Shelter Choices

Not sure if you use trekking poles but I would throw this in the mix at $200. I have a Tarptent contrail and have plenty of room for my gear and a 6'2 person.

http://www.tarptent.com/sublite.html#specs

Too much condensation in my experience. At least in all the ones I have owned in the past (Moment, DR, Contrail).

You are going to get condensation in every one of the shelters you mention above given the right conditions.

The Solomid and Cricket are doublewalled though, which would at least make it a non-issue. I have a Hexamid twin now and with the extra ventilation I experience FAR less condensation than I ever did in my Sil tarptents. Can't speak for the Skyscape and Lightheart.

An extended beak on the hexamid would make it about as "storm worthy" as any of your other options, however I'm wondering why you are looking for a solo-plus when you already have a Twin. might as well bring the twin?

Mainly Footprint, 0.74 Cuben (I would get Joe to use this instead of 0.51), and ease of Entry/Exit vs the other options. It is not quite a stable of some other options I have seen (not that it is really lacking, just not AS stable). I would just go with the Solomid, but I need enough room to store some gear inside (pack, extra clothes if any) which is why I started this topic. I wanted to see if anyone was using the solomid and felt like the room was sufficient.

I have been using a SpinnShelter for some years, but I have to admit, the Skyscape X looks tempting. I have no experiance with it but it looks like it would work well, my only gripe would be the cuben floor.

The next incarnation of the GG The One might be worth a look too when it is realeased.

I think the X is an excellent choice (pun maybe intended). see John Abela's review on the subject. For a few dollars less, and a couple of ounces more than your cut-off, the Skyscape Trekker is an excellent tent. I'll argue the spec is a little conservative because mine is under 24 oz. with spreader bar and cuben stuff sack after seam sealing. Probably 24 with a rear/foot guyline and the five Ti. Stakes. They don't seeem to get much talk here, but it's a very well made and feature rich double walled (except for the length or roof from apex to foot) shelter that has handled some serious winds for me like a champ. John A. seems to indicate that there are no issues with the design taking on water from splash. I use the Silnylon without a groundsheet and that saves a few ounces too. You probably would not want to do that with the cuben X, though you could if you were careful. Anyway, to me, at $225 for roof, floor, and bug netting and under 1.5 lbs. it has been a very worthwhile purchase. Like the OP, I'm looking for something now for the upcoming bug-free cooler season, and trying to decide what sort of "mid" shelter it's going to be.

But the Twin and Solo+ have the same footprint, except for the tie-out for the Twin's rear pole.
I went the opposite route from you: got the Solo+, then also a Twin because I wanted something in .74 cuben. (Plus, they are both used for 2 people, and the Twin makes it a little easier to avoid touching the wall in bad weather.) I haven't had either in seriously strong wind, but from experiencing them both in moderate, gusty weather the Solo+ has seemed more stable to me.

That tie out for the rear trekking pole makes quite a bit of difference in pitch locations if the area is tight. The hexamid is the one I know the most about because I have had one for 2 years, and if I went that route again I would absolutely get a different one (Solo or Solo+) because mine is 0.51 Cuben and I would want to go with 0.74. I do not need the space of the Twin so would either go with the Solo or +. I am more interested in the Cricket, Solomid, Skyscape X, and Cuben Lightheart users to get their opinions on how much room they have for storage, storm worthiness (getting wet during wind driven rain), entry/exit etc.

Like Bradford, I mostly use a GG Spinnshelter(discontinued) with a bugnet inner. Approx. 16oz total and extremely stormproof or highly ventilated, depending on pitch.

If I were to start over, it would probably be an MLD Patrol shelter in cuben. Many of the flexibilty advantages of the Spinnshelter, but other advantages, most notably lighter and probably stronger than the spinnaker of the Spinnshelter.

I had the Spinnshelter for 2 trips. Quality shelter, but I was not at all happy with the entry/exit, and the fact that I could not sit up/get dressed inside when using bug netting.

I am 6′ tall and sit up fine in my Spinnshelter/bugnetcombo. But this depends on the pitch and bugnet of course.
Sitting up is not possible if it is pitched tight to the ground and/or with a shorter bugnet. I have rarely had to pitch mine tight to the ground. Only during a severe gusty storm.
I’ve slept through most rain showers just fine when pitched high.

I appreciated the way it handles storms, just don’t like the lack of headroom when pitched tight to the ground:-)

Entry/exit issues? don’t pitch it too low and/or unhook one corner tie while entering/exiting. I let my ground cloth extend past the top of my bugnet to kneel on when entering/exiting.

These issues are true with all shelters of this type and probably just as true with the MLD Patrol.
I know a lot of people who prefer these types of shelters once they are adapted to them.

—- A recently updated thread —-

Of the shelters you listed, I think the solo mid (or I would more likely go with dou mid for more versatility for a tiny amount of additional weight) is likely your best bet. The only reason this isn't my shelter today is that I have a long held practice of stretching out at the end of the day under my quilt, up on my elbows, and reading. The combination of of the sloping walls and the height of my head near the edge wasn't compatible. I know, quirky, there are a variety of behavioral changes, but I have been doing this for 40 years and didn't feel like changing.

Haven't used the cricket.

I have a 0.51 hexamid solo (not plus). I love the lowweight, ease of pitch, and the space (mostly). I purchased it before the beak option was available. I wish mine had this in the case of sideways blowing rain, but I have the optional door which works. I use a DWR bivy with my quilt. It is the most minialist shelter of your list. I have had no problems with it being storm worthy enough for me… I stood strong a couple of years ago in a rain . wind storm which collapsed a prototype LightHeart (didn't have the attatchments to prevent the top polefrom rotating).

The Lightheart provided wonder space and easy entry and exit. With the top pole attached maybe it would be ok in a serious storm, but I would be nervous. If I was getting a shelter for the east coast (below tree line), this, or maybe the Skyscape X which I haven't used would be my first choice.

People have mentioned the Spinnshelter. I used one for several years. Its a solid shelter and I sometimes miss it. But the rest of the shelters you have listed here provide more livable space. and faster / easier to get a storm worthy pitch, and have a much larger bug free zone.

–Mark