Narrow shelter options?

I use the original spec MLD Solomid with or without a DIY inner.  Pretty slim.

I’ve used a silnylon Tarptent Notch and Zpacks Solplex. There are probably narrower options. Freestanding tents have gotten lighter lately and you can fit in a narrower space if you don’t need the fly, which is true  on some of my desert trips.  I’ve used a bivy too, but it sucks when the wind is bowing the sand in your face.

@Bob, thanks. I have not gone the bivy route for that reason-wind.

The Tarp tent’s Ae on Li is a pretty slim.

Check out the updated (2019) version of the Sierra Designs High Route. It’s probably as small as it gets.

It’ll be smaller than a single pole shelter (e.g. SoloMid, Aeon) because the dual poles gives steeper walls.  For example, the SoloMid is 48″ x 108″ while the High Route is 42″ x 102″.

The Aeon is 40.5 x 98.5 since you don’t need to stake out the doors; so smaller than the double pole High Route. The pitch-locks exempt it from the limitations of other single pole designs (they are extra poles after all).

TT Notch, either silnylon or Dyneema Composite Fabric. Nicely narrow.

Hint: Get the partial ripstop (“solid”) interior to keep out blowing desert dust. Don’t ask…

The Notch isn’t all that slim in the middle, (56″) however if you must  to you dont need to deploy either or even both vestibules. You just use the apex guylines (say over rocks/vegetation) to hold it up.

Like this :

Aeon Li definitely has a small footprint

The Big Agnes Fly Creek UL 1 is going to be hard to beat at 38″ wide. I don’t like the tent, however, BA sells a gazillion Fly Creeks and a lot of people are fine with them. The 7d Patinum version is VERY light for a semi-freestanding tent and the DCF Carbon is of course the lightest of all.

Actually that new REI tent that Ryan jsut reviewed is very narrow Flash Air1. It has some limitations however. Maybe the desert would be a good environment for this tent.

Thanks for the options. Seems a free standing tent would be most narrow. The REI Quarter Dome SL1 is 88×35 at 31oz(no stakes). 38″ wide-BA Fly Creek UL1 27oz, Fly Creek HV1 23oz.

Be careful with comparing inner versus fly dimensions. Most of the freestanding tent dimensions being shared are for the inner, with the fly being larger. A few freestanding tents have high cut flys where the fly isn’t longer than the inner on some sides, but usually it is. Conversely, the dimensions being shared for trekking pole tents the Aeon, High Route, SoloMid etc are for the fly, which is really what matters.

For example, the Quarter Dome SL1 is 88 x 35 for the inner where the fly is a couple inches longer, and ranging from a few inches wider to much wider where the vestibule pull out (e.g. 60″). You certainly couldn’t pitch it in a 88 x 35″ spot. Maybe 85″ x 40″ if you didn’t use the vestibules.

With pretty much any tent you can not use the vestibules, but not a great option because you end up needing to keep the doors rolled with open (Franco’s pictures) or having walls of limp fabric on the sides (e.g. hard to get in/out and less stormworthy). With my X-Mid tent you can roll up the doors/vestibules to basically give something like the Sierra Designs High Route, but if small spots are are a regular occurrence for you, it’s more convienent to have a tent you can fully pitch, so I would just get the High Route. You can fully pitch that tent smaller than any other option mentioned.

@Dan good points Dan. Doesn’t look like you could effectively do much with the REI SL1’s fly at the door to maintain the narrow footprint and prevent flapping. The plus on free standing vs High Route is you don’t need to guy lines set which may be tough in narrow sites.

The Sierra Designs High Side 1 would fit the bill if you aren’t too concerned with sitting up fully.  Actually, this tent should be decent in the wind given the low profile.

@David, the High Side 1 looks interesting. I wish these side vestibule tents had the option like the Aeon Li to pitch it with the vestibule near the tent body in tight sites-like this 

@David, the High Side 1 looks interesting. I wish these side vestibule tents had the option like the Aeon Li to pitch it with the vestibule near the tent body in tight sites-like this

I would have thought that was possible with almost any tent where the drip line was outside the inner.

I would have thought that was possible with almost any tent where the drip line was outside the inner.

I will have to look into that. Thanks.

It’s true that the BA Fly Creek UL 1 is wider than the 38″ inner when the fly is attached, but only by about 3″ on each side. So for a total width of approx 44,”  You can see in the pic below, the fly buckles are at the bottom of the poles.

The Sierra Designs High Side is listed as having a 34″ wide inner, but look at it with the vestibule deployed.  Appears to be considerably wider than the Fly Creek to me. Yes, the Fly Creek is longer with its vestibule, however, the OP asked about width (Narrow Shelter Options) And at a listed weight of 2.4 lbs for the High Side, no thanks. Nice design though.

Why does that Aeon Li look like a body bag to me? It’s kinda cool though. But it looks like a little coffin set up like that with the doors flat.

I see Campsaver has the High Side marked down 41% off at $166 dollars. A mark down that big almost always means something isn’t selling.

https://www.campsaver.com/sierra-designs-high-side-1.html

@Monte It’s true that the BA Fly Creek UL 1 is wider than the 38″ inner when the fly is attached, but only by about 3″ on each side. So for a total width of approx 44,”  You can see in the pic below, the fly buckles are at the bottom of the poles.

It looks like the BA Fly Creek UL 1 is the narrowest freestanding due to the front vestibule. 1lb 11oz is not bad either. Thanks.

I would have thought that was possible with almost any tent where the drip line was outside the inner.

I think the point is that the Aeon can do it without guylines.

I think the point is that the Aeon can do it without guylines.

That’s a good point, though I’ve had pitches where I didn’t have room to deploy the vestibules fully but I’ve always found a way to use the apex guylines. Unlike doors, they can pass through bushes and over rocks.

The SD High Side mentioned above doesn’t use guylines so it should work fine. In videos, the Aeon Li looked as if it lost some stability when it was set up with neither the apex guy nor the vestibule pegged out.