The ultimate solo tent???

[davec]

I have the hubba hp and really like it, but given a choice, would prefer to spend the night in my Warbonnet blackbird hammock every time. It's just sooo comfy

[ninjapuppet]

Outdoor gear lab tested 25 backpacking tents, and to my suprise, guess which came out last?

http://www.outdoorgearlab.com/Backpacking-Tent-Reviews/ratings

[slparker]

You think that's tough... my hilleberg akto wasn't even mentioned....

... and another thing, you wonder why people don't buy Wild magazine anymore when this is the quality of online reviews....

[Strider]

I think those reviews are all two person tents?

[Scottyk]

I think those reviews are all two person tents?

yep, that's why the atko isn't there.
Might be a tad irrelevant to the topic of this thread

[ninjapuppet]

well, the hubba hubba uses identical pole connections and identical materials to the hubba, and it came out last.

That would allude me to believe that the hubba would be somewhat inferior to the anjan, which came out top.

[Miyata610]

Well an anjan 2 makes a nice solo tent. I have the anjan 3 for when I'm with my spouse.

My solo tents are a Rab for blizzards and a BD Mega Light for milder, but I spend more time just tarping... hilleberg 20 or Integral Design siltarp 2.

One tent (or shelter) could never be enough.

[photohiker]

Might also be worth looking at their ultralight tent review:

http://www.outdoorgearlab.com/Ultralight-Tent-Reviews

[Mark F]

That really is one of the inconsistent reviews I have ever read and it starts from the premis that there is a single perfect shelter for all conditions. The reviewer seems to make up numbers that from my experience and reading make no sense. It penalises more enclosed shelters that may not be handle snow loading well but flat tarps are apparently ideal for snowy conditions if you believe the review. Far too many highly odd evaluations to make it a useful review.

[jjoz58]

I don't see the sense in having two tents. If I want to go ultra light I use the fly and foot print for my normal tent with the poles. If your footprint doesn't have eyelets for your poles put some in. Works for me and is under half the wt.

[ILUVSWTAS]

This is a good reminder why UL does not work in Tassie.

http://en.paperblog.com/sw-tasmania-201 ... es-247832/

[Strider]

This is a good reminder why UL does not work in Tassie.

http://en.paperblog.com/sw-tasmania-201 ... es-247832/

Any idea if the PLB was a GPS equipped unit?

[ILUVSWTAS]

No idea. Only found this blog recently (writer is a forum member) I remember hearing about the rescue and the fact he had tried doing the Arthurs with only a tarp as a shelter.... At least this chap learnt from that mistake.

[jjoz58]

Hikingoz - very interesting and teaching story, and now I have added another walk to my list of must do's. Good call on the PIR, doesn't matter how prepared you are s%*t happens and then you have to make a call, and it's always better to be safe than sorry. Did you use prepackaged freeze dried meals? I've found that the single serves do not fill me and I have only, to now, walked Qld and northern NSW, never really cold conditions. In fact on very long hard days I can quite easily eat a double portion and I need it, otherwise I loose to much weight.

[Scottyk]

This is a good reminder why UL does not work in Tassie.

http://en.paperblog.com/sw-tasmania-201 ... es-247832/

This is a good story for anyone planning on using a tent in Tasmania.
Tents are life saving equipment not just something to keep the keep the rain off you.

[Ent]

The ideal number of tents is one than you have

Looked long and hard for perfect solo tent. Found none as yet but apart from suffering from dwarf syndrome the Hilliberg Soulo is my current one. I wanted a self supporting design for places like Shelf Camp and it worked a treat.

Due to the amazing weather my MSR Nook would have been great as well. Much lighter and roomier than the Soulo but with freezing driving wind with snow drift it is not a pleasant place to be. But it was still standing with not a hint of failure so not a safety issue, just a comfort one.

Places like Tassie make a four season tent sensible but not mandatory. As long as your shelter can stand wind driven rain and some snow load it is just a case of upping the down gear. Though a lazy wind blowing through a three season tent is not pleasant as it forces wearing gloves, something I have never needed to do in a four season tent.

For a warmer Climate the Nook would be a good choice but in Tassie it is a pain. Way too hard to put up with frozen hands.

Cheers

[mtrain]

This is a good reminder why UL does not work in Tassie.

http://en.paperblog.com/sw-tasmania-201 ... es-247832/

This guy sounds like a complete liability. You got to wonder about someone who makes so many errors yet keeps on imposing himself on others.

[sambar358]

I use my BP tents mostly in the cooler weather .....so May to early November in the high country in Vic. I'm not overly concerned with tent-weight so I'm OK with carry an extra kilo in a tent if it works when mother nature gets angry. I've tried tarps & footprints a couple of times......don't like waking-up with the sleeping bag crawling with ants or spiders which has happened or the likelyhood of getting the gear damp in wet & windy conditions....so it's tents for me.

I like a bit of space and tend to camp solo : at the moment I have an Exped Gemini 2 for my early season trips and it's been an excellent shelter : roomy, strong and very weather-proof. A lot of mesh in the upper walls means that it's quite airy and breathes well but it is cold when the temps drop. For the winter I either take my old NZ-made Macpac Minaret or my newer Exped Venus 2. The Minaret has been a very strong performer for quite a while and while it's a bit heavy it's peformance when the weather turns nasty makes lugging that extra kilo well worth it. The Venus 2 also seems to be a good strong tent but a bit lighter in the build than the Minaret but I'm yet to try it out if foul weather but certainly will get that opportunity this winter. So for me.....performance is my key criteria and a bit of space and that usually comes with a weight penalty but I'd rather be warm. dry and safe in my BP tent in bad weather than be hunkered down in there in some sub-2kg lightweight shelter wondering if it is going to handle the condions. Cheers

s358

[photohiker]

This is a good reminder why UL does not work in Tassie.

http://en.paperblog.com/sw-tasmania-201 ... es-247832/

This guy sounds like a complete liability. You got to wonder about someone who makes so many errors yet keeps on imposing himself on others.

Apparently, he is a forum member.

FWIW I don't think his experiences prove that UL does not work in Tassie.

It does prove that inappropriate gear for the conditions does not work though.

[Scottyk]

This is a good reminder why UL does not work in Tassie.

http://en.paperblog.com/sw-tasmania-201 ... es-247832/

This guy sounds like a complete liability. You got to wonder about someone who makes so many errors yet keeps on imposing himself on others.

Apparently, he is a forum member.

FWIW I don't think his experiences prove that UL does not work in Tassie.

It does prove that inappropriate gear for the conditions does not work though.

Yes you re right, it doesn't prove that UL should be ruled out but it does serve as good lesson for why UL might not be appropriate for some areas and some longer walks when forecasts are not available.

I think people forget that nearly every bit of kit you have on your back can fail and you will survive, the one bit that can't is your tent. Stove, pack, sleeping mat, sleeping bag, rain coat, they can all fail and the one thing you will be very happy to dive into and get warm is your tent. The tent is the last line, take that away and you better hope your PLB works.
I have never spent a night using a failed tent/tarp as a bivy and never want too. .

[icefest]

So, the tarp frayed and rain came in? I think the ropes held.

[nq111]

I think people forget that nearly every bit of kit you have on your back can fail and you will survive, the one bit that can't is your tent. Stove, pack, sleeping mat, sleeping bag, rain coat, they can all fail and the one thing you will be very happy to dive into and get warm is your tent. The tent is the last line, take that away and you better hope your PLB works.
I have never spent a night using a failed tent/tarp as a bivy and never want too. .

That is exactly what the locals taught me when i lived in Tasmania and it proved very good advice.

They also drilled into me that if things got nasty, pull up in the tent and get warm and comfortable sooner rather than later (whilst you can still think logically).

I didn't have any major issues out bush when I lived there (just usual wet, cold, etc ), but when visiting one time and the #*&! hit the fan, I was real glad to still be carrying one tough tent. A good tent remains my first line of defence.

[Bubbalouie]

I don't think his experiences prove that UL does not work in Tassie.

It does prove that inappropriate gear for the conditions does not work though.

Exactly, the statement assumes that ultralight=tarp which is not true.

At least the bloke had a PLB, whilst he should have had a suitable shelter he's still alive and emergency services found him.

[slparker]

I thought about using a tarp once... I worked out that I'd still need a bivvy bag for when the proverbial s**t hit the fan (as per the story in the link above), and then a mozzy net and decided that I'd just keep my tent.

Caveat: i used a tarp (well hootchie) for twenty years in the Army and it taught me that it's great for good weather and adequate for bad weather and just plain miserable in really bad weather.

[TerryMcC]

I use an MSR Hubba...and it meets your specs...however it is only 3 season, although I have used it in the snow, the outer only connects to the inner via clips (hence 3 season). However, it is light and good.

[Strider]

I use an MSR Hubba...and it meets your specs...however it is only 3 season, although I have used it in the snow, the outer only connects to the inner via clips (hence 3 season). However, it is light and good.

How else do you envisage a tent inner might connect? My Scarp 1 uses mitten hooks.

[icefest]

I use an MSR Hubba...and it meets your specs...however it is only 3 season, although I have used it in the snow, the outer only connects to the inner via clips (hence 3 season). However, it is light and good.

How else do you envisage a tent inner might connect? My Scarp 1 uses mitten hooks.

I think Terry meant that the pole is not in a sleeve at all (sleeves are stronger).

[ErichFromm]

Why hasn't anyone mentioned the Tarptent Double Rainbow? Franco??. Just over 1KG, strong in the wind and you can use trekking poles to make even stronger. Has double vestibules and takes practically no time to set up and packs away super small...

[Franco]

"Why hasn't anyone mentioned the Tarptent Double Rainbow? Franco??. '
Well I am part of Tarptent but as much as I can I am not here to pimp TT but just to provide info and share my impression on how they work.
Given the amount of DR sales particularly in the last year or so I would think that there are solo user that think of the DR as their ultimate solo tent but for me the best compromise (not the ultimate...) right now is the Notch.
One of the reasons why TT makes several solo shelters is simply because different shapes and floor plans suit different people.
I also like the Moment DW a lot but because I use trekking poles anyway the Notch works for me.

[stu]

News from Petra Hilleberg is that there will be a couple of 3 season solo tents coming out around March 2015...anticipating muchly