Tarptent wish list

[Ken Thompson]

What do you hope Henry comes up with next?

I would like to see a Tarptent that looks like a Moment on the outside, but has an inner like the SS1. Sized for a long, wide pad. 45" interior height. 88" long floor minimum.
So nice to have two vestibules,doors for one's self at times. And I don't use poles. A one pole set up for 3 season use with a side entry, dual vestibules is absent from the marketplace. Scarp is overkill, but close. Would not ever use the crossing poles and would rather not look at their attachment points

While I am dreaming, olive brown with black trim would be a sweet alternative to the gray with yellow.

[David Ure]

Ken, you don't need the crossing poles with the Scarp. You could probably have Henry remove the outer fly clips….

[Ken Thompson]

A little narrower would be OK. I am aware of the Scarp's one pole pitch. That is what does make it attractive to me. Never thought to ask for the attachment points to be deleted.

Now about that color…

[Donna C]

Bring back the simple tarp tent…Virga.

[Franco Darioli]

In an effort to discourage smokers, the Australian Government commissioned a study to find the least appealing colour to be used in the proposed plain packaging cigarette packets.
The colour chosen for that is dark olive-brown.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-04-22/consumers-buy-death-in-australia-s-cigarette-package-law.html

Franco

[Ken Thompson]

Good. Then Australians won't smoke near my tent.

[Mary D]

The Squall Classic (Henry's design) now that Gossamer Gear has discontinued it. With the zippered vestibule!

[Todd T]

Something with dripless entry/exit for a tall guy. I love my Rainbow, but it gets wet inside if you open the door while it's raining. I think Henry claims it's dripless with the door pitched in porch mode, but at 6'5", I literally can't fit under it that way without crawling in like a snake, which gets me and everything else wet anyway.

The Stratospires and Notch are dripless, but I don't think they work for tall people.

[Dan Cherry]

Strats in cuben would be nice, but I understand the reasoning why it's not happening… In the meantime, the SS1 & SS2 sure are nice as they exist.

[K C]

I would like to see anything lighter, hence the reason I have never bought from tarptent. Designs are cool and all but it all comes down to weight in my book.

[David Ure]

You need start working out.

[F. M.]

I would love to see newer improved designs whatever they are, perhaps more tents that can handle wind and storm better. One thing Henry lacks is a good selection for 3 person tents, I'm sure the majority of people are in the market for one or two person ultralight tents, but for the few who travel in 3 and like to have room the selections are limited =/.

[Bill Wang]

Notch and SS2 in Cuben would be awesome. What are the main reasons for not having some cuben fiber offerings?

[Ken Thompson]

Henry's designs take into account the stretching of the silnylon. Would have to redesign for cuben. Too pricey for the majority factors in as well IWI.

[K C]

I guess anyone that likes light gear just needs to start working out instead and then carry heavy gear? Am I at the right website?

[Ken Thompson]

So Kaleb want lighter tarptents

David want us to be fitter

Seems reasonable.

Compared to what is still be marketed in the mainstream as ultralight the offerings from TT are still very light. TT is a pretty good size company now. You can't expect niche weight goals anymore only attainable with carbon and cuben. You have choices for that. I don't want a cuben shelter for a myriad of reasons.

A 30oz tent is still freakin light in my book.

[David Ure]

The Sublite weighs under 20oz. If you can't carry an extra 2-3 oz for full bug protection, then yes, you need to starting lifting. Preferably squats.

[Michael Duke]

So squats and water resistant tyvek over just buying a lighter, waterproof, bug proof shelter? I'm all for squats and consider that and dead lifts the best lifts you can do, but this is a backpacking site where the goal is to lighten your pack.

[David Ure]

I was referring to the Sublite Sil, which I was unaware was no longer made. Will use the Squall as an example. 2 lbs per person. And yes, being fit will negate the need to trim off excess pack straps.

The goal is to lighten the load, which involves maximizing fitness, technique, and lightening what is in your pack. To focus only on carving 2-3 ounces from a 1-1.5lb shelter misses the other parts of the equation. Not to mention that I find it disingenuous when someone posts that they wished TT were lighter without suggesting ways to do this. These are extremely feature rich shelters for the weight of a few cliff bars. And don't mention cuben – there are other cottage manufacturers that provide this and Henry has no interest in using this fabric.

Back to Ken's question, I wouldn't mind seeing a 2 person Notch.

[Eric Blumensaadt]

My TT Moment is nice, actually very nice, but I just had to mod it myself.

To wit:
1. toggle tiebacks for the doors (grossgrain ribbons were a PITA)
2. 4 canopy hem tie-out loops around the tent perimeter (for high winds)
3. "Crossing Pole" run INTERNALLY, coming out closable, Velcro-reinforced holes at the apex of the end triangles. (Much more canopy suppport)

So my attitude is if you want a mod then DIY – although another vestibule & door would be almost impossible with the Moment.

My next Moment mod will likely be to replace the horizontal floor-end nets with coated silnylon. (Eliminates some ground moisture from entering the tent & keeps some wind-blown dust from entering)

BUT… I would like to see the Moment with a Cuben fabric canopy/silnylon floor. If it could be sold at a price point near the Skyscape X I'd buy it.

And yeah, lose the yellow pole sleeve. Hard to stealth camp with it.

[Bill Wang]

Why not mention cuben? Just because other cottage manufacturers provide this? I happen to think Henry's designs are among the most innovative, so combining some of those designs with lighter fabric would appeal to quite a few on this website, in my opinion. I think a cuben strat 2 could lose more like 6 oz. We all know fitness matters but so does lightening by 6 oz! I dont see how trying to carve weight "misses the other parts of the equation."

[Michael Duke]

To be fair, focusing only on "maximizing fitness" and "technique" misses the other part of the equation as well. Try to maximize all of them.

[David Ure]

"Why not mention cuben? Just because other cottage manufacturers provide this?"

Because Henry Shires has said time and time again that he will not be providing cuben version of his shelters.

[Franco Darioli]

From Ken :
Good. Then Australians won't smoke near my tent.

Olive green is starting to sound better to me too…

Franco

[Ryan McCabe]

Modifying the guy line loops on tents with poles (Rainbow, Moment, etc.) so that instead of having a ribbon to tie onto, there is a gap between the pole sleeve and fly. That way we can wrap the guy line around the pole itself, like on Hilleberg tents.

And taped seams… :)

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