Need new 1-man tent under 3 lbs

[Post]

I need a new tent. It must:

1) Weigh under 3 lbs. Under 2 lbs would be sweet!

2) Use my Leki sticks for poles

3) Have sides and attached floor

4) Have enough headroom for a small person (under 5'5") to be able to sit up in

5) Cost less than $300

The lighter the better.

My old Kelty "Clark" 1-man tent has been great, but it has finally almost worn out. It is also nearly 10 years old, so I sure got my money's worth. It also weighed nearly 4 lbs, so I am looking for something significantly lighter.

Due to some insect bite allergies, I need a tent with a floor and walls - not open to the critters. Want as small as possible but still be able to sit up inside it.

Willling to pay a premium price if neccessary but trying to be frugal if I can.

Any suggestions?

[DanSea]

*First person to say Henry Shires Tarptent*

I have a Contrail, love it.

[Vadayhiker]

I would consider buying the April 2009 Backpacker Magazine Gear Review Issue--they have a good section on solos. The model that uses a pole that got a decent review was the Tarptent Contrail. http://www.tarptent.com/contrail.html

They did say it was little tricky to set up.

The one that got the best all around was the Big Agnes Fly Creek UL 1

And the best $$ deal was the MSR Skinny One

[Vadayhiker]

I have been looking for a solo for a while as my bivy is falling apart.

Just some additional stats

Contrail is listed a 1 lb 6 oz at $199

Big Agnes is 1lb 14 oz at $300

MSR Skinny One is 3lbs 3 oz at $200.

Good to see someone likes the Contrail

[skinewmexico]

Tarptent Sublite. SMD Lunar Solo. Those are my favorite companies that don't participate in the "good reviews for advertising" issue of Backpacker.

[johnnybgood]

Gossamer Gear : Shelter : The One is 16oz at $295

[Franco]

If you want to use your trekking pole, and why not, the Contrail,the Lunar Solo and the.. The One are the most obvious candidates.
They will all be a bit tricky to set up at first, however with a bit of practice the best of that lot is the one you like. (trust me on this one)
BTW, your height eliminates some of the advantages of one against the others.
Franco

[Franco]

Oh , if you prefer lighter and a smaller footprint than the Sublite (Tyvek for hot/dry areas or Silnylon for a 3+ season shelter) could also be a good choice. Very easy to set up.
Franco

[LIhikers]

Tarptent Rainbow http://www.tarptent.com/productsheets/RAINBOW.pdf

[bigcranky]

Rainbow or Double Rainbow. They don't use your trekking poles, but both are under 3 pounds. The DR is huge for a solo hiker.

[Christus Cowboy]

One consideration that you may want to think about is the Walrus Microswift tent..... They don't make these tents anymore after MSR bought them out but alot times they pop up on Ebay and you can get them at a relatively low cost and many of them are in close to new condition. I recently bought one for around $50.00..... They're small and lightweight (relatively speaking) I believe the one I bought for my daughter to use weighs about 2lb.s 14 ounces.....

[slow]

If you want a cave in and out... contrail.If your not a caveman and would also like MUCH more room the SMD SOLO.

[Franco]

Talk about slow, I just finally realised that Slow has a good sense of humour.
For those not familiar, Slow was refferring to the fact that he had to get the Lunar Duo, the single was too small for him.
BTW Slow, there is a chance for a Lunar Solo XL towards the end of the year, should be long enough for you but still a smaller footprint than the Duo.
Franco

[slow]

The real fact is this.

contrail L= 84 w=30
solo L=90 w=36

And soooo many retro fits to ....what one? Keep working on it.

[Franco]

As I mentioned in post 7 this is totally irrelevant to the OP, since Post is 5'5" and will fit inside those shelters, however Slow you do bring up a good point.
That is the difference between floor lenght and usable floor area.
Some of the following may illustrate the difference :

Dave T
i use a 6'6 sleeping bag, and i was pleasantly surprised at the amount of space inside the Contrail. no worries about getting it near the end of the tent (though it can touch the ceiling a bit more easily than in my old Squall 1).
Brett
I am 6'5' and use the Contrail just fine.
Craig
I'm 6'2" and use a 6'6" bag.
The Contrail is plenty roomy (I've even slept my 7 year old son in it with me comfortably) in length.
Tim F
I'm 6'3" and had a Lunar Solo. The room when laying down was okay, when I had the side tieouts staked out to 2' tall sticks. The sitting up room is what made me decide to sell it. High quality product, just not big enough for me. I recently acquired a TT Rainbow- and though I have not yet spent a night in it, I love it
Mary D
haven't tried the Contrail. I found the SMD Lunar Solo a bit snug for me, though I'm only 5'3". I use a 2.5" POE pad and a thick pillow, which put my head really close to the tent wall. Guying the walls out did help a little. But it took a considerable learning curve to be able to sit up from a lying position without brushing my sleeping bag hood against the tent wall. I don't see how someone over 6' could possibly manage this feat even with a thin sleeping pad.

Cptain K man
I like my SMD Lunar Solo. I'm 6'1" and I sleep on my side curled up in a ball, me and my 40lb dog fit fine (he sleeps curled up in a ball in the triangle behind me, near the back wall) I keep my ULA pack in the vestibule. If you're over 6' and sleep on your back look into something other the lunar

AK,

I had an earlier version of the Lunar Solo. It was good tent. All their products are well designed and constructed. I ened up selling it after I got my Henry Shires Contrail.

Ed T (followed by :Yeah, I'd buy Six Moons again , no problem. Good quailty and design and Ron is a good guy to boot. )
And a balanced view from Chris Wheeler
I own both tents and continue to use both depending on the trip. I have the first generation Lunar Solo and a two year old Contrail. I am 6'2" 190 lbs.

The two tarptents are amazing, and would recommend either tent to someone considering moving to a lightweight structure. They both go up quickly and the differences between tents are subtle.

The Lunar Solo I use when rain or high winds are expected, due to its full weather coverage. I prefer the side entry, that gives a view of the campsite. Their is more room inside this tent which is welcome when I spend a lot of time in the tent. The Lunar Solo could be improved by making it a four inches longer.

The Contrail gets used when little rain or wind is expected and at altitude (JMT). The Contrail gives me extra headroom for a large pillow that I need above 8,000 ft. The Contrail allows for more airflow which I like, and is less prone to condensation. The extra length is welcome as I use a 6'6" sleeping bag. This tent is harder to put up in high winds.
(maybe Chris needs to have a look at my set up, but it's OK ...)
Franco

[slow]

I must say ...you are GOLDEN IN MY BOOK.

[Post]

If you want a cave in and out... contrail.If your not a caveman and would also like MUCH more room the SMD SOLO.

What is "a cave in and out" and/or "caveman"?

[slow]

What is "a cave in and out" and/or "caveman"?

The contrail is front enter...vs the solo side....and much more room inside....plus the storage in the vest is almost twice the size.

[Hokie]

FYI, if you don't mind a double wall, I listed this Photon Laser that weighs under 2 lbs on ebay last week. Goes off soon. I decided that Gossamer Gear The One was for me as it is similar in size but lighter.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...m=120396213411

Good luck finding what you are looking for!

[theinfamousj]

Gossamer Gear : Shelter : The One is 16oz at $295

^^ Seconded.