I'm fiddling with a Rainbow for an Aussie customer.
He likes the tent but the stored size (20"x4") is less than ideal.
So I cut a pole section to make the cross strut into two pieces.
Now that strut and the tent packs into a 12" x 5" bag with the 18" main pole separate to that.

I can also get the pole down to 16" (packed size about 16"x 6") but that is a bit more fiddly to do.
Any comments ?
(mostly does splitting the poles from the tent work for you guys or does it need to be one sack ?)

I have now cut the main pole down to 14" so the packed size including the main pole is now 14"x5.5".
Please don't ask Henry Shires for this mod because it is time consuming but I can tell you exactly how to do it if you contact me.
franco@tarptent.com
Franco

Edited by Franco on 05/03/2012 20:43:16 MDT.

My main complaint with tarp tents, and other tents, is the length that the poles are cut. For bicycle camping or packrafting and even in my main backpacking pack, i find a shorter but more robust width packed size for tents to be much better. I currently own the hogback that id planned on using on a canoe trip but i really dont like the long packed size. Ive also looked into getting a solo tarp tent but they too are 20 inches in length. Id greatly appreciate your expertise in how to get the packed size down to 14-15 inches in length.

Oh yes, i much prefer packing the poles with the rest of the tent in one bundle.

Edited by cfionthefly on 05/09/2012 17:18:24 MDT.

Diego
A lot of the pole strength is lost when you bend them.
The shorter the pole and the greater the loss.
The Rainbow ships with an Easton 340 pole. That is stiffer than some but it is a long pole.
So to get it down to the 14" size (actually 13.5") you need 12 sections altogether (up from the original 9)
You cut 11 at 12" (plus ferrule=13.5") and 1 at 10.25" (plus ferrule)
I use a Dremel to do that.
So you will end up with a weaker pole but I think still more than enough for non exposed areas.
you can get the extra 3 segments of 340 by ordering 1x 48 " "substitute pole" under extras.
For the apex strut (there is a Carbon Fiber strut in there) you need 1x 18" pole section (18" plus ferrule about 19.5") cut that at around *" and then reverse the two ends into each other when assembling.
Any pole section will do for that...
Franco
Again please do not ask Henry because he has no idea of what this is all about...

On my DR, I simply remove the cross strut. Then, I can stuff the shelter into any stuff sack it will fit in, or just loosely in my pack to fill the cracks between other items. The poles pack nicely in a side pocket. Adds a minute or two when packing/setting up camp.

Travis, do you have some special technique to fit the cross pole back into the sleeve? I've removed it from my DoubleRainbow and find it impossible to fit it inside back again... seems a few mm to long. Even if I'd made it at home I think I would struggle with it outside (eg. cold hands). Last time I just left it partially poking out of the sleve, good thing it wasn't windy that night.

On my pre-2010 model, both sides had a Velcro tab. Try undoing both of them, positioning the pole where you need it, and re-fasten the Velcro. Or, just really give it a shove back into the sleeve. You won't damage anything. Hope that helped!

Yes , I did notice that in the new versions it is a bit fiddly and I think it only opens at one end (that is what I used but don't have one now to check...)
Cutting an 18" pole section (as I did) into two so that you can reverse the ends into each other to re-assemble solves the "tight" problem because you automatically shave off a few mm.
Another easy way ,if you store the poles separatelly (the Travis way), is just simply to file a bit off one end, it will not make any difference to how it works.
(I use a Dremel)
On my Rainbow I use a curved strut up there that is effectively about one cm shorter. Henry asked me why I did that and my reply was "because I can".
Franco