Which tarptent ?

[Oggies]

Hi There. I'm new to hiking and am looking into buying a tent. Been looking at tarptents. The price is good and the weight also.
The only drama is which one to get. Most hiking will be fair weather and mostly need for myself. Will need to fit a second 11yr old occasionally .
I would prefer a dual wall tents.
Thanks
Shaun

[Franco]

There is Tarptent (the brand) and there are tarp tents (sold by several brands) , the type of shelter Tarptent pioneered about 12 years ago.
At that stage you had fully enclosed tents or open ,sometime shaped, tarps.
Henry Shires put some bug mesh on a shaped tarp and created an hybrid type design.
A two wall shelter is pretty much a standard tent but there are some that are somewhat in between because you can separate the inner from the tarp like fly.

An easy choice for your needs is the Tarptent StratoSpire 1.


It is a large solo shelter that can take two standard size mats without overlapping.
Works best with trekking poles (but "substitute" poles are available) and particularly so if you have some practice with tarps or tent set ups come easy to you.
(me setting up the similar SS2 :https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RyQT9JHloQM&list=UU0PuLUKvG7Fxxex5BMVK4vw&index=25)

Another suggestion would be to get the TT Rainbow with the optional liner

This is also a 1.5 shelter so it can take a second mat but comes with its own pole and is pretty easy to set up for anyone.

The liner is the top part of what normaly would be the inner, so you have a mesh wall and a fabric top between you and the fly. About 1 kg all up.

[Oggies]

Thanks Franco. Was looking at the Stratospire 1. Just needed some guidance before purchase.
Cheers
Shaun

[KANANGRABOYD]

Oggies,
I have a contrail and Stratospire 2, and they are both great. The SS2 is essentially a larger version of SS1 and it is a awesome tent. Excellent space, I used mine recently in the Snowies near Blue Lake in horrendous winds and it was flawless. Can't go wrong.

SS2KOSI1.jpg (370.09 KiB) Viewed 19750 times

SS2KOSI2.jpg (340.18 KiB) Viewed 19750 times

[Miyata610]

Champagne hey. Nice.

[Franco]

Kanangraboyd
Nice pitch !
love that windscreen...

[Avatar]

Just looking at the Stratospire 2 - what designs could be done for a 2p tent with 4 walking poles?

[Franco]

"Just looking at the Stratospire 2 - what designs could be done for a 2p tent with 4 walking poles?"
I toyed with that idea before and during the long SS2 design period.

Made several mock-ups but I was not able to come up with a version that made sense.
Either too fiddly or with flat, prone to sagging ,roof panels.
Another problem is that it would not work for one. (I use the SS2 as a solo shelter)
Mind you, took Henry and his CAD over 3 years to come up with the SS2 design.

[Avatar]

By definition the design using 4 poles is for 2 or more users (or single user at car camp).
One's first instinct is that adding a couple of extra poles should provide more interior room and stability.
Yes I can see the challenge. Avoiding a bowl in the roof, keeping the poles away from the doors and fiddle factor will drive the design.

2 points supporting a roof form a ridge and saddle.
Having 3 or 4 points supporting a roof seems to imply a bowl forming, unless they are in line.
You want to avoid a pole occupying interior space- one of the big drawbacks of pyramid designs.

Another innovation may be needed.
Inverted V shape poles would benefit many pyramid designs, but you need long poles - up to 190cm.
This might be done if you had walking pole extenders - like UK Bob's at backpackinglight.
You could get 2 long poles with 2 extenders. 4 smaller pole sections would then become available for struts.

Just joining 2 poles might make a ridgeline in a SS2 type design - possibly wider shelter?

I like the idea of the SS2 design - basically an A-frame with offset poles and struts to increase volume. Might get one.

[Franco]

The Brooks Range Propel 2D uses 4 poles in combination with a ridge pole.
That is a modyfied A frame design.
The SS2 is like nothing I had seen before..
this drawing may give a better idea :

[Strider]

The SS design is quite confusing to the uninitiated. Once you understand the inner isn't in-line with the outer you're about halfway to understanding it I reckon!

[Franco]

It confused some of the experts at BPL too when I first posted the design.
The reason is that most have a pre-conceived idea of what it should look like, based on pre-existing designs, but it doesn't look like that in reality.
What makes it work is the hexagonal shape with 8 different panels so that it somewhat simulates the wind shedding shape of a geodesic shelter.

[legend]

I have the SS2 and also the Notch, both with solid interiors. Both are incredibly lightweight for their sizes and both have withstood gales and heavy rain and snow.
I found the mesh inner allows lots of dust to penetrate (on the Larapinta Tk) and also spindrift when caught in a blizz on Tassi's Central Plateau). The solid interior only weighs about 50g more than the mesh inner.
The SS2 has incredibly roomy vestibules and I have had 3 adults in there (bit of a squeeze but definitely manageable - -and we were all dry next morning).
The pitching of it is easy once you have mastered it (due to its irregular hexagon shape) - Franco showed me his way of pitching (thanks Franco in his backyard) and it is a lot less complicated than Henry Shires video.

[Franco]

Thank you for the comments.
Here is how I do it :

[simonm]

Thanks Franco that is very helpful. Looks much easier than the way Henry does it.

[Franco]

I have had comments to the contrary, so you just need to try it for yourself.
The trick in doing it my way is to leave some slack in the middle from one Pitch Lock corner (the raised corner) to the other.
The Notch works the same way too.

[The Perambulator]

Hi Franco,

For the purpose of creating a wider vestibule, is it possible to reduce the width of the inner of the SS2 ?

Thanks Charlie.

[Strider]

Hi Franco,

For the purpose of creating a wider vestibule, is it possible to reduce the width of the inner of the SS2 ?

Thanks Charlie.

I wonder if a SS1 inner might fit? Similar to this:

viewtopic.php?f=15&t=11389&p=151914&hilit=Scarp+1+inner+in+Scarp+2#p151914

The SS2 has absolutely MASSIVE vestibules as it is though...

[Franco]

"For the purpose of creating a wider vestibule, is it possible to reduce the width of the inner of the SS2 ?"
Yes you can.
You can unclip the inner completly from the inside or just run a line between the two poles then clip the inner further in on that line.
(I'll take a photo of that tomorrow...)
As Strider has pointed out , the vestibules in the SS2 (and SS1...) are rather large already.
get a piece of string and attach that to a pole 127cm up, then peg the string 84cm away from the pole . That is the depth of the vestibule.

[corvus]

I believe a Scarp 1 would suit your immediate needs (will fit two Thermarest 4 + mats top to tail) and will perfect for your needs IMHO.
corvus

[Strider]

I believe a Scarp 1 would suit your immediate needs (will fit two Thermarest 4 + mats top to tail) and will perfect for your needs IMHO.
corvus

In QLD corvus? Might get a bit stuffy.

[KANANGRABOYD]

Strider-
How many TT's do you own?

[Strider]

Strider-
How many TT's do you own?

Just the Scarp 1, but I know I certainly wouldn't want to be in it in QLD heat/humidity!

[corvus]

I believe a Scarp 1 would suit your immediate needs (will fit two Thermarest 4 + mats top to tail) and will perfect for your needs IMHO.
corvus

In QLD corvus? Might get a bit stuffy.

Strider,
Shaun did ask about dual wall tents and you can as I suspect you know keep the Fly doors open if it gets warm/humid as they have good mesh insect inserts in the inner doors .
corvus.

[Strider]

I believe a Scarp 1 would suit your immediate needs (will fit two Thermarest 4 + mats top to tail) and will perfect for your needs IMHO.
corvus

In QLD corvus? Might get a bit stuffy.

Strider,
Shaun did ask about dual wall tents and you can as I suspect you know keep the Fly doors open if it gets warm/humid as they have good mesh insect inserts in the inner doors .
corvus.

I would assume he would be using a mesh inner. Yes he can leave the doors open but then what happens when it rains? The Scarp has reasonably good ventilation but I am unsure how it would cope under those conditions.

[Franco]

This is the vestibule as it is.
If the fly was zipped up the 50x168cm mat would be fully inside except for a small section of the corner nearer to the camera.
I am there fully undercover 9with the door open)

The inner has a mitten hook that can clip to a ring or an elastic at the apex.
Using the elastic and just by pegging the inner floor back you can get this :

from the door front peg to the mat where I am sitting you now have 1.3m with about 127 cm of height in the middle.

[The Perambulator]

Hi Franco,

Thanks for going to all that trouble. I was going to post that the SS2 vestibule published size appears to be a similar as the inner of my Notch, your photo pretty much confirms this (at least to my uneducated eye).The second photo is what I'm looking for, somewhere to get out of my wet weather gear - take off my boots etc. I have a Hubba Hubba HP and have to crawl inside the vestibule and inner. I find the Notch easier to access, but a bit small. T T are quoting 3 week delivery for the SS2, no problem might be able to sell my Hubba Hubba's. This time I will arrange the seam sealing before I order.

Thanks again Charlie.

[Avatar]

I ended up ordering an SS1 with a solid inner. Arrived in about 10 days. Postage was a bit stiff.

Have seam sealed it - and there are lots of seams. Helps to have a tight pitch when doing this.
No seam on the floor however, which is unusual - and welcome.

Would have been nice to have a few scraps of fly, floor, solid and mesh material thrown in for a repair kit.
I have heard Henry will send some on request.
What is the fabric wastage on tent production?

Looks roomy and well ventilated.
Haven't used yet but can't wait.

[Strider]

Would have been nice to have a few scraps of fly, floor, solid and mesh material thrown in for a repair kit.

My Scarp came with all spare fabrics, as well as a short aluminium pole repair sleeve.

[vieve]

Would have been nice to have a few scraps of fly, floor, solid and mesh material thrown in for a repair kit.

My Scarp came with all spare fabrics, as well as a short aluminium pole repair sleeve.

I don't recall getting any spare fabrics (or any other extra's) with my Notch.