Tent. Which freestanding double wall.

Looking for an UL, freestanding, double wall tent that is not fragile and tough enough for a thru hike.

IMO attempting to find a shelter that satisfies all those parameters is a bit like looking for a unicorn. For instance, “UL” and “not fragile”, while acknowledging that what those terms mean is open to interpretation, generally do not go together.

My suggestion would be to consider a Durston X-Mid paired with some CF poles (assuming you don’t use trekking poles).

Thanks. I have considered the X-mid, but I am specifically looking for a freestanding tent.

The MSR Freelight is close and 32oz but not freestanding although I guess you could add a horizontal CF pole at the single pole end. It has a 15d fly so a bit better than the Nemo Hornet 10d fly. I may go that route and I will deal with dripping into the interior.

Or I may end up with a Rainbow DW if I cant find anything else. And it uses 30d fabrics, I think, but 44oz.

Suggest looking at Big Sky International, Trekkertent, Black Diamond, Snow Peak,  Nemo, One Planet Goondie with solid inner.  Big Agnes domes are popular.  Online gear stores, like Backcountry and Camp Saver, will show what some of the long established gear companies have, but they tend toward heavy.  And the smaller companies may take some time.

Many of the tents use a transverse ridge strut to support the fly; but few indicate how much overhang there is beyond the floor width, as you found out.  Guess you have to contact the sellers to find the length of the ridge strut.  Note that with many, the vestibule door can be zipped down a bit to protect the inside from falling water.  But then there can be ‘horizontal rain,’ when the wind picks up.

Thanks. I will check it out.

I had a Big Sky Soul 2 for a short while with carbon fiber poles. Nice and light, but it is a body pitch first, end entry, and pretty tight. Very small vestibule. Also the way the door opens, it would drip water into the interior. I ended up selling it.  Big Sky right now has only a few tents in stock.

I remain a big fan of the Double Rainbow Li. You can buy a pseudo inner that clips in to make it somewhat of a double wall, though I’ve never felt the need to use it. Lots of room for a single hiker.

Marmot Tungsten UL weighs about 40 oz total packed weight and has a 20D silpoly fly. Priced right currently at $261.

https://www.campsaver.com/marmot-tungsten-ul-1p-tent.html

I thought the new MSR freelight would be perfect, until I realize the doors will drip into the interior.

How will “the doors drip into the interior?”

Also, this tent can’t be set up with the interior attached, and is not freestanding, so not sure how it made your list…

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The Marmot Tungsten Ultralight 1-Person Tent should fit the bill.

Minimum weight – 34.2 oz.

Thanks

Thanks folks. I just ordered the The Marmot Tungsten 1-Person Tent.

Will try it out and see how that works.

Let us know if you have found the unicorn of UL, freestanding, roomy, double walled tents!

The Unicorn UL, freestanding, sort of roomy tent, has been built by Big Sky International, depending on what you are after.

Two-person Soul Dyneema dome tent with X carbon fiber poles. Under 2 pounds. Floor space 85″x53″. Foot end 47″. Height 42″.

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Unless I’m missing something, it seems like the Nemo Elite Ultralight 2P would also have met your specs. Supposedly 27oz, although I don’t know what that really includes in practice. Although maybe you are looking for something fully freestanding, i.e. without stakes at all. With this tent, stakes (or rocks) are used to spread out the foot end, but I personally can’t see how that’s a limitation in any real scenario. Perhaps incorrectly, I was assuming you meant that you wouldn’t be using trekking poles. Not a big tent for two people, but plenty for one. Sold out, of course.

https://www.nemoequipment.com/collections/ultralight-tents/products/hornet™-elite-ultralight-backpacking-tent#specs

Yes I was looking at the Nemo Hornet Elite OSMO™ Ultralight. But the spreader bar is tiny. So, if entering or exiting in a rain water would drip into the tent.

So I decided to try the Marmot Tungsten UL.

So I decided to try the Marmot Tungsten UL.

I’d encourage you to look at the BA Copper Spur HV UL1p… lighter and roomier than the Marmot Tungsten.

Thanks. I will check it out.

Not freestanding, but what you guys opinion of the Hilleberg Enan?

Sounds like you are still deciding, and now looking at other designs, like the Enan.  That is a different tent animal because if the end peg or pegs poll out, down comes the tent.  Also the inner height is 3 feet and the inner length is 7 feet; so it would be cramped for a larger person.

One of the key features of a “free-standing” tent is that it maintains at least the shape of the inner without pegs, or as I’ve said, it is self-supporting.  Meaning that the pegs are there to anchor it, but not essential to hold it up, or hold up its shape, at least the inner shape at a minimum.

This is something worth shooting for; not just to keep a tent from falling flat if a peg goes; but also by supporting itself, it places much less stress on the pegs, greatly reducing the chance of a pull-out, and allows the use of lighter pegs.

But the catch is that an inner framework is necessary to make the tent self-supporting, and that adds significant weight.  That is reduced a fair amount by the advent of carbon poles, especially Easton’s new carbon poles.  Or you can break test every carbon tube you can find, which may sound a little bit crazy; but in my defense, when I did that it was long before Easton had come out with the new poles, and even they are around 30% heavier than the best arrow shafts.  So it is not all about craziness, there is progress as well.

My biggest gripe are the tents where even the inners require pegs to hold their shape, like the ones whose corners are kept in place only by pegs, a few of which have been mentioned above.  With a peg or pegs gone, a windstorm will blow the inner all to (expletive deleted).  And then there are tents with frameworks that hold their shape, but they are basically a long hoop held up by struts at each end, with a peak strut to support the ridge at the peak.  Like a Hubba, for example, that has been copied to death.

But an inner framework must be strong to work, and many of the frameworks are not self supporting, so have no inherent stability.  Compared to them, the Enan is not a bad alternative, so long as it is solidly staked at the head and foot ends to hold it up.  After all, it is just a form of tunnel tent, which Roger Caffin has shown to have many advantages.

Just my few cents.  Good luck to you on the quest for your best tent.

Yes, I am still looking. I tried a Marmot Tungsten UL 1, and it was decent, but the tent I got had a leak in one corner so I returned it.

I was curious about the Enan.

Anyway, Now I am back to the original. I have decided I want a true freestanding (not semi), double wall, fly pitch first (or external frame) tent.

Big Sky international Revolution 1p or 1.5p is about all I can find that has the features I would like.

Something under 3#.

How about the Nemo Dragonfly?

So you have already looked at and ruled out all the DW tents from TarpTent?

The lightweight hunting outfitter KUIU has external frame tents but they might be too heavy for you.

Hilleberg has three or four different 1 person sub 3 pound tunnel tents

I wanted a BigSky double-walled tent but they were out of stock and went with a SlingFin Portal 2.  There is a way to erect it during rain with the fly on the outside.  See the video on the web site.

Tarptent is still under consideration.