tent decisions

TarpTents are popular here. Many of us have had great experiences with them. Plenty of threads covering each of the models here on BPL.

My $.02 is the ProTrail and Notch are worth looking at if you use trekking poles or the Moment if you don’t. I had a Contrail (the previous version of the ProTrail) but didn’t care for climbing out of the end in the morning. Now I enjoy the dual side entries/vestibules on my Notch. Both are well under 2 pounds including stakes and are made in the USA. Henry Shires is very responsive to email if we can’t answer your questions. Franco is quite helpful as well. He even taught me to love mitten hooks!

I had this same dilemma over the winter when I was buying a new tent. Wanted double wall but would loved to have bought one that used trekking poles to save weight as I carry them anyways. Tarptents seem to be much loved around here and I’m considering a Notch for solo. However, for my wife and I, I ended up with a Copper Spur UL2. Tarptent’s two-person, double wall, tent is the Double Moment. It actually weighs more than the Copper Spur and has less floor space. If I didn’t have a budget, I would have picked up a Zpacks Duplex in a heartbeat but for my budget, the Copper Spur actually turned out to be the lightest option I could find for a true double wall and for price. P.S. I got mine on sale for $260 over the holidays. Anywhere close to the retail price of $400 and there’s no way I would have bought it over other options.

Hope that helps.

do you need a 2 person tent? and is a double wall tent important to you ?

Clever Hiker video on making choices

+1 on the Tarptent Notch or Protrail for LW 3-season backpacking… Notch if you want side entry with high point in middle… Protrail is you like front entry and high point above head.

I want lightness, walled with tub and mosquito, space and not too complicated set up. I dont want a coffin, front entrances, anything less than 42 height inside and super involved set up.

Im not sure the Copper 2 is truly enough for two people. I know it has the room for 2 but kinda crammy, no?

Well, it’s ENOUGH room for sure. Crammy? Of course, but something’s gotta give if you want to be light weight. Sacrifices have to be made in some areas and the tent was an easy one for me. We’re side sleepers anyways so actually the CS UL2 feels huge if we’re both on our sides.

If you want lots of room and are okay with weight of around 3.2lbs, I think my favorite is the Tarptent Cloudburst 3.   Yes, it is heavier than some of their other models, but it’s tunnel design is very easy to set up and you gets tons of space.  For myself, I like the versatility of being able to have a 3rd person and the more durable fabric compared to tents like the big Agnes is a big advantage.

IfI remember right, the big Agnes uses 10 or 15d fabirc compared to 30d on the Tarptent. I like a tent to last.

When I’m really concerned with weight, I use a mid.

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Tomorrow is a holiday for some.  Pack now, camp at the trail head, get in three days two nights.

“Tarptent’s two-person, double wall, tent is the Double Moment. It actually weighs more than the Copper Spur and has less floor space.”
The DM can take 2x 6’5″ people with ease. (not all that important for people of my height apart from those that like a lot of head/leg room anyway…)
For trekking pole users you can get the 46 oz StratoSpire 2 (mesh or solid inner) , larger than most two person tents particularly good if one likes large vestibules.
(nice if you are stuck in there for hours under rain)

I just got a new tent Wednesday. I did a tarp for a bit but living in the North East found it limited by bugs. And with a custom net insert stakes and tie outs I wasn’t saving much weight. I would have got a tarptent but it was a little more than I wanted to spend right now. I ended up with a REI quarter dome 1.  More space than I expected and the design is pretty cool my initial impressions are good.  With new light stakes and a homemade ground sheet im at 41.5 oz.  Comes in a variety of sizes.

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Hoosier,

Did you look at the Tarptent Scarp 2? Perhaps a bit more weight than the Copper Sput 2 with the TT’s optional X-ing poles but for 90% of weather you don’t need them.

I have a Scarp 2 and it’s roomy for 2 and “possible” for 3 with a head-to-toe sleeping bag arrangement.

Of course,being a belt & suspenders person I modified it for winter. Those mods are shown in the “Winter Hiking” page here at BPL.

Why the Scarp 2 vs the Stratospire 2 or Double Rainbow?

Eric’s biased, and without shame ;)

I really wish the Niak didn’t cost so much.

Maybe Backpacker magazine will hire him ;-)

Indeed, Doug. Hilleberg sticker shock is bad, especially so for their UL-ish offerings. I say this owning 4 Hillies. Yet when I look at prices for other Nordic tent companies, some of whom manufacture in China, Hilleberg’s prices don’t look all that stratospheric after all.

Sort of stuck in analysis paralysis with tent decision. It seems that people through the years spend and go through gear and end up buying more to get lighter.  So whats the point of not going light form the get go for a newbie like? Like I had mentioned I bought a Copper Spur 2 which I can still return. I weighed it, its at 58 oz with footprint. I will do much more solo backpacking than with 2 people. My gf is not interested but I may try it once with my 6 year old a couple of times this year. Not sure if he will enjoy it. So, 58oz gets to be heavy-ish for just me. Ive been looking at TTs, 6 Moons and Z Packs. For a moment I thought I would just go for a Z Pack but isnt that price point for like people that do this for weeks on end? I aint doing nothing lng or fancy but I do appreciate the virtue of being light….so to pay $600……but, it would cover both solo or ocassional 2 person scenario. I aint gonna do just a tarp without walls, not my jam, I live in Georgia, lots of bugs and critters.

The TTS and 6 Moons, I read mixed reviews about some models having condensation or splashback. Of course I understand no tent is perfect.

I have looked but at REI Quarter Dome 1 (too coffin), Nemo Hornet 2P (coffin plus it comes out at 3lbs with footprint), BA Fly Creek (coffin).

I feel like if Im going to return the Copper 2, I need to get something that will be substantially lighter to justify the hassle. The Double Rainbow aind that much lighter than the Copper and neither is the Lunar Duo.

This is driving me insane.

Floorless pyramid – oware, MLD,…

Lighter.  You can get versions with floors.

Not sure if you use trekking poles but have you looked at the SMD Haven Tarp and Net tent? It would come out to 34oz if you go the cheaper silnylon route and cost $350. I sold my Copper Spur, not because I didn’t love it, but because I just wanted to try other things to see what’s out there. I bought a HMG Echo ii inner and am almost done sewing up a flat tarp to go with it. Might not love this setup so if not, I’ll just sell it on here and move on to something else. I point out the SMD Haven as that’s likely my next step in my shelter trials if the front entry setup doesn’t work out.

“So whats the point of not going light form the get go for a newbie like?”

It’s so much more than simply about buying the “lightest”.

It is going out for 50 to 1000+ miles a year, and truly honing in on what works… and ultimately doesn’t work… for you (and perhaps your family.)

The weight of something is one of many important criteria that should be considered when planning a trip. The worlds lightest tents, packs, shoes, stoves, and sleeping bags may:

1. simply not feel comfortable to you
2. may be complicated as hell to set up & maintain
3. may degrade & fall apart faster
4. may not play nice in hot/humid South Eastern USA
5. might get inadvertently blown apart by a child’s friend
6. and so on…

BPL is a process more than a collection of products. Not everyone ends up w/ a $1/gram shelter, nor should they “need” to.

So back to tents: find one you truly “resonate” with – that’s simple to set up, that’ll work for your “normal” trips, and has a good warranty/ track record. Then just go out and use it. And use it again. See how it speaks to you, and go from there. A lot of awesome tents have already been mentioned, and don’t cost $1/gram.

:)

It’s as KT says, I’m “…biased and without shame.” Hee, hee  So, yeah, I am an unabashed Tarptent fanboy, having owned four Tarptents and been happy with all of them.

I got the Scarp 2 with X-ing poles and a ripstop interior for 4 season use and it works well. My wife likes the extra room and headspace and I like the two doors with vestibules. (i.e. No crawling over your tent mate at 0 dark thirty to answer the call of Nature.)

(Just read your reply below. Hey, I agree, the Copper Spur is a good tent and you’ll like it.)

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