Cricket vs Lunar Solo

[Matthew / BPL]

I like my TT Notch quite a bit other than how it carries in my Kumo pack. I want a shelter system that I can stuff/fold/roll into a better shape to fit my small, frameless pack.

I bought an MLD Bug Bivy and a Simply Light 5×9 tarp whitch I like but it doesn’t provide enough coverage for my taste except on really short trips where I have a high level of confidence in the weather report. I’ve gotten snowed on twice in the last month and I was grateful I didn’t bring the bivy+5×9 on both of those trips.

I don’t like front entry shelters. This rules out an MLD Patrol or TT ProTrail.

I’ve considered a Solomid but I think I’m more interested in the Cricket because of simplicity and openness. I’d like to use the Cricket Tarp with my Bug Bivy but I’ve read it is not a good combo (Ron confirmed this) so that leads me to the Cricket inner and that makes me think of the SMD Lunar Solo.

Here are the questions:

1. Any thoughts on the Cricket vs the Lunar Solo? I really admire MLD’s thoughtfulness when it comes to materials and fabrication. I also like that it’s manufactured domestically. Are SMD’s materials up to the same standard?
2. I’d be interested in any other shelter ideas that are stuffable/foldable without any struts. I’m very interested in tarp/bivy combos with a side entry.

I backpack in Arizona and the Sierra Nevada. I go out in AZ shoulder seasons here a lot so rain/snow are definitely a possibility but I’m not looking for a winter solution. I’ll be in the Sierra in July and September this year.

[two pints]

I have an SMD Lunar Solo.  Probably have about 20 nights in it.  To help in your decision making process, here are my pros and cons for the lunar solo.

Pro

-Quick and easy to set up (once you get the hang of it).  There are a few quirks for setup.  See my setup tips below.

-Packs super small.  Can stuff it anywhere.  No struts or poles.

-Great coverage.  Rides out strong winds with ease.  Just use a groundhog or similar stake for the main front stake in front of the vestibule.  Trekking pole support is very stable.

-Plenty of floor space for 1 person plus gear.

-24oz is pretty great for as big as this thing is on the inside.  $215 sure is a deal when you compare it to things like the Zpacks Solplex or Altaplex.

-Side entry is quick and easy.  No more crawling into your tent.

-You can cut some of the weight by replacing front cordage and side stakeout straps and buckles with 1.25mm Zline or something like that.  (I guess this could be a con, since they didn’t go very lightweight in this area)

-The floating floor makes it pretty easy to pitch tight to the ground for bad weather (45″ trekking pole) or higher for good weather and more interior room (48-50″).

Cons

-I’m a 6’1″ larger guy with size 14 feet.  I have to pay careful attention to setup, or the foot of my sleeping bag can get soaked with condensation from the steep sides.

-Changing clothes in the tent can be an adventure due to my size.

-I hate seam sealing silnylon shelters.  If I had it to do over again, I would have SMD seal the tent for me.

Setup Hints

SMD has a setup guide on their website.  Don’t pull the fabric tight when staking out the first 2 corners.  What I do is pull the fabric fully tight, and then put my second stake into the ground 8-10″ back towards the first stake.  If you stake the first 2 stakes out too tight, it just pulls the canopy closer to your face and your feet in the finished setup.

I like to slant my trekking pole.  Instead of having it perfectly vertical, I like to push the bottom of the pole where it plants on the ground out under the vestibule 5 or 6″.  This seems to allow me a bit more room since I can sleep a bit farther away from the back wall of the canopy.

Conclusion

I love the simplicity of this shelter, and how great this is in bad weather.  Plenty of bang for your buck for $215.  I recently thought about replacing this with a Big Agnes Fly Creek UL2 HV, but the front entry really annoyed me, the material felt gossamer thin and fragile, the interior room was only slightly better than my Lunar Solo, it requires more stakes than my Lunar Solo (even though it is semi freestanding), and I worry that it will not be able to stand up to wind as well as my Lunar Solo.  If I hit the lottery, I might consider an Altaplex when my Lunar Solo dies.  My only real gripe is that the foot end of my quilt’s shell will get wet with condensation if I don’t get the setup quite right.

[Matthew / BPL]

Hey Mike,

Thanks for the response. I knew someone must have an opinion on the tent. There is not much information about either of these tents online so I really appreciate that you took the time to share your experience.

It sounds like the biggest drawback is because of your height and I’m 5’6″ so that shouldn’t be a problem.

[Lester Moore]

Have you considered the Deschutes silnylon tarp? It appears to have the same dimensions as the Lunar Solo’s tarp and you could mate it with your MLD Bug Bivy.

[Matthew / BPL]

Hey Lester,

I have thought about that combination. I emailed Ron Moak about it and I’m pretty sure he said the Deschutes doesn’t have a an interior hang loop to hold the bivy off of my face. I can’t find the email right now which is weird… Do you know if the Deschutes tarp has an interior hang loop other than the apex loop?

[Link .]

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[Lester Moore]

Matthew – Nick Gatel’s excellent review is for the Cuben version of the Deschutes, which I have. With the Cuben version, you could easily attach two Zpacks stick-on loops to the underside of the tarp (one over the head and one over the feet) to pull out the lines on the MLD bug bivy. Not sure if there would be enough room under the tarp to get a tight bivy pitch. With the silnylon version of the tarp, you’d have to sew some grosgrain loops on the underside and then seam seal.

While I’ve contemplated something like the above for my Deschutes CF and Borah Gear side zip bug bivy, I probably won’t. Laying the BG bug bivy under the tarp unattached seems to work fine. And by placing my backpack on its side in the head box of the bivy, the netting is held off my face adequately.

FYI, if you decide to get a Deschutes tarp, consider getting LinLoc3s on all six main guy line points. I would also highly recommend having D-rings stitched to the pull loops on each door. The default configuration for the doors uses a modified mitten hook on the guy line, plus a flat grosgrain loop on each door to hook the doors closed: hard to use and very insecure.

[Matthew / BPL]

Whoa. Great tip on putting the backpack in the bivy. Chad B mentioned that to me in a conversation via PM a couple weeks ago but I couldn’t picture it. I thought he was talking about putting the pack under the bivy and I didn’t understand what he meant. Great tip!

I like all of the suggestions you mention. I’m a huge fan of Lineloc3s. Will SMD do modifications like that or are you suggesting the DIY route? I don’t have a sewing machine…

[Lester Moore]

As of late 2015, the Deschutes CF cost $10 extra for the Lineloc3s. Not sure about the D-rings being on option, but I would definitely ask them. I’m in the process of testing the Zpacks door closure double-hook thingy used on their Duplex tent. Rather than sewing D-rings to the doors, I simply tied a small loop of stiff chord through the grosgrain pullouts to make it easier to grab the doors with the hook. Works fine in the house as a test of concept, but still need to test outside in real use. The thread below has more detail about this hook (copy link below and remove ** from either side of https, then past into browser):

**https**://backpackinglight.com/forums/topic/another-upgrade-to-duplex-door-closure/#post-3403479

Re: the bug bivy, the photo below shows how the pack keeps the netting off one’s face. If you buckle the waist belt of a stiffer pack like a GG Gorilla (shown in photo), it pushes the netting even further up. Tucking the shoulder straps around the back side of the pack also helps keep them out of your hair and the top one pushes the netting up a bit too.

 

[Hoosier T]

Linelocs don’t need to be sewn on. I actually prefer it when they’re not. I think Yama has the best system for attaching them and it allows you to stake right through the little spectra loops when you want to pin the tarp to the ground.

 

[Hoosier T]

Btw, the spectra cord is just tied through the tie out leaving you with a free spinning loop of cord on the tie out. The line loc is then attached using a lark’s head knot.

[Hoosier T]

You could probably do D Rings the same way for the doors if you wanted. If not, send the thing to me if they won’t do it and I’ll sew D rings on for you. It takes five minutes and I have gobs of em.

[Matthew / BPL]

Thanks for the thoughts and the offer, Hoosier.

I just realized I have a friend in town that makes tarps and quilts. I bet he’d help me out with a quick sewing project if I want to mod it a little.

[two pints]

Hey Mike,

Thanks for the response. I knew someone must have an opinion on the tent. There is not much information about either of these tents online so I really appreciate that you took the time to share your experience.

It sounds like the biggest drawback is because of your height and I’m 5’6″ so that shouldn’t be a problem.

Glad to help Matthew.  Let me know if you have any other questions.  At 5’6″, you should have no problems with the Lunar Solo.

[Matthew / BPL]

I ended up ordering a Deschutes in silnylon. SMD won’t have tthe cuben version available again for several months. I’m going to use the silnylon version for a while and then I will know whether mid+bivy is the right choice for me or not.

Thanks again for all of the tips and feedback.

[Matthew / BPL]

Oh and I ordered one of the ZPacks double hooks as well. It looks much better than the stock setup.

[KRS]

Hey Matthew, Hows the Deschutes working out for you? Im looking at the silnylon versions of the Cricket, Lunar Solo or the Deschutes. All are very attractive, the Deschutes being the most. If you where to do it all over which of the three would you pick now?

[Matthew / BPL]

The Deschutes is nice and provides good protection at a reasonable cost. I prefer the easier rectangular pitch, superior materials/construction and domestic manufacture of the MLD Duomid i purchased later. I do not like the webbing tie-outs on SMD gear. Obviously the Solomid would be a closer analogue to the Deschutes. I’ve still got the Deschutes. My son uses it with an SMD inner when he and I are not sharing a shelter.

The Lunar Solo looks nice but I prefer a modular approach, typically with a Superlight Bivy. I only pull the tarp out if I’m expecting weather. The Lunar Solo eliminates that option.

I really like the idea of the Cricket but the open door just doesn’t make sense to me in a storm. Maybe it makes more sense below treeline? I camp in exposed spots so it just doesn’t seem like the right choice for me personally.

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