Six Moon Designs Lunar Solo for JMT to Whitney?

Just had a quick look at it. For the price it seems like a great option. The tub floor is 40D which is thick enough to where you could forgo a ground sheet. Also I like the fact that it has a zipper on the rainfly door as well.

Maybe make sure you buy it from a place you can return it if you don’t like it after you set it up in your back yard or park?

Investment wise it seems good as well as they sell for close to list price on ebay, so you wouldn’t loose much if you decide to get rid of it.

Personally I’m not crazy about a single person tent but if you can pull it off, it seems like a no brainer, at least on paper it has lots of pros! And it comes in cool colors as well 😎

Hope this helps!

Alex.

I was surprised too. Up until 4 days back, SMD wasn’t on my radar at all! It was a toss up between the Skurka V1 tent and the Nemo Hornet 1P for me.

And then I came across the Lunar Solo and the specs are just too good. Yeah…it is a 1P shelter, but take a look at the dimensions and see user videos….it is pretty big and roomy inside.

My only concern is the single wall construction and condensation risks, but the reviews suggest that can be addressed through proper ventilation, which this tent has plenty of to begin with.

Hoping to see some more user experiences from folks here before pulling the trigger.

Avi

The Lunar Solo would certainly be sufficient for your trip on the JMT

@ Avishek

I owned an earlier version of the SMD Lunar Solo and camped with it in the Sierra Nevada, the Rockies, and the California Coastal Range.

The condensation issue is easily managed by correct pitch and keeping the vestible wide open which gives you a great view.  There is lots of room inside for all of your gear and or your dog. Do read carefully the instructions about correct pitch when your new tent arrives.

A polycryo ground sheet for a solo tent weighs about two ounces. Just saying. I like it for keeping my tent floor clean. It also adds a bit of puncture protection. When you spread it out, since it’s clear, you can see any puncture material (Ponderosa pine needles etc,) or rocks and remove them before putting the tent down. And of course it helps with not abrading the floor. But it does add a touch of fiddle factor.

Actually I carry a GG thin and light pad for still more puncture protection for my Exped mat. I’ve never had a puncture.

Apologies for the thread drift.

Perfect guys….I think my mind is made.

Jeffrey: very relevant discussion. I was planning on getting a 1.5 mil thick polycryo sheet from Amazon ($6-$7 and weighs <3 oz). The GG one is nice, but a standard window film is cheaper (and thicker than the GG offering).

Several years ago, a friend asked me to seam seal a Lunar Solo for a several week trip.  Really labored on the sealing, using several very thin coats, and left the tent up for several days to let the sealant dry completely.  Noticed that the ventilation was good, as it must be for a single wall.  The netting between the floor walls and the canopy looked like a good idea.

Later she informed me that the tent was like sleeping in a steam bath.  Do not recall what the top vent looked like – that may have been improved.  She was hiking in northern NH from the White Mountains to the Canadian border – around 160 miles.  Mostly in forests, but there are many wide open areas for tenting, possibly because the area was stripped by clear cutting many years ago.

So I immediately bought a Hubba at discount, and made a silnylon fly for it, along with carbon poles.  Not 26 oz, but about 2 1/2 lbs.  She enjoyed the tent with no condensation problems.  Later I reinforced the areas of the carbon poles close to the hubs, where they were stressed.  The tent looked like this:

Am sure that single wall tents have their place; but not in northern New England.  Have always used double walls for the Sierras and Rockies, but would not take a single wall in northern Colorado either.  Gave up single walls because most of my favorite places are well watered, and condensation is a given.

The more I read about single walls and condensation the more confused I become. What I do know is proper ventilation is key to prevent condensation.

Section hiker has a nice review on the SMD Lunar Solo: https://sectionhiker.com/six-moon-designs-lunar-solo-tent-review-2/

I am not aware of previous versions, but the ventilation does seem to be pretty good with the latest version.

The other part I am confused about is how does a double wall tent prevent condensation? The only solution to reducing condensation is better ventilation. How is a double wall tent any better at preventing the physics of condensation?

Avishek,
An inner wall does not prevent condensation. With a good inner wall fabric, water vapor goes through it and condenses on the inside of the outer wall. With taut inner and outer walls, and enough space between them, brushing the inner wall with your head, sleeping gear, etc., will not get you or your gear wet.

Good ventilation and tent design will limit the condensation enough so that it does not rain down on the inner wall and then onto you, which is more likely if the inner wall is porous nettng, rather than a woven fabric. But I’ve stayed dry with taut netting ceilings on tents with good ventilation.

I have the Lunar Duo and a Gatewood Cape but a couple of the guys I backpack with use the Lunar Solo.  it’s an awesome solo tent, but how you pitch it can greatly impact condensation and ventilation.  If you stake the outer fly to the ground you effectively cut off all ventilation.  The “stake straps” allow you to pitch the tent so that the outer fly is several inches off the ground and the ventilation is then great.  With some practice you can pitch it low on the side from which you expect the storm to blow but higher on the other side to enhance ventilation.

On my Gatewood Cape I have 18″ lines (with linelocs) so that I can pitch it in multiple ways, from no gap to about a 6″ gap.

@Kevin: that is very useful advice.

I placed the order for the Solo yesterday, but then ended up placing the order on hold while I verify some of the open questions and concerns that people have raised.

I think I feel a bit better about the condensation issue (I will carry a camp towel with me), but the other concern is height of the tent close to the head and feet. I hate it when the canopy or the bug net hits my face or feet when I am sleeping. Is that a concern with this tent, when if we use a 2nd pole to stretch out the canopy? I am 6 ft tall.

I am almost wondering if I am better off with a 2P SMD tent like the Haven?

Single walled shelters work well in the Sierra Nevada. Yes, you’ll get condensation overnight, but most mornings in the “Range of Light” take care of that quickly. Just keep your sleeping bag away from the walls and you’ll be fine.

I’m 6′ tall as well and didn’t have any issues in a Lunar Solo – I’ve slept in one on one trip.  I did use my second trekking pole and an extra line (and stake) to raise the head a couple of inches using the very conveniently-placed tieout.  I’ve never bothered with the foot end.

Thanks a ton folks. I moved ahead with the order and will test it out before deciding next steps.

I also have the Haven bundle as a backup option.

Here are a couple of photos…First the Lunar Solo:

You can see the guyline on the left lifting up the head of the tent for a little more headroom.  The trekking pole on the right is doing the same thing for the Gatewood Cape…

And here they are together…

You can see the ventilation that the longer guylines give you in the pitch of the Gatewood Cape.  I think this was my buddy’s first trip out with his Lunar Solo and he was definitely pitching it close to the ground.  I hope the photos help.

Kevin: super helpful. Thanks for sharing.

My Lunar Solo gets here in about 3-4 days…I will pitch it and see how it does.

I am also going to check out an SMD Haven this weekend locally…..so I will be able to make a decision after deciding between the two. The Haven is an interesting option as for about 6-8 oz more, it provides a double wall 2P shelter.

The Solo new vs 2016 used Haven is costing me about the same (~$160).

I’ve also found that an adjustable-length trekking pole is really helpful.  I make it a little longer than it needs to be so it’s at an angle initially when I put up the shelter.  If it starts to rain and the silnylon sags a bit all you have to do is to move the handle of the pole a little closer to vertical and it tightens everything up.

Good luck!

Got the Lunar Solo and did my first test pitch.

First impressions: I totally love it! The simplicity of the design and the ease of setup just blew me away…..and a crazy amount of room inside given the weight of the tent.

Only con so far (at that price, I cannot complain about cons): the guy lines probably need to be replaced by higher quality lines. The main guy line on my tent is already showing signs of frilling after 1 use.

Regarding the pitch: I followed all instructions. The fly is nice and taut, but the bathtub was sagging quite a bit. In the picture on the SMD website, I see the bathtub floor raised to it’s full height…..what am I doing wrong here? Do I need to extent the poles beyond 49 inches?

Thanks.

Avi

@ Avi

I no longer own my Lunar Solo so I am not sure how much help I can be (and I owned an earlier version. I recall that the newer models have steeper walls for more headroom).

Since there are no tie outs at the bottom of the four corners of the bathtub floor, there will be some sag since the floor just lies there with little tension on it. You might be able to adjust the tension on the tie outs that are above the bathtub level on the four corners.

But the zippers on the bottom of the door should not be lying in the dirt. Try adding an inch or to the height of your hiking pole. If that does not fix it, take some photos and send them to SMD.

My attention on the pitch earlier in the thread was to address the concern about condensation. I have seen folks pitch the Lunar Solo in such a way that the bottom of the rain fly on the back and side walls practically reaches the ground thereby preventing the air flow you need to mitigate condensation.

I found that pitching the Lunar Solo at 50 or 51 inches worked better for the bathroom tub height. I also replaced the guylines with linelocs and glowire at double the length and 2 more feet on the front. That gave me more flexibility on uneven ground, etc.

@Bruce: thanks for the reply.

I have attached a picture of my first pitch where you can see the bug net sag. I check the rain-fly all-around and am pretty confident that it is well off the ground on all sides.

BJC: I will try out your tip and get back with my results. I will first start by extending my poles to 51″. I am worried that too much tension might rip the fabric.

@ Avishek

They used to make sails out of silnylon so it should not rip from any tension.  The weak points are the seams and the sewing of webbing attachments to the fabric but you tent pegs should pull out before any damage to the tent.

I would just gently raise the hiking pole until you feel resistance, and then see what you think of the bathtub floor.

Also remember that silnylon stretches so after 3 or 4 hours, you might need to tighten a few attachment points and or raise the hiking pole a bit.

Your pitch looks pretty good, but it’s easy to loosen all of your stake tie-outs and then extend your pole a couple of inches and see what it does.  I strongly recommend having your pole a little too long and keeping it at an angle (with the handle a couple of inches away from the tent).  If it rains and you need to tighten things up a bit all you have to do is to reach out and pull the handle a little closer to the tent and it magically eliminates tent sag.

You can pull the guyouts quite tight. I’ve not had any issue with the sylnylon version wanting to tear. Mine has seen maybe close to 4000 miles and the net zipper just gave out. But the material is still intact. Pull those guyouts tight.