Time to swap shelters (again)…

What did you dislike about the Slingfin Portal?

Tarptent Arc Dome Ultra weighs the same as a Moondance, is a bit larger, and appears to be very strong. The Ultra version might take some time to get, but the Arc Dome (Poly) appears to be shipping now.

Durston X-Dome appears to be in-between the mainstream tents and the other tents discussed here.

Not a tent I own today, but if I was in your shoes I’d look at the Durston X-Dome. That being said, I have an MSR Hubba Hubba that has admittedly thin fabric but has survived many a Sierra rain/hail storm.  My collection pairs that with an older Zpacks Solplex.  More often I’m hammock camping under an 11’ Cuben or Silpoly tarp.

While not strictly freestanding, a Tarp Tent Moment Li is an idea.

Durston is going to bring out his X-Dome in DCF…

@billb – the only thing I dislike/question on the Portal is the overall volume on the interior; I like a bit more space than it offers.  I’m not very large, but I tend to gravitate towards 2P tents for the comfort factor; the extra size/weight is just the cost thereof.  I’ve been happy that 1.5 or 1P+ tents have come along in recent years, because they’re more of what I’m looking for.  I’d also considered a Portal 2, but I don’t need the extra access and space.

The Arc Dome is a good suggestion, but from what I can see, it’s similar to the Strat on the inside…and I’m not sure how I’m going to feel about that.

Likewise, the X-Dome is also a good suggestion, and I like the layout; the space adjacent to the sleeping pad is pretty important to me, which is one of the reasons I like the Moondance: it has the same kind of feature.  Looks simple to put up, and with a few guy lines in place it could be pretty wind-proof; I didn’t find a diagram or much coverage on the trekking pole braces, but I’ll keep looking and see what I turn up.  I’m always a bit shy of UL tents in any kind of real weather; I’ve seen many of them get heavily damaged by even moderate conditions, and I’ve been in a few that got hurt badly as well (and I know they were pitched correctly).  The fabrics just aren’t the strongest things in the world, at most UL weights; again, that’s the cost thereof.  I looked at a Hubba as Bob mentioned, along with a bunch of stuff from similar brands…and they just don’t feel like treeline/sub-alpine shelters, to me.  Maybe that’s another Me Problem, though.

Thus, my one big concern about the X-Dome is the fabric weight: it’s…well, it’s very ultralight.  And I know that’s kind of the entire point, but it puts me right back into likely using a ground sheet; I’m pretty sure the entire PNW ground surface is made of sharp pine needles, sharp rock shards, sharp plants, etc.  Sometimes even the dirt feels like it’s going to poke a hole in me.  The snow here isn’t bad, though; it’s either very soft, or actively trying to kill you…but usually not sharp.

@Bradmacmt – I could be interested in that tent in DCF, depending on the weight used.

Bonzo: Yes, the X-Dome might be stronger than mainstream UL domes, but there are several reports that it is not a heavy-weather tent like the Portal or Arc Dome.

So, yes, it appears that it boils down to whether you want a stronger tent or a lighter one.

Samaya makes light and strong tents that cost a lot, but they are not magic: they tend to be small.

What about the Strat’s packing do you not like?  The struts?   The reason I ask is because one of the tent’s I’d suggest is the Durston X-Mid 1P.   I don’t hike in the PNW, but I do hike in the Southeast where it’s similarly wet and one of the things I can appreciate about the X-Mid 1P is I can open both doors for good crosswind ventilation (it’s miserably humid here) and can even open both doors halfway for crosswind ventilation in the rain unless it’s really windy.  The X-Mid doesn’t have struts so it packs better than the Tarptent. The fly is square too, so you may find it easier to pitch, though the sleeping position is diagonal so it takes a little longer to visualize it picking out a site.

If you want something more bomber, the MLD Solomid XL and Duomid are good options.  I’ve used the Duomid is some pretty serious conditions and it’s done well and they’re stupid easy to pitch.

For freestanding, what abou the Tarptent Moment (or similar Hilleburg Elan)?  It does have the struts, so if that’s your issue with the Strat it may not work, but otherwise seems easy to pitch and user friendly.

Traditional domes just tend to be heavy or flimsy light.    Tunnel tents are bomber, but heavy and don’t seem like they’d vent well.

Bill: if I have to pick between strength and lightness…well, I’m stuck because of course I want both, hopefully each with no penalty given to the other.  But that’s a tall order…so I’m leaning more towards “acceptably light” than ultralight.</p>
Samaya is an interesting option; they’re available locally, but you don’t see many of them out and about.  I think this is because most of them are essentially pro-level alpine tents, so you’re only going to find them in some of the more forbidding places around here.  I don’t think I’ve ever seen one up at Muir, or on Emmons Flats, or the like.

Brad: Tough question…let me see if I can put it into words, aside from “It just doesn’t work well for me.”

First: I admittedly don’t like the struts; I feel like I struggle with them every time, no matter the particulars.  I have to carry three hooked stakes just to pin them down, and those corners never really feel solid.  I also just kind of struggle to get a tight pitch on the tent; I’m one of the people for whom it just doesn’t seem to click, properly…and that’s probably not gonna change after pitching it a lot.

Second big issue: I don’t like using my trekking poles for supports.  I know it makes good weight sense to do so, but I tend to use my poles for everything when I’m moving on a trail, and that’s something I often do after making camp.  I’m especially likely to do so when I’m camped somewhere that’s a bit steep; I’ll often wander around, go and find a ledge to sit on, whatevs…and I don’t have my poles in-hand.  Not a fan.

Packing; it just doesn’t fit well inside the pack, because I tend to place it somewhere in the middle of my stack, vertically.  Spare clothes, food and emergency stuff in the very bottom, then the sleeping bag, then the pad, and then the tent…and I usually like all of that to just be stuffed into place, rather than neatly arranged: it saves space and keeps the bottom of the pack very full and secure, which makes the upper sections easy to fill.  Also, I usually try to put a couple of liters of water and the kitchen next to my back and use the tent fabric as stuffing to keep it all in place; the struts on the Strat make this a no-go.  With a fabric-only tent section, I can do exactly as I wish with the stuffing (it usually goes into a loose sack, by the way) and find literally anywhere to shove the pole set; I’ve even carried it outside of the pack in a wand pocket.

I might try the Duomid, given a dedicated pole for it.  I tend to like a bit more room at the side walls than pyramids offer, but that’s not necessarily a deal breaker.

The Enan is a good option…but yeah: those struts.  Again, that’s not necessarily something that’s a deal-breaker, but they have to make the tent easier to pitch; for me, the struts on the Strat make it harder.  I’ve never pitched an Enan or Akto, but I do think they’d be simpler for me than the Strat; if so, I could consider reworking my pack load to make room for them.

I agree that domes seem to be either too heavy or too light; that’s why I thought the Mont offering was an interesting take on putting the weight where it counted the most (fly, floor, poles).  I also agree that tunnels are bomber if built correctly, but I haven’t felt especially stuffy in them…and I used to live in the Southeast as well, so I know all about the humidity there.  I guess it comes down to site orientation and airflow, though; kick the door and vents open (as best the weather allows) and they’ve always been okay, by my reckoning.  Maybe I’m just humidity resistant after so many years of it soaking into me.

I walk in a wet place (Tasmania)  – for me, having a tent which pitches fly and inner together is really important…and its great if I can take the inner down separately while sheltered under the fly.

Is that an  important consideration for you?

The Mont Moondance is a highly rated tent around here – the main reason I didn’t buy it was it didn’t pitch fly and inner together. Mont gear has a reputation for being really durable.

PS I bought the TT Moment instead. Its great for me, but does pack vertically .

Cheers

I know what you mean about having a great tent that you just don’t get along with. I felt that way with the TarpTent Dipole 2 Li. By far the best tent I’ve ever used, and I also kinda hated it. When pitched perfectly it was so spacious and bomber, but yet if the ground was at all uneven or the site a tight space it became super fiddly to pitch perfectly. It’s possible I was too much of a perfectionist about getting every panel and edge tight.

Anyways I would second (or third?) the TarpTent Moment DW Li recommendation. Super simple to set up and quite stable in winds, especially if you have the sides guyed out too.

Much appreciated, Megan.  Info on the Mont tents is pretty hard to come by in the States; people basically don’t know that they exist.  It certainly gets wet over in the Olympics: there’s an actual rainforest over there, with 3.5m of annual rainfall.  It’s less in the surrounding areas, but still significant.  So, you make a good point: a fly-first or all-in-one pitch is definitely useful in that kind of situation.  I don’t often put myself into wet weather because I often show signs of melting in the rain, but regardless: a weatherproof pitch would be a strong benefit.

After thinking it over and looking up a few of the options, something I’m realizing is that I do like the idea of a quick and simple pitch, and that the packability of the tent is definitely as much of a concern as I’ve previously considered it.  Also: I’ve been looking harder at the Enan, Akto, Moment, and all of the similar options that come in various shades of not-quite-grey, but I’ve never really used a low tunnel of that nature so I’m reluctant to jump into it.  It looks rather ingenious, but I think my antiquated Dome Brain questions whether or not I could live in it during a day and a half of torrential downpour.

Jack: I actually feel bad that I don’t like the Strat.  It’s not the fault of the tent, which is admittedly good; it’s just that I never quite warm up to it.  I don’t feel confident when using it.  It doesn’t make me want to spend more time in it.  And worst of all: I always feel like I’m working around it.  So, moving forward, I’m trying to keep those factors in mind and not end up dealing with them again.

The Moment looks like a nice option; I’m not really sure why the end struts on tents of that type are fully attached, though.  If they were removable, I’d give it a shot…but I already know I’m gonna have to pack around it.  Also, I’m not sure that I’d go for the DCF version at this point.

The best option in front of me at this instant is probably the X-Dome: it’s decently light, and it can be secured adequately in the event of weather…and there’s a short- pole set option.  That’s sold out, of course, but supposedly some new ones are on the way.  I just wish it had a bit more beef in the floor.

“The X-Dome might be stronger than mainstream UL domes, but there are several reports that it is not a heavy-weather tent like the Portal or Arc Dome.”
We had some early problems with glue on the pole connections that affected the X-Dome and tents from many brands using Easton poles, but aside from that, the X-Dome is quite comparable to the Portal in rigidity (I have one here and have tested them side by side). We’ve seen the X-Dome over 40-50 mph many times now (when using the trekking pole supports) and never had a failure when the tent is assembled properly for the conditions. There’s some good footage at 30 mph on our instagram stories now. The ArcDome is a heavier 4-season tent, so the X-Dome only approaches that sturdiness when the optional trekking pole supports are used.

“I just wish it had a bit more beef in the floor.”
FWIW, the solid interior option comes with a heavier 20D floor. That’s the same fabric as the X-Mid floor we’ve been using with good results for years.

@dandydan – Timely response on your part; I was looking up the background of that exact situation just now.  I would like to think that I’m smart enough to not put myself into 50mph+ wind zones, but since I’ve already done that a few times, I can’t say it won’t happen.  Good to know that it was fully sorted out…and yeah, the Arc Dome is much heavier.  I wouldn’t call it overly heavy, myself, but since my other tent is in no way lightweight, I’m somewhat skewed in my perspective.

Thanks for the heads-up on the solid-interior version having a heavier floor.  I missed that, and I would definitely consider that option even though I tend to sleep hot and need a breeze unless it’s nippy outside.  And if I really need the mesh interior, I guess I could bite the bullet and carry a ground sheet < …grumble… > to beef up the lighter floor, even if that’s not to my preference.  I mean, the perfect tent for me doesn’t exist unless I build it myself… which I’ve actually considered, believe it or not.  But for now, I want to keep things realistic and just make the best choice possible; I’d like to find something that really does encourage me to use it more often, which a few of my older tents definitely did.

You’re welcome. Solid interiors can get a bit stuffy, but the X-Dome 1+ interior is as large as some small 2P interiors, so that really helps to keep things fresh in there, and the door unzips to have a mesh window.

Solid interiors can get a bit stuffy…

That’s definitely an issue for me, and I’m not entirely sure why; even with the doors open, solid-body tents have always felt really warm in any kind of weather above 70°F or so.  It’s nice in cool weather, but it’s so warm in summer that I’ve begun to think of 4-season tents as 3-season tents that are not available for use in summer…which is kind of why I don’t really subscribe to the concept of any tent being an actual 4-season model, anymore.  Seems there are always too many compromises.

By the way: thanks for making a short-pole version of the Dome.  That makes  it a LOT easier to store both in my pack and on the bike, or even in the car.  I get why pole sections are usually longer, but I honestly like the shorter option.  Smart move. 👍

The short poles are awfully nice. An extra ounce and a little more hassle to set up, but the packed size is super nice even for backpacking. We’re seeing a lot more interest in that version than I expected.

We’re seeing a lot more interest in that version than I expected.

A few years ago (pre-move, pre-Strat, pre-everything) I looked at bikepacking tents; probably would have gotten one if they weren’t always sold out.  Doesn’t seem like that’s the case any longer, but I’m not surprised that you’re seeing a ton of interest: packing long poles just isn’t as easy or flexible as packing short ones.

On another note: I set up all three of my tents this morning – even the old Clip Flashlight 💕 – and I realized something: I’m pretty sensitive to headroom over my face.  I think that’s part of my dissatisfaction with the Strat: even with the Pitchloc struts, it’s just uncomfortably low for me.  Both of my other tents are just as confining, overall, but they have more space above the head and face so they don’t feel as claustrophobic to me…and that’s another Me Problem.  And I guess that means I probably shouldn’t consider similar-headroom models…so, another point for domes and the like, I guess. 🤔

Freestanding/dome tents in general will have steeper walls/higher roofs and then X-Dome is particular has very high clearance because the walls are made even steeper yet by the shape of the poles and crossbar, plus the peak height is quite high (42″ versus about 36-38″ typically for a freestanding tent, so it probably would feel very spacious.

Freestanding/dome tents in general will have steeper walls/higher roofs and then X-Dome is particular has very high clearance because the walls are made even steeper yet by the shape of the poles and crossbar, plus the peak height is quite high (42″ versus about 36-38″ typically for a freestanding tent, so it probably would feel very spacious.

That’s one of the biggest selling points.  Most smaller tunnels simply don’t feel spacious to me, no matter their actual volume: it’s that low-headroom design – Scarp, Alto, et al. – that does it.  Asymmetric tunnels are much better on me; they feel pretty good most of the time.  That was the reason I liked my old Sierra Designs so much, and why I’d still consider something along those lines; I don’t really know of too many similar concepts, though, with the possible exception of the Nordisk Svalbard 1 or some of the tents from Lightwave.  And I really like the Svalbard design, but the vestibule is about the size of a postage stamp.  Can’t really say much about the Lightwave tents; they seem to have the same problem as Big Sky…namely, a website that’s out of date and so hard to navigate that I can’t easily sort it out.  That sucks because some of their options might work out for me, but it’s hard to find any kind of solid, current info on them…and thus, we’re back to domes.

You got rid of most of your tents but you have three left??

You must have had a lot of tents :)

You must have had a lot of tents :)

Jerry, you would be appalled at the amount of stuff we got rid of…and of how much stuff I still need to get rid of.  I sorted though years and years of gear accumulation, all in an effort to reduce what I had on-hand.  The result: a slightly-smaller gigantic pile, and too much that I just don’t use.  But: coming from a culture of more-is-better thinking, that’s not surprising.

So, my new plan is this: all of my stuff will be contained within exactly three (3) 64qt/60L storage boxes.  There will be one box for all of my normal gear, a second box for the winter-weight gear, and a third box for the mountain gear…and that’s all.  I neither desire nor need to carry more than about 60L of gear in almost any circumstance, so it doesn’t make sense to retain more than that.  I’m sure there will be some crossover – I have the same base layers for winter and for altitude, for example – but setting a hard cap on my storage capacity should help me out.  The only exceptions to this will be the things that don’t need to be stored compressed: sleeping bags, poofy jacket, and the “well, it’s all gone wrong, hasn’t it?” layers.  Either way, I’m gonna clear out quite a bit…so, yeah: as soon as I settle on a tent, the Strat goes up for sale.

On that note: I’m always looking for the non-existent perfect shelter, but instead of trying to get as close to that as possible, I think I just need to make a step in that direction.  So, I might try the X-Dome if I can get one on the next for-sale day, or I might go out on a very long limb and see if the Svalbard 1 could work for me.  If the answer to either is “nope, bad plan” I can always let that choice go and try again.

On another note: it would be really nice to be able to actually get my hands on some of the stuff from Nordisk, Helsport, Nortent, etc.  They just don’t exist in the States, though.

same here.  We moved into a smaller place a few years ago and got rid of a lot of stuff.

and now I try to contain my stuff in a few boxes

We moved into exactly 11 square feet (1m) more space, but it was exactly 5,000km away from the previous house…so we didn’t take much.  At least, I thought not; turns out that we did.  Now, we’re considering downsizing ourselves again; it’s been liberating…so I’m doing the same thing with my gear and load.  I don’t need all of the things I’ve amassed over the years, and I can’t carry them all with me…so why have that stuff in the first place?

I’m still looking hard at the X-Dome and the Svalbard after an afternoon and evening of research, but I haven’t found anything that appeals more than either.  I feel like I’m missing obvious options, though.

I feel like I’m missing obvious options, though.

…and I was.  In searching through old posts here, I found the Second Arrow from Wilderness Equipment.  It’s kind of a chunky tunnel design kind of like the Nallo 2, but a bit lighter and with the same kind of larger vestibule.  The more I think about it, the more I really want something with a working vestibule.  I didn’t really want to move into a 2P shelter just to get that kind of space, but it seems like that’s a requirement…at least for tunnel tents.

I’ve been very close to pulling the trigger on a Svalbard 1, but that lack of vestibule space is bothering me.  A lot.

Mont….now Wilderness Equipment 🙂. Maybe you need to visit Australia.