Best Tent/Shelter for AT NOBO Tarptent Rainbow vs Big Agnes Flycreek UL2

[RangerMTC]

Hey Folks!

I am beginning my thru hike in Georgia during mid/end of April. I currently have and used a Eureka Solitaire (1 person) tent for a 5 week section hike on the AT from NJ/PA to MA/VT borders. The Eureka Solitaire was very very cramped, sagged, lots of condensation and no head room height. I am also not a fan of the small front end vestibule.

My choices of tents are as follows:

1. Big Agnes Flycreek UL2
Pros: Extremely light weight, plenty of room for 1 person, high head height. Cons: expensive, small front end vestibule/entrance makes entering and exiting more difficult, weak during high winds/snows.

2. Tarptent Rainbow by Henry Shires
Pros: Cheaper than other tents, light weight (34 oz), side vestibule/entrance means more comfort, high head room height, and has more than enough room for 1 person. Cons: Difficult to assemble. Not as popular/tested as Flycreek UL2. I will be hiking with poles but would purchase the designated tent poles for the tent. I would prefer not to use my poles for tenting.

Please weigh in on which shelter you would prefer. I am leaning towards the Tarptent Rainbow and am looking for advice before purchasing.

-Ranger

[capehiker]

I wanted to ask if you are confusing the Rainbow with the Rainshadow as the Rainbow is very popular. The Rainbow comes with a dedicated arch pole and only needs hiking poles if you are going for a free standing approach. It's also insanely easy to pitch. The Rainbow might not be AT popular but it has a great reputation...and I'm slightly biased as I own one as well as a few other shelters.

[Franco]

Cons: Difficult to assemble..
Some find the "freestanding " mode a bit tricky however I really would not bother because it is rather easy to set up and move around just using the standard included pole.
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The rain porch ,as seen in the video, can use trekking poles but you can also tie it out to trees or bushes or of course not use it at all.
Not as popular/tested as Flycreek UL2
The Rainbow was designed in 2005 so it has been around for a few years.
(the current one is the third version of the original design)
franco@tarptent

[Venchka]

The TarpTent Rainbow has the largest fully rectangular floor of any 1 person tent that I have found. I've looked at a bunch. The Lightheart Gear Solong 6 has a slightly larger floor (in terms of square footage) but it tapers at both ends.
Side entry trumps the tunnel entry of the Flycreek.
Setting the Rainbow up in the rain and not getting the interior wet wins! Period.
Advantage: Rainbow.
You're comparing a 2 person tent to a 1 person tent. How come?

Wayne

[donthaveoneyet]

I'd be willing to bet good money I can set up my Rainbow faster than anyone can set up a Flycreek UL2.

Also, btw, are you comparing the UL2 to the regular Rainbow? That's a 2 person tent vs a 1 person tent?

[Venchka]

I'd be willing to bet good money I can set up my Rainbow faster than anyone can set up a Flycreek UL2.

Also, btw, are you comparing the UL2 to the regular Rainbow? That's a 2 person tent vs a 1 person tent?

That's what I said.

Wayne

[takethisbread]

I'd be willing to bet good money I can set up my Rainbow faster than anyone can set up a Flycreek UL2.

Also, btw, are you comparing the UL2 to the regular Rainbow? That's a 2 person tent vs a 1 person tent?

I can't speak to the rainbow setup time. But I'd wager pretty big that the Fly creek is the most popular AT thruhike tent. Everywhere. Setup time is 30 seconds.
Pros: -lightweight but fully enclosed
-good in wind and easy setup freestanding
-double walled
Cons -front entrance sux
-the floor isn't exceptional and on absolute downpours it gets ugly from underneath

The AT is the one long trail where I want a great shelter (except June-August) so if I did it again I would use the BA copper Spur or similar tent from another company. I was quite envious of hikers with those type tents and I think they could be worth the 1 lb extra weight. Jmogood luck



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[Franco]

Setup time is 30 seconds.

I'd like to see that !!!

[Sarcasm the elf]

Hey Folks!

I am beginning my thru hike in Georgia during mid/end of April. I currently have and used a Eureka Solitaire (1 person) tent for a 5 week section hike on the AT from NJ/PA to MA/VT borders. The Eureka Solitaire was very very cramped, sagged, lots of condensation and no head room height. I am also not a fan of the small front end vestibule.

My choices of tents are as follows:

1. Big Agnes Flycreek UL2
Pros: Extremely light weight, plenty of room for 1 person, high head height. Cons: expensive, small front end vestibule/entrance makes entering and exiting more difficult, weak during high winds/snows.

2. Tarptent Rainbow by Henry Shires
Pros: Cheaper than other tents, light weight (34 oz), side vestibule/entrance means more comfort, high head room height, and has more than enough room for 1 person. Cons: Difficult to assemble. Not as popular/tested as Flycreek UL2. I will be hiking with poles but would purchase the designated tent poles for the tent. I would prefer not to use my poles for tenting.

Please weigh in on which shelter you would prefer. I am leaning towards the Tarptent Rainbow and am looking for advice before purchasing.

-Ranger

I have the slightly opposite experience of using both the Flycreek UL1 and the Tarptent Double rainbow. Both the Big Agnes and the Tarptent are more than able to stand up to 3 season A.T. use and you will probably end up being happy with whichever one you purchase.

Personally I prefer the Tarptent which I find to better constructed with slightly thicker materials, and is designed to allow you to sit up in the middle in both the 1 and 2 person models as well as being true to size (the flycreek UL2 is really a one and a half person tent, UL1 is a glorified bivy). The Tarptent is also less expensive and is American made from American made materials, which is a big plus in my book.

As far as the freestanding mode, it's overrated. I bought the Double Rainbow because I was transitioning from a traditional freestanding tent and was a bit worried about buying a tent that is only supported by hiking poles. I have now used the double rainbow for a couple of years and hardly ever use the freestanding mode. It probably took me a dozen times setting it up before I got really comfortable with it, but now only takes a minute or two For what it's worth, if I were buying a new one person tent today it would probably be a trekking pole supported tent and most likely either a Tarptent Notch or a Lightheart Gear So-Long 6

Since someone else mentioned that you will see a lot more of the Fly Creek tents on the trail, this is true, however it is mostly because they have nationwide distribution through major outfitters, while the smaller tent companies do not. It is no surprise that the lightest tent sold at EMS, REI, Gander Mountain, etc. will be a very popular tent on the trail, this does not however mean that it is better than the other options.

[LIhikers]

My wife and I have a Tarptent Rainbow that we use when one of us goes out solo.
It's light weight, does a good job keeping out weather and bugs, and is easy to set up.
Maybe the best feature is all the room it has, it fits 1 person and a 90 pound dog (shepherd) no problem.

[Sarcasm the elf]

My wife and I have a Tarptent Rainbow that we use when one of us goes out solo.
It's light weight, does a good job keeping out weather and bugs, and is easy to set up.
Maybe the best feature is all the room it has, it fits 1 person and a 90 pound dog (shepherd) no problem.

Slightly off topic, but which two person tent do you use again? It's just visible in the far right of this photo from the meetup in Jan 2014, but I can't remember what if is.

[Imasphere]

Hi, I'm new to this forum and I'm basically having the same debate. OP, when you have made your choice, could you please tell us what tent you chose and how it's standing up. I kind of favor the Rainbow but I'm a bit worried about the condensation issues. Also, I've read a review that mentions the Rainbow is prone to sagging and deforming in high winds. Other than that the design seems great.

[Venchka]

Hi, I'm new to this forum and I'm basically having the same debate. OP, when you have made your choice, could you please tell us what tent you chose and how it's standing up. I kind of favor the Rainbow but I'm a bit worried about the condensation issues. Also, I've read a review that mentions the Rainbow is prone to sagging and deforming in high winds. Other than that the design seems great.

There are those who know how to pitch tents correctly and everyone else who don't have a clue. I'm guessing that the poor reviews for the Rainbow came from the clueless. The fully rectangular 40"x88" floor and side entry of the Rainbow would outweigh any trivial shortcomings. At least that's the way I see it. The Rainbow stays at the top of
my short list of tents for backpacking and bike touring. The Double Rainbow is #2 on that list.

Wayne


Sent from somewhere around here.

[kf1wv]

Tarptent Moment: stake out the ends, add the center cross-pole. Perfectly engineered design, a complete no-brainer to pitch. My #1 shelter for thru-hikes of the A.T. and the Ice Age Trail and for the GET in 2016. My close #2 is the Notch. Thank you so much Henry and Franco!!!