CB3/Cloudburst 3 Initial impressions

[Sam Sockwell]

ok it's tent fatigue- someone(that would be me) has mixed up inside dimensions of SS2 with the new CB3. sorry. Sam

[Harald T]

HI

Does anyone know the weight of a pole (3rd pole) for CB3 ?

[Henry Shires / Tarptent]

Same as the other two: about 5 /12 ounces.

-H'

[Mike Oxford]

Any chance of a "long" version of this for us taller folk?

Everyone thinks being tall is a huge blessing, but … try it. *sigh*

-mox

[Henry Shires / Tarptent]

> Any chance of a "long" version of this for us taller folk?

How tall are you? Unless you are a 7-footer, long really shouldn't be an issue for sleeping length. The floor length (86") is fully usable and there's nothing to run into except mesh at either end. Long could be more of an issue sitting up if you're very tall.

[Arn Aarreberg]

Anyone have any idea when these will be available? This tent really looks like it will solve the problem of squeezing my dog in with my wife and I.

[Arn Aarreberg]

Got an answer to my question. Thank you for replying to my email Henry! I am looking forward to getting my hands on one of these tents soon.

[diego dean]

To Travis or anyone else with the CB3:

Ive had my CB3 out a couple times now, once in a really good TS, and have gotten to know the tent pretty good. For the most part Im really happy with it.

However there are a couple things im finding a bit odd and wonder if youve experieced the same. The first thing is the webbed slots that the main poles slide into at the base. Several times Ive had them slip out while setting it up and it doesnt seem to "seat" itself well. Im not sure why grommets were not used. Second issue is the vents up top. Mine are not sturdy enough to hold there structure to keep the vent open when a wind is blowing on it. Third problem im having is I cant figure out how to keep the sides near the ground in a venting position as shown on the website.

Any thoughts or suggestions? Are you having the same issues or have you found work arounds?

[Travis Leanna]

Diego,

I have the same issue with the pole sleeves. They do slip out once in a while, and I too wondered about grommets.

I've not had mine in a strong enough wind to keep the vents shut, so I can't comment on that.

Ground venting…. Diego, do you mean "keep the sides AWAY from the ground"? That is my issue, I'm not sure how to keep the outer sides up to allow for better venting.

[John Martin]

Still not available to order off their site? Anyone having good luck with this beauty.

[oliver hulland]

I just received my Cloudburst 3 earlier this week, and just had a spare moment to pitch it for the first time since it's stopped raining. And all I can say is HOLY COW. It's an absolute palace. First impressions are really really positive.

The only other Tarptent I have experience with is the Squall (which I used for a week with a friend on the AT). Setup is similarly easy. The biggest and most immediate difference is the amount of usable space in the Cloudburst 3. In the Squall, in order to sit upright I was limited to the 18-24 inches near the door (shorter people would have more room, but I'm 6'3"). With the Cloudburst 3, there is no such limitation. If you're at all claustrophobic, the Cloudburst 3 will be a breath of fresh air. The dual entry will also be huge on bug-free nights.

I ordered the extra pole in case I end up doing some winter camping, and I figured it's best to have an extra in case something breaks. It's well done, and at least on my tent the third pole is affixed by grommets. I also haven't had any problems (so far) with the sleeves that the primary two poles slip into.

Henry has squeezed every last drop of usable space out of the design, and given that it weighs the same as my last Ultralight 2-person tent, I'm over the moon.

[oliver hulland]

I forgot to mention that though Henry mentions that you can roll the sides up for easy venting I've noticed, like Diego, they won't stay up. I think this could be fixed with a few plastic snaps that snap onto the poles (like those found on rain flies) to prevent the fabric from sliding back down.

[J C]

Seems like there's a few bugs in the design still to be sorted out? Or are people just not able to work out all the features yet?

[Stephen M]

I would definitely love to see it with a separate inner.

[Jeffs Eleven]

I bet it'd add another 1.5lbs.

It would be awesome though. Would you need a liner with that too? Solid top?

[Stephen M]

I don't think it would add that much weight as it already has a ground sheet and end walls, I say it would add less than a pound.

I asked Henry had he plans to do one and he said no.

[Stephen M]

Double post.

[diego dean]

I was under the impression that a solid inner was in the works to make the CB3 a double walled winter shelter. In fact I was counting on it.

[Stephen M]

A solid inner will be available,.

[Stephen M]

Diego,

The solid need will just be a ripstop insert that's hung from the walls.

[oliver hulland]

I live just outside Baltimore and we had some truly gnarly weather the past few days. Nearly 4" of rain fell in a two or three hour period.

As it happens, the day before I had seam sealed the tent and left it to dry. By the time I came out to break it down, the rain had started to fall so instead of having a sopping wet tent on the porch, I just left it up until the sun came back. I can say with certainty that the tent handled it admirably. With that in mind, there are three places where you're going to want to spend a little bit more time seam sealing, and that's where Henry has sewn in three circular patches with velcro to hold on the third pole. This was literally the only place where water got in despite nearly 36 hours of constant heavy downpour. Also the sides of the tent extending almost all the way to the ground means that there is little to no splashing. We had flashfloods, and there was a torrent of water flowing underneath, but it stayed dry. I spent a bit of time in the tent for fun, and was impressed with how much ventilation can be achieved by leaving the vestibules mostly open on one side, and just partially open on the other (that way you can keep your gear on one side.

Something else is that this morning when I went to go out and check, a significant amount of condensation had formed (because I had closed both vestibules and we had a pretty significant change in temperature and humidity). But after shaking it around almost none had fallen to the floor. I think this is in part due to two design elements. The first is minimal seams that act as collecting points, and the second is the vertical walls.

Anyway, I'm really really impressed with this tent and am excited to take it backpacking this summer. If anybody wants to see other features/pictures let me know and I'll snap a few after my second round of seamsealing dries this afternoon (I just touched up the three spots mentioned earlier).

[diego dean]

Those 3 circles are exactly where I had to go back a put on more sealer. Also the vent area where the stitching runs vertically towards the bottom was a problem spot.

We had major rain over the weekend too and not a drop reached the inside. Handles wind great also.

Still waiting for wether or not the 18 inch poles are available on the CB3 and if they will come in carbon fiber. Havnt heard anything back from Henry.

The only other issue ive had, and its quite frustrating, is the sleeves allowing the poles to slip while setting up. Needs grommets instead I think.

Overall very pleased with the CB3

[J C]

So has anyone figured out how to make the sliding walls stay up? I feel that for the Australian summer heat that would be a nice feature.

[Jeffs Eleven]

Is there not a mitten clip? My Scarp has em

[diego dean]

I recently had to send my CB3 in for a repair. While it was in the shop, Henry fixed my only real complaint about it. He was able to adjust the sleeves where the poles insert so they no longer slip out while setting up. I thing the stitching was adjusted to make a tighter fit. Anyways, great service and great shelter.

[Author]

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