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Lexirose1 Member
Joined: 28 Mar 2018 Posts: 1 | TRs | Pics Location: Bellevue, Washington |
Hey everyone,
I am embracing the solo hiking adventures this year for the first time. I have been looking at reviews for all the gear I need but seem to be having troubles picking a tent. I want a 2 person, light weight TENT with 2 doors, free standing, able to hold up in the rain since it is the PNW. I keep reading such mixed reviews, ive been looking at Kelty TN2 & Nemo Hornet 2p as well as MSR freelite 2 and a couple of different Big Agnes tents. I don't need anything advanced or 4 season since I'm a beginner but any advice or suggestions would be so helpful. Thank you in advance
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grannyhiker Member
Joined: 29 Jul 2006 Posts: 3519 | TRs | Pics Location: Gateway to the Columbia Gorge |
www.tarptent.com
May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view.--E.Abbey
May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view.--E.Abbey
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FiveNines Member
Joined: 01 Oct 2010 Posts: 526 | TRs | Pics
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I have a 2person Big Agnes kind. Think it's Fly Creek UL2. It meets all your criteria except only has 1door. I like mine a lot.
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pula58 Member
Joined: 13 Aug 2009 Posts: 589 | TRs | Pics
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pula58
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Wed Mar 28, 2018 5:26 pm
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Malachai Constant Member
Joined: 13 Jan 2002 Posts: 16092 | TRs | Pics Location: Back Again Like A Bad Penny |
I have a BA copper Spur UL2 and have used it on several thru hikes. It is light but strong and we have used in in storms in the high Sierras and the northwest. It can be damaged if you are too rough on it but BA makes repairs free in warranty or a very reasonable price if out of warranty. They also make a single.
"You do not laugh when you look at the mountains, or when you look at the sea." Lafcadio Hearn
"You do not laugh when you look at the mountains, or when you look at the sea." Lafcadio Hearn
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texasbb Misplaced Texan
Joined: 30 Mar 2009 Posts: 1153 | TRs | Pics Location: Tri-Cities, WA |
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texasbb
Misplaced Texan
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Wed Mar 28, 2018 7:44 pm
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Jeff wrote: | Be careful with TarpTent; many people wind them not to be very waterproof. I have experienced misting when it rains hard. |
Most Tarptents don't meet the OP's requirements (freestanding), but I haven't heard of "many" people finding them non-waterproof. Hard rain will knock condensation off any fly. I've experienced that, but never had water come through either of my Tarptents.
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RichP Member
Joined: 13 Jul 2006 Posts: 5634 | TRs | Pics Location: here |
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RichP
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Wed Mar 28, 2018 7:45 pm
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I use a tarptent double rainbow. I've tried single person tents over the years and they are too cramped for me. I agree that it's a fair weather tent though.
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HitTheTrail Member
Joined: 30 Oct 2007 Posts: 5455 | TRs | Pics Location: 509 |
FiveNines wrote: | I have a 2person Big Agnes kind. Think it's Fly Creek UL2. It meets all your criteria except only has 1door. I like mine a lot. |
Just check out some of FiveNines TR's if you have doubts about taking this recommendation seriously. I agree with him and have owned several Big Agnes Fly Creek UL2 tents (but I keep giving them to my kids because they are made out of silnylon). Now I have a similar design made out of Cuben fiber (Big Sky). But, be careful of Big Sky. Unless they have changed the experience of purchasing anything from them can be a challenging experience.
As I have said here several times before...a two door tent is wide and can limit your set-up locations. But that is just a tic I have.
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DIYSteve seeking hygge
Joined: 06 Mar 2007 Posts: 12655 | TRs | Pics Location: here now |
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DIYSteve
seeking hygge
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Thu Mar 29, 2018 8:13 am
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We're looking to get a Tarptent ProTrail. Our MLD cuben DuoMid XL works fine for me as a solo tent, but Honey wants a floor and lacks the knack to set up a 'mid. If we get a ProTrail, I'll use it on solo trips for the smaller footprint.
Re waterproofness: Tarptents canopies are high quality silnylon. I've experienced very slight misting in very hard driving rains with silnylon, but it's never been an issue, certainly not a deal killer. Nonetheless, I would like to see Tarptent models in cuben.
OP, why do you require freestanding?
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JonnyQuest Member
Joined: 10 Dec 2013 Posts: 593 | TRs | Pics
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DIYSteve seeking hygge
Joined: 06 Mar 2007 Posts: 12655 | TRs | Pics Location: here now |
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DIYSteve
seeking hygge
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Thu Mar 29, 2018 9:05 am
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grannyhiker Member
Joined: 29 Jul 2006 Posts: 3519 | TRs | Pics Location: Gateway to the Columbia Gorge |
Tarptent does have several freestanding models, or I wouldn't have recommended them. Several of them are double-wall, too.
They do have larger tents than most, so it may be that a single-person tent from will work better for the OP, since it will have a larger area than, say, the Big Agnes one-person tents.
I've never had problems with a Tarptent's leaking, either--except the one time I missed about a half-inch when seam sealing--during daily cloudbursts I held a rag up to the gap, feeling like the Dutch boy with his finger in the dike! Of course that was my fault, not the tent's! I had a tiny tube of silicone sealer in a repair kit, so once the weather dried out I was able to fix the problem. No problems since, even though that was over ten years ago. Since that experience, I've checked with a hose before every backpacking season.
May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view.--E.Abbey
May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view.--E.Abbey
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schifferj Member
Joined: 07 Mar 2015 Posts: 224 | TRs | Pics Location: 509 |
DIYSteve wrote: | We're looking to get a Tarptent ProTrail. Our MLD cuben DuoMid XL works fine for me as a solo tent, but Honey wants a floor and lacks the knack to set up a 'mid. If The we get a ProTrail, I'll use it on solo trips for the smaller footprint. |
The Tarptent Protrail looks very similar to the Squall 2 which was a collaboration between Henry Shires (Tarptent) and Glen Peski (Gossamer Gear) back in 2010. That tent was constructed of Dacron sail cloth and is nearly bullet proof and doesn't stretch once pitched. Great tent, I love mine.
I did see the new tarptent Notch Li, a Dyneema fiber tent which looks to be very similar to the Six Moon Designs Skyscape series but a bit smaller. I have one of the (very few it seems) Skyscape X cuben fiber tents and swear by it. It is my go to tent.
Looks as though there is a long lead time for the Lithium Notch (5 weeks) and it is currently out of stock.
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coldrain108 Thundering Herd
Joined: 05 Aug 2010 Posts: 1858 | TRs | Pics Location: somewhere over the rainbow |
HitTheTrail wrote: | be careful of Big Sky. Unless they have changed the experience of purchasing anything from them can be a challenging experience. |
They have changed. I bought a 2P Chinook and it showed up with one of the external tie downs missing. They replaced it very promptly. No drama. They do leave it up to you to decide which features you want or need.
I use that tent as a palatial one person but it has lots of room for two. Sub 4lbs, two doors and bomb proof. Semi-freestanding, as in you will need to stake it down in questionable weather and to get 100% of the floor space, but it stands freely w/o stakes.
They sell a one person version, and many other really cool designed tents.
BSI
I got blasted by wind and rain all night long at the top of Grand Pass in the ONP last August. Totally exposed and in the open, it handled it just great.
Then I got dumped on for 3 days, not a drop on me, and very little in the way of condensation - with two people stuck inside.
And for fair weather forecasts you can leave one pole at home and have an even lighter tent. I've been using it for several years now and still consider it the perfect tent for my, mainly summer, uses. I like to set up camp on exposed, high alpine areas, so wind was my main concern. I test drove several other tents in the same weight range and all failed miserably in extremely windy situations (the top of Grand Pass is a good test kitchen). The Chinook stood strong in all the circumstances I have faced.
Since I have no expectations of forgiveness, I don't do it in the first place. That loop hole needs to be closed to everyone.
Since I have no expectations of forgiveness, I don't do it in the first place. That loop hole needs to be closed to everyone.
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DIYSteve seeking hygge
Joined: 06 Mar 2007 Posts: 12655 | TRs | Pics Location: here now |
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DIYSteve
seeking hygge
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Thu Mar 29, 2018 12:38 pm
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ProTrail replaces Squall. Some differences: Squall had hoop at foot, PT has vertical pole. PT is longer and taller. PT has 2 extra tieouts on each side. PT bathtub floor is relatively narrower, i.e., farther inside from side edge of canopy. Squall beak replaced by PT split flat entry closure. Squall foot half-beak replaced by flat closure/overhang canopy. PT has more venting at foot. Most of the changes appear to address Squall problem re wind-carried moisture at ground level in stormy conditions.
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