I have been using a Fly Creek 2 (40oz with footprint) for awhile and have been thinking about making the switch to a single walled tarptent under 2lbs. My research has produced a couple of front runners-

Gossamer Gear- "The One"
TarpTent- Contrail
Tarptent- Moment
Six Moon Designs- Lunar Solo

I'm usually a 3 season packer and mostly in the NE. I normally don't use trekking poles but would be willing to upgrade from my homemade staff. Most of my trips are weekend warrior stuff with a few longer 3-5 day trips. I want/need bug protection. Creepy!

I seem to lean toward the heavier of the four- The Moment. Ease of setup and space. But it's not much lighter than my Fly Creek. "The One" seems to be the lightest. If I'm going to lay down over $200 again I think I want something with significant weight loss.

Points of view? Thanks


"May the Road Rise to Meet You"


Thanks Anna

Edited by Sixguns01 on 01/16/2011 07:19:50 MST.

Mark check your PMs.

Edited by annapurna on 01/16/2011 08:00:33 MST.

I love my Contrail. I've considered the Moment, but hear a lot about condensation issues. I was turned off by The One simply because I'm not all that keen on spinnaker-tear strength, noisy, etc. Though many people have them and the general consensus seems to be that The One is a great shelter. The Lunar Solo seems like a great tent similar to the Contrail in many ways, but is side-entry; a plus in my book.
And if you don't want to buy/use trekking poles you could always purchase ~2oz pole for the Contrail, The One and the Lunar Solo (no poles needed for the Moment).
But if you want to go really light you could look into Z-packs Hexamid with netting. The Hexamid plus a ground sheet would come in at a mere 10oz. Add a door to it for even more rain/wind protection and you have yourself a cuben, bug proof, storm-worthy shelter at only ~11oz (including a ground cloth).

Edited by dbriggs9 on 01/16/2011 16:02:02 MST.

Both of these require trekking poles:

for three season in the NE I would add the cuben lightheart gear solo awning if you have the $$$. Nice double walled shelter with good bug/rain protection at around 14oz

My notes about ultralight shelters

--Mark

Even the non-cuben Lightheart Solo is very comparable to the other tents mentioned if you don't want to shell out the bucks for the cuben fiber one.

My current choice is a SMD Wild Oasis. I've used in buggy, wet, windy and light snow conditions and have found no faults with it. My previous tent was a Tarptent Rainbow which is also a great tent but the 14oz. Wild Oasis called my name.
I hiked with someone who had a Wanderlust Nomad which is the original of the Lightheart Solo. The problem my friend had and what may be a consideration for you is the size of it. At 8' by 11' it requires a fairly large space to set up.