Hey! New to BPL, and looking for some insight on a 3P tent.

[Matthew Kinney]

I usually backpack with my wife and 2-year-old son, and we currently use a Copper Spur UL3. Last summer my son became the youngest person to “transit” the Tahoe Rim Trail. That was all fine, but now we will have another boy next month, and we want to do it again next summer. We need to save weight but more importantly space, and the two tents that we have been considering are the new MSR Carbon Reflex 3, and the Zpacks Triplex. There is NOTHING online regarding the CR3. We would love some suggestions.
Thanks,
Matthew “Tom’s Trucker” Kinney

[Jeffs Eleven]

Tarptent Hogsback?

[ben .]

the carbon reflex 3 looks interesting, i hadn’t heard of it.

a 15D floor might be pushing it?

[Matthew Kinney]

That’s actually heavier than the Copper Spur 3. I don’t really need a bigger tent, but something somewhat comparable in size, but lighter and more compact. The Fly Creek 3 caught our eye but it might not have the volume we are looking for.

[Emylene VanderVelden]

I’ve liked the Tarptents and the Lightheart Gear tents. In general they seem to be roomy. Zpacks also have some great tents. Currently I’m testing a Nemo Equipment Ultralight style tent and have been impressed. I would check around and see if you find something used to try first.

[Franco Darioli]

There are some “reviews” of the CR3, here is one :
http://backcountryskiingcanada.com/index.php?p=page&page_id=MSR_Thermarest

and another one from right here at BPL :
https://backpackinglight.com/msr_carbon_reflex_3_tent_review/

you could look at the Tarptent Cloudburst 3, a bit under 60oz with the liner (to give a double wall to the sleeping area) packs a bit smaller too. (CR3 6.5″x19″ /CB3 5″x18″)
franco@tarptent

[Matthew Kinney]

Thanks @franco for the recommendations. I guess I should have specified that the CR3 is thr 2016 model, which is HALF the weight of the older version! I have seen some people talking about the CR2, but nothing so far for the newer 3 person. It intrigues me, but as @frozenintime says, it may be a bit too fragile for a young family of four. I wonder if the floor of a Zpacks Triplex is sturdier than that 15D sil. I have a 1st gen Fly Creek Platinum, which I think is the same, and I wouldn’t stick a toddler in that tent.

[Justin Baker]

have you considered a floorless pyramid tent like the mountain laurel designs supermid? They are lighter, more weather resistant than freestanding dome tents. The only disadvantage is a lack of bug protection but you can get them to add perimeter netting. You can lay down a ground sheet to have a clean area.

[Franco Darioli]

Hi Matthew,
I forgot about the new version..
Yes it now is lighter than our CB3 and packs down to almost the same size .
7D rain fly !

[Stuart .]

I have a 7D shell on my Montbell Mirage down parka. I baby that jacket like nothing else in my gear closet. You will need to be willing to accept the compromise of longevity for lightweight, but MSR / Cascade Designs do have an excellent warranty for replacing products that fail. Personally I would be paranoid about letting my rambunctious eight year old son anywhere near a UL product.

The suggestions you’ve received regarding the Supermid and the Cloudburst 3 are both excellent. Pyramid and tunnel designs are both known to save weight over dome tents. The Supermid is comfortably large enough for three adults or two adults and two children, and the silnylon version weighs 1lb 10oz / 625g. It does have a wider footprint than the Copper Spur 3, but I never had a problem finding a decent site for mine. And being floorless, you always have the option to pitch it over a rock or a small bush. Resistance to wind from any direction is surprisingly good thanks to the shape and the midpanel guy out points. A mid’s downside is the loss of usable space close to the edges of the shelter.

In contrast, the CB3’s tunnel design maximises interior space through vertical doors on both ends, and steep walls that are almost vertical for the first 2-3′ height. After dealing with the compromises of dome tents for years, I bought my first tunnel tent – a Hilleberg Kaitum 3 – about five years ago. It was a revelation how much more interior space was available than in any 3P dome tent on the market, for significantly less weight. Had the CB3 been on the market at the time, I would have given it serious consideration for three / three and a half season use, especially because it’s less than half the weight of the Hilleberg. The downside of a tunnel is its length. Site selection can be tricky below treeline unless on snow. And above treeline you need to watch for changing wind directions. It’s not fun to be broadsided by winds that shift in the middle of the night. To the uninitiated, a tunnel is going to move around in the wind a lot more than a dome, but that give is exactly what makes it strong.

Hope these comments help.

[Matthew Kinney]

@lotuseater, thank you for the good insight. I have some thinking to do.

[ben .]

the cloudburst looks great… though it’s more than twice the weight of the triplex, which i’m sure maters to matthew quite a bit while carrying two children + gear for all!

clearly the duplex and solplex have been pretty big hits, and people seem to get a decent amount of wear out of them.

but i’ve heard and seen very little about the triplex, perhaps it’s a bit more of a niche size and not selling as much. has anyone out there actually used one?

[Colin M]

I went through the same conundrum and ended up ordering the Triplex. The 3rd “person” I was primarily buying for is a dog but I’m 6’1 180lbs and my wife is 5’8″ so we wanted some space but I also wanted the lightest option as well as 2 doors with views. It also had to fit me and my two kids for when we go without the wife and dog.

I have a BA FlyCreek HV2 and it’s quite uncomfortable with 2 people so the 3 was never considered. I checked out the MSR Carbon Reflex 3 at a local store and liked the 68″ wide floor and steeper walls but the weight is just too high. I considered a pyramid but I live in Oregon so a bug net would be required 99% of the time and the cost and additional setup didn’t seem worth it plus it’s very rare the place I camp have sufficient flat space for the massive footprint of a pyramid. The Tarptent Cloudburst was briefly considered but it’s pretty heavy (relatively). The Tarptent Rainshadow 2 was a serious contender though as it’s big, inexpensive and light-ish. A friend has a tent of very similar design and after spending 5 days on the trail with him I decided against it. 1 door for 3 with kids getting up in the middle of the night didn’t seem like the best solution plus it didn’t handle wind and condensation all that well. I suspect the Rainshadow would handle condensation better than his (a discontinued MLD model) as the Rainshadow appears to have more ventilation and can be pitched higher from the ground though are otherwise the same design. Definitely worth considering especially at the price/weight. It was very close though as I really like my Double Rainbow but I ended up splurging for the Zpacks Triplex for a couple of reasons.

The Triplex, while being exceedingly expensive and smaller than the Rainshadow, is light, packable, has 2 doors with exceptional views and can sleep 3 as long as one is turned the other way. It’s narrow at just 60″ (20″ per person won’t fit 3 of me) but with the vertical screens and square floorplan it doesn’t feel so confined as the FlyCreek with 2 people. The bonus is that it’s plenty light enough to take on solo trips so the dog and I can lounge in a palace! I will put a bit of reflective tape on my poles so the kids don’t knock them down getting out at night. Another bonus is that I don’t have to re-tension the Cuben fiber as it doesn’t stretch, something that’s important in the middle of a rainy/snowy night.  The other big benefit is that if I don’t like it I can sell in in about 10 seconds here on BPL for close to what I paid as they are in huge demand. Should that happen, I will definitely be ordering the Rainshadow as it hit pretty much every need I had other than the ability to also be a 1+ person tent and the single door. Won’t get out in in for a few more weeks but will do a trail report when I do.

Hope that helps.

[ben .]

colin,

although i didn’t star this thread, i’m in a similar situation and your experience is very helpful, thank you!

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