That dome tent is rather short though huh?...at 79 inches length. If you are anywhere near 6 feet tall you will be touching at both ends unless maybe you sleep on the diagonal. It's even shorter than the BD firstlight.

Edited by jshann on 02/19/2007 03:35:05 MST.

By my calculation, the MD1 is about 78" long; but its walls join the floor almost perpendicularly, so that's all usable space. I choose the Firstlight, which is 82" long with a similar profile. I don't know how tall "space hog"(his words) Ben is, but maybe he always sleeps curled up in a fetal position clutching his well-worn Montbell catalog? (I know I do ;)

Edited by Brett1234 on 02/19/2007 04:13:55 MST.

My impression about Montbell tents, based on my experience with the Monoframe Diamond, is that they are designed for people who can fit into the Montbell regular sized sleeping bags, that it, people up to 5'10" in height. This isn't surprising because they were designed for the Japanese market. The average Japanese man is 5'7" tall, so 5'10" would cover a good chunk of the right side of the bell curve without adding additional size and weight. Of course, any of us 5'10" or shorter(I'm 5'9") can take advantage of that fact and enjoy the weight savings and smaller footprint. But if you're a "space hog" you may want to go larger.

Howdy Brett:

Thanks for the pics. The MB sure does pack down small. How come you didn't have one set up and taking a picture of it? :)

Truth be told, I don't do much (any) winter camping. I hate cold weather. But I am always looking for that elusive light and simple tent: single wall solo dome with vestibule weighing 3 lbs or less -- that can be used in all seasons.

I've tried the SD Solomente, but its breathable fabric wasn't enough to control condensation in 3-season use. I wonder about MB's Breeze Dry Tec fabric?

I am also looking for a simple solution to tentage; for 3+ season use. Primarily 3 season with maybe one snow say a year.
Each of my previous tents had a flaw, the quarterdome did not have a footprint/fly option, the Halfdome was too heavy, the SD Lightning had no vent (thus it was a sauna), etc.. and I just dont feel comfortable in a tarp; too many experiences with tics, chiggers, fleas, spiders, fire ants, snakes, etc.. Call me a coward, but I like a couple mils of nylon between me and my 0 to 8 legged distant relatives when Im trying to sleep. Especially the 3 inch diameter spiders which swarm over the backcounry of Japan in autumn.. eeeaagghh..
Of course I want this tent to be as light as possible, and free-standing so I can set it up in seconds, move it out of a puddle, find a comfortable spot, set up on bedrock, ice, sand, snow, or anywhere else where driving stakes is inconvenient or impossible.

The firstlight, and similar single wall tents such as the Bibler, MightyDome, and other BlackDiamond offerings seem ideal.
The firstlight is my first single wall tent, and I am hopeful it will become my go-to tent. I dont know yet if the Epic fabric is waterproof 'enough', but I am hopeful.

You don't need a winter tent evidently, but these single wall tents set up in seconds (literally), and are about as light as you can get.
Sorry to blabber on; you know all this. If you dont have a single-wall tent yet, pull the trigger and try one when your budget allows it?
I could not set up the Mightdome because they were about to close, but the Shibuya location has one set up I think; Ill wander over there after work one day..

To ask for no condensation in a single wall tent of any kind is asking too much IMO. I have learned to expect it and deal with it in all my single wall tentages.

Brett:

We are two whores in the same pod!

Do you know if there is a awning/window on the other side of the tent? Also, is there a mesh panel behind the door? Thanks.

Edited by ben2world on 02/19/2007 10:40:36 MST.

John:

I actually don't mind a reasonable amount of condensation -- which I define as condensation droplets that cling to the underside of the ceiling and walls -- but not so much that they actually rain down onto me or my bag.

The SD Solomente's condensation was actually quite reasonable -- even in 3-season, which was the time I used the tent. The problem with the Solomente was that even using just a standard-length sleeping bag, the foot end would touch the walls and soak the bag -- due to the combination of fairly short length and steeply sloping walls toward the foot end. If I could keep my bag well away from the walls, I would have kept the tent. I bet this design/configuration flaw is what caused SD to discontinue the Solomente, after just two years on the market...

Ben, heard that...lol. I have not experienced the raining effect..yet.

John:

Curious, which single wall tent do you use?

Dang! why didn't the profanity filter catch YOUR recent post, I think they've relaxed the rules a bit..ha ha.

But to answer your questions, yes, there is a full size mesh window, and at the back of the tent there is a circular tube sticking out with a mesh panel. Sort of like a horizontal stove pipe. It acts as a vent if the main door is completely sealed. Ill get a pic next time I see one set up.
Now please go back and edit out that post before Dr. J sees it! ;)

Curse you again, Brett, but this tent is getting better and better... You said you were at the MB Outlet. Is the price for the Mighty Dome 1 the same or cheaper than website? Also, is there a way you can skip the VAT, being a "tourist" and all?

Separately, does the 2-person tent feature two doors -- or the same one door / one vent opposite configuration?

Um, is your offer to hand carry this tent to LA serious? If so, then beer and sake are on me. :)

Edited by ben2world on 02/19/2007 14:14:49 MST.

I cut the floor (left 8" for snow flaps) and door out of a eureka zeus 1 exo and used it snow camping last weekend at Taos, at 11,000 feet. It probably cannot be called a tent any more huh? Got lots of frost inside but it melted and dried up in the sun. Final weight was about 2.6 pounds, tent plus poles.

Edited by jshann on 02/19/2007 14:14:57 MST.

Very imaginative!!!

>>I actually don't mind a reasonable amount of condensation -- which I define as condensation droplets that cling to the underside of the ceiling and walls -- but not so much that they actually rain down onto me or my bag.

So far I've had condensation "rain" in two situations.

Case A: 1) wake up to water splashing in my face.
2) imagine that rain is passing through the canopy.
3) realize that heavy rain drops are shaking
condensation from the inside of the tent.

Case B: 1) wake up to unexpected snow decreasing the space
in my tent.
2) without thinking, shake the tent from inside to
dislodge the snow.
3) experience the refreshing sensation of cold
condensation "rain" on my face.

In both scenarios, my shelters were tarp/tent hybrids with silnylon walls. I've never tried a single wall tent with a breathable canopy but am very curious about them. Brett and Ben, please keep us posted as to your experiences with them.

Ben, just to make your answers public for anyone else researching these tents..

"Is the price for the Mighty Dome 1 the same or cheaper than website?
Same price; comparable to a black diamond lighthouse.

"Also, is there a way you can skip the VAT, being a "tourist" and all?
Nope, Im here on a work visa, not a tourist visa.

"Separately, does the 2-person tent feature two doors -- or the same one door / one vent opposite configuration?
One door, back vent tube, in all models.

"Um, is your offer to hand carry this tent to LA serious? If so, then beer and sake are on me. :)
Yes, I'll hand carry to the US, then mail it; not hand carry to LA! ha ha... Ill mail it domestic for anyone here at BPL. And what I really want is what I can not afford here in Japan, a rib-eye STEAK!!

Looking at all the Mont Bell tents pictured here I see none that would keep the tent floor dry when the fly was opened in a rain. NOT GOOD.

For a single wall tent I'll stick with my TarpTent Contrail.

Eric

Eric, what's your impression of the Contrail's performance in cold windy condition? Can you "batten down the hatches" enough to allow the temp inside of the Contrail to exceed the OAT? One is in transit to me and I'd like to reduce my learning curve as to the reasonable limits of use.

Eric, my experience with the Monoframe Diamond in heavy rain indicates that while a protected door is nice to have, it's by no means necessary. The drill is: zip open the fly door, sit down, zip it closed. It probably took me more time to type this than it takes to do it. The most I've gotten is a few drops on the floor which easily wipe up with a bandana.

That said, the Contrail sure looks like a sweet tent for warmer weather. I may have to sell off my Virga 2 and another tent to get one.

I don't think one can compare MB tents and HS tarptents directly. MB tents discussed here are for winter use. MS tarptents are for use in milder temps.

The single wall MB tents rely primarily on fabric breathability and only secondarily on venting to help control condensation. Breathability is most effective in cooler/drier areas but near useless when humidity is high. When used in cold and dry Alpine climes, I bet these tents will be a joy to use -- minimal condensation plus the ability to shut out the winds!

The HS tarptents rely solely on venting to control condensation -- and every tarptent is designed with 360-degree vents. So long as there is a breeze around and the air isn't too humid, these tarptents are wonderful to use. However, because of their sole reliance on venting -- none of these tents can really be "battened down" when cold night winds are swirling. In the same dry and cold Alpine climes mentioned above, there is no effective way to block out the winds, thus making the tarptents suboptimal for winter alpine use.

As is often the case, it all boils down to picking the right tool for the job at hand.