One person tent – survival use

Looking for a lightweight and serviceable solo shelter that you plan to carry around but hopefully never use? The venerable Coughlan’s Tube Tent is right up your alley. Simple, light, and cheap.

I bought the sublite tyvek for exactly that purpose. I've considered going to a bivy instead, as I can cut the weight nearly in 1/2 and use it for more than just emergencies. But, I've not yet done enough research to justify spending bigger bucks on the bivy.

Personally when I want a just-in-case shelter along, I bring a poncho tarp (I also tend to use one as my go-to shelter). If I think there is a greater chance I might use it and it's also buggy out, I'll add a bivy or headnet.

If you're not too tall, the gatewood cape makes a lovely shelter with more protection from the elements, and can also serve a your raingear.

I think I'd have a hard time justifying the weight and bulk of an actual tent just for emergency purposes.

I would get the tube tent Ben mentioned. If you break a leg and are actually going to have to deploy a shelter, you arent going to want to fiddle with a complicated to set up shelter. Plus, for $7.50, save a ton of money instead of going with a near $200 tent just for an emergency. lighter too

5×8 silnylon tarp. If you need to, you could wrap yourself up in it like a bivy.

Agree with David, or even some painters dropcloth or window insulation film in the same dimensions.

I hike alone a lot as well and I just carry one of these on day hikes:

http://www.rei.com/product/813511/sol-heatsheets-emergency-bivvy

It's really light, it packs up small, and it's cheap enough that I'd happily give it to anybody that needed it and not even consider having to get it back. To me, it's something to consider one use only. It's kind of ironic but because hiking 14'ers is very popular here, you get more unprepared hikers on those trails than I've seen anywhere else. Not % wise, just sheer numbers. I'm surprised I haven't had to use the one I carry by now.

i would say the poncho tarp seems to be the best option. you can drop your rain gear, no added weight.

Multi use item > a random tent in your day pack.

I like the heatsheats emergency bivy. You're right about it being cheap enough to give away, and at 3.8 oz it is a pretty lightweight piece of emergency gear when going tentless. Added to my want list!

I carry a Tacoma Mountain Rescue (TMR)Shelter (tube tent) in my kayak ditch bag, which is attached to my PFD. I also have one in my gear when traveling by small plane in western Alaska. Part of the cost for the shelter supports TMR operations. Rest of the time it's a 5×9 (8oz) tarp in backpacks and as the day shelter for paddling.

I don't know how much money you're looking to spend but consider the Zpacks Hexamid solo tarp with extended beak, no netting. It tips the scales at a hefty 4.1oz, which is wicked light for a shaped tarp shelter. requires one trekking pole and some stakes for the corners. You could have stakes & tie outs handled for under 2oz and have a 6oz solo emergency shelter.

Those suggesting the gatewood cape or any of the poncho's that can be setup as a solo shelter also have their mind in the right place, multi-use trumps dead weight every time.

For day trips, I bring along a blizzard survival bag. I also carry a section of gg thinlight pad in my pack that provides modest ground insulation and comfort.

Maybe something like that (combo small pad and temp sack of some sort) will work for you. Pretty cheap solution that is easy to "setup" anywhere and offers wind and rain protection.

A poncho is a natural and has many SAR-oriented uses. I would couple that with a Heat Sheets bivy sack. If solo and injured, you may not be able to pitch a tarp fully and you can just wear the poncho— sitting under a tree, etc. I have waited out a squall that way was comfortable and dry. A waterproof book would have been perfect :)

I take my Gatewood Cape for day hikes, providing emergency shelter and/or rain gear. It is the real thing and not a makeshift arrangement at all. With 6 Ti stakes and one trekking pole or cut branch, it is a complete shelter. If you don't want the poncho features, the other solo SMD shelters fit your criteria well.

If you are interested in sticking with a full tent like the Sublite i have a Tyvek Sublite i would be willing to part with. Send me a PM if you are interested.

Otherwise, i would go for a modified poncho tarp with some bug netting. A head net doesnt cut it for me in bug season. I can imagine a gatewood cape with about a foot or so of noseeum net around the edges being a pretty wicked solution.

Another vote for the AMK Heatsheets bivy. Cheap and light. It stays in the daypack along with my lightweight rain jacket. Gatewood Capes are neat but how easy is it to setup if you got seriously injured? Kinda complicated to pitch something like that if you are partly immobilized. Same thing goes for the Sublite. The waterproof (but not breathable) bivy and rain jacket are easier but not as comfortable.

I would go for the heat sheet ryan has a point any tarp or shelter would be very hard to pitch with a broken leg yes the bivy is les comfortable but honestly if your leg is broken your not going to be comfortable anyway

From the bugproof comments I get that the shelter is not meant to be as much on the emergency side as some put it.
As for fast and easy set ups , all shelters (apparently) are very fast and easy except having seen folk setting up certain shelters mentioned above I doubt very much that they can be as fast and easy as the Contrail.
Here is my little video that I shot and posted in about half an hour whilst I am waiting for a football match to start :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZqbkv88MOQ
I can do it faster than that but that would defit the purpose ( yes I can move faster…)
Now, show me your bug free set up in real time…
Franco

"From the bugproof comments I get that the shelter is not meant to be as much on the emergency side as some put it."

This could be true. Bug protection is generally low on the shelter only for survival situation list. He does mention a hypothetical of hainvg a broken leg.

Got a one-leg version of the setup video?

Franco, the reason I mentioned bug free was because I just assumed I would be spending $xxx and, if so, I might as well have a one-man tent that could be used when alone as unlikely as it might be. The lesser costing options mentioned above never crossed my mind. Kudos to everyone.

I was thinking about several survival scenarios. One, I badly twist an ankle and am reasonably immobile. Another, the more likely, was getting off trail at day's end. In both scenarios, I'd have to stay the evening, and if faced with rapidly dropping temperatures and an approaching storm, I could be in trouble in a heartbeat.

In my neck of the woods, those weather conditions are not that improbable and what I'd like to be ready for.

"From the bugproof comments I get that the shelter is not meant to be as much on the emergency side as some put it."

You could be right as the title does say "one person tent". So maybe it's for multiple use. But if it is for emergency use, I wouldn't carry a tent. And no doubt you could set any Tarptent up really quickly even on one leg. But to me survival use means keeping you alive and not comfortable, right? If there's anything more than a very slight chance I'll be out overnight, I'll bring that gear. Otherwise, I'll carry what I need to survive, not be comfortable. I could always wrap my jacket around my head when in the bivy and still be fine.

"Got a one-leg version of the setup video?"

HA! I think we should have a BPL video contest: setup your favorite shelter with only one hand while hopping on one leg. Now add wind, pain, rain, and approaching darkness. Imagine it would make most of us stop and think. I'd probably end up lying on the ground with my tarptent pulled over me like a blanket.

heat sheets, or blizzard bag, or a tarp …

tent is a waste for a "survival" situation … unless you are planning a bivy on the route

cheap, light, disposable is the name of the game

Here we are :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPTkCbu_Byc
no legs required.
Franco

Tube tents sound good, but if you have used them much they leave a lot to be desired and are the last thing I would use (I had quite a bit of experience with them decades ago). The generally suck.

Poncho/tarps are so versatile, relatively inexpensive and light for some models. The perfect day hiker "just in case" multi-use item. For more money there are some large ~ 5oz cuben tarps.