We’re looking at lightweight tarp tents in this video – one from Six Moon Designs and one from Tarp Tent.
These single-walled tents are a popular choice for cyclists and backpackers concerned about weight. Sometimes people report problems with condensation but in general tents like the ones in this video get very good reviews.
Mandy, a member of the Dutch backpacking club, Rugzaklopers, is showing us around the tents. The Rukzaklopers Club is a social group that does backpacking trips, so the opinions are independent. They’re not selling anything – they’re just looking for the best equipment.
5th March 2010 at 2:17 pm #
I have a tarp tent that is completly unusable. Even in the coldest of weather it you’ll wake up soaked (not a good thing in the coldest of weather).
My personal preference is to sleep under a lightweight poncho, which, by the way, can also be used as a poncho. Of course my wife will not even consider entering into a conversation about this ultralight sleeping solution. I have sold her on a fly-only set up with our Big Agnes Seedhouse 2….I love this tent. We did the Blue Ridge parkway last summer and it worked great.
Jack
12th March 2010 at 3:29 am #
I was in Cadets when I was younger and we used to always sleep out under what we called a hutchie – which was basically a thin waterproof sheet about 180cm x 240cm. It weighed about 500 grams, and was surprisingly comfortable as a shelter. You would have to put your pack and any other gear up one end (the head end) to stop any draughts and you would crawl in (it was very, very small). You could keep pretty warm, and dry, as long as it didn’t bucket down during the night.
These days when I go travelling I usually go with a buddy and we share a 3-man dome tent. It weights about 3kg, but we share the load and the comfort it offers is much appreciated.