One person tent

[Philip S]

I am in the market for a tent for one person.  I am getting back into backpacking after about thirty years and also do cycle touring which I just started a few years ago doing about four days on a few trips.   I want to do longer trips of each and hope to do multiple weeks or months.  I am looking for a lightweight tent but be able ride a storm out by living in a tent for a day for example.

Over the last ten years I migrated from a Sierra Designs Flashlight 1 which had almost no storage and could not be lived in.  Then I got a MSR Hubba NX to review which I found too small so I got a Hubba Hubba NX which after a year decided it is very good but too large and heavy for one person.

Late last year I discovered the book The Ultimate Hikers Gear Guide which I find very interesting.  That book and other info lead me to research tarps or smaller and lighter versions of domes like the MSR.  I learned of the companies Mountain Laurel Designs and Tarptent and find each very interesting especially all the models by Tarptent.  I live in northern WV and have all forms of weather.

I currently cannot decide on which Tarptent model I would prefer.  What seems to interest me most are the Notch and StratoSpire 1 for their method of using simply the fly if needed but I have wondered if the StratoSpire 1 would  be too large for me similar to the Hubba Hubba NX but I wonder if the Notch would seem too small.  This got me interested in the Rainbow but I debate if the one piece would not be as usable as the two piece separte fly models.  I have read and watched many reviews on these and others and am currently stumped.  It seems like one model is not good for everything so I wondered if I could get some help on deciding.

Is the one piece Rainbow a disadvantage or advantage.  Would I find the inner of the Notch too small or the Stratospire too large.

 

 

[Eric Blumensaadt]

If you have the “disposable income” I recommend the Six Moon Skyscape X, made of green Cuben fiber. It’s the lightest solo tent (with a floor) that I know.

My personal solo tent is the Tarptent Moment DW because I use it for 4 season camping with the optional crossing pole. (See “The Tarptent Thread” for photos of how I modified the tent for winter.) I like the Moment DW for its fast setup, two doors/vestibules, wind-worthiness, excellent ventilation, optional inner tents, etc. etc. plus great customer service. Oh, yes, you can also use the Moment DW fly by itself.

 

 

 

[Philip S]

The Tarptent Moment DW looked good also.  I have seen the Tarptent video of the comparison of that and the Notch and a video where Tarptent says how the tents with their own poles provide more space than trekking pole tents because of the curve of the pole.  Is there enough space in the Moment DW to say ride a days storm out while preparing meals.

Do you think the two piece tents are an advantage over the single ones like the Rainbow.  The Rainbow seemed to have a smaller storage area than the double sided storage tents and I have learned the Double Rainbow is very similar in size to the StratoSpire 1 and about a pound less than the Hubba Hubba NX I am moving from.

[Matthew / BPL]

The TarpTent Notch is my favorite tent I’ve ever had other than it’s packed size which is about 15″ long iirc. As I transitioned to a frameless pack for most of my trips I found that fixed length to be difficult to pack around so I sold mine. Aside from that issue it’s just fantastic with side entry, two generous vestibules and good ventilation. The interior is relatively tight but it’s much larger than a bivy. If you want lots of room to put your pack inside the bugnet next to your sleeping pad, you should look elsewhere.

[Matthew / BPL]

Have you considered an SMD Lunar Solo or Deschutes with a bugnet? I’ve been using a Deschutes with a bivy or bugnet lately. The modular approach is nice because you can set up the bugnet/bivy easily by itself in nice weather.

[Arthur]

+1 on the Tarptent Moment DW.  Nice, only two stakes for 3 season without crossing poles. Great for areas of poor or rocky soil, a few big rocks and you are set in 5 minutes. Negative.  Heavier than cuben.

[Todd T]

The Notch is a very nice tent, but I don’t think it meets your livability requirements.  It’s pretty tight in there.  You might check out the new Saddle 2, though, which is a scaled-up Notch big enough for two people.  It weighs about 10 oz more than the Notch.

The Rainbow is palatial compared to the Notch, but again, for livability reasons, I think I’d prefer the Saddle 2.  You can’t leave the Rainbow’s doors open in a calm rain(*) and it has only one door and one vestibule.  It’s also less stable in the wind without extra effort.

* There is a “porch” setup option that allows the door to stay open in the rain, but it’s awfully low to the ground…requires something like a slither to get in and out when it’s deployed.

[Philip S]

I originally posted this message and wanted to add that one reason a tent with a separate fly interests me is being able to use two ways as with both pieces or with simply the fly.  This is why I question if the Tarptent Notch might be just fine.  Only using the inner tent for sleeping and removing it for say living out a storm or simply preparing breakfast or dinner.  I have seen photos of a person only under the fly of that model and they seem to have a lot of free space.  Is it a pain to use one of these models like this or would that work OK.  Say get to camp and only pitch the fly to prepare dinner and take a break and then to prepare for sleep add the tent.  Can these two pieces be used easily in this manner or is it simply better to use both parts most of the time unless it is not likely to rain for example.

[Erik G]

I think this is a HYOH scenario. Some people would probably consider it too much fiddling around to put the inner up and take it down on a daily basis, while others would consider it no problemo. I have been using a separate tarp/inner combo and I’ve ended up just using both all the time – I leave the inner clipped in for faster setup. My thought is if you need the bug net after dinner, you probably need it during dinner too, perhaps even more so as bugs tend to not be as fierce in the late evenings. Same deal in the mornings. On paper it seems like a great idea, but in reality I just haven’t used my setup that way. I don’t do much winter snow hiking/camping, but if I did then that would be the only time I wouldn’t take the inner at all.

 

[David Gardner]

Are you seeking a 4-season tent that can handle snow too?

[Philip S]

That is a very good point that I was not considering.  The main purpose of the inner is to protect from insects.  So need all the time if insects are bad or not at all if no insects.  That makes me think again that I would prefer something larger than the Tarptent Notch.  Has anyone used the StratoSpire 1.  I wonder if it might be too big for me.

[James holden]

if yr worried about space get a 2 person tent … theres plenty of light ones out in the market

while some 1 person tents might have a bit more space here an there … for the most part youre fairly constrained especially with an inner …

thats all there is to it

;)

[Katherine .]

The Stratospire is a thing of beauty. I have the SS2 and love it.

Yes, you can go lighter. But it has the most elegant design.

[Franco Darioli]

Hi Philip,

there are detailed floor plans on the TT site for each shelter.

So for example wondering about the size of the Notch and SS1 you could just get a piece of string and make a mock up of the floor plan.

You mentioned being stuck in the rain for a day, I have done more or less that a few times in the Notch and it is fine for me because I have enough space inside to read (I lean against my backpack)  and sitting up for cooking I have the ingredients in one vestibule  and the stove (Caldera Cone or JetBoil, on the other. I am 5’8″ , 160lbs , so of course it also depends on your size.

BTW, if it is raining generally bugs are not about so you could undo the inner for cooking if you use a largish stove or simply need more space.

The SS1 does take a fairly large footprint but as long as the rectangular floor is on a flat spot the vestibules can be over low rocks or small bushes.The apex guylines take care of keeping the tension on the long side.

[Henry Shires / Tarptent]

Since footprint seems to be a concern with some people,  here are a couple of graphics showing how the StratoSpire 1 compares to the Double Rainbow. Because of the different geometries, I rotated the Double Rainbow (yellow) that its maximums better align with the StratoSpire 1 (blue gray). 

[Colin M]

Moment is pretty nice. Vestibules are great, air flows well and it’s pretty quick to setup. Not a ton of room above your face but better in that respect than most tents and that, imo, is my number one livability factor. My only issue with it is that it’s not great in snow (which may or may not be a consideration for you).
Best 1 person tent I’ve ever owned is my Altaplex from Zpacks. It’s basically a pyramid so has all those weather advantages, weighs nothing and has great vestibule space. Duplex is great if you ever need the option of holding a dog or another smaller person though I find the Altaplex a bit more livable with the taller center and steeper walls. Altaplex is large enough to hold you and a small dog or a larger dog in the vestibule area. The only real downside is that it takes about 4 minutes to setup and adjust which is longer than I like.

[Philip S]

I am looking for a three season tent for use in the mid Appalachian Mountains for starters and I am only 5′ 6″ tall so the length of the tent is normally no problem for me.  I am in my mid 50s and am mainly getting back to multi day trips after a long time off of only lots of day trips.  I am looking to live in a tent for weeks or months at a time while either backpacking or bike touring via back roads and rail trails.  As I said I thought the MSR Hubba Hubba NX was a very good tent in every way but I decided it was too much for me and my gear at least based on its weight.  The problem was I felt the single Hubba NX was too small in tent area.  I do prefer a good fabric like the Hubba models have and I read that Tarptent has similar if not better fabrics.

I had sent emails to Tarptent on this subject and received very nice replies I just thought I would join and post to this site for different opinions.

Thanks

[Colin M]

Packed size is a big issue if you plan on bikepacking so pay special attention to that. I find cuben tents easier to pack into bike bags as they can be folded, rather than rolled, quite easily to fit in strange spaces.

[David Gardner]

I’ll throw this into the mix: consider a Black Diamond FirstLight tent. Virtually the same footprint as the MSR Hubba Hubba MX (FL 48×82 vs. 50×84), more headroom (42 vs 39), lighter (53 oz vs 55 oz), less expensive (369 vs 399), and 4-season including snow (vs. 3-season). Packed size of the tent body is 5×12. Plus you can climb in out of a storm and erect it from the inside. And if you’re cycle touring you don’t have to deal with trekking poles.

I picked up a FirstLight from Campmor for $295. Reinvested the savings plus another $30 for CF poles, swapped the 6 generic stakes for 8 mini Groundhogs, and replaced the stock cordage with Z-Line 1.1 mm reflective, which got the weight down to 43 oz.

[Philip S]

I have no experience with a one piece tent like the Tarptent Rainbow.  Because of less ventilation and the one piece are they somewhat of a pain using on continuous rainy days.  Each day having to pack the entire wet tent instead of the wet fly seperately or is it no big deal since you could just stuff it in a sack without the poles.

[Julie G]

I have the SS1 and am very happy with it. It’s light (though not the lightest) and packs down pretty small. Compared to the Hubba Hubba NX the footprint is probably slightly smaller (but not by much), it got more headroom and bigger vestibules (two very usable ones). In the situation where you would have to ride out a storm in your tent you could have all your stuff in one vestibule and cook in the other. I’m pretty sure you can open the doors a bit without getting everything wet. It doesn’t feel like a coffin like the Hilleberg Akto does :P Compared to the Notch, I don’t know. SS1 is slightly heavier, but have more headroom and is longer. I’m only 5’6″ so I wouldn’t have a problem with either, but if you are tall I’d go for the SS1. For something lighter and with a smaller footprint, I’d look at Zpacks solplex or altaplex, but I don’t know how I would feel in those in high winds…

[Todd T]

Compared to the Notch, I don’t know. SS1 is slightly heavier, but have more headroom and is longer. I’m only 5’6″ so I wouldn’t have a problem with either, but if you are tall I’d go for the SS1.

Be careful. While the SS1 has a lot more interior space and shoulder room, it is not designated it as tall-friendly by Tarptent, while the Notch is.  It depends on your definition of tall, of course.

[Colin M]

Philip, there are some major advantages to the Tarptent on rainy days, the biggest of which is the fact the interior of the tent does not get wet when you are setting up a single layer tent. As there is no fly, you don’t have to setup the body of the tent first, allowing it to get wet, then put on the fly. You lay it out and it’s already keeping itself dry inside while you setup.
The downside to any single layer tent is condensation on rainy or high humidity days. You must be sure to ventilate well (keep a door open, orient so air has some way to flow through and pick appropriate sites) in order to keep condensation down. There’s a bit of a learning curve but once you figure it out it’s no trouble at all. I find that staying at least 150 feet away from water, leaving the door partially open and oriented away from the wind so rain doesn’t blow in then being sure a vent is into the wind partially does the trick.

[Franco Darioli]

Air flow in the Rainbow .

There is an intake all around the floor via the mesh that connects it to the fly and the mesh door.

You can raise the floor at the ends and side to avoid splashes .

[Brett]

+1 for the Sixmoons Lunar Solo. I’ve been using this tent for a few years now, and I really like it. The floor plan is nice in that it gives you some room for gear. I love the sideways entrance and vestibule: I can get in easily, keep shoes outside by they’re still protected from the rain, I can cook from bed. I’ve been really impressed with the lack of condensation (at least with the areas I’ve taken it to, others might have different experiences. It’s not the lightest (29.1oz for tent, stakes, polycro groundsheet, and stuff sack), but it was my first lightweight shelter and for someone just getting into the lighter packs it has served me really well.

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