1 or 2 person tent?

[leaftye]

If you want a palace make sure to check out the 6 Moon Designs Lunar Duo.... You'll need a map or some breadcrumbs to find you're way around in it if you're using it by yourself there's so much room.

2 huge vestibules for cooking, boots, any gear you don't want in the tent, etc.

Somebody has one on here for sale for $210....

I hiked with a guy for a few miles earlier this year. I was so jealous when I saw his palacial Lunar Duo, especially since I spent the night crammed into a bivy to escape the rain while shooing away a mouse all night.

[4eyedbuzzard]

When it's raining really hard, and much as you might not like or plan on staying in a shelter, even when they're crowded they seem a lot roomier and usually make for a dryer experience than a tent when you have to sit out bad weather. I'm a bit claustrophobic, so that plays into my opinion, but to be able to stand up and just have some open space around you is a lot nicer than being confined to a tent IMO. I've given up tents for an 8x10 Etowah Outfitters "Meadows" sil tarp with a Granite Gear "Haven" bug screen (2 lbs, 4 oz total). 99% of the time it's a "good enough" shelter from the rain and it's a lot roomier than a tent of the same weight. If I have to, in an emergency I can pitch it as a teepee and close it in completely (it has a door flap). But when the weather starts to turn really bad, I'm going to be looking for something with a roof, even if I have to stop early.

[thechadders]

golite shangra la 1 w/ nest

Bump for the Golite Shangra LA 1!

This is my shelter or tarpten of choice. It weighs in at 16 oz and makes use of trekking poles. They also sell the nest to go with it which i believe is another 15 -16 oz. Fast Easy setup and I will be using it summer 11 on the Colorado Trail.

Highly recommend or the Shangra LA 2 which is just a couple ounces more and gives ample room for yourself and gear.

[Ladytrekker]

I bought the Sierra Designs Clip Flashlight it has plenty of room for me and my pack and some extra. It is a two person tent but my opinion way to small for two. I have been in rain with no leaks and am satisfied with it and the room it has. The two things I don't like is front entrance and separate fly. 3 lbs 14 ozs.

[Spokes]

I used a SD Clip Flashlight for years and liked it a lot. Doing a thru hike makes you look at gear differently. Now seeing words like "3 lbs... " in a tent description make me cringe!

Cheers!

[goodolenate]

I've gone with a TarpTent Double Rainbow. After being unable to find a tent that I could really fit into at any reasonable weight, this is the best that I could find. However, I am an unusual case at 6'5''. For anyone a normal size, the TarpTent Rainbow, other other TarpTent models are great for their weight. I just went with the Rainbow because I prefer to be able to set up without using my hiking poles.

[CrumbSnatcher]

i always carried a two man tent on my hikes, but i also had my best friend along for the journey

[Cherokee Bill]

I went through a lot of this decision-making process before becoming a hammocker. Those 3 are all good tents with different variables to choose from - or certain compromises to accept, depending on how you look at it. There are many other options out there for solo tents, these are just perhaps the best you can get at REI, etc. I'll let others chime in on those others.

My evaluation of these 3 was that the Hubba was too narrow, the Seedhouse had only 1 door entrance that was more susceptible to the elements, and the Quarterdome was a little short, but would be my preference of the 3. Personally, I had narrowed it down to either the Mountain Hardwear Skyledge or Sierra Designs Lightning before deciding to go the hammock route. I had decided that the extra room was going to be worth the weight.

Note: I have much more room now with a hammock (under a tarp) than I would have had otherwise.

GREAT discussion & info provided here! At 64-yo, I haved hiked parts of the AT for soooo many years, although, having to work for a living, have not done a "Thru"!

Lesson learned the HARD way:

1. Carry a shelter of some type! Shelters can fill before you get there!
2. Boy Scouts can fill it up quickly & early
3. Rain can cause shelters to fill to over-flow
4. Dogs can make you want to by-pass a shelter
5. Noise at crowded shelters will make you want to skip a shelter
6. For what ever the reason, you may not make it to a shelter

Carry, a shelter! If weight is paramont to you, do your research and buy a lite-weight shelter.

Do not let the high cost, keep you from buying a QUALITY LITE-WEIGHT shelter.

Remember: Pray for the Best, but prepare for the WORST!

Happy & Safe Hiking!

[slimjim414]

So most of the suggestions it seems that people are giving, such as the TarpTent and the GoLite....these are all single-walled right? What are the advantages and disadvantages of the single- and double-walled tents? It seems to me like the single walled tents would give in to moisture very easily.

[gunner76]

Lots of great light weight tents out there but the problem I have run into is that is many of them are small. I am 6ft 2 and 275lbs and I want a few inches of space around me.

I recommend Lighthear tents. http://lightheartgear.com/ She has a 2 person tent that weights 2 lbs, even has a 1 person cuben tent that weights 14oz. For someone my size her 1 person tent would be small for me but big for a smaller person

I did a lot of research on light weight tents and ended up getting a Warbonnet BlackBird hammock

[tuswm]

I've gone with a TarpTent Double Rainbow. After being unable to find a tent that I could really fit into at any reasonable weight, this is the best that I could find. However, I am an unusual case at 6'5''. For anyone a normal size, the TarpTent Rainbow, other other TarpTent models are great for their weight. I just went with the Rainbow because I prefer to be able to set up without using my hiking poles.

I also chose this tent for my own reasons. I wanted a real tent with a real floor and something bug proof. I wanted something free standing because I like to go to far away places where you need a free standing tent. This tent pitches much better when you dont use the hiking poles but its nice to have the options. I have also set it up with sticks just to see if i could.

Things I liked about it.
packs small
larger then REI type 2 person tent
have put 3 in it (only totaling 400 lbs)
played cards and cooked with 4 small people (5'8")
kinda easy to set up
most wind proof tarptent
can put silnylon away when damp
comes with nice easton steaks
no overpricecd foot print
can write on tyvek to help hitch hiking

Unique semi negative experience
everything is trade offs
when you lay down the roof is not that far from your face
also when i was in a ridge in Zion NP at 7500 feet we got there and it was <40* and 40 + MPH winds on the ridge. usualy i would just move but we were in a large group and in a NP you have to stay where your permit says. you can see just how exposed we were in this pic taken the next morning when the weather was more calm. You can see how we had to put rocks on every tent so they steaks would stay in the ground. The big tents would get blown flat and smoosh the people inside while they were trying to sleep. while the TT kept its shape its "ventilation" was some what of a problem. Even tough we tried to block all the ventilation with rocks we woke up COVERED in brown dust. it filled the egg crate in my sleeping bag. All the other tents got dust in them too but nothign like ours. It also not the warmest tent.

Its all trade offs

[tuswm]

here is the pix

[4shot]

So most of the suggestions it seems that people are giving, such as the TarpTent and the GoLite....these are all single-walled right? What are the advantages and disadvantages of the single- and double-walled tents? It seems to me like the single walled tents would give in to moisture very easily.

the single wall tent will have condensation issues under certain circumstances. When that occurs, you will spend a few minutes wiping it down unless you want to pack it wet and carry a few ounces of water. I really liked my tarptent though. Like all gear questions, there are no perfect choices...everything is a trade-off. That's why you see a variety of tarps, tents, hammaocks ettc. out there.