Got my Tarpatent Stratospire 2 this week
Jan 21, 2017 14:17:30 GMT -8
via Tapatalk
amaruq and nomad like this
Post by cweston on Jan 21, 2017 14:17:30 GMT -8
Have only set it up in the yard so far.
Here are some things I think I'm really going to like about it:
-Luxurious size (esp headroom and vestibules) for two, for a 46 oz tent. You can sit up completely to dress or play cards, and the tent walls are steep. This is really a true 2P BP shelter.
-Ability to open both sides of vestibules all the way in good weather.
-Ability to pitch without getting the inner tent wet.
-The footprint is not as large as I had feared it might be. (Franco was right about that--I guess he would know, right?) I always worry about non-freestanding tents and finding room for them in sub-optimal camp locations.
-Design seems pretty stormworthy, even though it's quite tall. (Henry Shires describes it as their most storm-worthy 3 season tent.)
-The tensioners on the end strut lines and guy lines are really quite ingenious.
Some things I'm probably going to like a little less about it:
-You have to either roll it, or remove the end struts if you want to stuff it. I've always found stuffing a lot easier than folding and rolling.
-Like all non-freestanding tents, the pitch is a bit fussy, but it really seemed pretty easy.
-It's trekking pole supported, which is great in terms of weight savings, but I do like to have a zero day sometimes on longer trips, and it would be nice to have the choice to take my trekking poles with me when I leave camp. (I suppose I could always scuttle the tent but leave it staked in place with my gear in it. Or, the peaks could be tied to a tree if below treeline.)
-Not sure if I'll use it for solo, as it really is a bit overkill for one person. But then again, it weighs about the same as my solo tent (an older Sierra Designs Lightyear 1), so maybe I will.
-Ventilation looks like it could definitely be an issue with the vestibules zipped up all the way. (Unlike some other Tarptent designs, there is no end vent.) But, OTOH, the vestibules are so large that I imagine they can be left partially unzipped in all but the worst weather and still keep a pack and boots dry.
Definitely looking forward to taking it out for a test drive, which unfortunately probably wont happen until March.
Thanks to Franco and others who gave information that helped me decide to go with this tent.
Here are some things I think I'm really going to like about it:
-Luxurious size (esp headroom and vestibules) for two, for a 46 oz tent. You can sit up completely to dress or play cards, and the tent walls are steep. This is really a true 2P BP shelter.
-Ability to open both sides of vestibules all the way in good weather.
-Ability to pitch without getting the inner tent wet.
-The footprint is not as large as I had feared it might be. (Franco was right about that--I guess he would know, right?) I always worry about non-freestanding tents and finding room for them in sub-optimal camp locations.
-Design seems pretty stormworthy, even though it's quite tall. (Henry Shires describes it as their most storm-worthy 3 season tent.)
-The tensioners on the end strut lines and guy lines are really quite ingenious.
Some things I'm probably going to like a little less about it:
-You have to either roll it, or remove the end struts if you want to stuff it. I've always found stuffing a lot easier than folding and rolling.
-Like all non-freestanding tents, the pitch is a bit fussy, but it really seemed pretty easy.
-It's trekking pole supported, which is great in terms of weight savings, but I do like to have a zero day sometimes on longer trips, and it would be nice to have the choice to take my trekking poles with me when I leave camp. (I suppose I could always scuttle the tent but leave it staked in place with my gear in it. Or, the peaks could be tied to a tree if below treeline.)
-Not sure if I'll use it for solo, as it really is a bit overkill for one person. But then again, it weighs about the same as my solo tent (an older Sierra Designs Lightyear 1), so maybe I will.
-Ventilation looks like it could definitely be an issue with the vestibules zipped up all the way. (Unlike some other Tarptent designs, there is no end vent.) But, OTOH, the vestibules are so large that I imagine they can be left partially unzipped in all but the worst weather and still keep a pack and boots dry.
Definitely looking forward to taking it out for a test drive, which unfortunately probably wont happen until March.
Thanks to Franco and others who gave information that helped me decide to go with this tent.
