggest you look at this tent for a family affair it's light, durable and easy to pitch.

As another review mentioned Tarptent's service is still excellent. And for the money you cannot find a better mix of Room,weight and simplicity.

[canyon steinzig]

Mine is a Rainshadow 1 which is actually not even as good as the 2.
I feel like last summers JMT trip with wife and 9 year old daughter sealed it. As usual there was plenty of preciitation over the nearly month long trip. (I know it doesnt rain in the Sierra)We slept under it most almost every night even in good weather. It never feels claustrophobic, always keeps us dry and holds up to pretty serious above treeline wind.
It's so good I'll just go to the areas it is not perfect or great.
Obviously there is condensation if you place it on meadow or grass. That is user error for a single wall in my mind.
In very high winds with the tail facing I still get nervous. I add extra line over the top just to protect the lighweight stake webbing. It has never had a problem holding up. STill, I tend to seek sleep a little lower than if I had a dome or a small surfact to pick up the wind. It is a big sail up there.
I For some reason we did get flying bugs under the mech screen (we go floorless)
This is mosly user error too and can be avoided by very diligent placement of gear and wood along the mesh. For me it's fine. someone else may wnat the build in floor to eliminate this problem.
I guess the roof could be a little higher. I have often fantazied about a pyrmid instead, but the weight to floor space just leans in favor of the Rainshadow.
I'm bringing it again this year on the yosemite to Tahoe section of the PCT. I just don't see a better optio yet.

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