[jlt199]

I'm after some advice please. I did my first, one night, bikepacking trip last year and took a MEC spark 1 tent. I didn't like it! The inner tent was too small with no space for any extra gear. The vestibule is tiny and the fly sits so far off the ground I didn't trust it to keep anything dry that I did manage to fit in it. So now I'm looking for a plan B.

I would like something light, but still extremely weatherproof, with enough space for myself and some gear. Dual walled is essential. I live near the Canadian rockies, so this will likely be my stomping ground.

I've been looking at the 2019 version of the tarptent moment dw, but not many reviews of this version and I'm hesitant to buy without seeing in person. Other options include MEC offerings including MSR and big Agnes. But I've read some negative review about their ability in wind and rain.

My budget is around $550cad.

My indecisiveness is causing misery, please help. Thanks

 

[jlt199]

I forgot to mention I would also like the tent to be as free standing as possible and I also intend to use it for hiking too.

Many thanks

 

[pctloper]

I have used tarptents (cloudburst/double rainbow)for years with good luck but they are on the light side and I am in the sierra's where the summer storms usually last an hour or so not many hours-----for tougher conditions I take my MSR Hubba----good tough tent with good space but 4 pounds.

Note REI tents are good and less money and they often are 20% off

 

[mikesee]

My go-to tent for the past ~decade has been a 4-man mid-style tent. Works great for boating and backpacking trips. Palatial even for 2 people. But it's a bit bulky (albeit light) for bike trips.

Recently acquired one of these and am smitten with it. So small when packed. So light. So intuitive to set up. Huge for one person plus gear, and then there's also the outside vestibule space under the wings.

Only catch? Cost. I sold an older tent to help fund this one and am glad I did.

 

[Geraldv9]

Similarly, mids have been my shelter of choice for a number of years, and they have there place in the quiver. However, last year, I purchased a Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL 2 and I like it! At 6'4", the two person (?) is roomy for one and gear, and meets many of your interests. At 3ish pounds its definitively heavier than a solo-mid, but creature comforts are a nice thing. Bonus, is that it is currently on sale at Moosejaw for 25% off

 

[looks easy from here]

I recently bought a Marmot Tungsten UL 2p. ~3.5 lbs, double wall, free standing, 2 doors, and a 30d floor. $300 full price, but they show up on sale around $220 frequently. I haven't used it yet, so I can't speak for real world performance, but the numbers were right for me. And my other Marmot tent (Ajax 2) has never let me down, despite how rough I am on it.

 

[charcist]

I recently purchased a Big Agnes HV UL2 Copper Spur Bikepack tent - https://www.bigagnes.com/Copper-Spur-HV-UL2-Bikepack - and used it for the first time this past weekend and loved it. Two of us were in the tent and with two doors and two vestibules, it was rather plush. We had a bit of wind as a front was moving through (we were in the west Utah desert), and it seemed to handle the wind just fine. The Bikepack version has shorter poles, which fit nicely on or in handlebar roll. And it has the lighter quick-pitch option, where you use just the groundcloth and the rainfly, thus leaving out the tent body from the setup. Sure, it may not be the most durable solution out there, but for an ultralight tent, it's pretty solid.

 

[eness215]

I have the Marmot Limelight 2 person. It is not the smallest, but it definitely offers good protection and lots of space. I really like the near vertical lower walls. I have plenty of space for my wide pad along with bags and other gear inside.

 

[Shartist]

Check out Mountain Laurel Designs. After years of backcountry backpacking trips all over the place in all kinds of conditions (days of snow, sleet, rain, sub-zero F, 100F+, you name it), I’ve used and abused a lot of gear. The MLD Duomid / Duomid XL is my go-to if I need something versatile, light, and don’t totally know what to expect weather-wise for anything short of expedition-grade high altitude mountaineering. Rather than the inner netting/liner option which you can certainly get to satisfy your double wall requirement, I’ve preferred going with Borah Gear Bivvies our of pure convenience / versatility.

These shelters are durable, well-made, extremely light, and you can forgo a setup pole for a hiking pole or even a good stick. Lead times this time of year can be long after you order (8-10 weeks), but IMO the product is worth the wait if you can manage it.

 

[jlt199]

Thanks for all your replies, it's thought provoking for sure. I've also been recommended a lightwave g15 wave, it's on the heavy/expensive side but looks bomb proof.

I've also heard that ul tents suffer from uv degredation and only have a short life span. Is this true? I can't afford an expensive tent if its not going to have a good lifespan.

Thanks again for all you input

 

[VegasSingleSpeed]

I've also heard that ul tents suffer from uv degredation and only have a short life span. Is this true? I can't afford an expensive tent if its not going to have a good lifespan.

I would think that an UL tent used for its intended purposes would have minimal UV exposure.

 

[jlt199]

I would think that an UL tent used for its intended purposes would have minimal UV exposure.

Fair point!

 

[robert.jones]

Take a look here: https://sectionhiker.com

 

[timsmcm]

My go-to tent for the past ~decade has been a 4-man mid-style tent. Works great for boating and backpacking trips. Palatial even for 2 people. But it's a bit bulky (albeit light) for bike trips.

Recently acquired one of these and am smitten with it. So small when packed. So light. So intuitive to set up. Huge for one person plus gear, and then there's also the outside vestibule space under the wings.

Only catch? Cost. I sold an older tent to help fund this one and am glad I did.

Mikesee would you mind giving us some results of your future endeavors using this tent? I really like the look of it. Does it look to be up to the task and be able to last for a while.

 

[mikesee]

Mikesee would you mind giving us some results of your future endeavors using this tent? I really like the look of it. Does it look to be up to the task and be able to last for a while.

i used it 3 nights last week in CO.

heading to ID/OR on friday to use it for 5 nights.

so far what i am most impressed by is how small and light it packs. it's smaller than my 4-man mid by a long shot -- maybe half the packed size?

and in order for the 4-mid to compare you have to include the bug net, which roughly doubles that mid in both size and weight.

not suggesting that a tent intended for 4 people is directly comparable to one made for 2 people. but at ~1/4 the size and weight compared to a known lightweight setup, and still sized for 2 people, this thing is really, really impressive.

i can see that when i head out for trips with the wife we'll be choosing this when packed size matters -- like multi-day bikepacks.

for single overnights where space is at less of a premium, or if it's cold and we have bigger bags and more layers and gear to shed and store at night, we'll probably still reach for the 4-mid.

our only other tent at this point is a 3-man/4 season mountaineering tent. it is so big and so heavy we pretty much never use it.

 

[bikeny]

i used it 3 nights last week in CO.

heading to ID/OR on friday to use it for 5 nights.

so far what i am most impressed by is how small and light it packs. it's smaller than my 4-man mid by a long shot -- maybe half the packed size?

and in order for the 4-mid to compare you have to include the bug net, which roughly doubles that mid in both size and weight.

not suggesting that a tent intended for 4 people is directly comparable to one made for 2 people. but at ~1/4 the size and weight compared to a known lightweight setup, and still sized for 2 people, this thing is really, really impressive.

i can see that when i head out for trips with the wife we'll be choosing this when packed size matters -- like multi-day bikepacks.

for single overnights where space is at less of a premium, or if it's cold and we have bigger bags and more layers and gear to shed and store at night, we'll probably still reach for the 4-mid.

our only other tent at this point is a 3-man/4 season mountaineering tent. it is so big and so heavy we pretty much never use it.

What are you using for poles when bikepacking?

 

[mikesee]

What are you using for poles when bikepacking?

So far I've taken no poles and used found sticks at camp, or taken a set of these. The latter are heavier and easier than the former. The former (as seen in the night shot above) are lighter and more satisfying.

 

[bikeny]

So far I've taken no poles and used found sticks at camp, or taken a set of these. The latter are heavier and easier than the former. The former (as seen in the night shot above) are lighter and more satisfying.

Thanks for that. I'm out East, so generally lots of sticks around...

 

[bikeny]

Sorry Mike, more questions! Any idea how it handles humidity and condensation? Again, East Coast mean lots of humidity in the summer.

I could see selling 2 of my tents to mostly fund one of these!

 

[bakerjw]

I went cheap with a Midori Solo. It was a shade heavier than a Moment DW Tarptent that I was originally wanted. Having used it many times, I love it. It is self supporting with plenty of room and very durable.