What is your go to 1p Shelter?

[YoPrawn]

@Johan are you using a pole or stick to pull out the head/foot end on your Altaplex to increase interior room? 6’4″ seems pretty tall for that shelt from what I read-due to steep end walls.

Not on the 0.55 DCF tent. The tarp I have is 0.75 DCF, so I put extra tie-out points onto the head and foot ends to alter the shape when it is pitched low to the ground.

I personally think it is a bad idea to put any sort of shape altering load onto the 0.55 DCF tents/tarps seeing as how they don’t hold up well to diagonal pulling into the bias. The stock guylines are dyneema and don’t really stretch, so all the side panels can be just barely tight enough to prevent flapping inward, not so tight as to pull the walls out for added space.

I don’t have really any problems fitting in my Altaplex tent when pitched at full height and laying flat out. I also have 1/8in foam pads that have other uses, that can be placed in the pull cords at the ends and block my sleeping kit from getting wet.

I’m pretty new to ultralight solo trekking pole shelters, but I have enough time in the Altaplex now to feel confident it is big enough for my needs. The head room makes it feel more like a teepee than a tent/tarp.

 

[talagnu]

20d pro-silnylon mld cricket with either a groundsheet or mld inner net depending on conditions/season

[Mark Ries]

I remember looking at the six moons designs wild oasis thinking that I would never consider that, never say never

[Shane S.]

Zpacks pocket tarp.

[Monty Montana]

Summer:  Gatewood Cape

Shoulder:  1P X-Mid

Winter:  Black Diamond First Light

[d k]

An old original GG The One (spinnaker fabric).

[Steve Thompson]

An MLD grace tarp duo when I expect rain.  An MLD pro poncho when I don’t.  If I need shelter I’ll sent them up as “flying A”.  Otherwise they stay in the pack and I cowboy camp.

[Mudjester]

I bought a TT Notch in 2013, and haven’t looked back. After 1500+ miles and 8+ years of use in all kinds of 3-season weather, incl. high winds in deserts and alpine storms, the silnylon tent is still in like-new shape now that the zippers on the outer and inner, which finally failed last year, were replaced by Henry at cost. Even if I upgrade to a less snug nest at some point for waiting out hours-long storms, the Notch will def stay in the family.

[Kevin M]

It’s not quite as light as many of the options here, but by far my favourite tent is my Slingfin Portal. Obviously it’s not quite a 1p tent, but I much prefer to have my bag and belongings in the tent with me rather than in a vestibule, and so for the weight and pack size it’s positively luxurious in terms of space.

Living in Scotland we have very unpredictable weather, and so it’s a bit of a risk to go TOO ultralight with my shelter, I can easily wake up to very different weather than that which I went to sleep to and so having a level of protection is important.

Coming in around 3lb depending on how you pack it, it’s still fairly light, but is WAY stronger than any other comparable tent. The internal guy lines, lots of external guy points, and the ability to add trekking poles into the stricture mean it can manage some pretty rough winds and a bit of snow loading, really everything short of a blizzard or very exposed mountain top.

In terms of a true 1p tent, I did also have a few great trips with German brand Wechsel’s Exogen 1 tent. Again not the lightest in the world, but very well constructed and again, enough space to squeeze your bag in the corner area inside the actual living space next to you. Was sad to sell it on and make space for the two Slingfin tents I have, but I’m sure it’s being put to great use by its new owner.

 

[Scott Smith]

Nemo Hornet Elite. 2 p.

no way it’s a tru 2 p… however, for solo use.. perfect

[Rick Reno]

Thanks, Henry- I’m 6’4″ and 66 years old with high mileage mostly over bad roads and LOVE my Notch. Granted I’m not 7′ tall but neither was the OP as far as I know ; – )

[Paul S]

My personal 3 season favorite is: MLD Cricket with either DCF floor + Sea to Summit Nano net or alternatively Borah DCF/Argon bivy.

Very light, livable and storm resistant.

[Dustin V]

+1 Gatewood Cape. I use a couple different inners.

For colder/windier conditions, I use a Katabatic Bristlecone, unzipped most of the time so I can reach the vestibule, pocket and ventilation adjustments. This maximizes interior space, but limits quilt drafts.

I also have the Serenity net tent, which is nice for warmer temps when the bugs are up all night. Better for sitting up and ventilating, but limits space a bit.

[dirtbag]

Depends on season and conditions.. but Borah Gear 5.8×9 silpoly tarp with MLD bivy is near top of my go-to shelters!!

[R L]

Rough life you’re livin’ there, dirt.

[R L]

7×9 SLD silpoly, BPWD full slope Min 1.  X-Mid 1 for more complete protection.  ~RL

[AK Granola]

I mostly use my Tarptent Notch Li. When I know I’ll be in open alpine areas without trees, I sometimes use my Tarptent Moment DW. I like them both and probably won’t get a new 1p tent for a long time, if ever.

[Jim Cowdery]

Six Moons Design Lunar Solo.   I need the bug protection of a full tent.

I’ve had it about ten years and it still is performing well.  It is also an affordable option to some of the DCF tents currently on the market

[Steve M]

* Another vote for SMD Gatewood Cape (3-season)

* Winter:  Bibler I-tent

[Brad W]

@AK Granola, why the Moment when above treeline? Does it do better in high winds?

[Rebecca 510]

Outdoor Research Helium bivy with tyvek groundsheet. Easy to set up; really warm and cozy (I sleep cold, so this is key); invulnerable to wind. Only thing is I don’t use this when there’s a likelihood of extended wet weather and no chance to air out my sleeping bag; it does get a fair bit of condensation when the humidity is high.

[Sam Farrington]

The Moment 2W is an improvement on the Akto, is spacious, weighs less than 2.5 lbs, takes a transverse pole for added stability in winds, and costs ~40% less.  But it’s out of stock, so you have to put in your email and wait, which may not suit your needs.  Wind resistance is very subjective, but has very dynamic shape and pitches taut.  And is certainly an improvement over the mids and A-frames that hog the market.  For winds, be sure to add single guy lines from the front and back of the main hoop pole.  Sorry, don’t have a link to a wind tunnel test.

[HkNewman]

Mostly single pole pyramid tarps with nesting inners (Deschutes with Serenity or MLD Solomid XL with XL inner).

Like the bombproof design using 1 pole.  Simpler set up too if not going bivy.

Con: At the expense of headroom at the end if using a air mattress like Xlite, etc.. but until closer to sleep time, I’ll use just a ”thin lite” foam pad to stretch, clean, and change.  On a longer hike I’ll put a Z-rest or similar foam on top of the thinner foam but that digresses.   I always set 3 edges at the max pole height  hopefully keeping the last edge into the prevailing breeze (rare to find a completely flat site, so I’ve adjusted around that).   Note I’ll often just use the inner if it’s unlikely to rain that night.

I do miss the extra room in 2 pole solo shelters sometimes but it’s my deluxe UL pillow from S2S that makes the difference sleeping anyways.

Winter when the bugs go away? Keep the snow shedding mid but replace the inner net tent with a bivy or sleeping bag cover.

Hotter weather?  Hadn’t planned on that really.  May be time for a more palatial bug proof shelter (enough room to keep away from the netting in comfort) like a bigger tarptent on the ground/UL jungle hammock with DAC spreader bar for its mesh canopy … and bring less sleeping insulation to make up the weight gain in the shelter.

[Sam Farrington]

Somehow, “aerodynamic” in my post above came out as “dynamic,” which makes no sense.  Looking at the views of the 2 wall Moment on the Tarptent website, it should be apparent how well the tent sheds winds coming from either side, and also from front or rear when there are guylines running from the pole sleeves down to the ground.  It is a tunnel that tapers down to a pitchlock on each side.  I have one of the initial versions with just a single wall and a bit of netting to protect against condensation that accumulates just where your sleeping gear is likely to rub against the walls.

The only problem I have with this tent is how low and narrow it gets at the head and foot.  But the full double wall on the later versions may deal better with the condensation.  As for hitting your head against the inner wall when sitting up from a sleeping position, the double wall would probably help with that also.  The double struts that support the head and foot ends are only 18″ long; so small hoops or even gothic arches on the ends, would open up more space for head and feet; but of course, add significantly to weight.  Instead, space is increased at the head and foot by the 8 1/2′ floor length of the inner and the sharp slope of the walls that quickly rise to the center hoop that affords plenty of space for one person to move about.  In order to achieve a more aerodynamic shape that sheds high winds, it helps considerably to lower the roof at the head and foot ends.  This also cuts down the weight that would result from a higher ceiling at both ends as with a conventional tunnel.

Some of the European companies, such as Terra Nova, have offered tents of similar shape; but none are as well designed to pitch quickly with a minimum of stakes and exposure to rain.  I think Eric B. modified one of the Moments to allow not one but two long transverse poles to slide under, not over, the canopy – a good approach to increasing space and stability.  But he has posted that he has since gone to one of the ‘Li” Tarptents made of DCF and thus cut out a lot of weight.  If there were a stronger and lighter silpoly available, it might make the double wall Moment  considerably lighter as well as much less expensive and saggy in rainstorms.  I don’t mind carrying an extra pound if it makes for a tighter and more durable tent when mother nature descends on me with fury in the high country.

[David Hartley]

When I first started backpacking it was a MSR Hubba, followed by a SMD Wild Oasis (with the perimeter bugnet) for many years. Two years ago I purchased a Deschutes Plus off of gear swap and have used that since. I use a Zpacks 1p bathtub floor with both. However, going to the Deschutes did not really solve the main issue I had with the Wild Oasis – which was marginal length. I am not that tall (5’11”), but with a Neo Air all season and a puffy bag I am too close to tent walls if my sleep position slides one way or the other during the night, and if it rains there is just not enough room to maneuver around for getting dressed, packing, etc.

It seems almost all 1p shelters on the market marginal for length. I think 1-pole pyramids in particular would need to use a very tall pole and/or lots of additional fabric (and weight) to really solve this for taller folks and the type of sleeping pads in use today.

Late last year I purchased a Sierra Designs High Route 2 Tarp off of ebay that I have yet to use. It is basically the rain fly only of the original High Route tent (the updated High Route tent is smaller than the original – the High Route 2 Tarp is bigger, with the same dimensions as the original High Route). I am hoping that the 2-pole design provides the extra room I am after. Still pondering what I want to do about a ground sheet – I might just order a MLD Solomid bathtub floor.

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