I need a tent…

[Grant Wright]

I’m looking for a light, two man with a nice sized vestibule.

[Steven Rogers]

Northface Roadrunner 22. Has two huge vestibules and doors. Tons of no-see um mesh (for those hot summer nights) and in the winter stays toasty warm thanks to the rainfly. Had it for years and never had any condensation buildup to speak of, been through some crazy thunderstorms with no problems and the fabric looks virtually brand new. Can’t say enough about this tent.

Steven

[none]

Jeez.. sounds great
Unfortunately I’m no experienced camper myself. Too bad I’ve never had buddies who could have made a happy camper out of me. 😀

What’s a good one man tent with similar specs like the Northface Roadrunner 22?

[brian barnes]

Tarptent Double Rainbow… It’s revered in the lightweight backpacking community. 2.5 pounds, freestanding, $260, packs down to nothing in your pack, very wind stable, see link here: http://www.tarptent.com/doublerainbow.html

[Grant Wright]

Brian — Thanks for the link.

[brian barnes]

Grant, Henry Shires (Tarptent owner) has a great reputation for customer service and making a quality product. Depending upon your expected use I forgot to mention he has another newer, albeit heavier by 1 pound, tent called the Scarp 2. SEE: http://www.tarptent.com/scarp2.html

If you are willing to carry a pound or 2 more, this tent is very versatile in that it can take a good snow load and you can set the tent up only as a tarp (great for fall), add an all mesh wall inner (for summer) or replace the inner section with a mostly fabric inner for winter.

If you plan to only camp in non-winter seasons the Double Rainbow is hard to beat.

[Zach Matthews]

This is the tent I’m using, in a 2-man:

http://www.sierratradingpost.com/p/322,88182_%E3%80%80Marmot-Titan-Tent-Backpacking-.html

It’s almost twice as heavy at 5 lbs. as the Tarptent mentioned above, which I’m kind of shocked by.  It is possible to set it up without the zip tent, however; just take the poles, the rainfly, and the groundfly (which you need to order separately from Marmot – the Limelight 2 is the same size).

I have to say, the Tarptent looks like the better buy if that weight measurement is accurate.

[brian barnes]

Zach – The weights are accurate for the Double Rainbow and it can be setup without stakes (if you have two trekking poles). It is quite impressive that these cottage industries (Tarptent, Six Moon Designs, Gossamer Gear, Mountain Laural Designs, others.. see below) have taken their shelter weights down so low. I for one, am very appreciative of their efforts. When packing in several miles to fish in the backcountry I scrutinize every ounce that goes into my pack so as to hike faster, longer, and safer.

My current favorite (doesn’t meet Grants specs but is an incredibly versatile shelter for one) is this:

http://www.mountainlaureldesigns.com/shop/product_info.php?cPath=35&products_id=105&osCsid=b52cc61dfd0c13a333b59e39b22a3bcc

PIC:

Grant – here is another single wall tent that meets your specs to put on your short list. It is more spacious but less wind stable.

http://www.sixmoondesigns.com/shop/shopexd.asp?id=47

I own this shelter as well and love it for 3 season backcountry fishing. Plenty of space for 2 tall guys. This one saves weight by allowing you to use hiking poles to keep the tent up rather than dedicated poles (which you can purchase if you dont use/have trekking poles).

Here are some links to some companies that focus on lightweight shelters:
http://www.tarptent.com/
http://www.sixmoondesigns.com/default.asp
http://www.gossamergear.com/
http://www.mountainlaureldesigns.com/
http://www.owareusa.com/index.html
http://www.golite.com/main/home.aspx
http://www.warmlite.com/start.htm

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