Lightweight two-person tent

[Bushgirl]

I'm looking for a new two-person tent and am interested in recommendations. Being lightweight and reliably water-proof are the main considerations. It will be used around the Blue Mountains in NSW, not in winter and not alpine and preferably not in extreme weather (not planned anyway!). It's hard to choose a tent given the only way you know is by trying it out, also it's hard to find somewhere where there's a range of hiking tents set up to look at (that arent for car camping etc).

[Travis22]

While no doubt our hiking tent might be a little outdated these days? we've been using the Macpac Minaret for quite a few years now. If its still available id recommend it.

Its strong, lite weight and easy to setup and take down. Id call it a 4 season tent, but you dont plan on doing any winter / alpine camping then you might get away with a 3 season tent; ie. save some money.

[Hallu]

First of all, tell us your budget. I have a MacPac Nautilus which is easy to set up and on the budget side for Australia (240 $ when it's on sale/clearance), so far the waterproof side wasn't put to fault, and it's quite a breathable tent. But given its price, it's not on the lightweight side (2.6 kg), depends what you want for the weight, if under 2kg is enough, or if you want to get close to the 1/1.5 kg barrier.

PS: I can't show you a MacPac link for the tent, their website seems down at the moment.

[Travis22]

Seems the Minaret is still going, not sure if it has changed over the last 7-8years or just new colours. I think we paid around $400-450mark 7-8years ago while it was on sale at PP's.

http://www.macpac.com.au/tents/tents-trek

The tent Hallu mentions is here;

http://www.macpac.com.au/tents/tents-camping

At the end of the day, as seen right now by the sale prices... whatever you buy make sure it is on 'sale'.

[Franco]

"whatever you buy make sure it is on 'sale"
On sale is my favourite brand at Coles, but as for a tent ,to me ,the wrong tent, on sale ,is the wrong tent on sale...

[Travis22]

"whatever you buy make sure it is on 'sale"
On sale is my favourite brand at Coles, but as for a tent ,to me ,the wrong tent, on sale ,is the wrong tent on sale...

U know what i meant

[Franco]

I was saying that for my own benefit too.
Amazing how much rubbish I bought because it was "on special".
But seriously it is very easy to be distracted by the price and forget to focus on likes and needs.

For example today I built a mock up of an 'ultralite" tent discussed at another forum.
Turns out that to get in about the first 50 cm of the floor of the inner would be exposed to the rain.
That could still work for some not so much for others, so my point is make sure you tick as many boxes as you can....

[quicky]

The Tarptent Double Rainbow is a winner.

...it's extremely well made, very lightweight at 1.2 kg, dual entry, free-standing, great configurations for setting up (maximise views, ventilation etc.)

...and, relative to many other tents, is quite cheap at $275.

Anyways, here is the link to the Tarptent website (Double Rainbow page)... http://www.tarptent.com/double-rainbow.html#overview

...and here are some pics from the website...

Tarptent closed

Tarptent.jpg (85.31 KiB) Viewed 32887 times

Tarptent open (great for maximising views or ventilation)

tarptent open.jpg (111.91 KiB) Viewed 32887 times

Tarptent set up in 'Porch' mode

tarptent porch set up.jpg (92.91 KiB) Viewed 32887 times

They handle stronger winds well. They also handle snow loading (you never know what your interests will lead you to!!) I know several people who have this tent, and they are very happy campers!
I have read many great reviews of this tent, and from what I hear, the customer service is ace. Plus, I have slept in my friends Double Rainbow, and was very impressed. Just another option to consider.
Jase

[Raymondo]

I have a tarptent and their main problem is that being single skinned they only take moderate rain for an hour or so and can then start to leak. I would never take mine to Tassie or even in Qld if a storm is on the cards - otherwise lovely

[ULWalkingPhil]

How light do you want to go?

You could go with something like this, less than 300grams. Add an inner as shown or a bivy for a lightweight shelter.
Custom Made from Terra Rosa Gear here in Australia.

This one is made out of 0.74oz Cuben in Olive Green, but he can make them in Silnylon.

Attachments

[Franco]

"I have a tarptent and their main problem is that being single skinned they only take moderate rain for an hour or so and can then start to leak'

well I don't know what tarptent you have but I have used several Tarptents over the last 7 years and that has not been my experience.
Mind you, they need to be seam sealed before using them...
Here is a short video of my Contrail and my mate's moment the morning after an all night rain feast (and I mean heavy rain)
Take a look at the river level to give you an idea of how much it had rained :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31PNJTJw ... w&index=19

[ryantmalone]

Another one to throw in the mix - North Face Tadpole 23.





Cost me around $250, including freight forwarding from the US. Pricing here in Australia is a tad more steep than that though.

Its a pretty tough tent, very well ventilated, and can be used without the fly if the conditions are good. Plenty of vestibule space for a pack or two as well.

It is a 2 person tent, that said, it is a cosy 2 person tent, meaning I wouldn't share it with my best mate, but would be happy to share with my significant other. Its also not the longest tent I've ever been in, I stand at just shy of 6ft 2inches, and if I were any taller, I wouldn't fit into the tent without both my feet and head touching the walls.

That said, its a nice reasonably light tent, good pole structure in case the weather comes in, and a breeze to put up as well.

If you're not planning to do anything too extreme, no snow or really exposed camping, that would probably be ample.

I'd also suggest checking out the current range of Vango tents as well. I haven't had a chance to try one out myself yet, but from what I am hearing, they are worth a look. I'm considering one for winter hiking myself.

[Hallu]

Yeah so far I haven't found a 2 person tent I'd share with a mate... The Nautilus is just big enough to take in my XL air mattress.

[quicky]

I have a tarptent and their main problem is that being single skinned they only take moderate rain for an hour or so and can then start to leak. I would never take mine to Tassie or even in Qld if a storm is on the cards - otherwise lovely

Any tent can leak, irrespective of being single skinned or not. Plus, the presence of an inner doesn't stop it leaking either. Perhaps it needs another seam seal or some TLC? Just askin... But good to know too. I wonder if Franco could comment here?

I just returned from a Frenchmans Cap trip, and remained bone dry in a Double Rainbow through a good ol' Tassie downpour.

[Bushgirl]

Thanks for all this - a great help. I've looked at the Mont Moondance today - looks good but pricey. Does the Tarptent have vestibule areas for packs and does it seal up completely or is there a gap between the floor and wall? I couldnt work this out in the video. Also wondered about condensation in a single skin tent.
This forum is a great resource, thanks again!

[ryantmalone]

Also wondered about condensation in a single skin tent.

This video should help you get a better idea of how condensation works, and from that, its pretty easy to work out how it affects a single VS two skin tent.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IEmJl9IpzWc

From personal experience, I'm not a fan of single skin tents because of the condensation issue. If the tent offers some kind of ventilation, then that can definitely work in your favour, that said, if you're looking at a single skin tent, then that's just one barrier between you and the cold outside, meaning that you will be much more likely to get some condensation in your tent.

Just so long as you are prepared for this, you should be fine. Personally, I prefer to carry the extra weight and not worry about getting wet every time I move around in my tent at night.

[stuey69]

We need to look at the OP here, Blue Mountains, not winter and not in awkward weather.
I walk in that area (Kanangra Boyd) a lot and I think a One Planet Gunyah 2 would be perfect for you.
Try http://www.oneplanet.com.au/gunyah/gunyah-2.html

[Franco]

Bushgirl
I look after Tarptent in Australia.
Take a big breath and relax because this is going to take a while...

First a direct answer : all Tarptents can be fully sealed against bugs , that is the tent part of the name.
All Tarptents have some vestibule space; there are some very good photos as well as 3D views and diagrams on the site so that you can see exactly how much space you have for yourself and your pack.
(go to a product , say Double Rainbow and you will find a button called specifications as well as the video one)

Now, here is a bit about the Tarptent way.
All of our shelters set up dry. Regardless if they are single or double wall (about half are double wall...) you set up the fly first or both together.
All have 360 degree ventilation as well as vents and ways to keep door/s partially or fully open in the rain.
If you watch that MSR video on condensation (please do...) you will see that indeed ventilation is the enemy of condensation however you will also discover that contrary to popular belief the second wall does not eliminate condensation it may just keep you away from it..

Now if folk using a single wall tent got wet every time (or most times) they used one was the case, well we would not have single wall tents.
By we I mean tent users , not TT...

Again contrary to the way some think , the role of a backpacking tent should not be to keep you warm but to keep you out of rain,wind and bugs .
However many users will shut themselves inside a tent all zipped up and what happens ?
As the temperature inside raises , humidity will increase , that will dampen you bag and clothing so later you will feel cold.
The Tarptent way is to allow maximum ventilation so as to get rid of as much condensation as possible regardless if you see it or not.
Here is a practical example.

This is up at Mt Buller.
I spent the night inside my Notch, a mate inside his Scarp 2 , a couple of guys had a well known 4 season tunnel tent and another guy a small "4 season" solo double wall shelter (both well known here in Aussie)
We all had decent mats (very important)
I had by far less to eat then the rest (however enough for me...) and was about 20 years older than the rest.
To top that , I was the only one to have a zero rated bag, the others had -10 to -15 bags.
Half a way through the night one of the guys in the tunnel tent (winter type ,double wall) bailed out and went inside the hut (still heated..) .
The next morning turns out that my mate in his Scarp had a reasonable rest but could have done with a better mat, the others had a cold night.
Why? their tents had the inner and their bags saturated with moisture, I had a little bit of dampness on my foot box, even so I had a great night.
That was not an unusual experience for me...
BTW, the Notch is a 700g ,3 season TT shelter...

[quicky]

If you watch that MSR video on condensation (please do...) you will see that indeed ventilation is the enemy of condensation however you will also discover that contrary to popular belief the second wall does not eliminate condensation it may just keep you away from it..
Now if folk using a single wall tent got wet every time (or most times) they used one was the case, well we would not have single wall tents.

+1

By we I mean tent users , not TT...
Again contrary to the way some think , the role of a backpacking tent should not be to keep you warm but to keep you out of rain,wind and bugs .
However many users will shut themselves inside a tent all zipped up and what happens ?
As the temperature inside raises , humidity will increase , that will dampen you bag and clothing so later you will feel cold.
The Tarptent way is to allow maximum ventilation so as to get rid of as much condensation as possible regardless if you see it or not.

Agreed.
I remember having some great conversations with the R&D team from Exped, who at one stage advised in a similar fashion... as follows:
For 'coo'l and wet conditions (which generally describes the Australian winter down to approx -5 to -10 degrees C) = keep all ventilation ports and screens open. Use your bag for warmth, not the tent.
For cold and drier conditions (sub -10 degrees C) = close up.

[ryantmalone]

If you watch that MSR video on condensation (please do...) you will see that indeed ventilation is the enemy of condensation however you will also discover that contrary to popular belief the second wall does not eliminate condensation it may just keep you away from it..

Now if folk using a single wall tent got wet every time (or most times) they used one was the case, well we would not have single wall tents.
By we I mean tent users , not TT...

Precisely how I wanted to word it, but didn't have the words at the time.

Any tent that I have used in the past has had condensation on the walls when I wake up, if the temps drop down at night. Having two walls doesn't eliminate it, just means that if there is a whole lot of condensation, its not dribbling down to the same floor that I sleep on.

Its like anything though... if you sacrifice in weight, you're going to lose something, and in that instance, its an extra wall between you and condensation. Each to their own.

[stuey69]

sorry guys, but I have a problem with people with connections to particular companies being here, declared or otherwise.

[ILUVSWTAS]

sorry guys, but I have a problem with people with connections to particular companies being here, declared or otherwise.

+1

it can come across as a bit biased at times cant it..... it's ok when they get asked a direct question, but when they start plugging the products they are connected to on random threads... yeh, it's ugly.

[Onestepmore]

Our 2 man tent selection includes:

Hubby's fav from Amazon - cheap (he paid 159?, now here for 130) Alps Mountaineering Zephyr 2 - 3 season tent.
1.2kg I think from memory?
http://www.alpsmountaineering.com/alps/ ... MHAGXfbxoY
Has been our go-to tent for a while, ventilation is good

My MSR Hubba Hubba
(I also have the gear shed which has been really useful - can happily park a child in there on a groundsheet - or grubby packs if you don't have a spare child)
approx 1.8 kg
http://cascadedesigns.com/msr/tents/exp ... ba/product
I also use the gear loft which I find really useful as I can then find my headlamp, glasses etc, as well as the dedicated footprint. Tyvek would be lighter but I have been lazy
Would be tight if you have 2 tall people. the Alps has more room imo

lightweight cuben Zpacks Hexamid Twin
http://www.zpacks.com/shelter/hexamidtwin.shtml
Less than 600g with bathtub groundsheet and titanium stakes

tarp setup - Hyperlight Mountain Gear Echo II - was a lucky cheapy e-bay find - impulse buy!
http://www.hyperlitemountaingear.com/hi ... ystem.html
830ish g with guylines
I have ti stakes
Not used yet (/cry) so I can't comment yet
I'll use a piece of polycro (from Gossamer Gear) underneath

I am sure I'll find a 'need' (want) to try a tarptent at some stage, but hubby will get mad at me. He still doesn't know about the last one.......

[Onestepmore]

I have no problems with people with affiliations posting stuff extolling the virtues of those products in relevant posts, as long as the association has been stated. Random plugs in unrelated posts are annoying - but from what I have seen this doesn't seem to be an issue.

Last edited by Onestepmore on Fri 07 Dec, 2012 9:36 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[Strider]

sorry guys, but I have a problem with people with connections to particular companies being here, declared or otherwise.

Would you prefer they gave their opinions from under the cover of anonymity? Personally, I like to know who is connected to what so that I can form my own judgement accordingly.

[ILUVSWTAS]

sorry guys, but I have a problem with people with connections to particular companies being here, declared or otherwise.

Would you prefer they gave their opinions from under the cover of anonymity? Personally, I like to know who is connected to what so that I can form my own judgement accordingly.

More than fair enough.
Personally though, I find some threads end up sounding like an infomercial.

[frenchy_84]

sorry guys, but I have a problem with people with connections to particular companies being here, declared or otherwise.

Cry me a river sweetheart. I prefer Franco's knowledgable input over a lot of others. There are a few members of the forum who on every equipment thread, regardless of the OPs use they still recommend some UL piece of kit which doesn't fit the purpose what so ever. So I would much prefer some knowledgable input over that.

[etrangere]

sorry guys, but I have a problem with people with connections to particular companies being here, declared or otherwise.

+1

it can come across as a bit biased at times cant it..... it's ok when they get asked a direct question, but when they start plugging the products they are connected to on random threads... yeh, it's ugly.

make that + 2, totally agree, you may as well roll out the carpet because its so predictable

[ryantmalone]

sorry guys, but I have a problem with people with connections to particular companies being here, declared or otherwise.

This is the way I see it. I rather see businesses associating with their market than pretending that they are one of us.

There is a fine line between being one of us, and being one of us when it suits their purpose.

I'm more than happy to see reps for other companies in here, just so long as its not sell sell sell!

If someone asks for info on a tent, I dont see any reason why a rep for a company cant speak about their own offerings. Many people work for companies because they believe in the product, so I dont see why this is such a bad thing.

Of course, if someone does nothing but sell, then this is a different matter...

[Nuts]

Franco was sharing his experiences and responding directly to a question Seems like a pretty good, well justified explanation (to me) (in this case)?.