Now that I've found trekking poles, I'm looking for input on tents that use trekking poles for the setup rather than dedicated tent poles. Do any of you fellas use said tents? If so, what are your thoughts? Worth the weight savings? Any specific recommendations? Thanks.

Just get an extra lite tarp, take a few tent pegs and enough rope (string) to tie down under any conditions (trees, rocks, tent pegs or combination). along with a ground sheet big enough to tie the sides and ends up so water and wind can't get in. should be able to keep it all under 4 lbs or so.

It depends on what you get.

http://www.trailspace.com/gear...gear/squall-classic/

This is the one I have. I hiked over 1400 miles with it I one go and am happy with it. It uses one trekking pole at the front and a short tent pole for the arc in the back. It is under 2 pounds and very simple to set up.

There are others that use two poles, one at each end, to set up and from what I have experienced they can be a real pain for one person to set up, especially in a wind or rain.

http://sectionhiker.com/hyperl...elter-system-review/

I hiked with a girl who had one of these and it was a royal pain even in nice conditions. Add a wind or impending rain to the mix and it made me want to throw it off a cliff. In these conditions I always had to help her. It also wasn't what I would call even a three season tent.

Check out https://www.tarptent.com/ these guys. They make nice stuff. They are the original designers of my tent but they had gossamer gear make it with even lighter fabric.

One of the biggest factors of this style tent is the season it will be destined for. A freestanding tent is a much better choice if snow is expected.

Let us know of your intentions and we can help you better.

quote:

Originally posted by AXEL19:
Let us know of your intentions and we can help you better.

Who knows?

At this point, I would expect to use it as a three season tent, since we don't really get what most would consider a winter down here. I'm thinking back country deer, Barbary sheep, and maybe if I'm lucky, ibex, hunting in the southwest. Or other hunts of that nature. Truly unpleasant weather is very uncommon here (at least compared to much of the rest of the country).

quote:

Originally posted by DesertRam:
Truly unpleasant weather is very uncommon here (at least compared to much of the rest of the country).

Then if you're not claustrophobic, you might look at Bivy Sacks as well and really save the weight.

I like my Kifaru Mega-Tarp. Uses two trekking poles, can add a vestibule front that allows the use of a small stove/pipe.

quote:

Originally posted by Frostbit:

quote:

Originally posted by DesertRam:
Truly unpleasant weather is very uncommon here (at least compared to much of the rest of the country).

Then if you're not claustrophobic, you might look at Bivy Sacks as well and really save the weight.

I tried that and absolutely hated it! Even with a pretty high dollar bivy I woke up soaking wet and miserable. I'd rather sleep on the bare rocks in a cheap sleeping bag than spend another night in a bivy!

quote:

Originally posted by DesertRam:


Who knows?

At this point, I would expect to use it as a three season tent, since we don't really get what most would consider a winter down here. I'm thinking back country deer, Barbary sheep, and maybe if I'm lucky, ibex, hunting in the southwest. Or other hunts of that nature. Truly unpleasant weather is very uncommon here (at least compared to much of the rest of the country).

If that is the case then you have lots of options. Big Agnes also makes some nice free standing tents that are still very light. When I finish the PCT I might switch to one of them like the fly creek or copper spur. I saw lots of them on the trail and they are very nice. You also don't have to worry about a middle of the night snow as much as if you were in a tarp like shelter, even though it sounds like it would be rare for you.

I'm personally not a fan of the full tarp like tents as it always seemed like bit of a faff to set up. Keep the poles standing, guy lines everywhere.

tarptent.com is a good place to start as they have a pretty varied selection. You just have to decide how big you want and try one out. Bug protection is another thing to think about. Getting away from mosquitos or no-see-ums is possible in an enclosed tent but not so much in an open tarp unless you have a bug bivy or something. Also note that most of these tents run small. Two people means that it is wide enough for two people to sleep shoulder to shoulder and possibly still rub the side depending on the style/shape of shelter.

quote:

Originally posted by AXEL19:
Big Agnes also makes some nice free standing tents that are still very light. When I finish the PCT I might switch to one of them like the fly creek or copper spur.

The center hoop is very willing to "get in your face" in a high wind. But they are light. Doubt I would trust them at all in snow.

Seek Outside, and ZPacks make good ultralight trekking pole shelters. They take some practice to setup though. I use a Seek Silvertip tipi and it works really well on fall elk hunts. Sheds snow and rain better than any other shelter I have used.

Terra Nova makes the Solar Ultra 2 which is the lightest free standing that I know of. I have no experience with it, but want one to try out. Freestanding is a better choice sometimes.

Jeremy

Thanks for the input guys.

I have a decent free-standing Kelty, but at ~4 pounds it's not an ultralight. I can split the tent from the poles between the boy and me on Scout trips. But when I'm alone, or with someone larger with whom sharing the little Kelty isn't an option, I thought there might be some better options for a single body.

Anybody have any experience with the Lightheart Solo?
https://www.lightheartgear.com...-now/tents/solo-tent

backpackinglight.com

You'll find a ton of reviews and opinions on here for most tents.

About the best you can do is the Gossamer Gear The One tent. It is a full tent, not a tarp. At 19 ounces, durable, and fairly affordable, it's hard to beat. I'll be taking one on an extended trip this summer and have full confidence in it.

http://gossamergear.com/the-one-shelter.html

Here is an option that comes recommended by several sheep hunters on a Montana forum.........

https://www.tarptent.com/motrail.html

My Cimarron from SeekOutside can be set up with trekking poles. Though there are lighter options it's ounces different but the SO offering allows for a wood stove. I thought they were silly except for hardcore guys until I tried it. Now I can head up my morning coffee without even getting out of my sleeping bag!

We just learned our troop will be doing a 12-day trek at Philmont in July 2019, so I'm going to keep this thread alive to see what's going on in the backpack world. I haven't sprung for a tent yet, but like the looks of the Gossamer and the Lightheart.

quote:

Originally posted by Overland:
About the best you can do is the Gossamer Gear The One tent. It is a full tent, not a tarp. At 19 ounces, durable, and fairly affordable, it's hard to beat. I'll be taking one on an extended trip this summer and have full confidence in it.

http://gossamergear.com/the-one-shelter.html

Overland, how did your The One perform on your long haul?

Thanks guys!

Desertram, what tent did you end up getting, and how did it work out?

I just ordered a Pro Trail from Tarptent. It will cut my pack weight by a bit more than 3 pounds. I’m hoping that I like it as much as the people who have reviewed it.

I’ll be using it for my daughter and I when we go after sheep this year.

Jason, I ended up with a Double Rainbow from Tarptent. I've carried it hundreds of miles and slept in it dozens of night and it works well. It is not for cold weather though - certainly the three season tent it is advertised as. It is very light and easy to set up though, which I like. I've been happy. Interestingly, the Assistant Scoutmaster of my troop got the same tent at about the same time. Neither of us knew the other was buying the DR. So between us we have carried these tents a long way and spent a lot of time in them. No issues at all.

Other than playing in the yard, I have not used mine with trekking poles. So far I have always been able to drive the stakes that anchor it. It does work pretty well with the trekking poles though (at least in the yard). It does well in wind, rain, sleet, and even snow, though the open design does let air circulate pretty freely. So as mentioned I would not use it on a cold hunt. It is listed as a two-person tent, and I have used it that way a few times, but it's pretty cramped when you bring in anything besides the people and sleeping gear. I usually sleep in it alone and it's a great one-man tent. I love the double openings (you can get in from either side) and large vestibules on both sides. I can leave wet gear outside but out of the rain. I also leave my Jetboil set up under the vestibule so I can start the morning coffee without crawling out!

I think you will be pleased with the quality of the Tarptent. The Pro Trail looks similar in construction to the DR; perhaps a bit more open. That will provide good circulation, but likely keep you pretty cool. With two of you in there, you should do well enough though. Good luck on that hunt! The last time I doubled in mine was with my daughter on a sheep hunt.