SMD Tent Choice

[Mike Kirkpatrick]

So I have about decided on a SMD solo tent of some flavor. I am 6'4" and currently about 230 so I need a pretty good sized tent. So, my three choices are:

Scout, Trekker or if I can find one a Lunar Solo….

I'm new to all these fabrics and such which the tent I currently have is a 2 man Eureka Pinnacle Pass XT. So, the Scout is certainly the least expensive made out of 190T Polyester and weighs 10 – 11 oz. more than the other 2 but is this fabric going to be more water-resistant than the Sil? Also, it is a long tent at 103" but I guess I have read that the slope on the wall that there can be some clearance issues in the foot area.

The Trekker…Same question about the size and it is 20D with a 40D floor. I have never had a Sil tent but also some folks complain about the "slipperiness" of the fabric. Also, is Sil going to be as water-resistant as the polyester of the Scout?

The Lunar Solo….This one is shorter by 13 inchese but my understanding is that the walls are more vertical so the space is more usable. I also like the extra 3 inches of headroom and it is the lightest. This is made of 30D Sil so same question about the water-resistance.

This tent is going to be purchased for an upcoming trip to Philmont Scout Ranch with my son and his scout troop. We also have some pretty substantial side-hikes where we will venture away from base camp and leave our tents behind. I would really like to take my trekking poles with me. What do you guys usually do in that case?

Thanks in Advance for any advice….

[Frank Deland]

You can stake your tent to the ground without the trekking poles when you want to use the poles.

[Mike Kirkpatrick]

I think I have read where some folks do this but will the water not puddle up on the collapsed tent and possibly get anything inside possibly wet??

[Jason Cravens]

The thing that sticks out to me is your height. I have a scout and frequently hike with a friend who owns the trekker. I am 6'0 and he is 6'2. I think he is considering a different tent due to the length. I have plenty of room IMO, but he feels cramped at 6'2. Just something to think about.

Jason

[Steven Paris]

I like SMD stuff (I own a Skyscape Trekker) and try to support them as they are local to the Portland area, but this might be a case to look at the Lightheart Gear SoLong 6:

http://www.lightheartgear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=&products_id=13&zenid=ec364b3ba91095f899a156c3579a48fc

Similar design but with the length you'll need for your height.

[Mike Kirkpatrick]

Yeah…I was having the same concerns about my height at well. I ended up ordering a Lightheart SoLong 6. I was leaning hard towards the Scout because of the cost but just never could pull the trigger on that. I was also pretty impressed with the fact that I emailed asking questions about the SoLong at like 10:30 on a Saturday and I had answers like 30 minutes later. I can't wait to receive it and hopefully get a chance to use it on a shakedown trip before we leave for Philmont on July 15th.

[Author]

Posts