Aside from the cost difference, can any of you see why you would go for GG The One tent instead of SMD Refuge X?? Is the fabric used in The One (~1oz/yd spinnaker) better or stronger than Cuben? Are the seams on The One finished better? Is the design of The One inherently stronger, or easier to set up?

At least on paper, The Refuge X weighs slightly less, has much more floor space and a higher peak. The only thing it is relatively short on is vestibule space. I'm especially interested in comments from anyone who has used the silnylon version of the Refuge, as I know the Cuben version is not available yet.

Good questions Allison! I am also curious about the merits of spinnaker vs those of cuben fabric. This topic came up breifly in the original Refuge X thread, but I would love to hear people weigh in on this and your other questions!

I think that the main differences are price and the fact that the Refuge is a 2 person tent. If money is not an issue, I would buy the Refuge since you can use it either as a one or two person tent with no weight penalty!

I've field tested the silnylon Refuge now on more than one occasion. this is a real 2 person tent with space for two to fully stretch out and space for 4 to sit up and play cards. It's easy to set up, has solid ventilation, and good overlap for splash protection in the rain.

It doesn't have a bathtub floor but the sides of the integrated floor do come up a bit so flowing water shouldn't be an issue (if that ever comes up).

I don't have a The One but that looks like another great design. It might be faster to pitch and it's cheaper than the cuben Refuge X. However, if extra space and the possiblity of two people is your goal, you just can't beat it! My future review will include both the silnylon and cuben versions but I don't have the X yet...

This vestibule will easily handle to pairs of shoes and 2 ultralight packs. and there's good room inside too for extra gear.

My experience with Cuben tarps tells me that the Refuge X will have low stretch (like Spinnaker and better than silnylon) and excelent tear strength. It also tells me that it will be less puncture resistant (not an issue really- the floor is silnylon) and that you'l want to seal the seams to make them strong. You will need to be careful with both tents to some degree but I imagine the Refuge X will be fine- my cuben tarp still is, as is my cuben pack and cuben stuff sacks. Punctures are the main issue.

Fun stuff!

Doug

How does the 2 person Refuge compare to other two person tarp tents such as the Lunar Duo, Squall, & Double Rainbow ? It's lighter, but how much roominess, liveability, weather-proofness, etc do you give up ?

Thanks.

Thanks for your reply Don

Surely the cuben tents would be taped and thus not need seam-sealing? If not, then I would expect the seams to be an extremely weak point in either tent design from what I understand of cuben/spinnaker. Maybe better to tape the seams, or is there a seam sealant that will give the seams adequate strength? I definitely look forward to your reviews...

John, there seem to be quite a few differences between the Refuge and the Lunar Duo. The Duo has more internal floor space, bigger (dual) vestibules, more head clearance, double entry and different vents for starters. If the Lunar Duo came in a cuben version I would be seriously tempted ;)