Tarptent Has A New 1P: The Bowfin

I’ve used both the 1 and 2 for several trips this season and like them both.

The 1 is a little small for me (6’5″) and will end up in the marketplace shortly.

The 2 is great. My only concern is that the longer pole is the same diameter as the 1, and I wonder how it will hold up over time.

I had the 1p, really really great design and workmanship, just too snug for me. I think the 2p would have been too large and heavy for solo use. If they made a 1.5p at 30in wide at the head it would be perfect. Ended up returning it with no issue. Mr Shires was very helpful all the way.

Scott how tall are you? Ed is way taller than me so I am hoping his experience is nothing somthing that would translate to me.

I’m 5’10”. Length was okay, it was the width that was too tight for me.

To me it is pretty roomy for a one person, but the room is in the middle of the tent. If you are used to an actual one person tent I think it’ll feel roomy. If you are using a 2p then I think you may feel a little squeezed.

I do like the head room over my face.

The 2 is great. My only concern is that the longer pole is the same diameter as the 1, and I wonder how it will hold up over time.

The Bowfin 2 uses the same Easton 9mm pole we offer for the Hogback.  It’s a robust pole.

-H

I am about 5’10” and my recent tents have been a Tarptent Scarp 1 and a Zpacks Duplex and before that a Big Sky Products Evolution 1 so I assume I am going to have to adjust to a little less space again. Hopefully not too much of an adjustment.

This photo should give a better idea of the floor space.

The floor can slide inwards to, more or less, where the mat is to give more vestibule space , if you prefer the pack outside the inner.

The interactive 3D video clip has a 6′ model sitting on a 6′ mat

https://www.tarptent.com/bowfin1.html

Not sure if you’ve seen the section hiker review or not, but there are a number of images there as to the size.

https://sectionhiker.com/tarptent-bowfin-1p-tent-review/

Andrew – mind me asking why you are moving to the Bowfin from the Duplex?  Size of the footprint?

Thanks @Franco and @landrover. Most helpful.

@pastyj-2-2 because my primary use now days is bikepacking rather than bushwalking (hiking) packability comes in ahead of weight savings.

When I brought the Duplex I didn’t consider as carefully as I should the bulkiness of the tent when packed or more specifically how cuben fibre does not pack down as well as say silnylon nor how I could carry it given the very limited carrying capacity of a minimalist bikepacking setup (e.g., no panniers used where possible and when used, only used to carry a lot of water. For example on my next two week bikepacking trip I have to carry up to 15 litres at a time at various stages of the ride).

The packed size of the Blowfin from what I can work out will work better for me and given I am using a bike, the 300 odd grams of extra weight is something I can live with. I maybe also be able to downsize the Sea to Summit Big River dry bag I need to use (it has loops so I can better secure it [1]) on my handlebar harness and shave a bit of the extra weight.

To be honest if hiking was still a big part of my outdoor mix I would keep the Duplex and either just live with the difficulty of it on the bike or have a Blowfin as a second shelter. It is a good piece of kit and the weight saving is nice. Also if walking I could leave the carbon fibre poles behind save even more weight.

[1] It is damn amazing how much a dry bag can move and drop off the bike (so different from being in a backpack) … I had to do an extra two hours of riding on my last bikepacking trip as I lost my, what I thought was secure, food bag off the fork cage. Found it eventually but just made a long day even longer. New bag in use now with loops to make it sure it stays put.

Hope that helps.

Hey @aushiker1 and Scott (and thank you BPLers!)

What did you end up choosing? My primary use is also biking (bikepacking and touring) and a few grams are not nearly as important as :

1. Fast setup
2. Packed volume/size
3. Ability to set up in the rain without getting interior wet – the setup on this (looking at TT website setup video) seems ingenious, like old style tents where I can set up the tent “underneath” the fly all at once. All the new UL tents (Hubba Hubba NX, hornet, etc) are so fragile and have such weird setups that you can’t do that.

I’m also about to buy a 1p tent (or a light/small 2p) so your thoughts would be invaluable. I’m 5’8 so all the problems of a tall person (FOR ONCE) don’t concern me.

Thanks all.

Jimmy,
All of the Henry Shires designed tents are fly first/integral pitch.
So any one you see at :
https://www.tarptent.com/index.html
franco@tarptent

Jimmy @biggyshorty I ended up with a Tarptent Blowfin 1. The packed size is 46 cm x 10 and whilst I cannot do much in terms of the length I could compress the width a bit more.  It will fit in my dry bag which I mount on a Revelate Designs Harness. The packed weight (seam sealed) is 1100 grams.

It ticks your #3 in terms of pitching inner/outer together. As to #1 I wouldn’t describe as fast unless less than five minutes is fast but I think with practice I will get faster. It is a little fiddly in terms of each end but other otherwise it is simple pitch with one pole and two pegs.

My only negative and this is more me than the tent is the interior size. It is good for a single person tent, but my problem is I have got so used to the space provided by my last shelter, a Zpacks Duplex and a Tarptent Scarp 1 before it that I need to adjust to having less space.

If you are comfortable with a single wall or rather a hybrid shelter I would consider the Double Rainbow as an option. It could possibly tick the box for a 2P tent as well.

Thanks Andrew for the update. I guess I should ask the greater community – and you – if anyone is looking to sell a gently used one?