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Post by va3pinner on May 27, 2024 3:41:28 GMT -8
No intention to start a fire fight here! Just curious.
Up until a couple years ago, all the tents I've used have hoop style suspensions. Probably started that when dome style tents first came out in the late 70's. they were the go-to for the trendy BP crowd, and were a far cry better than the Camp Trails pole-in-the-middle-of-the-doorway tent I started out with! I went through several big heavy domes to accommodate my wife and a blg ol Black Lab.
Some time ago, when my wife couldn't hike anymore, I started lightening my load, and saw a photo of the most unusual tent (for me) - The Tarptent Cloudburst II. Used that for several years, then settled on a Scarp1. Along comes the Thru Hiker influence, and trekking pole tents start getting really good. Tried a Stratospire 1. An EXCELLENT tent that I would highly recommend to anybody, but it just wasn't my style for several reasons. No fault of the tent at all, just me, so I just purchased a Moment DW. Very similar in setup to the Scarp1, but lighter, and only 2 stakes needed for most situations.
So my question: What type of tent do you prefer, and use the most? Why?
What's been your 'tent history'??
Y'all hike in many different environments, and I know that has a factor in choice.
It's fun reading some other forums. A British forum Trek-lite is a favorite of mine. Interesting to see what shelters they prefer because their conditions are vastly different than my Eastern hardwood forests. So what drives your choice??
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zeke
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Post by zeke on May 27, 2024 4:48:33 GMT -8
I believe all of us of a certain age began with a pup tent, with the pole directly in the middle of the door. A dome of some sort followed, and many of us ended up with a Half Dome or a Quarter. Shires Tarp Tents was my progression. I used a Rainshadow II for years for my 2 person tent. When I found myself only needing a single tent again, I moved to a WBBB hammock for most of my needs. Now, I have 2-3 options for shelters wherever I go, but I really like cowboy camping as long as conditions allow.
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driftwoody
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Post by driftwoody on May 27, 2024 6:31:26 GMT -8
My family never camped, and I was in my late 20's when I began backpacking. My first tent for that purpose was an early REI Halfdome -- sturdy, but about 5 lbs. I also bought a cheap Eureka 1P, much too low to sit up in.
My first UL tent was a SMD Lunar Duo -- very spacious for two, but I stopped doubling up with my hiking buddy and eventually sold it. Then I bought a Tarptent Rainbow, excellent shelter except I had difficulty pitching it without the door netting sagging to the ground. Not long after that I started hanging in my Warbonnet Blackbird. My buddy used the Rainbow for years. Now it's showing its age but is seviceable, and I still loan it.
Not every destination is suitable for hammocks, so I bought a SMD Lunar Solo at a sale price. Very spacious 1P, but challenging to pitch a straight floor. Single pole design results in sloping ceiling which can touch a sleeping bag for taller hikers. It does have tie-outs to alleviate that problem. I sold it after a few trips.
Recently bought a Durston X-Mid 1 sylpoly. Uses 2 offset trekking poles which provide two spacious vestibules. Easier pitch, large footprint. Used it once so far, as I always hang if possible.
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rebeccad
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Post by rebeccad on May 27, 2024 7:15:31 GMT -8
I started with a very cheap Eureka tent, pole in the doorway style IIRC, much too big but we had it so II used it. Soon I bought a second-hand SD Flashlight, very well-used but served me for several seasons, until I got married and we shared a series of free-standing tents, starting with the Half-Dome and ending with the BA Copper Spur, of which between the kids and me we have 3–two 2P and a 1P. I use the 2P for car-camping.
When I went to carrying everything myself, I had to lighten the load and bought a TT Protrail LI—the lightest I could find at the time (I think there are a few more appealing options out there now, but not at a price I’m ready to pay yet). How do I like it? Well, in every way but one I like the BA better. Free-standing is easier to pitch especially on rock or sand, the. Copper Spur 1P has a smaller footprint, and the double-wall design is better in wet weather. I dislike having a pole in my doorway and I dislike having a doorway in the front of the tent instead of on the side. BUT—and this outweighs everything else—the TT saves me over a pound and a half. And I do find it more spacious inside—plenty of room for me and all my gear. Careful pitching means it’s usually fine as far as condensation is concerned, but I think this summer when I am on Vancouver Island I’ll probably bring the CS both because of probable wet conditions and possible need to pitch on sand.
Like Zeke, I have become a fan of cowboy camping, but most places I backpack that’s not possible, due to bugs or dampness or both.
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Post by dustin on May 27, 2024 7:25:18 GMT -8
Like zeke I started with a pup, then a dome. Then, I found a SD Clip Flashlight in the back of the mall sporting goods store and used that for many years. After a long hiatus, I tried a bivy (which I wish I still had) once. Now, my go-to is a SMD Gatewood Cape. Like zeke and driftwoody I got a WBBB and use that more and more. So, that means poles, to hoops, to poles, toward no poles. I like a single pole shelter because we often set up our shelters and then go for a day hike somewhere steep, so having a pole is ideal for me.
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driftwoody
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Post by driftwoody on May 27, 2024 7:47:58 GMT -8
I have zeke to thank for my conversion to hanging. Sleeping on the ground increasingly caused stiffness in my lower back, but I wasn't willing to buy a hammock without spending a night or two to find if it worked for me. Zeke graciously mailed me his spare WBBB, and I was hooked. Mailed it back, bought my own, then got the longer version several years later.
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BigLoad
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Post by BigLoad on May 27, 2024 10:02:34 GMT -8
I prefer trekking pole.
For backpacking, I started with a Sierra Designs 1p, which used a fairly stiff modified hoop design (more like three sides of a trapezoid). Then I graduated to a hoop, old-version Tarptent Cloudburst then a Tarptent Double Rainbow. In major storms, I didn't like how much they flexed. My next and last phase was the old-version Tarptent Contrail followed by the Tarptent Notch (both poles).
Notch is my favorite ever. I like the ease of entry and how storm-worthy it is due to the pole stiffness, mesh inner, and multiple extra tie-down options. It's only negative is that I usually have to move some stakes to improve the pitch after the initial setup. I haven't found a 2p that I like as much.
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swiftdream
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Post by swiftdream on May 27, 2024 10:31:00 GMT -8
My very first tent was international orange nylon with two 3-piece aluminum poles that had no shock cords. It was sort of a pup tent style, had a sewn in floor and the opening had three ties instead of a zipper. I was eighteen and could fit myself, my twenty nine year old German girlfriend and her three offspring from four to eleven in all at once comfortably.
In the ensuing years the tents have been varied with Tarpents with trekking poles, Hilleberg with hoops, dome tents etc with most wearing out due to zippers.
Too many creepy crawlers come out at night here with scorpions walking across my face, all manner of spiders and pit vipers hunting. I know rattlesnakes don’t hunt humans but I have seen then blunder into humans who were lounging. I’ve cowboy camped for hundreds of nights in my youth but won’t do that now. A few ounces of nylon and netting go a long way. The two of us prefer a 3-person tent and companies like tarptent can be very roomy and are pretty good if there is no blowing sand and silt. A 4 season Hilleberg keeps all that out in the high Colorado Plateau winds.
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trinity
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Post by trinity on May 27, 2024 11:55:01 GMT -8
The first tent I ever purchased was a Eureka Timberline 2. That was probably the late 80s. I used that tent for several decades, for car camping, canoe camping, and backpacking. When I started to get serious again about backpacking, I bought an REI Halfdome 2, a really great tent that I still use for car camping. My next major upgrade came about 10 years ago, when some grant money allowed me to purchase a ZPacks Duplex, still one of the best all-around tents I own, though I rarely use it anymore because of the footprint size. Nowadays I am more likely to use shaped tarps, primarily a Silnylon Duomid and a Gatewood Cape. I recently purchased a BA Copper Spur HVUL 1, which I've been very happy with. Hammock (Dutchware Chameleon) is a great option in suitable terrain. So I have numerous options, depending on expected conditions:
In mild weather conditions where I don't anticipate a lot of bugs, I usually take the Gatewood Cape. It is a minimalist shelter, but extremely light and compact, with a very small footprint. I usually pair it with a small piece of polycro. E.g., shoulder season trips to the Indian Peaks, winter trips in the Texas Hill Country.
In winter conditions, when wind, rain, and snow are possible factors, I usually take the Duomid. It is very sturdy, and does a good job of shedding wind and snow. In cold temps with long nights, I like having a larger shelter, since I'm usually spending more time in it. E.g., January trips to the Guadalupe Mountains and Saguaro NP.
For shorter trips, where I am less concerned about weight, I like the Copper Spur. It is easy to pitch, has a small footprint, and just enough floor space, with fairly roomy interior volume, as the name implies. E.g., Big Bend this past winter, when I hiked up into the high country and pretty much base camped for 3 nights.
I've used my hammock setup several times on canoe trips to the Boundary Waters, and a few backpacking trips, including a late summer trip to the South San Juan Wilderness. That actually turned out to be a less than ideal situation, because so many of the available trees were dead lodgepole pines, which made me nervous. I often take it on shorter trips, I love the ease of setup and, of course, the comfort.
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Post by va3pinner on May 27, 2024 12:27:41 GMT -8
I started with a very cheap Eureka tent, pole in the doorway style IIRC, much too big but we had it so II used it. Soon I bought a second-hand SD Flashlight, very well-used but served me for several seasons, until I got married and we shared a series of free-standing tents, starting with the Half-Dome and ending with the BA Copper Spur, of which between the kids and me we have 3–two 2P and a 1P. I use the 2P for car-camping. When I went to carrying everything myself, I had to lighten the load and bought a TT Protrail LI—the lightest I could find at the time (I think there are a few more appealing options out there now, but not at a price I’m ready to pay yet). How do I like it? Well, in every way but one I like the BA better. Free-standing is easier to pitch especially on rock or sand, the. Copper Spur 1P has a smaller footprint, and the double-wall design is better in wet weather. I dislike having a pole in my doorway and I dislike having a doorway in the front of the tent instead of on the side. BUT—and this outweighs everything else—the TT saves me over a pound and a half. And I do find it more spacious inside—plenty of room for me and all my gear. Careful pitching means it’s usually fine as far as condensation is concerned, but I think this summer when I am on Vancouver Island I’ll probably bring the CS both because of probable wet conditions and possible need to pitch on sand. Like Zeke, I have become a fan of cowboy camping, but most places I backpack that’s not possible, due to bugs or dampness or both. We followed a similar path! My first 'real' tent was a Eureka something or other, I cannot remember. Also had an SD Flashlight. It was not storm worthy at all, the fly was several inches off the ground and if it rained horizontally,I might have well just undressed and took a shower. Heaviest beast was a huge 2 person + dog + ping pong size dome tent made by Sierra Designs. Big vestibule in the front. I endured one of the biggest hailstorms in my hiking career in that thing, and was really glad I had it at that time! But boy was I glad to shave off about 7 lbs when I sold that one!
All of my TarpTents have had dual side doors. Usually used the solid interiors, but purchased both the solid and mesh interior for the Moment DW. Henry has a way (not advertised on the web site) for me to roll the fly back part way so I can do a bit of stargazing. I also enjoy cowboy camping, but Virginia is the national source of all ticks, and a major supplier of mosquitoes as well, so I always have a double wall tent to hide in.
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Post by va3pinner on May 27, 2024 12:34:17 GMT -8
Anybody remember when REI bought Walrus? I seem to remember having one or two of their tents. REI had two really nice 4 season tents in the early 90's as well. I had one of those, Loved the room, but 5 lbs was beginning to be too much for me solo, and I think I found the Cloudburst II at that time.
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Post by itwaslegendary on May 29, 2024 0:07:53 GMT -8
I started with a pup.
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Post by oldbill on May 29, 2024 3:15:09 GMT -8
I started with the freestanding Eureka Backcountry 1. 4 lbs, but a solid tent even above tree line in Wyoming. I passed it along to my nephew and it's still in perfect condition. 12 years ago I switched to the Six Moons Designs Skyscape Trekker. That was the original version, silnylon, with one door. about 28 oz. Changed the ridge pole to pex tube. It withstood some big storms. But, it has one large single wall running from the poles to the foot. The foot of the tent had to be pulled out to prevent sagging with heavy rain or an inch of snow, otherwise the sleeping bag would get soaked. Not fun when the temp drops below freezing in the morning. ![](https://i.ibb.co/qJxTxDD/Tent-Snow.png) Got tired of the one single wall and recently purchased the Tarptent Dipole 1 DW. A little under 2 lbs. I didn't want Dyneema so paying a price in weight. It's a fit fiddly to set up, even for a trekking pole tent. The geometry at the base has to be a perfect rectangle with margin of error for stake placement around an inch or 2. Not great in rocky or rooty ground. SectionHiker had to move the tent several times to get a good pitch under forest conditions. Dipole DW review But, it is a popular tent in the UK where winds and stormy conditions are common. +1 on Trek-Lite.com. They have an ongoing thread for the Dipole 1 DW. Best source of info on the details of set-up, use and modifications. Trek-Lite Dipole DW Kudos to texasbb for adding to that conversation. Looking forward to using the Dipole in the Winds this year. Have several planned camps above tree line in Bear Basin. It will be challenging to pitch in rocky soil, but opted to not go with a freestanding. The solid DW will help keep the cold drafts down as well. ![](https://i.ibb.co/fYcScpr/dpdw1-solid-inerior.jpg)
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Post by Coolkat on May 29, 2024 4:53:39 GMT -8
My first tent was one that I purchased for $50 from the guy who got me started backpacking. Its been so long I don't remember for sure what the model was but I think it was a Marmot. I must admit that I found it frustrating because I couldn't sit straight up in it but I tolerated it a couple of years until my budget allowed me to get an TarpTent Contrail. I also found this tent frustrating mainly because it was front entry. And in a very heavy down pour it generated a very very fine mist. I gave up on the Contrail and moved to a REI Quarter Dome T2. I loved this tent. It was still around 4.5lbs but it was a solid tent with 2 doors and 2 vestibules. Palatial for 1 person. I loved this tent and tolerated the weight for many years. When that tent started to develop some holes and the flooring started to loose some of it taped seems I migrated to the infamous LanShan II In reality this has been my favorite tent. 2.5lbs, 2 huge doors, 2 big vestibules with a lot of room inside. For $125.00 its probably been my best equipment purchase. Its always kept me dry, been through 2 big wind storms with it. However, recently it the zippers started to freeze up. Not sure why and I was going to purchase another one to replace it but then a friend of mine because of some unfortunate circumstances gifted me his TarpTent Stratsospire LI. I've only had it out one night. That is my current status. ![](https://live.staticflickr.com/5787/22566098832_6917d0857b.jpg) ![](https://live.staticflickr.com/5777/21929227883_7ceeb627ff.jpg)
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ErnieW
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Post by ErnieW on May 29, 2024 5:08:17 GMT -8
My primary tents have been:
-Eureka Timberline 2P (Changed my world)
-North Face Windy Pass (lightweight VE-24)
-Kelty Windfoil (1.5P hoop)
-Big Agnes UL4 (great for family backpacking)
-REI Kingdom 8 (great for family car camping)
For the last few years it has been my Warbonnet Blackbird XLC hammock. Here in the NE it allows me to hike until I want to stop and set up most anywhere. Nice to know I won't have to sleep around any rocks or roots. A tarp and hammock set up is better in the rain than a tent.
I am looking at a Durston X-Mid 2P but I think I'll wait until I'm planning a trip that needs it.
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