1-person tent vs 2-person tent

[MuddyWaters]

I have an inquiry sent to zpacks to see if they can make an Altaplex with bug netting around the bottom and a removable groundsheet. In other words, a shelter with the Altaplex tarp done in the style of a hexamid. That would provide much more flexibility at a slight weight penalty vs the tent. Having the removable ground sheet on the hexamid is something I have grown to appreciate. Very flexible.

Me too.
Quite a few wrap it around waist for rain skirt.
But i like keeping it dry when necessary, and using in shelters.
I like wt of attached floors, but thats about it.


My experience is Joe will make just about anything, they are all made to order anyway.

[Singto]

A lot of people seem to like Tarptent products but for me, it seems that many of their tents come up short on floor square footage as compared to other manufacturers' like models.

[Singto]

Either way, I don't see any reason to carry a tent for one or two person that weighs more than 2 pounds, as there are some great options out there.

This is the current status of tent shelters in a nutshell.

One reason to carry a tent weighing more than 2 lbs. might be MONEY. The lightweight options usually cost significantly more (well worth it in my opinion) and some people just don't have the funds to spend $300. An Alps Mountaineering Mystique 1.0 can be had for around $100 and the 1.5 for about $130 but they are 3-4 pounds without footprint. The closest to a good balance of lightweight and cost is probably the 6 Moon Designs Skyscape Scout (80% dual wall). It's 34 ounces without stakes or ground sheet but costs $125 plus shipping.

[Franco]

"A lot of people seem to like Tarptent products but for me, it seems that many of their tents come up short on floor square footage as compared to other manufacturers' like models"
Square footage and usable footage is not the same thing.
To give you an example, the 51sq feet Hogback can sleep 4x6'3" people on top of a 77"x20" thick mat, try doing that with ,say, the 59sq feet Shangri La 3 (you will be hard pressed to fit 3...)
Unlike with most brands our shelters have usable end to end space and in a couple of cases (Notch and Moment) the wall slopes outward so in fact giving you more space than the floor length indicates.
Here is an example comparing the 84" Notch with a 90" 48" high pyramid (yellow guyline) :
Inner-size.jpg

[Traveler]

I was doing some background reading on hiking the AT, and came off with the impression that 2-person tents are generally preferred for single-person hikes because they add marginal weight (2 pounds...not marginal in my book!) and greatly increase available space over a 1-person tent.

As I consider a thru-hike next year, I'm thinking it'd be wise to get my tent situation squared away. My current tent is a 2-person Alps Mountaineering Galaxy 2 that I absolutely love, which weighs about 5 pounds. I know single-person tents are about 3 pounds or less (including fly, plus footprint), and I'm not attracted to less space but the weight savings can be important. I do like the idea of a bit of extra space for my pack, with the 2-person tent.

Appreciate folks' thoughts on "ground truth" concerning tent size...

For what its worth, 2-person tents are not necessarily 2 lbs heavier than 1-person tents, unless you are looking at an ultra-light tent vs commercially made type. I looked at several one person tents and didn't find anything that really hit the "I like that" button. I opted for a Big Agnes UL2 - 2-person tent that was approximately 9 ounces heavier than the 1-person model of the same tent (weight is about 2.12 lbs). There were a number of reasons I made that selection, suffice to say the 1-person tent was more limited. The half pound or so extra weight is a trade off in comfort for me, though I do not do a lot of long distance hiking (5 days is usually maximum).

I have seen hammocks, tarps, bivs, and more simple shelters, I am not sure how comfortable I would be in those versus a free standing tent which hit the "I like that" button. Were I do do a long walk, I might go with a one man tent to save the half pound, but the utility of this 2-person tent would make that a tough decision.

[v1k1ng1001]

I'm 6'3" side sleeper with a 30" pad and my light heart gear solong 6 gives me plenty of room to sleep with my gear and tons of awning/vestibule space. Just spent the last week in it and it performed admirably in a variety of conditions. Loved waking up to 360 views in the boundary waters! A shorter person would find a luxurious amount of space in the solong or roll with the lhg solo which is a similar, simpler and lighter option.

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[hikenski]

Go with a hammock. They weight about 1 pound and work anywhere in the northeast. Lots o trees round here. Blue tarp gor rain protection. Beyer hammock is under 60 bucks.

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[Rex Clifton]

Hammock, fly and bugnet are about the same weight as a UL tent but are so comfortable. I sleep like a baby in my Warbonnet Blackbird.

[DavidNH]

if it were me.. I'd really appreciate the extra space of a two person tent (especially being a tall person at 6 ft 3). One person tents can be rather confining if you need to spend long periods of time in them.

[Franco]

"Go with a hammock. They weight about 1 pound and work anywhere in the northeast. Lots o trees round here. Blue tarp gor rain protection"
So it isn't a pound , is it ? (hammock plus blue tarp...)

[Tuckahoe]

Go with a hammock. They weight about 1 pound and work anywhere in the northeast. Lots o trees round here. Blue tarp gor rain protection. Beyer hammock is under 60 bucks.

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"Go with a hammock. They weight about 1 pound and work anywhere in the northeast. Lots o trees round here. Blue tarp gor rain protection"
So it isn't a pound , is it ? (hammock plus blue tarp...)

Ha ha ha

My Hammock and 12"x10" tarp is 3.8lbs.




But... I thought this one was about 1 man or 2 man tents

[Hoofit]

One big question nobody asked is what size are you? If your 5'6" you could break dance in a two person. If your 6'3" and want a 25" sleeping pad that's 3" high, to not feel claustrophobic or have some gear room inside with you than something like the Big Agnes Fly creek UL2 might be good. You said your tent is 80 oz the fly creek is 37. That's 43 oz or 2.6 pounds saved. IMO I don't like to take my winter jacket off in the car with my seatbelt still on.

So true...I've gone from an MSR Hubba Hubba ,almost five pounds, to a a Tarptent Double Rainbow ,under 3pounds ..both 2 person tents in name but the truth is if you a big fella it sure feels good to stretch out and there really aren't too many solo tents that give you that kind of space. Spend a few rain days in a minuscule tent and then decide.
Of course there is the possibility that a well rounded fella or gal might need the 2person at Springer Mtn, and yet be able to fit comfortably in a solo tent by the time they've hiked a thousand miles or so and lost forty or fifty pounds of lard!

[Sarcasm the elf]

A lot of people seem to like Tarptent products but for me, it seems that many of their tents come up short on floor square footage as compared to other manufacturers' like models.

I've found that Tarptent.com is quite straight forward when they provide the square-footage of their tents. Besides, they have clear photos on their site showing the interior of each tent in the lineup with standard size sleeping pads placed inside to show how many it holds and how much space is left over. That alone basically idiotproofs the process of figuring out the realistic interior space before deciding what to buy.

[Tuckahoe]

That alone basically idiotproofs the process of figuring out the realistic interior space before deciding what to buy.

Can that really be?

[BirdBrain]

Can that really be?

I haven't bought one yet. I must be true.

[saltysack]

I'm 6'3" side sleeper with a 30" pad and my light heart gear solong 6 gives me plenty of room to sleep with my gear and tons of awning/vestibule space. Just spent the last week in it and it performed admirably in a variety of conditions. Loved waking up to 360 views in the boundary waters! A shorter person would find a luxurious amount of space in the solong or roll with the lhg solo which is a similar, simpler and lighter option.

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Yep really like mine...very versatile for 1 or easily 2... Not bad at 2lbs...tons of interior and vestibule space...


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[Singto]

I've found that Tarptent.com is quite straight forward when they provide the square-footage of their tents. Besides, they have clear photos on their site showing the interior of each tent in the lineup with standard size sleeping pads placed inside to show how many it holds and how much space is left over. That alone basically idiotproofs the process of figuring out the realistic interior space before deciding what to buy.

Your's and Franco's attempt at defending Tarptent's lack of SQ.FT. FLOOR SPACE has nothing to do with the contention that I made. Correctly represented, angled walls vs straight walls does nothing to defend the lack (often substantial) of FLOOR square footage I offered as the subject of my opinion based upon my observations from the research that I did when deciding which tent to buy. Sorry, but there's no way that 15.2 square feet is going to yield more useable floor space than 26 square feet on a traditionally shaped tent even if you do pay $100 more. The Notch based upon head room, length for taller people, double doors, and flow through ventilation does offer good points for people looking for those things but trying to refute the obvious lack of floor square footage is simply pointless.

[Franco]

Singto
It is obviously pointless for you but not for others
I wasn't "trying to defend Tarptent" I was stating a fact and that is , for example, how the 84" long Notch DOES take a taller person than a 90" x 48" pyramid.
I posted a picture above clearly demonstrating that.
Again, linear dimensions don't tell you how much useable space you get.
Here is another example, but feel free to ignore...
The shelter on the left has an 18sq foot floor :
18 f sq.jpg
the same person under a similarly shaped Contrail , 22' sq :
tarptent-contrail-tent-review-5.jpg
my guess is that he will feel like he has a lot more than 3 extra square feet to use.

[Franco]

BTW, I am part of Tarptent.

[Namtrag]

I'd like to see someone come up with an example of a tent lighter than our Tarptent Stratospire 2 that has more room., and that is the same sq footage. There is a difference between sq footage and room IMO. Our tent is a palace.