Who's using a TarpTent?

“Man, I just got off my final hike in South America (into the Yungas of Bolivia from about 5,000 meters up) and the 2200 meter descent the first day told me: TIME TO LIGHTEN UP!

So that's a goal when I get back to the states (oh yeah, after I try to find a job to earn all the dosh I'll need to buy all this new gear).

I digress...

Who has used one of these tents??

In particular, I am looking at the Cloudburst.

Does fog/mist ever present a problem creeping into the tent? Do you get wet in vertacle rain? Are you ever overly cold from all the ventilation? How does it handle high winds? Durability? With or without a floor?

First-hand info please!”

“I've looked at them too, and chose to build my own little thing. I read several good reviews on them and I believe a lot of the AT thru hikers are using them now.

so your back now? really cool adventure you did down there, made me jealous.”

“Thanks for the info, Roam. Hope to have a trip report and some pics up soon.

Nah my man. Not back yet. Three weeks left. It's turning out to be a pain in the arse to get out of La Paz. Road blocks on almost every route outta here. Miners striking. Teachers striking. Bus conductors striking. May be inconvenient but at least when the people here disagree with their government, they do something about it...”

“I use one. It's a homebuilt 2 person model that I've used for 2+ years now. No complaints. Tarp, netting, stakes, and groundsheet weigh 27 oz. It is huge for one person, which I like. 2 people can use it comfortably. I've used it twice where another guy was in the tarp with me and no one felt too close. My only regret with the tarp is that it was built before the catenary cut plans were available.”

“I have used a black diamond megamid for years. It handles vertical and horizontal rain. It does not vent well, so a breeze is always welcome. The pyramid shape insures that the largest surface area is near the ground and the smallest surface area is up in the wind. The wind tends to force the tent down instead of up.

I never use a floor. A small piece of visqueen and safety blanket keep me dry.”

“Hey Rosey, when you coming back? On that trip where we met up at Purple Lake I was carrying a tarp tent (Integral Designs Sil Shelter), but the weather was nice enough that I didn't set it up. It weighs 1Lb, keeps you dryer then some nice tents (despite some small bear bite holes) but it's not easy to maneuver in and I wouldn't want to have to spend a long rainy day in it.”

“Kabin Kamper and I have used ours on a regular basis for about 18 months now. Me 6'2" 215, she 5'2" 1something. Loads of room for us and a little gear. Guy it out on the sides and lower the beak, dry and well ventilated. What rain does manage to splash in is usually blocked by the noseeum mesh.
Cold hasn't been an issue (we live in TN and hike here, GA, NC,and KY).
Set-up is fast and easy, weight savings is significant, as well as the reduction in bulk.

We add a small piece of tyvek as a ground sheet/gear cover.

It is not made for poorly ventilated environments as condensation can and does occur.

I am not easy on my gear and have not managed to break any poles or tear any fabric. The construction is dead sound.”

“he even let me borrow it, and it didn't explode...i'm trying to decide if i want the virga for a 1 person...or cloudburst for room and weight”

“I have a NEBO pyramid which is similar to the BD Megamid, Nigal has one also.

After replacing the steel stakes and pole with Aluminium it is about 2.5 lbs.

9ft x 9ft base, tons of room is correct, I have had 3 in it in Winter with no probs.

I tend to use this in winter or mountain trips below treeline. Winter you need more room as you carry more crap, also get to take your boots off inside as there is no floor to protect.

3 season I use a Eureka 2 person freestanding dome, with bug screen, about 5.5lbs, but now I sometimes take the pyramid instead more room less weight.”

“I own a cloudburst. I've used it in 30-40mpg gusts w/o a problem (just make sure you have good stakes to hold in loose ground. I've used it in some pretty hard rain, but no real sideways drivings rains yet. The shelter is not "warm" like a traditional tent, and the air will flow freely through the tent. So far the one condition I had condensation on the inside when it was raining and 39 degrees outside, and then I had condensation under my seperate tarp i pitch for dining. Even if you get condensation the walls are steep enough, and the curved roof and mesh will keep the condensation from dripping down. Condensation usually runs off the sides and out the mesh. All in all it's a superbly constructed shelter and by far my favorite I've ever used.”

“I use a pyramid too - the Dana Designs Nuk-Tuk. It has vents near the top, but to make them work best, you need to leave space at the bottom. If it rains really hard, I lower the pole and tighten it closer to the ground. I tried using different materials for a ground cloth but everything was too slippery. Any hill and your feet end up outside – that’s the only way I’ve ever gotten wet. I bought the nylon floor for it and that has proven to be much less slick. I may add a few lines of seam grip or something similar to provide more friction. At 8’ x 8’ it’s really roomy for 2 people and gear. I’ve had 4 in it but 3 are about the maximum for comfort (with gear inside).”

“I'm on my second Henry Shires TarpTent Squall.
Great great shelters. Very Happy with it.
The first was without a floor. I decided I needed a floor to keep ticks out. Sold the first one in 2 days, bought the new one from Henry.”

“I have a Squall with a floor.

I dig it.”

“Broke down and ordered a Henry Shires Squall a while back and am looking forward to it arriving. Ordered it with the floor. Looking forward to the weight difference as well as the venting. My only concern was I have heard that this tarp tent has been know to relocated itself while one is spending time at the camp fire leaving the hiker to bushwhack threw the forest at approximately a quarter mile out from camp in the dark in search of his home........ I can\'t quite remember who the hiker was but I\'m sure StoveStomper will.....
By the way StoveStomper, thanks for all the review and recommendations on this tarp I am sure I will be pleased with its performance.”

“I just ordered the Cloudburst this morning. I hope I like it. I am determined to get the weight DOWN.

My friend got one this year and sleeps in it solo. She reports condensation on the inside, but no drips forming and nothing wet that wasn't touching the side, when she was at altitude in a prolonged rain and again at Point Reyes.”

“I have had this megamid in snow/sleet/rain. I was dry when everyone else was wet in conventional tents.

Location, Location, Location. A little rise, a bump, just something to channel water away from me. A floorless tent allows locations that a tent with a floor won't fit.”

“PPPPPPPPPIIIIIIIIIIIIIIFFFFFFFFFFFFFF!!!!!!! ;-)”

“Got the HS Squall, with floor, about a month ago (on StoveStomper's recommendation). Love it. Room for 2 people, a fortress for one and gear. About 1.75 lbs total, LOTS of airflow. First time I set it up in my yard it was hot out and it was in the sun. It was hot to sit up, but when I laid flat the airflow kept it very cool.”

“Any updates?

Also, what would be the real advantage of having the floor put in on one of these babies? Why not just a sheet of tyvek?

Grassy ass.”

“Just netting and tyvek keeps out the flying bugs, but the crawlies still make their way in. I hate things crawling on me while I try to sleep unless it's a PNW hiker chick.”

“I have the Cloudburst with floor.

For $25 they will put in a zipper to join the floor to the door.

I suppose the floor gives the tent more structural integrity.”

“Who's had this thing in NASTY weather?”

“The only real advantage is that it helps to keep out crawlies by sealing the three sides to the floor. The thing is that even with the floor it isn't a complete seal because there is only one zipper and that's the up/down one. You still have to tuck the netting under the flap of the floor.

One big disadvantage of the floor is that it's sil nylon. Menaing that it's super slippery if you pitch on an incline. The easy fix is mixing seam sealer 50/50 with mineral spirits (or whatever appropriate solvent-CHECK FIRST) and laying down a pattern of it on the inside of the floor. You won't slip anymore.”

“Nasty weather? Yep, it did fine.”

“I had mine in 30-40mph winds on top of blood mountain and through some pretty nasty southern thundershowers last weekend. Henry has designed a bathtub floor for it and it should be comming out pretty soon. Only time I have had anything get wet was in one nasty rainstom the ground outside turned to mud and I didn't have the side flaps down and I didn't stake out the sides. I pushed my sleeping bag to the side and it pushed the mesh down into the mud and got my bag a little muddy through the mesh.”

“Me.
Always pitch the tail into the wind and lower the main pole so the side mesh is reduced. If I know really nasty stuff is coming I'll pitch the tail pointing at a bush or rock so that it will block wind.

Even then, expect some misting over you and the tent WILL sag down as it wets so you will have to tighten the lines at some point.”

“location location location”

“Floor is about the same weight as a bug net and seperate floor, but gives much better protection as already mentioned. The elastic connections also raise some of the edges off the ground a little to give some of the benefit of a traditional bathtub floor (regular tent). Haven't had any problems in nasty weather, I even keep forgeting to seam seal the center seam and no leaks. Condensation in wet weather, none in dry weather with a light breeze.

I got the extended beak too, which gives you a lot of extra vestibule room for gear or cooking.”

“TarpTents are great lite shelters.
The biggest disavantage I have found after about two years of using mine, is as HPM says, location. Where to place it is much more important than tents with sealed bathtub floors, but you need to be siteing carefully anyhow.
My silnylon floor model can't be used on very sloped sites. I'll slide right out of that slipery slope during the night.”

“SS you really need to try that no slip seam sealer trick I mentioned above.

I don't slip anymore after doing that.”

“I know this is heresy, but I'm considering buying a regular tent. I'm about to start taking my son on trips and would like him corralled in a bit. He's 4. Also, it would be nice to have walls on colder weather trips.

I've been using tarptent since Jan '01 and haven't had any problems. The inaugural trip had 2" on the 1st night. I stayed dry and I hadn't even seam sealed the ridge at that point. I've been in 30 mph winds on top of Roan mtn, and I've camped by swampy areas of the Smokies with tons of bugs. Again, no problems. I use a piece of tyvek for my floor and if it's buggy out will place some stones to hold the sides to the ground. Heck, I never even bothered to sew a zipper on my front door. I have about 3 pieces of velcro that are about 4" long that I use to secure the thing.”

“Oops, that's January of '02, not '01. Let's see, that was my first TT trip and I started hiking the summer before that so Summer '01. That means I found this place in the fall of 2000. Going on 4 years at this nuthouse.”

“Where can I get more information on the new design you mention?”

“HPM - Some of those slopes out West defeat the seamgrip I have put on the floor!

dayhiker - I sold my old TarpTent and got a new one with builtin floor and zippers on the door and bottom. Last fall in the Sipsey centipedes crawled into my old one thru the netting/tyvek junction and that got me thinking copperheads could too. ;-)”

“SS - I've had that thought about snakes too. A few years back we had Footballapalooza I in the Ozarks. It was Oct and the lows were in the mid 30's. Last night out we were playing on boulders on the river and I almost stepped on a snake. Don't know exactly what kind it was, but it had a rattle. This was the first time I'd ever considered snakes. Ground...cold, body...warm. Not a good combo. A time or two I've had other concerns about that, but so far so good. In the Smokies this past June there was a snake that hung out the hole time in a rock crevice in our campsite.”

“Stove Stomper's http://www.tarptent.com/"target=_new>link”

“now how did that happen - oh well just use the second link Stove Stomper posted.”

“HOI - Nanna nanna boo boo. Corrected it myself. ;-)

dayhiker - It would be super easy to add a floor to your tarptent. The zippers would be the only tricky part.”

“I've thought about adding a floor. Snakes would really the only reason to do it. Correction, snakes and ticks.”

“Yikes.”

“My first night in the Tarp Tent was on Roaring Plains, WVa @ 4,400 in the open with heavy wind and light rain.

The top of my head got a little spray and the tent rocked and rolled but stayed put.”

“My Henry Shires Virga tarptent (Another of Stove Stomers recommendations..thanks) arrived two days before my Superior Trail thru hike. The first 10-11 days were all sunshine, but lots of bugs that couldn't get inside. The last 3 days and nights were pretty continuous rain, none of which got inside but for a little "misting" sensation. Never had a condensation problem. I had plenty of room for me, my back pack and whatever else I might have wanted to toss in. It weighs only 20 oz. I did manage to break the rear pole and improvised by cutting like sized branches until I reached home. It was broke by my misuse, but Mr. Shires stood by his warranty. I am very pleased with it and will use it on my '05 AT thru hike...and thank you again Mr Stomper.”

“Wrongbridge "fast packed" his Canyonlands for the Wonderland trip. His nights involved critters and an ant hill and a lot of discomfort as a result.

I can tell ya, the mice like my flip flops.”

“We got the Cloudburst this year. I like the low weight and spaciousness and set-up is a breeze, but we have major condensation problems unless there's a lot of wind. We've used it about 20 nights so far. The roof and sides are either wet or frosty almost every morning. We've had 1/4 inch of frost on it, which means waiting to pack it up or drying it out later and carrying it wet.”

“Hey wannabp, if you and landscaper would quit making so much heat in that thing you wouldn't have a problem. ;-)”