Which tent or tarp shelter for Christmas

Let us know some details Benjamin; Where do you like to hike, what season/weather, need bug protection? will it be used sometime for 2 people or are you just looking for a roomy one person, is freestanding important, is there a weight range?

Fill us in and you will probably get plenty of opinions. Jeff

I am mostly hiking in California. Duirng the summer and shoulder season I go to the SIerras, and during the winter I spend most of my time in the coastal ranges) Los Padres all the way to Lost Coast. I am looking for a 2 person shelter that I could also be a roomy one person shelter, with bug protection and rain protection but mostly protection from the rain.

I have used Tarptents…but last year I splurged on this and couldn't be happier.

http://www.zpacks.com/shelter/hexamidtwin.shtml

I hike in the same areas / seasons as you, and I second the Hexamid Reco. Probably a separate Hexamid tarp with beak and an inner net by Zpacks (or from what I have seen in recent threads) a Six Moons Designs Serenity net tent. You'd have "traditional" double wall shelter for under a pound and the option to see if a shaped – or even flat – tarp shelter is for you. The sierras are certainly dry enough and Los padres dry or sheltered enough. There may be a better option for the wet, wet Northern coastal areas.

And with respect to one-person vs. two, I'd consider the solo-plus sized tent. It's enough room for the occasional significant other to join you and keep yourself covered with gear on the other trips. Two other options if you want more traditional would be a tarp tent notch or moment, or a SMD Skyscape Trekker or X.

I'm a big admirer of Z-Pack products but if you want a bit more room for entry and egress take a look at LighHeart Gear. The Duo or Solong 6 in silnylon or cuben might work for you and they are 20% off through December. Jeff

Does the hexamid come with an inner net or some sort of bug protection?

The TarpTent Double Rainbow is a really nice two-person tent. It sets up really easily and is a good choice if you don't use trekking poles (since it doesn't require them for support). I think of it as more of a fully featured tent that happens to only weigh 2lbs 10oz (once you factor in extra weight of seam sealing and guylines).

I guess you will need to decide how much of a fully enclosed shelter you want…

Tarp + bug tent (or just netting) underneath vs. Fully enclosed tent

I think you're going to need to make this decision before you look too closely at individual shelters.