Distance between poles in Golite Shangri-la 2

i think its less than 72inches between poles.I had an sl2 but wanted to sleep in the middle.Im 5 11.I couldnt figure out a way of doing it without hitting the poles or walls-diagonally didnt work.I dont think there is a way of getting your long wide pad between those poles.That tent forces you to sleep on either side of poles and right up against the walls.The walls slope steeply and gave me claustorphobia.Some swear by this tent but i returned it and got a tt rainbow which has no obstructions and was easy to set-up.YMMV.

I don't have mine anymore but I believe it to be around 5 feet between the poles.

I had an SL2 and took measurements to get a custom inner from Bearpawwd. The distance between the poles was 64 inches.

Thanks for the input. William, your exact measurement is just what I needed. I think the bottoms of the poles could probably be pushed apart enough to make room for our pad if they are 5'4" apart when vertical. Our pad is actually two Synmat UL7s joined together, and there is a bit of a "cleft" at each end at the junction of the two pads, so a distance of about 5'9" between the poles would probably be enough.

A word of warning, Colin. The SL2 has (or the model I had had) plastic pole cups in the fly. I used to set it up with the pole handles upwards. (This is the way recommended by Golite, according to a thread I found on this website, though the photos on the Golite website at the time showed it set up with trekking poles pointing upwards.) As the top of the handles were quite wide, they didn't sit too well in the pole cups and would have sat worse had I moved the base of the poles farther apart.
I don't think this would be a problem with the poles set spike upwards. You'd want to put rubber tip protectors on, I guess.

Thanks for the tip, William. I'll test it out in the yard and modify the pole cups to be more secure if necessary.

I have a 2011 SL2 for sale if you are interested. My work email is kmack@bethelpd.com

Arg! I placed my order for a new one yesterday evening. Thanks anyway, Keith.

One plus for the SL 2 is that you can suspend the tarp from available overhead lines from trees thus eliminating the need for internal poles. Another nice feature is the side wall tie outs. Using them increases the internal useable shoulder room of the shelter and makes the sidewalls more vertical. When I set mine up I always pull out and stake the middle ground tie also, creating more of a hexagon than rectangle footprint which gives you more knee or hip room for side sleepers.
I love my SL 2.
Best,
Mulestomper

Thanks for those tips, Carl. I've heard from others that the SL2 might be a bit cramped for two people, and contact with wet shelter walls can be a problem. I definitely plan on using the mid-panel tie outs on the sides. I'd like to try using a line between trees to suspend the shelter, too, but I'll probably take the poles along just in case.