Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Backpack Hunting Tarptent

I've seen this mentioned here, and I went over to their site. The weight is pretty light and I like how simple they are.

Just wondering if anyone has used one of these light shelters. They are floored or floorless and come with bug screen. Hey, they're made in USA as well.

Anybody use one?

I have used a TT virga...for folks who aren't up to the switch to a tarp or hammock its good.

Its another piece of gear and has its good and bad points. its lighter than a classic tent. heavier than a tarp or hammock. It offers bug protection you can't get from a tarp and of course you can pitch it above treeline which isn't typically possible with a hammock.

My older TT wasn't as rugged as some of the new designs but I doubt they are not as good as most tents in high winds or snow.

I mostly tarp in the fall and spring and hammock in the summer. When I go out with my wife (which is pretty rare I bring the TT)

I have a buddy who has a floorless Squall from '03 or '04 or so, I have only slept in it a couple of times. I was pretty impressed with the design, especially for the reasonable price. The design looks like it has since been improved upon. It is extremely light for the room and floor space that you get(especially if there are 2 of you in the group), lighter than 2 decent bivies and lighter than 2 decent hammocks (which I get quite cold in once temperatures get around the freezing point). I think it would be pretty good in moderate wind and rain. I didn't notice any condensation problems, any more than with any other tent. I'm not sure how resistant to heavy snow it would be (probably not very), and that would be the only problem for me - where I hunt early season we often get good dumps of snow etc (heck these areas can get dumps of snow any time of the year - gotta love B.C.!). But I'd sure rather be under one of these than laying in my bivy, when waiting out a 3-day weather front!

If I was in the market for a very light, well designes, 3-ish season shelter that would work very well for solo or 2-person group backpacking, and didn't want a bivy/hammock/tarp, or a stove, I would probably buy one.

I've been using a Double Rainbow as my main tent for the past year, and I used a Cloudburst 2 before it, in the warm season. They are wonderfully light and very well-designed for their purpose. Henry Shires has been very responsive and great to deal with.

I don't and wouldn't choose a Tarptent for cold weather involving more than a teensy bit of snow. Part of the "well-designed" is that they have very good ventilation, which means that they are drafty in the cold, especially if there is a breeze. They are more or less open around the skirts, except for the mesh. That is a good thing in Summer, not so good in cold.

I have sat out some pretty impressive storms in the Double Rainbow, with thunder, heavy rain, hail up to bean size (larger than pea size, smaller than grape size), and wind gusts in the fearsome range. The tent held, although I had to brace it from the inside in some of the gusts.

I think that they are great warm season tents for backpackers who want minimal weight, and who are comfortable with a single-wall tent. In colder seasons, I want something a little more protective (I use a Stephenson's Warmlite 2R). In real Winter, I want a Hilleberg.

Infidel,

What are your reasons for using the Double Rainbow instead of the Cloudburst 2? I'm leaning towards the cloudburst2...but am open to learned, first hand experience.

mark

I bought a double rainbow this spring and used it on a 9 day sheep and goat hunt in august. Plenty of room for one, adequate for two. Very light and well made. Definately not a cold weather tent for reasons already stated by Infidel, but it held up in rain very well and condensation wasnt a problem. I chose the DR over the cloudburst 2 because when I talked to Henry Shires on the phone he said that it was the most weather resistant tent he made, and the best one if you have to be above tree line in the canadian rockies.

Good tips. Thanks.

Mark

I got the Double Rainbow because I wanted to try a side-entry tent, having used many two-hoop tunnel tents. I liked it, I like the symmetry with two entrances, it is maybe a bit easier to get in and out, it is maybe a bit easier to sit up in it and do stuff. When I ordered it, I planned to either sell it or the Cloudburst 2, depending, and I wound up keeping the Double Rainbow.

That is no slight on the Cloudburst 2, which is an excellent tent, and which kept me dry and sheltered very well. It's just personal choice, no objective reasons. I use them alone, with myself and all my gear inside, and both of the Tarptent models worked a treat.

The Cloudburst 2 had one advantage over the Double Rainbow ... Sometimes I like to just stuff the tent in a sack and put it in the top of my pack, carrying the poles in a long sack on the outside. That arrangement makes it simple to pack the tent last when breaking camp and to grab the tent first and get it set up without disturbing much of anything else in the pack when making camp. The Double Rainbow has a built-in strut that is not readily removable, so the tent needs to be rolled up in its original sack, which means either putting it vertically into the pack and having to unpack some other stuff to get it out, or carrying the whole tent on the outside of the pack. I've done both, and it isn't a big deal, just a thing.

Thank you kindly fellas for the inputs and experiances.

Cool, thanks Infidel. I think elkcreek's getting his thread answered and I'm poaching on it. I will get the 2xRainbow because of the builders statement that it is the most weather resistant.

Happy Holidays,

Mark

I have a couple of tarptents and they are great tents for anything but snow. You can't go wrong using it as a 3 season tent.

You may want to check out the ones by Golite. I've been considering getting one of those. As I stated in another thread, I've used my military poncho in that manner for years; but, the tarptent/sil-tarp idea is appealing. I've just never been one of those "ultra light" backpackers. Just thought I'ld post another option. It's always nice to have options.

I have a golite lair 1. Its a simple tarp. I have on many ocasions considered turning it into a "bug proof shelter with the addittion of netting on the opening and perhaps the edges. For the gram weenies it would still be lighter than a TT