Trekking pole "tarp tent" recommendations for 3-season Colorado Rockies

Most of my trips are the same as your target.  After going through a number of different ultralight shelters I have settled on a MLD Duomid as my preferred shelter.  It handles wind very well, sets up very quickly, uses minimal length guylines and so occupies a relatively small footprint and has a massive amount of space inside.  I can practically stand-up in the middle.

I have a Gossamer Gear Twinn Tarp and that was my primary shelter for 3+ years but had experienced several heavy hail events near treeline which caused extreme sag in my tarp.  My shift to a Duomid was to address the relative weakness of A framed Tarps in heavy weather.  Mids are definitely the way to go in my opinion.

I have a Zpacks Duplex and whilst we do not have snow to contend with here, we can get the winds and the seriously heavy but short downpours.

I went with the standard weight cuban fibre material and so far it has worked well for me. My only niggle with the Duplux is its pack-ability or rather lack of it but I understand that is as much a nature of material rather than the tent itself. Pack-ability is more an issue for me as I primarily bike-pack rather than backpack now days so space is more limited. The tent is in the drybag [now replaced with one that is more secure] on the handlebars.

I’ve used a duplex for the last few years in pretty much all alpine conditions and I think it’s hard to beat. The livability and protection is excellent for the weight. The dual vestibules are great for gear storage, access and cooking in a rain storm. I also love the versatility with the door configurations. I generally will sleep with one door open on either side and rarely experience any condensation issues. I also think this shelter is quite storm worthy. I used a shaped tarps and mids for about 10 years and I don’t miss the floorless experience at all when I’m in the duplex. Better views than my mids, and more comfort and protection.

Downside is the setup can be a touch finicky. In my experience its best to follow zpacks instructions to a t rather than try to wing it like you would a normal mid. I’ve also had some loud nights in the wind, but I think this had more to do with the material and because I like to camp in the alpine. Hardly ever a problem and now I bring earplugs, which I think are a good idea to have on any trip.

. Recommended Pyramid Shelters .

This is a good series of articles to read if you haven’t read them yet(they are about 4 years old but worth it)

. MOUNTAIN SUPERULTRALIGHT BACKPACKING – GOING SUL IN THE MOUNTAINS WITH ADEQUATE SHELTER, INSULATION, AND RAIN PROTECTION. PART 1: CONCEPTS AND SCOPE. .

This one has shelters in it but all seven articles are worth reading

.  MOUNTAIN SUPERULTRALIGHT BACKPACKING – GOING SUL IN THE MOUNTAINS WITH ADEQUATE SHELTER, INSULATION, AND RAIN PROTECTION. PART 2A: SELECTING THE LIGHTEST, MOST FUNCTIONAL GEAR – BACKPACK, SHELTER, SLEEPING BAG, SLEEPING PAD .

I’ve only used it in the north east US for about 6 nights cumulative over a handful of trips but I just went through a summer mulling the exact same shelter options and wound up with the HMG Echo II. I’m really happy so far and feel like it’s a great training wheel for a lifetime of fearing tarps for no good reason. I feel like I now have a lot more options to go lighter when I can than I would with a lot of the other options by subtracting stakes and using trees, etc. but still have a pretty bomber 3-season solo shelter and one I can use with my wife and also have room for my dog. Also, I hate, hate, hate condensation in tents and I knew this wouldn’t disappoint on performance on that front- and it hasn’t. On that front I think the secondary mesh layer has been a godsend, something you won’t get with something like the Duplex. With tarp, beak, mesh and stakes (6 DAC J hooks, 6 titanium hooks from HMG) I’m at around 2 lbs, which if we’re honest is slightly on the heavy-side in that price/performance point, but I wouldn’t say HMG made any excessive design choices either by any stretch. Your weight is being used efficiently, you’re just tricking it out to be good for bugs, moisture AND have room for 2 under a 8’6″ x 8’6″ tarp – no easy feat. And if we’re honest it’s not like we’re out of tarp with a bivy territory on the weight side either.

Honestly I could go on and on but I think what it comes down to is you’re mulling over some pretty quality shelters made by quality vendors. They all have advantages/disadvantages that you’re probably very aware of at this point. Close your eyes, make the best educated guess and enjoy! If you’re anything like me you’re always going to covet some other shelter anyways so, don’t fret too much :)