jazzmom
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Post by jazzmom on Sept 17, 2015 5:26:30 GMT -8
I've been dealing with rheumatoid arthritis for the last year and a half. It scared me off of backpacking for a while but I got back to the Grand Canyon last fall and that went well, so I'm hopeful. I've been doing short trips locally this summer and thinking about making some gear adjustments. I'm not comfortable using hiking polls for very long anymore (hands and wrists are the worst); sometimes I just use one and switch hands frequently. I'm also just stiff and clumsy in the morning, and crawling and stooping under tarps isn't working. I'd like to get a free-standing tent that gives me a little more headroom without a huge weight penalty, and hopefully one that can fit both me and my very big dog.
I'm thinking Tarptent Rainbow. "Semi" free-standing, i.e. needs to be staked out, is fine. I only need one door and don't need a big vestibule. I'd really like to keep it right around 2lb if at all possible. I haven't looked at poled tents in a long time and really don't know what else is out there. I don't have a money-tree in my backyard; cuben is probably out. Appreciate any suggestions. |
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desert dweller
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Post by desert dweller on Sept 17, 2015 7:09:16 GMT -8
I got an REI Quarter Dome and used it on my last trek. It worked really well. A little over 2 pounds. REI |
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Post by dayhiker on Sept 17, 2015 8:08:44 GMT -8
The Rainbow isn't freestanding without trekking poles, and with it isn't one that can be picked up and shaked out to get rid of dirt etc.
With a dog I would get the Double Rainbow - only a few ozs more., so it can sit on one door and you could come in the other. If you put it in porch setup, entering might be better with a small pad to kneel on.
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jazzmom
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Post by jazzmom on Sept 17, 2015 8:41:48 GMT -8
I thought the Quarter Dome would be too narrow but the specs do say 40" width at the head. Peak height is pretty low though. I think I'll check it out in person. Thanks.
I'm a 5'2" woman and my dog is a big 106 lb golden retriever. We fit in a Contrail, so I know I don't need a Double Rainbow. Also know I don't need two doors. If the tent is gritty/sandy, I just turn it inside out and shake it out; easy to do with a solo tent.
Bottom line is that I'm really not looking for more features and definitely don't want to pay a weight penalty for things I don't need.
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Post by High Sierra Fan on Sept 17, 2015 11:09:25 GMT -8
That freestanding is a tough one for something that you could stand up in. Absent that I'd have suggested the Black Diamond Mega Light: Great headroom (and I'm 6'2") and an easy, one center pole setup. blackdiamondequipment.com/en/tents-and-bivys/mega-light-tent-BD8005070000ALL1.htmlOutside Height : 170 cm (66 in) Usable Height : 145 cm (57 in) Usable Floor Space : 4.7 m² (50.7 sq ft) Like with most mids an innernet is available as an option. |
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jazzmom
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Post by jazzmom on Sept 17, 2015 11:14:44 GMT -8
Wow, no, I don't need to be able to stand up in it. Just want a little more headroom and not as much stooping/crawling as a tarp with a 30" peak height.
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franco
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Post by franco on Sept 17, 2015 15:53:55 GMT -8
Jazzmom, Henry Shires designed the Rainbow to take himself (about 5'11") and his ,then, 100lbs lab dog. For that it has a bit more room than the Contrail. This is me demonstrating the freestanding Rainbow :  (Henry had that photo on the product page long before he asked me to join the firm) you can however just lift the tent up with the standard pole only , holding with the same hand the back of the tent you can have dust and dirt dropping from the door. (I just wipe the floor with the tent set up ...) franco@tarptent |
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jazzmom
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Post by jazzmom on Sept 17, 2015 16:33:06 GMT -8
LOL... OK, I see we're all a little fixated on the shaking-the-tent-out thing.  Honestly, it's a non-issue. I agree that the Rainbow is a good candidate; definitely on the list. Just asking if there were others I should consider. |
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toejam
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Post by toejam on Sept 18, 2015 4:35:25 GMT -8
Just asking if there were others I should consider. Yeah, where are all the rabid BA fans I always see on Facebook? I don't have a recommendation - I have to crawl in & out of all my backpacking tents. |
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Post by dayhiker on Sept 18, 2015 5:52:07 GMT -8
Ha Ha, well it was probably my (ski) poles, but I could not move my DR very far much less shake it without the poles dropping out. I haven't tried it on my new DR with its improved the pole holders. My first few tents were A frames which were hard to put up solo, so seeing someone do that and carry the tent around, and shake it clean were rather impressive. (Living in an apt I am not sure turning it inside out would work or doing it on in camp and having the netting pick up more stuff) I suppose being on rock is the real reason to want this, erect, then anchor it. I don't think most people bother with the freestanding pitch with this tent, except for rock, easier to just put in a stake, except some developed campgrounds in Canada and elsewhere? The Double Rainbow is my favorite tent, if I have poles I use them in the porch setup. One thing about the DR it ventilates really well with 2 doors. Probably not a problem in the Grand Canyon, but I just got back from Mt Rainier, and as soon as I put it up with both doors down it got really wet on both sides, so I tried rolling up both doors and end of problem, only the doors were wet at that point. Probably ground moisture but I think it would have spread inside, esp. with me in the tent, otherwise. The Mega Light at 25 oz. is great too, but the bug insert is very heavy, great for snow camp though or maybe using some other netting/floor. The Beta Light is also nice, lighter than my prior freestanding tents even with the bug insert and ski pole wt. And very easy to set up, no poles to insert. The DR though is lighter and does not require poles other than its own, and has great views, not as storm worthy though, but I haven't had a problem with it. Jazzmom, Henry Shires designed the Rainbow to take himself (about 5'11") and his ,then, 100lbs lab dog. For that it has a bit more room than the Contrail. This is me demonstrating the freestanding Rainbow : (Henry had that photo on the product page long before he asked me to join the firm) you can however just lift the tent up with the standard pole only , holding with the same hand the back of the tent you can have dust and dirt dropping from the door. (I just wipe the floor with the tent set up ...) franco@tarptent |
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franco
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Post by franco on Sept 18, 2015 13:50:23 GMT -8
I probably had my poles set at 135cm in that photo. (the max length on my poles)
The DR works for me at 155cm , so most will need pole extensions for that.
You can get them from Tarptent (under Extras) but I made my own from a curtain rail.
The tent still needs to be staked down anyway, just like any other "freestanding" tent.
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Post by 805gregg on Sept 19, 2015 16:10:56 GMT -8
There are several BA UL 2 person freestanding tents that would work, look for sales, I got mine 1/2 price great quality and lighter than most tents, except of course single wall sweat lodges.
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reuben
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Post by reuben on Sept 20, 2015 17:34:23 GMT -8
I have a DR and love it. Either the Rainbow or DR needs stakes or trekking poles, depending on your preference. Since trekking poles are out of the question for you that means stakes.
I'm 5'10" and have plenty of headroom in my DR. One vestibule (Rainbow) is enough, although I like having the (heavier, DR) option of opening both doors for better air circulation in hot/humid weather.
The bathtub floor is fairly big - since you're so small maybe both of you could fit without using the vestibule.
Don't you have a similar tent now? What's the issue with using it? An answer to that might help garner better responses. Do you prefer side entry now?
I have arthritis in my knees <grrrr>. Sorry to hear about your hands.
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almostthere
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Post by almostthere on Oct 18, 2015 12:59:46 GMT -8
I left behind freestanding tents a while ago. One, I prefer my hammock. Two, my tent, the Lightheart Solo, sets up anywhere and has enough room for myself and the dog and my gear, without weighing two pounds. I'm always the first one set up, and my first one got me through plenty of rain and wind, until it started to show a lot of holes in the mesh and blew the zipper, and the floor wore thin - so now I am using my new one, which has some nice changes from the older model. I use it all over, piling rocks when I can't sink a stake. Freestanding is kind of a nonstarter for me - I have seen people lose them to wind after deciding their gear would hold it down and they didn't need to use stakes. Also seen stakes pop right out and the tent fly off. If there's wind, I put lots of rocks on the stakes whether they are in soil or not.
My hammock in the wind is quite nice, as well. I have an excellent tarp to block it, and my weight keeps the hammock from swaying around. We also had to be inside my tarp to make dinner - my friend's jetboil kept being blown out. That night, the only thing that blew off was my hat - I forgot to clip it to something. Nice night's sleep in gusty ongoing wind. My dog sleeps on her pad right underneath me, so when she picks up her head to look at some animal in the night, she bumps my butt and wakes me up to look too.
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Post by dirthurts on Oct 18, 2015 16:15:40 GMT -8
You should check out the Nemo Blaze 2p (or 1p). it's silly light weight, and has a ton of room (comparatively). I'm pretty impressed with mine.
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Honestly, it's a non-issue.
