Solo Hikers and Tent Options

[Meesh]

Been prepping (purchasing) gear for a solo, NOBO thru hike in 2018. I bought a Big Agnes 1 person tent last year, and it seemed like as soon as I did, everything I read said that 1 person tents were falling out of favor for a two person tent because it wasn't much heavier and offered much more room. So I considered a two person tent for a while.

Fast forward to last weekend and REI's big sale...found a two person tent by The North Face that was going for a nice price and had great reviews, so I snagged it. Got it a couple days ago and my first thought when I pulled it out of the box was "Man, this feels heavy." With the bag it came with, it's about five pounds.

So now I have the two tents as options, but the two person tent means more than 1.5 pounds of weight. I can certainly get use out of both, so I'm not bummed about having two, but what is the experience out there on this for solo hikers? The North Face tent is sweet--room for me and gear, where the Big Agnes simply didn't offer that.

I've also heard a lot about tarp options. From what I gather, you take your rain cover, the frame and the "floor" so you get rain and some wind protection. Anyone go with this option?

Lastly, I'm also curious how often you actually use your tent on the AT, when shelters are encouraged. I understand that they are first come, first served, but out of an average of 10 days, how many of those are in a shelter vs in a tent?

Cheers and thanks, Meesh

[ggreaves]

The best tarp setup isn't a tent fly with a footprint. It's a hammock. You sleep level, flat and comfortable every night. You're always high and dry, super comfortable and bug protected. Give it a go.

You can get a warbonnet superfly tarp (18oz) for $140
Dutchware Halfwit 11' hammock w/suspension for $137

You can cut the tarp weight in half for similar coverage if you buy a cuben fiber one.
Shelters are ok if you don't mind hanta virus and mice running over you all night.

[NJdreamer]

I use a 1 person tent. I am small enough that my gear can fit in the tent with me. My latest tent is Nemo Hornet 1P. I would like to try a hammock someday but I like to sleep on my side, and have read that may not work so well in a hammock. Plus hammock users often leave their backpack outside, and I am really like being able to it with me. It seems to make the morning breakdown that much faster. My thoughts are I have a decent size house to stretch out in once I am back home. All I need while backpacking is a space to call my own.

[Venchka]

1. You have 1 year to return the tent to REI for a full refund.
2. Contact Henry Shires. Owner and designer of a line of tents under the TarpTent label. Henry sells several 1 and 2 person tents that range from 25 ounces to just under 3 pounds. The tents come in single and double wall configurations and full mesh or mostly solid inner tents. A few models have adjustable floor dimensions. I own the StratoSpire 1 with solid inner tent. It's a palace for 1 at 2.5 pounds.
Wayne


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[ggreaves]

I sleep on my side or stomach and toss and turn... in a bed. In a hammock, I lay on my back, fall asleep and wake up in the morning never having moved. That's how supported you are. Also, you can hang your backpack up under the tarp at the end of the hammock, or I usually just have it underneath me on the ground. Still dry and handy under the massive coverage a tarp like the superfly provides.

[Slo-go'en]

On the AT, you will use your tent a lot, especially in the beginning when it's really busy and then later on for other reasons. One, you just get used to it. Since you potentially will carry this for 2200 miles, the lighter the better. A 5 pound tent is insane. A 3.5 pound tent is not very light either, but at least it isn't 5!

While the extra room of the 2P is nice, it comes with a big weight penalty. Then there is the extra space it needs to be set up in, which can be a problem at times. If you can't get a refund, sell the NF tent. Stick with the Big Agnes. It's a pretty common and well liked tent.

[DownEaster]

There are budget 2-person tents that weigh less than 5 lbs. I just ordered this Naturehike Cloud UP 2 tent (the gray/red version), which is a Chinese knockoff of the Big Agnes Fly Creek UL2 (a discontinued model). The Naturehike tent has thicker floor and rain fly compared to the BAFCUL2, which makes it about 9 oz. total heavier than the BA tent with footprint. The thicker SilNylon material also gives the Naturehike tent a much greater hydrostatic head (4000 mm vs. 1500 mm) to resist driving rain. Packed weight without the optional footprint is right around 3 lbs. That's definitely not ultralight, but it's reasonable and certainly better than your North Face tent's weight. My cost shipped from China (with a Memorial Day eBay sale) was $72.61. (By comparison, REI's Memorial Day sale price of the current Big Agnes Fly Creek HV UL2 was $373 with footprint and sales tax.) My tent is supposed to arrive sometime between 6/6 and 6/13. I'll post exact weights and my impressions here. I'm not female, but I'm short for a guy at 5'7". I expect there to be plenty of room for me and my gear.

This could be the tent I take on my 2018 NoBo hike. It could also be a failed experiment as I buy something a pound lighter (and much more expensive) for the AT. At the low price I paid I'm willing to take that risk. I'm also willing to use the Naturehike tent without the footprint because (1) the thicker floor; and (2) much less investment than a Big Agnes, so it's not going to bug me much to have duct tape on my cheap tent.

NaturehikeTent.jpg

[Odd Man Out]

I am not sure what you mean by using shelters is encouraged. There are lots of people who never stay at shelters and lots who sleep by the shelters but in a tent (nor in the shelter). I have not thru hiked, but in my section hikes I have never one slept by a shelter. There are lots of tents in in 2 lb (plus/minus) range but many are from smaller cottage companies that you won't find ar most stores (eg REI). I have a Tarp Tent Notch. It is only for one person, but has large vestibules. For me, once I set up, other than my clothes bag, I have very little gear to store and I spend little time in my tent, other than sleeping. But your priorities may be different. Consider your own personal hiking and camping style/needs when making decisions.

[MuddyWaters]

Lastly, I'm also curious how often you actually use your tent on the AT, when shelters are encouraged. I understand that they are first come, first served, but out of an average of 10 days, how many of those are in a shelter vs in a tent?

Cheers and thanks, Meesh

Say youse starts in ga with the herd
50-70 people per day
Shelters sleep 6-12 on avg

Do the math
Your gonna spend a lot of time in yur shelter till it thins out, if it ever do anymore

I seen fool injure themselves literally running with big pack, racing to next shelter to try to get a spot...you can see way ahead when leaves are off. My son and me were leap-frogging these guys all morning on tail end of bubble (we were faster, but took long breaks),and the next shelter held only 6. Young thruhiker dudes full of themselves after a few weeks on trail get ego shatterred when outhiked by a 13 yr old and old man as well and get competitive. I saw the guy take off running with pack on slight downhill grade, hurt himself and limp. He was 1/4 mile ahead at time. Soon we passed him, he stepped to side and wouldnt look at us or say hi this time. I wanted to say."howd that work out for ya?" Last time we seen him. Dont get too attached to shelters.

[DownEaster]

For me, once I set up, other than my clothes bag, I have very little gear to store and I spend little time in my tent, other than sleeping. But your priorities may be different. Consider your own personal hiking and camping style/needs when making decisions.

My preference, if I'm dry in my tent and wake to a rainy day, is to see if I can wait out the storm. Walking with guaranteed wet shoes isn't fun, while taking a Zero or Nero will let me recover from previous wear and tear. I always plan on one hiking day's extra food as a contingency, and a Zero day would only use about half of that. Plus I've got lots of free classic books to load onto my phone, and it can't hurt to stimulate my mind rather than my feet for a change.

I have not thru hiked, but in my section hikes I have never one slept by a shelter.

The advantage of using a shelter (when you can) is that if your tent never gets wet, you don't have to carry a wet tent. The logistics are greatly improved.

[evyck da fleet]

It depends on your needs. I bought a 1 person tent for my thru. I thought about a 2 person but couldn't justify spending more money for extra weight. Yes I didn't have much extra space but everything fit in my tent with me. I also planned on hiking all day and only sleeping in my tent(not hanging out in there). After my thru I thought about buying a two person tent for weekends but usually my trips are a couple of weeks with day hikes for training so a larger tent isn't necessary.

Now if you plan to spend a lot of time in camp, want some privacy or don't plan to be hiking all day, I can see where that might offset the weight penalty of the larger tent.

[Bronk]

The time you really want a tent is on a rainy day. You'll want space to spread out and sit all the way up. I carried a 5 1/2 pound 2 person tent for 850 miles. Its doable. A pound and a half isn't that much of a trade off for the extra comfort you get in my opinion.

[Slo-go'en]

Picking a tent based on your needs isn't easy when you don't yet know what your needs are. If your going spend all day waiting out the weather, your going to want to do it in a shelter, not in your tent, no matter how big the tent is. If you just wait until the morning showers tapper off around 9 AM, then it doesn't matter if you have a big tent or small tent.

It is preferable to camp at shelter sites, other designated campsites or well established sites. I have a belief that people who "stealth" or disperse camp (going off the trail to make their own place to camp) a lot are more likely to run into ticks and possibly contract Lyme.

[Deacon]

Say youse starts in ga with the herd
50-70 people per day
Shelters sleep 6-12 on avg

Do the math
Your gonna spend a lot of time in yur shelter till it thins out, if it ever do anymore

I seen fool injure themselves literally running with big pack, racing to next shelter to try to get a spot...you can see way ahead when leaves are off. My son and me were leap-frogging these guys all morning on tail end of bubble (we were faster, but took long breaks),and the next shelter held only 6. Young thruhiker dudes full of themselves after a few weeks on trail get ego shatterred when outhiked by a 13 yr old and old man as well and get competitive. I saw the guy take off running with pack on slight downhill grade, hurt himself and limp. He was 1/4 mile ahead at time. Soon we passed him, he stepped to side and wouldnt look at us or say hi this time. I wanted to say."howd that work out for ya?" Last time we seen him. Dont get too attached to shelters.

Mathewski would be proud of the way you expressed that!

[earlyriser26]

I have tried the one person tents, or what I call body condoms, without much success. I now use a 3.5 lb two person tent that works great. That one pound you save is really not worth it. Compromise elsewhere. When you get stuck in your tent in a massive rain storm, which you can actually enjoy, you will know what I mean.

[Venchka]

I have tried the one person tents, or what I call body condoms, without much success. I now use a 3.5 lb two person tent that works great. That one pound you save is really not worth it. Compromise elsewhere. When you get stuck in your tent in a massive rain storm, which you can actually enjoy, you will know what I mean.

This is useless information without specifics. It's not helpful to blindly condemn an entire category of gear.
Wayne


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[rmitchell]

I use a 1 person tent. I am small enough that my gear can fit in the tent with me. My latest tent is Nemo Hornet 1P. I would like to try a hammock someday but I like to sleep on my side, and have read that may not work so well in a hammock. Plus hammock users often leave their backpack outside, and I am really like being able to it with me. It seems to make the morning breakdown that much faster. My thoughts are I have a decent size house to stretch out in once I am back home. All I need while backpacking is a space to call my own.

How long have you used the Nemo? I'm curious about durability. My MSR Hubba has worked well, but if I could shave off a pound or so with the Nemo.........

[NJdreamer]

How long have you used the Nemo? I'm curious about durability. My MSR Hubba has worked well, but if I could shave off a pound or so with the Nemo.........

I purchased it in March 2016, and have used it for 5 short trips. Total 7 nights, all with a plastic footprint. It is definitely an ultralight tent. You have to be careful. The zipper catches the tent material. Easy to pull out. It squeezes down very small. It requires staking. I really like it but one that doesn't require staking might have a faster setup. That being said, I like to night hike and set it up in dark and when very tired with no issues.

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[ScareBear]

Been prepping (purchasing) gear for a solo, NOBO thru hike in 2018. I bought a Big Agnes 1 person tent last year, and it seemed like as soon as I did, everything I read said that 1 person tents were falling out of favor for a two person tent because it wasn't much heavier and offered much more room. So I considered a two person tent for a while.

Fast forward to last weekend and REI's big sale...found a two person tent by The North Face that was going for a nice price and had great reviews, so I snagged it. Got it a couple days ago and my first thought when I pulled it out of the box was "Man, this feels heavy." With the bag it came with, it's about five pounds.

So now I have the two tents as options, but the two person tent means more than 1.5 pounds of weight. I can certainly get use out of both, so I'm not bummed about having two, but what is the experience out there on this for solo hikers? The North Face tent is sweet--room for me and gear, where the Big Agnes simply didn't offer that.

I've also heard a lot about tarp options. From what I gather, you take your rain cover, the frame and the "floor" so you get rain and some wind protection. Anyone go with this option?

Lastly, I'm also curious how often you actually use your tent on the AT, when shelters are encouraged. I understand that they are first come, first served, but out of an average of 10 days, how many of those are in a shelter vs in a tent?

Cheers and thanks, Meesh

I am a little confused. Did you actually TRY the BA FCUL1? If you did, what did you NOT like about it? What DID you like about it?

TNF doesn't really make UL tents at all. They make inexpensive, bomb-proof tents that weigh a ton. There is your first clue...UL=$$...

The shelters in GA and NC are spaced about 8 miles apart. So, if you are going to do shelters, you are trapped at a set number of miles per day. Want to do a 21 mile day from a shelter? Chances are you will have to camp, as you will in between shelters. Personally, I don't like shelters and only use them in an emergency. I'd rather ride out a storm in my tent, catching up on sleep, reading, writing or meditating. Or gear repair. YMMV.

I got the Hornet 2P as a recent birthday present. It will replace my BA FCUL3 when it is just my dog and I. It will save 1 pound 5 ounces. Totally worth it when that savings is around 10 percent of my summer pack weight! Personally, I wouldn't get a 1P anything tent, as I am 6'1, 220# and like my space. The Hornet 2P comes in just under 2lbs and is mostly freestanding. To get lighter than this, you need to sacrifice a framed tent for a hiking pole pitch tent, and even then, you won't find a lighter double-wall, double-door tent than the Hornet unless you go from SilNylon to Cuben(Dyneema)Fibre and double the cost of the tent. That said, I do covet the ZPacks Triplex...just cant justify the price v. weight v. space formula right now...

[Venchka]

ScareBear,
You haven't looked at The North Face tent catalog this decade.
Wayne


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