Solo tent advice

[Moondog55]

I looked semi-seriously at a Space 1 a few years ago but I lie on my RH side when preparing meals etc and this put my head at the low end of the tent I tried out.
Assuming that you want or need to cook inside in bad weather you might need to try this out first
I think that poles will break long before the hubs show any signs of stress

[Brekel]

I had a Scarp 1 for a while and found it to be quite a roomy tent for the larger bloke (I'm 6'2" and 100kg).....plenty of length/width for a LW mat and most of your kit and the 2 vestibules were a bonus as well for storage and cooking in bad weather. I bought the "solid inner" and had the crossing poles as well but never used them. Got rained, snowed and blowed-on quite a few times and it handled all that fine...

..initially the super-slippery silnylon floor was a right PITA...

As I like to store my tent inside my pack as opposed to trying it on the outside, I found the 4 corner prop-poles to be too long to allow me to put the rolled-up tent cross-ways inside my Macpac Cascade 90L pack...

Apart from that I found it to be very weather proof once the seams were sealed properly, well made and certainly nice and light compared to a few of my older Macpac 4 season tents. Cheers

Hey Sambar - thanks for the feedback, much appreciated, especially as we're about the same height.
Coincidentally I use my old Cascade 90L too! Put new shoulder straps on it a few months back. Good to know it doesn't fit across the bottom inside as this was always my preferred option too: readily available through the bottom zip for pulling it out fast and easy in bad weather. There's something about strapping an essential item like a tent that's made out of thin nylon to the outside of your pack that just doesn't sit right, particularly off track and in rough areas.
Like you said it could be packed vertically inside, but that makes it more difficult tho remove in a hurry. Certainly something I'll keep in mind.

Out of interest, whatdid you replace it with?

[Brekel]

I looked semi-seriously at a Space 1 a few years ago but I lie on my RH side when preparing meals etc and this put my head at the low end of the tent I tried out.
Assuming that you want or need to cook inside in bad weather you might need to try this out first
I think that poles will break long before the hubs show any signs of stress

Damn good point - didn't think about which side the vestibule was on. The one I looked at on display I'd be laying on my right side iirc, but as I'm right handed I'd prefer to be laying on my left and have my right free. Something I wouldn't have thought of. That's the advantage of these forums

[Brekel]

any of the tents that pitch outer first using a footprint can be pitched outer first using a length of rope tied into a rectangle with loops in the corner.. works a treat

I had wondered something similar: running rope from side to side between the poles. The rectangle would work even better As long as the inner can be clipped up from inside, which most seen to be able to, your idea should work well.

[sambar358]

Brekel.....I didn't really replace the Scarp 1 at the time and just started using my NZ Macpac Minaret for the 4 season stuff and the Exped Gemini 2 in the autumn and spring. I really like the roomy aspect of the Gemini 2 one-up, 2 big vestibules and a nice long floor, a little too much mesh for serious cold weather usage though......and 500g or so heavier than the Scarp 1.

Twelve months after moving the Scrap 1 along I got onto a very lightly used Vaude Power Odyssee 2P & footprint on Gumtree.....at $200 posted I couldn't resist it and I tend to use it 4 season now instead of the Minaret. It's a bomber of a tent and super strong with the 3 pole external frame and 4 storm guy outs that wrap around the pole cross-overs. A bit bigger inside than the Minaret with a slightly larger vestibule and around 2.5kg with the foot print and a full peg set. Being a hunter I tend to go for stealthy green tents and the bright orange of the Vaude took a bit of getting used to but at least it's easy to see in low light as it almost glows in the dark ! So many good tents.....so little time. Cheers

s358

My bargain Vaude Power Odyssee 2P

[Brekel]

Ok, my current thoughts with pros and cons. I think the first three are all within about $20 of each other too (Australian)

WE Space 1 - 1.6kg
Pros

• "1.5 person" - a bit more room if I needed to weather out a bad storm on my own somewhere.
• Wider in the middle - nice to be able to put my photographic equipment inside the tent.
• Steep wall at head end, almost half of inner is close to full height. Feels spacious.
• Internal tension strap - does this work?
• Main structure (other than vestibule) freestanding.

Cons

• Only 1 entry
• Vestibule a little smaller
• I think only 2 guy attachment points: 1 on side, one on end?
• Can't find any online reviews.
• Hub-style poles: not necessarily a disadvantage, just not something I've used before.
• marginally thinner poles - not as strong?
• Inner pitch first

I'd love to see some reviews on this tent, but have not been able to find any.
I think freestanding ability is only a minor consideration. And given the seeming lack of guy attachment points, being freestanding seems less relevant as you'd wanna have the thing well pegged down.

While I've put the steep head wall as an advantage due to the space, a change in wind direction would mean it was blowing against a near-vertical wall.

OP Goondie 1 - 1.73kg (30D/Solid option)
Pros

• Crossing pole structure: seems like it would be strong, stand up to a bit of snow weight ok without sagging overly.
• Main structure (other than vestibule) freestanding.
• Two vestibules, main one 750mm across at widest.
• Good brand and good reviews within this forum.
• 100D 5000mm floor - strongest and (equal) most waterproof.

Cons

• Room in inner for sleeping mat, not much else.
• The least floor space of the three.
• One entry
• Inner pitch first
• 95cm max height, a little more would suit my height better

Scarp 1: - 1.48kg without crossing poles, 1.8kg with
Pros

• The only one with two entries. More versatile with entry direction and pitching location. Open up both for good airflow.
• 2 large vestibules - both adjustable from 510 to about 770mm
• Ability to trade off inner space for vestibule space
• Most floorspace of the three, although Space1 is wider at the head end. Plenty of room to have gear inside tent. Could fit one of the kids in at a pinch.
• Option to take crossing poles (making it marginally the heaviest), or leave them (marginally the lightest) depending on circumstances.
• Freestanding option with poles.
• Integral pitch

Cons

• Lightest floor - 30D.
• plainest colour - not as photogenic

Also considered:
Akto - probably a bit low for my height. Lower at ends, only 93cm at centre, and the "centre" height is measured against the inner wall - it is lower in the centre of the space. Their beutifully produced brochure shows 180cm standing/89cm sitting Chris with his head against the ceiling. I'm taller and my sitting height is greater.

Then there's the Big Sky Chinook and Revolution 1P I forgot about - I'll have to check out these. Looks like similar floor size to the Goondie, but with 2 entrances. Thoughts on these?

[Son of a Beach]

I've had my Goondie 1 for a few years now, and your assessment is correct on all points, I reckon. I can confirm that it handles snow very well indeed. I've had it out in substantial snow falls, and it doesn't sag or bend at all, and the vent remains clear, so that you don't asphyxiate even if the gap under the fly is completely blocked by snow. In general, the snow just slides right off the fly except for a very small area right at the top where it is not as steep.

I was initially concerned about it being inner-pitch first, as I'd been using an integrated-pitch Olympus for many years before this. However, I've found that it's not a significant problem (for me, at least). Yes, the inner tent can get a little wet when setting up in the rain, but it's only exposed for a short time. I've set up in light rain without any issues, and packed up in heavy rain before having to use the tent again the next night and it was not an issue. But I do appreciate that some people may find it to be more of a problem than others.

I've cooked in the vestibule a few times now, and that works fine.

Yes, the floor space is not huge. But with the pack out in the second vestibule and available through the small port-hole, there is always plenty of room for all my gear. There is enough room in the inner for a couple of small bags of clothes/food/etc, at each end and there's plenty of head room for me. (I'm about 176cm, I think). The steep sides also mean that the roof isn't right near your face when lying down.

One of the benefits of the small floor space is that I can pitch it in some very tight spots. When I go walking with other people, and we find a place to camp, I usually just sit and wait for everybody else to pick a spot to pitch their tents, because I'm happy to take the left-overs with the Goondie. The attached photos show the same location before and after I pitched the Goondie in a tiny camp site on the edge of a cliff where we had to fit 5 people. The spot where the bloke in the white helmet is standing is where I pitched the Goondie. The inner just fitted in the tiny space between the moss-covered tree roots rocks and vegetation on each side. The vestibules extended out over the rocks and tree roots, but the floor itself was on that tiny area of flat ground. It turned out to be a very comfy spot, and all the larger areas were able to be used by other people in our group.

In other locations there have been small shrubs growing in my vestibule, in order to get the tent to fit in tiny spaces.

If I had to buy another one person tent tomorrow, it would be the Goondie for sure.

Pitched where the bloke in the white helmet is standing

Surveying Eagles Nest.JPG (177.71 KiB) Viewed 12833 times

Floor space fitted in tiny space between tree roots, ferns and rocks on each side

Camp at Eagles Nest.JPG (133.57 KiB) Viewed 12833 times

PS. This post is really just an excuse to post photos of one of my favourite camp sites. So here's one more shot of the camp site from down below...

The camp site is on top of that large protruding section of the cliff - don't roll over too far in your sleep!

Arriving-at-Eagles-Nest.jpg (71.3 KiB) Viewed 12826 times

Last edited by Son of a Beach on Thu 22 Feb, 2018 10:28 am, edited 1 time in total.

[Brekel]

Thanks SOB.
Your review of the Goondie is the main one I read Good to hear you are still happy with it.
If I recall, you had the 15D with mesh inner?
When you've had it out in the snow, how did you find it for warmth and what sort of bag/mat did you
use?
I imagine a small 1P tent would be warmer than 1 person in a larger 2P tent?

[Moondog55]

I had a quick play in a Goondie One, I thought is was a little shorter but almost as wide as my Minaret but I wasn't comparing side by side. In winter you need to make allowance for the extra loft of a winter sleeping bag or quilt, that adds a full 150mm/200mm to my length and the same to my width, the Minaret really isn't a 2-P tent in winter

[Son of a Beach]

Thanks SOB.
Your review of the Goondie is the main one I read Good to hear you are still happy with it.
If I recall, you had the 15D with mesh inner?
When you've had it out in the snow, how did you find it for warmth and what sort of bag/mat did you
use?
I imagine a small 1P tent would be warmer than 1 person in a larger 2P tent?

That's correct, it is the 15D (I've deleted my accidental "30D" from my earlier post now). However, I have the solid inner, not the mesh inner. there is a large panel in the door that is mesh with a solid panel that can zip closed over it.

The smaller tents are warmer, I think, but I haven't really noticed a lot of difference in warmth between tent sizes (it's difficult to provide a genuine analysis, when every night in the tent involves different environmental conditions - temperature, wind, terrain, humidity).

However, I certainly have noticed that sleeping in a hut is much colder than sleeping in a tent! (after the hut eventually cools down late in the night).

My sleeping bag is an older One Planet Zephyr. I think it's rated to about -4 or -7, but I can't remember for sure. It's certainly not as warm as my old J&H Winterlite which was always too hot!

My mat is a Thermarest XTherm. These things are amazing (but very expensive - I used a US-based freight forwarding company in order to get it much cheaper). It is about a quarter the packed size and weight of my old 3/4 self-inflating matress, but it is full length and about 3 times as thick when inflated. Soooo much more comfortable and also a bit warmer than my old mat. No trouble sleeping on it after pitching the tent directly on snow.

[LachlanB]

I've also got a One Planet Goondie 1 (30D Fly and nylon inner), and like SOB, I think it's a fantastic tent.

I'm 195cm tall, and I've so far found that it has a nice amount of head room in it. I can sit up in the centre of it, but not much outside of that.
It'd be nicer for me if it was longer (but for you that'd be less of a problem), but the ends of the tent are pretty steep, so you have a bit more useable room than would be the case in tents that don't slope quite as steeply.

With the two vestibules for one person, I basically never have a shortage of space for my gear, and usually just keep the basics in the tent with me. Also, like SOB, I haven't been bothered by the lack of integral pitch. I just wait for the rain to ease off first, or cope with a little dampness. I think that integral pitch is overrated; your tent will get more wet while being packed up and carted to the next campsite than it will while you put it up.

[Brekel]

Thanks @LachlanB.
I'll have to go and sit in the Goodnie again that's on display in Find Your Feet in Hobart, I was kind of rushing between appointments the other day so didn't have a good look.
I know I sat in another tent that was suppose to be 95cm high, and with no mat and slouching over a bit my head was still lightly against the ceiling in the centre. Not enough that I couldn't live with it, but depending on choice of sleeping mat it could become a bit tighter.
You're about 7cm taller Lachlan, but I'm guessing you must be longer in the legs and me in the body.
Then again, maybe the tent I tried wasn't truly 95. Checking out the Goondie in person will be the way to go.

Thanks again SOB. I'm still using an old Paddy Pallin down bag from years ago that was rated to -5° if I recall, or maybe a bit lower. I'll upgrade my mat. Back when I was actively walking I just had a closed cell foam mat, and with that bag was never cold. Our coldest night out was a clear night probably around -7° and everything was iced up outside in the morning. Didnt even have the bag fully zipped and didn't realize it was cold until we left the tent! But that was 2 people in the Olympus. Obviously I'll try my gear out in warmer conditions before I hit any snow, but I'm hopeful the bag will be up to it. A good sleeping mat that's lighter than the one I use for car camping will be next after the tent though.

[Moondog55]

Mattress thickness definitely needs to be taken into account
My old bones need a much thicker and softer sleeping pad these days and my combinations can be up to 90mm deep, I often forget to take that into account when simply looking at pictures and plans online, so it will pay to take along your new preferred mattress system with you if they are not available in store

[LachlanB]

Mattress thickness definitely needs to be taken into account

That's a very good point. I've got one of the Sea to Summit mats, which does tend to be rather squishy when you sit on it (and exceedingly noisy).

Brekel, after reading your comment about slouching, I pulled my tent out and had a fiddle. If I sit up dead straight, my head does push against the inner a touch. Sleeping mat didn't seem to make much of a difference, but I don't have anything near as thick as Moondog's 9cm setup. I must slouch enough that it never happens when I'm using my tent, but that tells you all you need to know about my posture, I guess
So yeah, I wouldn't be surprised if you have a longer upper body than me, and a better posture too.

[Smeagle]

For light weight you can't beat a bivi bag

Attachments

[Franco]

Not so good if it starts to rain or snow and you want to prepare dinner.
Not all that much fun either having wet clothes inside there too.
But yes, they can be light.

[Brekel]

Yep, they're nice and light. But I think I'll go with a tent for now

[Aidan]

- Suit someone about 188cm tall (6'2").
I had a look at the Macpac Microlight thats on sale at the moment, but the one I saw pitched in store had quite a saggy inner and at my height would have been right in my face when laying down.

What other options would you suggest?

I irregularly cycle tour.
I have and use a Microlight amongst others and I agree that its a little short for someone of your height.
At 181 or there abouts, I find it a bit of a contortionist act to get in and out of.

I believe its marketed as a 3 season so I'm not so sure of its suitability for snowy Tassy conditions although, having been caught out in some particularly nasty weather in WA (not snow), I know it can handle some decent wind and rain (it was the last tent standing at Point Ledge campground during a storm. The nice manager got very damp standing there encouraging me to abandon my pitch to enjoy a free cabin in the wee hours. I politely declined.)

Its a very confined and claustrophobic space to be stuck in for more than a few days of bad weather so this winters cycle touring I'll be much happier to be putting up with some extra weight and will be taking my Minaret instead for both some Munda Biddi Trail and if I'm feeling brave enough to try the Tassy winter temperatures, the Tasmanian Trail, such is the tentative plan thus far.

I know the Minaret is a warm tent which is one of the reasons I don't use it for WA summers. Its said to be prone to condensation but I doubt its the only tent that gets that complaint. It gets positive mention when it comes to rough weather such is the feedback from other owners I know. I'm confident the weight increase over the Microlight will pay dividends this winter in a more luxurious confinement during rough weather.