Tents

[gonegonzo]

Having been out of the sport for 15 years I am now returning . Technology has taken this time by storm and I find my equipment , once state of the art , now obsolete and heavy .

I have a Eureka 2 man Mtn. Tent that's in perfect condition but it's heavy by todays standards . I see feather weights but most of them have no floors . I like the idea of floors as to the bugs and the night crawling Timer Rattlers we encounter on the trail .

What's every ones opinion on floorless tents?

Also , should I spend the money on a new tent or still use my Mtn. Tent ?

[Maui Rhino]

There are ~2# tents with floors to be had. Check out TarpTent or Lightheart for quality UL tents. The TT ProTrail can be had for $209. In the short term, there's nothing wrong with using your Eureka for a bit. Be aware that since it is some ten or more years old, the waterproof coating may fail soon, so keep an eye on it.

[Feral Bill]

I find that as I get older I pay more attention to weight. As MR says, there are some very light floored tents available. At present I'm using a tarp and sometimes a hammock, but sometimes find myself lusting after Lightheart Gear's Solong. You can always use your current tent for car and canoe trips, or short backpacks. Don't you deserve a treat?

[Vegan Packer]

I find that as I get older I pay more attention to weight.

Hear, hear!

I just switched to a ZPacks Duplex, for much of the same reason. I used to say that a couple of pounds, more or less, didn't make a difference. My body now tells me otherwise.

[colorado_rob]

Two pounds???? There are plenty of ONE pound tents with floors/bug netting (like zpacks cuben tents; their solo+ model with a polycro floor is 16.0 ounces, about $440). Treat your self to a top of the line tent, if you're serious about this pastime. But it wouldn't be a bad idea to do a few trips in your old Eureka first either.

[cmoulder]

If you can spare the $$ get one of the Zpacks 'plexes' (solplex, altaplex, duplex) and don't look back. When you get the right thing first, it only hurts once and you thank yourself every time you use it.

[DuneElliot]

Agree that if you can spare the cash go with Zpacks. If you don't have quite THAT much to spend, but still want a lightweight tent look at Tarptent, Six Moon Designs, Lightheart Gear. They have 1-2 man tents for around the $200 mark.

[bigcranky]

Lots of cash? Zpacks. Hex Twin or similar, about 20oz, full floor and netting and all that.

Not as much cash? Tarptent Notch. Two doors, floor, bug netting, about a pound and a half. Probably easier to use.

[swjohnsey]

Also check out ebay. Expensive gear from thru-hikes that lasted a week can be had cheap. I used a Big Agnes Flycreek UL1 that meet you requirements, under 2 lbs for about a hundred bucks.

[squeezebox]

Just for informations sake. My Big Agnes Coper Spur 2 weighs 3'2" . 1LB is the poles. But it is free standing.

[soumodeler]

Lots of cash? Zpacks. Hex Twin or similar, about 20oz, full floor and netting and all that.

Not as much cash? Tarptent Notch. Two doors, floor, bug netting, about a pound and a half. Probably easier to use.

Another vote for this plan. ZPacks duplex or the TT Notch. Both excellent tents. Personally in the Notch right now until I decide to spend the money for the duplex.

[tflaris]

Six Moons Design Skyscape


"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed that is the only thing that ever has."
- Margaret Mead, Anthropologist

[colorado_rob]

Another vote for this plan. ZPacks duplex or the TT Notch. Both excellent tents. Personally in the Notch right now until I decide to spend the money for the duplex.

If you anticipate sharing your tent with others occasionally, sure, spring for the extra $$$ and extra 4 ounces for a duplex. If you anticipate being solo, there is zero need to waste money and weight because the Zpacks Solo-Plus is all the room you'd ever want and need for yourself and all your gear. The solo is tight, but the solo-plus is relatively palatial.

If you want to go UL, go all in and don't fall into the trap of "it's only another 4 ounces". Those are wasted ounces. I suspect those that hawk the duo/twin tents have never tried a Solo-plus.

[cmoulder]

If you anticipate sharing your tent with others occasionally, sure, spring for the extra $$$ and extra 4 ounces for a duplex. If you anticipate being solo, there is zero need to waste money and weight because the Zpacks Solo-Plus is all the room you'd ever want and need for yourself and all your gear. The solo is tight, but the solo-plus is relatively palatial.

If you want to go UL, go all in and don't fall into the trap of "it's only another 4 ounces". Those are wasted ounces. I suspect those that hawk the duo/twin tents have never tried a Solo-plus.

I got the Duplex because it's me and the dog in there. I'd concur that if you never plan to have another body in there, get a solo model. I've not slept in one of those but I've seen them in use and they're roomy enough for 1, for sure. Also, a bit less space needed to pitch.

Speaking of "only another 4 ounces", one thing I had to be convinced to give up was the ground sheet. After coughing up that much coin I was really reluctant to lay that shiny new virgin Cuben in the grass and dirt, but I must admit that it has proved to be quite durable and cleans off very easily. And should it sustain a puncture or rip, it's super easy to fix with the 3M cuben repair tape that holds incredibly tenaciously. Thus far I've used the cuben tape to repair a small cut in my Arc Blast and a small hole in a cuben ground sheet and the stuff shows no signs of peeling after moderate use.

[ScareBear]

Big Agnes FlyCreek UL 3 for a 2 person or UL2 for a 1 person. Bathtub floor, extremely lightweight.

[gonegonzo]

I've decided to use my Mtn. Tent for now . I'm section hiking and I think I can make it do for now .

Gonzo

[Tipi Walter]

If you want long term livability in a tent I would definitely use something with a floor and buck the current advice and trend to get a single wall tent and instead use a double wall tent.

If you're out long enough and especially in the winter (in the Southeast mountains of NC and VA and TN), you will get both ground water and at times terrible condensation. A tent is supposed to keep you and your gear dry no matter the cost or the weight, within reason. Or you could do what most AT backpackers do in the winter and bail to a town and a laundry mat every 3 days to dry out gear. Then yes, a single wall tent works great.


The Southeast mountains often get deluge rainstorms and this kind of ground water and pooling is common no matter where you set up. A good floor keeps it out of your tent.



And this is why we carry double wall tents in the mountains: Flysheet condensation dropping from the inside of the fly and onto the inner tent canopy as shown in this pic. The water runs off the canopy and down to the ground and not on me or my gear. Especially good if you don't want to wake up every 2 hours and wipe out the inside of your tent.

In relation to this, no part of your sleeping bag should ever touch the wall of your tent, most especially a single wall tent. Why? Cuz all this condensation will soak into your bag shell. Not a problem if you're hitting a laundry mat on Day 2 of a trip, but what will happen on Day 15 with no town visits??

[Last Call]

Big Agnes Copper Spur UL2......Done!

[Last Call]

Although it's not totally free-standing, the Big Agnes Fly Creek 1 is quality......small, dry, & tight.....yes, it's expensive, but you get what you pay for......

[brendathompson71]

check out Zpacks duplex or you can even go with a single.