2012 Six Moon Designs Lunar Solo

[Tommy Franzen]

Maybe still too early since it was just released, but has anyone ordered the new version of the Lunar Solo? I like the looks of it, and as someone over 6' the additional length and height are appealing. 1.5lbs., big bathtub flood, 48" height, 90" length…

http://www.sixmoondesigns.com/smdnews/126-lunar-solo-revisited-2012.html

[Ken Thompson]

How about now?

[Ken Thompson]

Bueller?

making a point.

[two pints]

I have used it on a couple of trips so far.

I am 6'1" and predominately a side sleeper. I use an exped 2.8" thick LW mat. So far the tent has performed well.

It is pretty easy for me to touch my sleeping bag to the foot end while sleeping. I feel just a tiny bit cramped by the walls sloping down to my face and feet.

[Ken Thompson]

Since this shelter is promoted being a good choice for tall hikers I am disappointed that someone who is 6'1" finds it too short.

[Ron Moak]

I should note that Mike said he was using a pad that was almost 3" thick. The thickness of a sleeping pad can radically alter the geometry of a shelter. When it was originally designed, the average sleeping pad was between 3/8" and 1" thick. The thickness of these pads were used in the design of tents. Both in calculating height, length and slope of canopy.

Remember the goal here is to create ultralight shelters that capture the benefits of both tarps and tents at minimal weight. In recent years, people have increasingly gone to thicker pads. It's not entirely clear if increasing numbers of ultralighters have moved to thicker pads or simply that these ultralight tents are being used by a wider audience of hikers.

The simple fact is that lightweight gear does require some compromise to be effective. This is especially true as you push the limits. While the new Lunar Solo can be perfectly suited for someone taller than 6'1" with a thinner pad, it will become more and more confining as pad thickness grows.

Ron

[Ken Thompson]

Thanks for the reply Ron. What would you say the maximum height of an occupant could be? And how do you design for the foot end? I mean what size feet do you design for? I wear a 15. Shelters get tight at the foot end real fast as well.

[Kattt]

Not a permanent solution Ken…but I had a problem with my Sublite on my last snow trip as far as height at the foot end. I had a Ridgerest and an Expedition 9 and a quilt and a sleeping bag….so I stacked my boots one on top or the other at the foot end…

[Ken Thompson]

Good Morning Kat! We both have the same problem at the opposite ends of the fit spectrum. We will triumph!, or get a lousy fit.

My thought on thick pads. They are comfortable, and take up way less room in your pack than so many other options. I see that a lot of my hiking partners are concerned about the bulk of their load as well as the weight. I think you will see more thick pads being used.

[Ron Moak]

Ken, both ends of the Lunar Solo have guyout points on the side of the canopy. These can be used to lift the canopy by several inches at either the head or the foot area. I'm 6' and have never felt I needed them, but others do.

If you want to use them, I'd tie a light cord to them. For a tieoff I'd run the cord to a nearby bush or over a stick and down to the ground.

The floor of the Lunar Solo 2012 is 90" long with 12" vertical walls on each end. The center height is about 48". At a point 36" from the center of the tent the canopy is about 18" off the floor. Combine this with a bit of lift from the guyout and you should have plenty of room.

Ron

[Art Tyszka]

Hey guys, I a friend of mine (doesn't subscribe here) just got one from Ron and likes it, he said I can post his review from our email here.

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I slept in the Lunar Solo the night before last. I took to a nearby conservation area to try it out – could have done the same thing at home, but I wanted to get out and about with it. It was easy set up, and I had more than adequate room in it – it is very roomy; but then, I am only 5' 9". I use a Neo Air XTherm, which is 2 and 1/2 inches thick, so I, too, am using a thick pad and that does impact the room factor. I did touch the top a couple of times as I sat up, but that doesn't bother me; it is an ultralight tent, and one pole support, so it stands to reason that it may happen as you slide around in the tent, which I did – I toss and turn a lot in the night. I don't think I would have "hit the roof" had I slept soundly, and not tossed and turned as I normally do.

The sides of the bathtub floor really do "rise" and provide good protection while also allowing good ventilation. It was mildly windy while I was there, which was good – I wanted to test it in a wind. I didn't feel much wind inside but didn't notice any condensation, either. To me, it is an excellent tent, and I like it a lot.

I would suggest, in my very limited experience, that users do not attach the ground sheet to the trekking pole (or make sure that it does not "stretch" the ground sheet – it makes the sides collapse). I just left it alone and the sides "rose" and there was no collapse of the netting on the entry/exit side, also.

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[Ken Thompson]

OK so Ron sold at least two of these to BPLrs Anyone else have aanything to add?

Pretty sure at this point that I will pull the trigger to decide for myself. If I keep it I'll do a proper review.

[Jennifer Stephenson]

I'm trying to decide between the new Lunar Solo and the Skyscape Trekker. I am 5'7" and use an Exped pad as well. I think I would like to have room for my 10# dog and/or my pack inside with me. I look forward to some reviews.

[Ken Thompson]

Inject personal feelings here..( I don't like that tapered at the head end floor plan of the Trekker. I don't find it to be an attractice shelter. Looks like '80's sci fi. to me, with the fly up.) I would think you would have room for the dog in that center section in the Solo.

[Ozzy McKinney]

I'll be grabbing one of these here soon. I have a lunar duo, which is awesome, and also has a 90" floor with 12" vertical ends, and fits me fine at 6'4". I know the duo has the spacer bars at the top, which may contribute to the length factor in some way. I decided against the skyscape simply because I prefer a one-pole set up.

[Nathan Lare]

I have a Lunar Solo from a couple years back (I think it is a 2010) and the first few times I pitched it I had some of the same experiences as what Mike commented on with the surface being a little closer than I wanted (5' 11", side sleeper on a 1.5" pad). I learned to use the tautness of the screen around the 3 non-door sides as a barometer of how well I had pitched it. If it was fairly baggy and not very vertical, then I needed to go back and make some adjustments to my pitch.

Usually, I will just loosen the front stakes on both sides and the front guyline and then raise the pole a couple more inches to take up the slack in the screen. Retighten everything, recheck and repeat as necessary. It has made a real difference in the amount of headroom and internal space.

I think I remember reading that some changes were made since I bought mine so this may not apply as much to the newer version, but I hope it helps a little.

[Art Tyszka]

I dig my Trekker, I think it's an awesome solo shelter, so much so that I also own a X. It's intimate for sure, but I have room for me (5' 10" 190 lbs), my gear, and my 85 lb German Shepherd. I really like Ron's designs and quality, the Lunar Duo I have is fantastic, I'd expect the same from the LS.

Come on Ken… just buy the shelter and get it over with!!

[J-L]

I ended up ordering the new SMD Lunar Solo. Got it last Thursday and took it out for an overnighter last weekend in AZ's Superstition mountains, and I'll be taking it out again this weekend for a 2 night trip. For reference in the below pics, I'm 5'6'' and use a 1'' pad. My quilt is sized for my height. And my dog is 60 lbs. Her gray foam pad is about 20'' by 30''.

Here are some pictures:

General front view:

Another general front view:

My head goes at the end of the quilt, with the stuff sack marking my pillow position:

Another view – my head goes at the end of the quilt (stuff sack pushed away):

Foot room:

Me sitting on my sleeping pad – I have about enough room to kneel under the tallest point.

Plenty of room for my dog. She has enough room to stand up and do her circling without touching the tent (although her tail does hit it if she's got it up):

Outside left:

Outside right (had trouble getting this side tight):

My initial impressions of the tent are quite good. These pictures are from my 2nd time setting up the tent. I was able to get one side quite taut but had trouble getting the other side to be taut as well. I am sure with some practice it will get better. That said, the pitch was perfectly useable and did not take me long. I think the shape will have no trouble shedding wind or rain, and I expect the mid-panel pullouts can provide me with extra headroom or wind/snow resistance if needed.

Before seam sealing, the tent itself weighs in at 22.2 oz. Given that the tent is made of silnylon, should be fairly storm-worthy, has a large amount of interior space, and has a large vestibule, I find this quite amazing; the $200 price tag makes its even better. There are lots of subtle things I like about the tent too: the main canopy has no seams, the way the pole tilts inwards a little and is tensioned through the floor, the little mesh pocket inside, and the high bathtub floor. Ventilation seems adequate, but I am sure I will have condensation if the conditions are right, just like with every other tarp and tent I have tried.

Compared to my Tarptent Rainbow, I feel I have more floor space for my dog and I, although headroom is a bit less over all. Will it work for someone 6' tall on a 3'' thick air mattress with huge feet? Probably, but things might be tight and you might have to use the mid-panel pullouts.

I am considering replacing the webbing tensioners with linelocs. Not sure if this will save any weight, but it would be nice to have longer and reflective line.

[Ron Moak]

"I am considering replacing the webbing tensioners with linelocs. Not sure if this will save any weight, but it would be nice to have longer and reflective line."

Actually the gross grain / ladder lock guy-outs on the Lunar Solo are about half the weight of a lineloc 3 and cord setup. Since we do use a lineloc 3 on the Lunar Solo for the main guy-line, we've done the math.

You can find 1/2" Gross Grain on the web in a variety of colors and some with reflective thread woven in. You can easily purchase some of that and make your own more colorful guy-lines while still being light.

Ron

[J-L]

"Actually the gross grain / ladder lock guy-outs on the Lunar Solo are about half the weight of a lineloc 3 and cord setup. Since we do use a lineloc 3 on the Lunar Solo for the main guy-line, we've done the math."

Thanks for the info, Ron. That's good to know.

[Ken Thompson]

Now unavailable until mid May. Sheesh. That's like MLD wait times.

[Ethan A.]

Oh man that's another 2 months wait to hear how you like it. : (

Maybe SMD will do a run with the same stealthy dark green fabric used in their Trekker model [pretty please]

[Ken Thompson]

I too would prefer a stealthy dark green. I don't mind if they just make two. Please Ron. We won't tell.

[Ken Thompson]

A bump for Ron's attention.

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