MLD Solo Trailstar

[t.darrah]

Ron has posted prototype pictures of his Solo Trailstar on the MLD Face
Book site, it looks great. Check it out and let Ron know what you think.

[John Frederick Anderson]

Looks like it would be a bit of a struggle to get in and out. My Solomid in Cuben weighs the same, and the zip door isn't something I'd think about sacrificing personally.
YMMV of course.

cheers,
fred

[David Ure]

Awesome. This in cuben would be about 5-6 oz!

[t.darrah]

John,
I too love my cuben SoloMid(s) but can appreciate the simplicity of the Trailstar shelters. In less then full on winter conditions I can see enjoying the Solo Trailstar as a shelter option.

[Miner]

Great, yet another new shelter to tempt me to part with my money. And it isn't like I need one either.

[Mike M]

now that it's officially out- looking for a relatively simple solo shelter and am considering both the solomid and the new solo trailstar (in silnylon if that matters), the trailstar is a little lighter- and looks like it might be a little quicker to setup (at least in the configs shown on Ron's site)

the "beak" looks like it can be lowered or raised, but probably not all the way to the ground like the solomid- no zipper on the trailstar

my current setup is a poncho/tarp & bivy, would like a little more coverage, hoping to drop the bivy if possible

thoughts?

tia

[BlackHatGuy]

I like the Solo Trailstar for many of the same reasons I like the Hexamid — you can get in while it's raining and not let rain 'in your tent.' I love my Duomid, but while raining, when you open the zipper and climb in you're getting water in your 'inside area.'

I also like the inner for it having the 'wind' panel, I think that will make a big difference in colder windy weather.

I think the Solo Trailstar/Cricket will be a big winner.

[Eric Blumensaadt]

Like John sez, the Trailstar needs a "beak" zipper (& small Fastex buckle at the bottom).

There's light and there's inconvienant light.

[Mike M]

John thought it looked like it would be awkward getting in/out, from this pic doesn't really appear to be so, the pics on Ron's site w/ the beak lower still looks like a pretty easy entrance/exit, I'm not sure how low it will go though

[Eugene Smith]

Eh. "Inconvenient light"? I'm struggling to make the connection here.

Are you sure you're not confusing the Trailstar with another shelter? Perhaps some firsthand experience before claiming what improvements it may or may not need- there's absolutely no need for a zipper, nor would it be of any real practical benefit to the occupants. The simplicity of the Trailstar (both versions) is found in the abandonment of extraneous features like: zippers, floors, mesh, vents, etc.

Simple, stable, durable, spacious.

[Cesar Garcia]

I was wondering how people have liked their solo trailstars? Also I was thinking if you had a pole jack (like what comes with the Doumid)couldn't you put the main pole up against the back panel to help keep it off you. All the pics show the trekking pole on the entry side of the solo trailstar not on the side of the back panel. Would a trekking pole with pole jack not be long enough to do this?

[David Ure]

I agree with Eric – in 'storm mode' you can only get under the Solo Trailstar by moving like a snake. I see no benefit to this over the SoloMid.

[ROBERT TANGEN]

The Terra Nova uses “one 7.55 mm Scandium Alloy aluminum center hoop pole, and two end carbon fiber struts.” The brand new Six Moons tent uses: “a dual (trekking or optional fixed length) pole support structure, slightly offset from the center of the tent.” For those of us who bring trekking poles anyway, this is clearly a weight saving in favor of the Six Moons tent, all else being ignored.

[Mike M]

bumping an old thread w/ my thoughts/experience/few pics w/ the solo trailstar

going from a poncho-tarp to the solo trailstar is like going from Motel 6 to the ritz :) plenty of room for me AND my gear, even enough room to cook under the vestibule

I've been using mine w/ a bivy, but I'm thinking unless the weather looks especially bad I'm going to leave it at home, pitched low I think a guy will be fine (have to add a small groundcloth)

pitches easy- I'm using Kelty triptease for line (little lighter than line Ron provides), five ti shepherd hooks for the four corners and rear mid tie out and a ti nail stake for the front

I've had it in moderate winds (30-ish mph) and it's been completely stable, haven't had it in heavy rain- light rain hasn't been an issue at all

from the rear

front

with bivy

even replete w/ a hat hanger :)

[Stephen Barber]

And the hat comes complete with a sun glasses holder!

Great pics, thanks!

[Mike M]

I have a bad habit of stomping sunglasses into the ground- this improves my odds of not doing so :)

[Jeffs Eleven]

I thought The Bandit (Smokey and the Bandit) only took his hat off for 'one thing.'

Its a SOLO Trailstar, right?? ;)

[Mike M]

Jeff- you can't see the tent that's just east of me :)

Mike

[Tyler Barcelli]

Sorry to bump this but I'm currently looking at both the MLD Trailstars. I'm wondering just how much space you have say when it is pitched for a storm. I ask because I know the regular Trailstar provides a ton of room it's just that the footprint is huge. I'm normally solo but the storms around here can force you to have some really uncomfortable nights when I use my small tarp. I would also like to be able to drop my bivy. Thanks

[Mike M]

the regular Trailstar definitely has more room (but at the expense of a larger footprint/more weight), I think the Solo Trailstar is storm worthy enough to go sans bivy- that's the conclusion I came to, next year I'll bring a groundsheet and call it good; it's possible I might eat those words :) but imo pitching the solo low your well protected (a little awkward getting in/out in this configuration, but well protected)

maybe the solomid would be worth looking at as well????

Mike

[Tyler Barcelli]

Thanks for that. I currently use a small tarp and bivy combo which works when I'm not expecting much rain, but where I hike it rains a lot and I like to get out whenever I can regardless of weather so something a little more storm worthy would be nice. Ya I sent Ron an email asking about both the Trailstars and the Solomid. I am just wondering if the mids provide enough length when I use my winter bag and a DAM without coming into contact with the sides.

[Tyler Barcelli]

So Ron emailed me back and he said the solo Trailstar should be alright without using a bivy to protect from spray. It sounds like the regular Trailstar may be more than I need for one person. Now the Solomid does look nice however.

[Mike M]

tough choice for sure- either way you'll have a solid shelter :)

[Chris S]

anyone know if either of them would comfortably fit a long sized sleeping bag when using the inner net?

[Mike M]

in my Duomid inner which I believe is the same length as the solo inner (for the Solo mid anyways, not sure on the Solo trailstar) I have extra room at my feet- enough so I can fit my pack in (my wife's as well on her side), so I'd say yes, but I'd call Ron w/ your details to be sure

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