Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Backpack Hunting New tarptent

My wife said my Tarptent Cloudburst 3 showed up yesterday. And here I am on the slope for another couple weeks. Oh the agony. I'm looking forward to giving it a try soon on a raft trip.

Mart

Can't wait to get the details. I just got a killer deal on a rainshadow, but it might get flipped if the cloudburst is ad good as it looks on paper.

I'm pretty excited totry it out. I looked hard at the Rainshadow but when I saw the Cloudburst 3 decided it was the tent I needed.

Mart

I'm looking forward to a report!

It looks similar to Stephenson tents that were far from water proof.

I sure do like the design and the 2 door ease of a tube tent.

Jim

Wow, that saves some pounds if it is waterproof. Plus long enough for me it looks like.

I agree the cloudburst looks like it would probably be better as an all around tent, but I still like the featured of the rainshadow for warmer weather. And let's me honest, I got it cheap!

Cheap is good. That cloudburst drops 5 pounds out of my pack for $320 or so bucks. That seems like a pretty good return to me based on where I am headed. Maybe next year drop some sleeping bag weight. Have to call them to see how far out they are.

That was one of my goals, to drop some significant weight from the pack. My old tents both the two man and even the one man were heavier than the Cloudburst. I'm excited to get home and check it out. I hope to do a solo sheep hunt and really give it a good work out.

Mart

Aren't you home yet?

Just got my rainshadow and I'm digging it but want to hear about this one.

I got back last Thursday but had to turn right around and fly out to Washington. I had committed to help a friend inventory her husbands 60+ years accumulation of firearms accessories for eventual sale. He was a mentor and friend but is suffering from Alzheimer's.

I did bring the tent with me hoping I would get some time to set it up and seal the seams. I got it set up but haven't had a chance to seal it yet. It looks like rain so I took it back down. Man it sets up fast. I am pretty impressed with it so far. I hope to get it sealed before Friday as I would like to use it on a two day float trip on the Gulkana River Friday and Saturday.

I'll keep you posted as I get time to play with it.

Mart

Following your post Mart, and can't wait for your report as well. I have looked hard at a tent that I could use for backpacking. Looking mostly at a 2 person tent, but still interested in your report, specifically because the tent I am leaning towards is the Tarptent scrap2. I may even go for the scarp 1. I am still collecting info. So please if you could provide some detail on the quality of the tent.

Guy!!!

I set the tent up yesterday to seal the seams. I managed to get the seam sealing done and dry before it rained. The Cloudburst 3 goes up fast. They claim two to three minutes and I believe that's very doable with just a couple of practice runs.

I took their advice and painted some silicone sealer stripes on the floor of the tent. It is pretty slick and I can see sliding around without the stripes for a little traction. I'm going to do the same thing to my Thermarest pad when I get home. Might help to keep my bag on the pad a little better.

I am pleased with the quality of the tent. I am no backpacking expert but it seems to be very well made. I was most impressed by the fact that it is an American made tent and is competitive with many of the imports for price.

This trip Friday will be it's first usage. I have to pilot a raft for a men's ministry trip on the Gulkana River. Usually we stay in big Cabela's expedition tents but I'll take the Cloudburst along to give it a try.

If I can get a fly in scheduled at this late date I will be doing a solo hunt for sheep in August. That's the primary reason I bought the tent. It's way lighter than my old tent and can squeeze three in if needed. It has enough room for two guys without feeling cramped. At 3 pounds 1 ounce for a three man tent I am getting a two pound reduction from my old one man tent.

I'll have to have my wife whip up some small mesh bags with drawstrings so when I am in sheep country I won't have to worry about trying to get a stake in the ground. I'll just fill the bags with rocks and use them to tie out rather than the stakes. I am impressed with the stakes they provide with this tent. I'm not sure if they are aluminum or titanium but they are about 3/8" in diameter and 5" long. Very solid little stakes.

I'll post some pics once I get home and on my own computer. Only time and usage will tell how this tent performs. I hope to get several opportunities this season to try it out.

Mart

I headed out on the float trip. Had a pretty stout wind all day. I set the tent up and staked it down on the sand bar only to have the wind pull up all four stakes. I had to prep for the trip in such a rush that I neglected to bring any rock bags. I usually take some mesh bags to fill with rocks and use in place of the tent stakes. After being on the river all day rowing I didn't feel up to searching for big rocks to tie to so opted to put the tent away and stay in one of the big staff tents. So I don't have much of a review other than the short stakes they have don't hold well in beach sand in the wind. I am impressed with how fast it sets up. In two to three minutes you can have the tent up as long as the soil will hold the stakes.

The tent is pretty spacious. For a solo hunt it gives plenty of room with without much weight. My old one man Cabelas is a little over two pounds heavier. The Cloudburst 3 comes in at 3 pounds one ounce.

The float trip was good but I got the worst sunburn of my life on my face. Also ended up with my good Canon Sureshot getting wet and no longer working. Looks like I better consider a waterproof camera.

Here's a few pictures from it being set up in the yard.

The tent looks nice enough in the pictures. I had an Exped with a similar set-up, just much heavier. I loved the layout, didn't like the weight.

I'm looking forward to hearing more about this one as you are able to use it more.

I've had one of the original Cloudbursts [2 man, I use it mostly solo 2#,4oz] for about 10 years and about the only bad thing I can say about it is it doesnt handle a snow load. Some might call it drafty [depends on your pitch] but I like a bit of airflow so its perfect for me- and its long....no way I fit in one of those short mountaineering style tents

Just had our Double Rainbow spend a week at Boyscout camp along with our Cabelas 8 man w/ vestibule and both performed excellent in the 3 days of rain.