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Tarptent Rainshadow 2
#36588 05/19/14 09:08 AM
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Does anyone have any experience with this tent or with the company itself? Also looking at the StratoSpire2.

After dragging our 9 lb, 3 person tent up to Chicken Spring Lake this past weekend, we are ready for something lighter!! crazy

Last edited by 63ChevyII.com; 05/19/14 10:12 AM.
Re: Tarptent Rainshadow 2
63ChevyII.com #36594 05/19/14 10:32 AM
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9 lbs!!! Yes, it's time to change.

Links: Rainshadow 2   StratoSpire 2

I like the looks of the RainShadow. It's 4 oz lighter, maybe a bit roomier, too.

Last edited by Steve C; 05/19/14 10:53 AM.
Re: Tarptent Rainshadow 2
Steve C #36595 05/19/14 10:34 AM
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Thanks for posting the links Steve.

I am leaning towards the StratoSpire2 after exchanging a few emails with the owner of the company. I'd order it with the solid sides for now, then add the mesh ones as budget allows.

Re: Tarptent Rainshadow 2
63ChevyII.com #36645 05/20/14 08:22 PM
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Henry Shires is a pioneer in ultralight gear, innovative, and stands behind his tarptent products. I have 3 tarptents that I've been happy with over the years. However, I'm not crazy about silnylon as a tent fabric. It's light, but it's slippery as heck and it tends to mist and stretch in rainstorms. I'm used to working around all this, but there's a new material to consider now - Cuben Fiber.

Cuben Fiber was developed for yacht racing sails and has made a big splash in the ultralight backpacking world in recent years. It's unbelievably light and strong. Imagine a semi-transparent mylar laminate that doesn't tear. There are several companies using it now, but Z-packs is a leader for innovative products and I can strongly recommend them for service. www.zpacks.com Six Moon Designs is also using it a lot more and there are others out there. It's very expensive stuff and there's a backlog, but worth considering.

Re: Tarptent Rainshadow 2
SierraNevada #36690 05/22/14 08:26 AM
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Thanks for the suggestions. I will look at the other companies too.

Re: Tarptent Rainshadow 2
63ChevyII.com #36700 05/22/14 01:31 PM
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SierraNevada,


any thoughts on this tent?

http://www.sixmoondesigns.com/tents/outfitter.html

Re: Tarptent Rainshadow 2
63ChevyII.com #36720 05/22/14 10:54 PM
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Comparing to what's out there by the major tent manufacturers, this is a good deal and light compared to a dual-wall traditional tent. The dual doors are great for access and ventilation, and the bathtub floor has generous dimensions. You can save a pound on that same model by going with silnylon, but the cost doubles, and there are some annoying things about silnylon that I mentioned above. I'd say this looks like an affordable compromise that will work well. It's also more durable than the ultralight stuff and has full size zippers. Six Moon Designs is a good company. I have 2 of their packs that I handed down to the kids. Steve uses their tent-parka ultralight shelter combo the Gatewood Cape.

As always, it comes down to matching your needs and expectations and budget. Maybe these comments help.

Re: Tarptent Rainshadow 2
SierraNevada #36730 05/23/14 12:13 PM
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Thanks for the help SierraNevada.

After looking at various offerings from TarpTent, GoLite and Six Moons, I think I've decided on the Six Moons Lunar Duo - Outfitter.

My top three were the Lunar Duo, RainShadow2 and Imogene Ultralight. I was set on the RainShadow2, but after seeing all of the complaints about silnylon, I started looking at other options. I think I could've dealt with it being slippery, but the complaints about 'misting' were troubling. Imogene is about 10% larger and 15% lighter than the Lunar Duo, but it's hard to justify paying nearly twice as much.

I have a tough time making decisions like this and it usually helps to come up with sort of scoring system for myself. Not exactly scientific, but here's what I ended up with:



Does anyone have an opinion of the materials used, mostly in regards to how waterproof they are and durability?

Re: Tarptent Rainshadow 2
63ChevyII.com #36736 05/23/14 06:34 PM
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In terms of both waterproofness and durability, the order (by best performance) is Polyester 190T, Ripstop Nylon 15-20D, Silnylon. Also, the poly does not stretch as much as nylon when wet.

Your ranking system leads to a tie. For $130 saves you less than a pound, gives you more room, but have to contend with the inconvenience of silnylon. The weight saving is not that much unless the rest of your pack system is optimized. The room should not be an issue unless you want to have the option to sleep 3-people. The silnylon issues are not a big deal but they will be more noticeable as cuben fiber takes over the ultralight market. I've made the upgrade and will never go back to the skating rink, sagging, and misting of silnylon.

Based on your previous posts, you still need to upgrade other gear to reduce your base pack weight. I'd recommend taking a hit on tent weight now (< 1b), investing the $130 into a lighter pack or sleeping bag (the Big 3) to get the most bang for your buck. When everything is optimized, then upgrade to cuben fiber when (hopefully) the cost will come down.

That will be $0.02, keep the change.

Re: Tarptent Rainshadow 2
SierraNevada #36737 05/23/14 06:40 PM
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I ordered the Six Moon tent a couple hours ago. It's shipped already and should be here by Thursday or Friday grin

Re: Tarptent Rainshadow 2
63ChevyII.com #36750 05/24/14 08:36 PM
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just curious....
Assuming you were you were doing an overnight trip, returning the same way, using a tent that used your hiking poles - do you breakdown the tent in the morning before leaving for for the summit, or just pull the poles out and leave it there collapsed?

Re: Tarptent Rainshadow 2
63ChevyII.com #36754 05/24/14 11:05 PM
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I'm usually in a hurry to get hiking and busy with morning chores before hitting the trail, so I opt for the lowest energy solution - take the hiking poles, put a couple rocks on the tent and hit the trail. No worries about a wind storm on your tent while you're away. You can insert the poles and re-pitch the tent easily when you get back in case you want to take a nap or relax.

Based on your criteria, I think you made an excellent choice with the Six Moon Designs Outfitter. I like your prioritized logical approach, the best way to sort it out with so many options out there.

Re: Tarptent Rainshadow 2
SierraNevada #36952 05/31/14 09:29 PM
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Hi all, I'm looking at these tents also. Wondering if anyone has the Rainshadow 2 and can answer whether you think it could fit 4 people if two of them are married-sharing-sleeping bag and one of them is 12yo and 5'0" and 90# and the other is 5'7" and 90#?

Basically parents and two skinny kids. Could we all fit in one of these? Doing the math on our camp rest pads, we add up to 80 inches wide and the tent says it's 78 inches wide. So it seems like it might work, but...


Tell me your thoughts.

Re: Tarptent Rainshadow 2
brholler #36957 05/31/14 11:37 PM
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br: If the math works, it should work ...in a pinch. If you think like me, the tent is only necessary if the weather is too cold or it is wet. I sleep outside otherwise. When four people sleep in the same tent, alternating head-foot directions helps, too.

In your case, one or two could sleep outside, and all four only inside in a pinch.

However, fitting 80 inches of pads into 78 means that some sleeping bags will be against the tent walls. If it is wet, the bags could get wet.

Re: Tarptent Rainshadow 2
Steve C #36965 06/01/14 06:06 AM
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maybe you could sleep 3 length wise and 1 width wise?

If I had to fit 4, I would probably go with the shangri-la



Originally Posted By: SierraNevada
I like your prioritized logical approach, the best way to sort it out with so many options out there.

Thanks! That's that the only way I'm able to make these type of decisions. When my wife sees stuff like the chart above, she just rolls her eyes.

Last edited by 63ChevyII.com; 06/01/14 06:06 AM.
Re: Tarptent Rainshadow 2
63ChevyII.com #36968 06/01/14 09:27 AM
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laugh - we are a spreadsheet family, too. Both parents are engineers, and it's the kids rolling their eyes. smile

Re: Tarptent Rainshadow 2
brholler #37218 06/06/14 10:40 PM
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Unfortunately, the floor tapers down to 64" at the foot end of the Rainshadow2.


The Hogback is 86" x 86". Not much else out there for an ultralight family tent. Looks like a good option at 4 lbs, 4-person, $400.


Re: Tarptent Rainshadow 2
SierraNevada #37221 06/07/14 06:09 AM
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Thanks for all of the info. And it sounds like (from another thread ) there are spaces to pitch such a tent on Whitney - at trail camp. Do you agree with that?

many thanks!

Last edited by brholler; 06/07/14 06:19 AM.
Re: Tarptent Rainshadow 2
brholler #37306 06/10/14 07:20 AM
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I used the SixMoon Designs LundaDuo Outfitter on my recent Whitney overnight trip:
http://www.hikinggeek.com/2014/06/07/mt-whitney-via-the-chute-trip-report-june-4-2014/

It's my first non free standing tent, so it's going to take some time to get used to it.

I am working with customer service right now (details will be posted later) to resolve some issues, but they seem very pleasant and willing to help.

Re: Tarptent Rainshadow 2
63ChevyII.com #38065 06/27/14 05:02 PM
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Took a while to get everything resolved, but they're sending me a new tent. A recent production run had some cosmetic staining on the canopy.

So....
Someone gave me a free tent. It's marginally heavier than the LunarDuo Outfitter, so I am thinking about selling the LunarDuo and putting the money towards other gear.


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