I am looking for advice on what light tent I should get. I am looking for something that will hold up well in rain and is actually "freestanding" as I need to set up on tent platforms. My considerations are: GoLite Xanadu 1, Tarptent Rainbow and Tarptent Scarp 1. Please advise! Thanks -

MSR Hubba may be worth a look.
Big Agnes Fly Creek?

Got weight requirements? Vestibule? One or two Person? Dog?

Want to set up just a net "inner" for bugs, with fly optional?

Edited by greg23 on 01/27/2010 19:36:01 MST.

The Golite is freestanding as it is, apart from the vestibule.
The Scarp needs the extra poles and is heavier with them , but has a lot more room,two doors/vestibules and has a better waterhead.
I would look at the TT Moment as well, (with the extra "freestanding" pole) . About 10oz lighter than the Xanadu.
Both of the TT with the extra poles have a freestanding vestibule .
Franco
Let me elaborate...
As our friend Roger Caffin will tell you, most freestanding tents are not.
A basic two cross pole design without a vestibule is (BD Lighthouse) , and so can be a 3 pole design with vestibule/s (like the Hilleberg Soulo/Allak or the Scarp)
All the other non dome designs need to have at least the vestibule pegged down for an optimum set up.
So you need minimum 1 peg (or tie out point attached to the platform) to make most work.
With two pegs/tie out points the Moment will stand up without the "freestanding" pole. (none required with)
BA tents need 8 to 10 pegs to keep the "tent" (inner) up as well as the fly away from the "tent". (to stand up and for ventilation)
In reality, particularly if there is any wind or rain, you need to peg down totally freestanding tents too. Some need less pegs than others...
BTW, since you mentioned three solo tents with a side entry and a vestibule, I took the liberty of assuming that that is what you like/want...

Edited by Franco on 01/27/2010 21:58:25 MST.

I have a Nemo Nano... it is a single wall 2 person tent, dome style freestanding, weighs under 3.8lbs trail wt. Very well made with a waterproof breathable nylon. I like the 2 person option even when traveling alone (room for the dog).
http://www.nemoequipment.com
They have several 1person tents also.

Thanks for the comments. It is me (along with 2 friends) on the AT for 3 weeks each summer - we are SASH's (Slow Ass Section Hikers)but always enjoy the trip! We will be in Maine this summer and I am most concerned about weight, and of course dryness. In past years we split a 3 person tent among us and now we are trying our own tents. In past years, we were grateful for the freestanding 3 person tent, as we did set up on several platforms - that's why the freestanding part is important to me! I am also trying to keep the cost low. I found a Xanadu on sale for under $200, that's why that was a consideration. I've seen the TT Rainbow in use and like that - I am going to find out more about the Moment since you mentioned that! I'd welcome any more comments.... :)

The only thing I can say about the Nano aside from run out and get one is it takes a bit to figure out how to set it up fast. There is a YouTube video though that shows the "tricks".

Once it's up, true it's not a true UL tent, but I know it can probably take a fire hose blast without me even knowing or waking up and I don't think the same came be said for many UL tents.

I have previously owned the Nemo Nano and ended up returning it after an all night deluge on the coast of CA. Not sure of the total inches received but it poured all night. Woke up to puddles (literally) in each corner of the tent and wet sleeping bags due to this. Ended up hightailing it 15 miles to our destination, as we didn't feel like enduring wet bags and another night of water in our tent.

Besides that occasion, the tent seemed like a very well made tent for 2, and fairly light given its design. Super taught pitch and plenty of room for the weight. If not for the breach of water, it may have made the cut. But not so.

Given Henry's quality tents and service, he gets my vote whether it be the Rainbow, Scarp or Moment. Haven't used those shelters but have used the Contrail and it is great.

Just my personal experience FWIW. Good luck in your decision making.

Nicholas- I think you experienced condensation, the bane of any single walled shelter. I doubt it was the rain leaking into the tent but I could be wrong.

Edited by FamilyGuy on 02/01/2010 17:58:03 MST.

> "freestanding" as I need to set up on tent platforms.
??
I have erected my NON-freestanding tunnel tents on platforms. No problems. All those bits of timber to attach the guy ropes to ...

Cheers

"> "freestanding" as I need to set up on tent platforms."

"I have erected my NON-freestanding tunnel tents on platforms"

And we have had problems erecting our FREE-standing tent on a tent platform.

David-
My lady and I were just discussing the issue of condensation that night. We recall the fabric wetting out and it misting in the tent as the rain fell in the latter hours of the eve. The misting corresponded with the fall of rain - and some from redwood branches that we were under.
We could feel it on our faces.

In the am there was so much rain pooled at all four corners, that at the foot of the tent the pools joined into one long pool from pole to pole. And by pool, I mean 1/4 to 1/2 inch deep. I've camped in single-wall shelters in quite a few locales from the Adirondacks to the Pacific NW Coast and have never experienced quite that much condensation.

But we are still not sure if it was definitely due to the fabric wetting and transferring moisture to the poles or if it was just condensation. I believe it was probably a nasty combo of both. We had also attempted to mitigate the condensation by leaving the side-entry door down to just mesh. Due to the greater accumulation of water in the corners, my guess is that the poles and velcro tabs sped up the transfer of moisture from the fabric to the interior. So I suppose the influx of interior moisture is inconclusive at best.

Irregardless, we had to pour the water from our tent in the AM, wring out our sleeping bags and hike to the coast where our car awaited. Avoiding tramping on hundreds of California Newts for 15 miles proved to be a whole separate experience :)

I now use a Hennessy Hammock due to bad back, but I bought and painfully sold my Six Moon Designs Lunar Duo. I absolutely LOVED this tent. 39oz and the room is incredible. I set this tent up at night in a down pour and still managed to get inside without any issues with water inside. You can not go wrong with this tent. Darn back :D

Here is BPLs review on the Lunar Duo:

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/six_moon_designs_lunar_duo_tent_review.html

*cut and paste the link*

Edited by OBOZ on 02/03/2010 07:00:05 MST.