Solo light tent ?

I am wondering what kind of solo and ultra-light tents that you guys use?

I am retiring my very old NorthFace and looking to buy a very light, easy to pitch and and little roomy (have to fit my camera equipments beside me) tent, but like it to be more than 3 season as I plan to do some snowshoeing trip in the winter with it. I am not a tall and big person - so dont need too much room for myself.

I saw good reviews of Six moon design's Lunar Solo enhanced.
http://www.sixmoondesigns.com/shop/Shopexd.asp?id=36

Also some other tents that I am looking at
Eureka http://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear/Product___28316
Marmot http://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear/Product___27168
Big agnes http://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear/Product___24950

Any comments about these tents and/or anything else that you use will be very appreciated. Thanks folks

Arnab, I own the Marmot EOS-1 and it's on its way to eBay. It is way too small and cramped in my opinion, with very little room for gear. Also, it is extremely uncomfortable to get dressed in or even sit up and read. For an extra 1-1.5 lbs you can go with a light 2-person model with a lot more room, and be a much happier camper. I am now testing the MSR Zoid-2 which is light and roomy but is not free-standing.
You may want to look at the MSR Hubba Hubba as well.

Guy

I would suggest contacting Marc Adamus he is Mister Solo all year round backpacker.

Thanks Guy. I was positively thinking to give Marmot EOS a try, but your experience with that making me doubtful. How is MSR Zoid-2 holding up?
Have you ever tried the 1-person MSR Hubba?

Arnab, here is my recommendation for the MSR Hubba. LIght and airy. Enough wiggle room from side to side if you move around while sleeping. Some room at your feet for gear, I am 6'1" + a 9 cu. ft. vestibule. It is free- standing too. ALOT of room to sit up in and change clothes One pole to deal with. Tight pitch too! If you want alittle more protection for 4 season use, MSR has came out with a same spec'd version of the Hubba that has less mesh. I bought the Hubba coming from a SIerra Designs Lightyear which I liked, but had no sit up room, was not freestanding, and had a very small vestibule. I LOVE MY HUBBA! Hope this helps!

I have a tent that is all mesh like the Hubba Hubba, and it is an awesome three season tent. But I wouldn't recommend it in the winter. I recently used it on a cold night at 7000 feet, probably somewhere in the 20's, and the cold wind came right up under the edge of the fly and straight through the mesh walls. A solid tent will help you trap some air and provide a little insulation in the winter. Of course, you still want some venting options to avoid condensation. Some companies make convertible tents that allow you to open/close the walls, but they are usually heavier than a dedicated 3 or 4 season tent.

Arnab. If you expect heavy snows and/or high winds, I'd personally be a little wary of a few of the tents listed. I'm betting they are all great tents, and its not that they couldn't stand some punishment, but they may require a lot more management during the process. (this opinion though, is coming from someone that has not used any of them ). You also might want to consider how important a vestibule is to you - for me they are very nice to have in heavy winds and snow to stow gear and cook. Right now, to add to the list, I use a Hilleberg akto tent and love it. It may not be everyone's cup of tea, but so far it has taken quite a lot of abuse in all seasons and has yet to flinch.

Since you are looking for a 4-season tent you might consider a Bibler; either the Bibler-I or the Eldorado. They are single-wall (no fly) breatheable and extremely stable in high wind. Both tents use two poles. There is an optional, detachable vestibule. They are not inexpensive, but they are bombproof. They are sold by Black Diamond.

My Bibler-I is easy to set up and is pretty comfortable. It doesn't flap in the wind: It hums.

-P

Arnab, There is a huge difference in 3season and 4 season tents. weight and $'s being most of them. I've been using a Eureka spitfire but I would never use it in winter. I'm 5'7'' 180 lbs and I get by fine leaving the pack & tripod outside and bringing in the equipment but it's a tight squeeze. The mesh in it doesn't seem pretty tough though. For any winter camping I would use a 4 season tent. I'de prefer to have a tent that will last a long time I don't think the spitfire is going to last me. I will definitely go sturdier and lighter if possible next time. Here is a shot of it acton though
www.http://sieren.smugmug.com/gallery/1362637_MdSq2/1/260098603_uFLw2/Medium

Steve S.

I would add that there's a down side to using a 4-season tent in fair weather too since they are usually not very well ventilated (heat, condensation, etc. can become very uncomfortable ).
I really think a 4-season tent is more of a 1-season tent (winter) and for everything else you'll want something with a separate rain fly and enough ventilation to be comfortable.

Guy

I agree with you, Guy. I usually only pitch my tent if I am expecting cold and/or wet weather, and I try to pitch it in the shade, if available. As you know, I like being 'at one with the dirt' whenever I can.

_P

I completely agree with you guys. 4-season tent is really only effective in winter or high altitude.
But I am looking for a 3 season tent that can sustain a little bit more than 3 season - so unexpected snow/storm in fall and may be some mild winter camping. Many of the good 3-season tents get used in winter by many backpackers (I am reading these reviews all over the internet which caught me in total surprise - mostly in North east, but also places like Rockies too), which is why I really wanted to know this from real people (like you all in this forum )

My old tent is a hard core North Face 4 season - but it's so damn heavy. The new tents are really light weight than what I have and many 3 season-rated ones claim to have survived winter camping or bad weather. So I was curious what latest and greatest gears that you all are using

BTW, so far my research indicates that the best lightweight 4 season solo tent in the maket is Hilleberg akto and Bibler - among them Akto is more resonably priced and have 2 layers. Looks like Greg and Preston already using them and satisfied
Thanks for all the comments so far

"lite" and "winter" is a really tough combination. I have a great "3 season" tent that would hold up to a tiny bit of snow that weighs 1.5 pounds. I wouldn't expect a suffer free trip if I was expecting more than a few inches of snow.
Pretty much, if you're going out for a long (2 night) weekend, I'd expect my total pack weight, including camera and tripod to be as much a my recent 9 day/75 mile trip up the Yellowstone River/Buffalo Plateau, 42 pounds.
I think Marc commonly talks about 65 pound pack weights for his winter trips.

Arnab, ill plug my Big Agnes SL1 that i broke in in Alaska for a solid week of wind, rain, and snow. I chose it for it's light weight, ease of setup and space (im 6'4") I have a Eureka 4 season as well but i really like my new tent.

I don't have one, but I've been thinking about it. Just keep in mind that these tents will go up in a flash if they should catch fire. They are not flame retardant.

http://www.tarptent.com/

Their smallest tent weighs 1 pound, 2.5 ounces. I'm interested in the Rainbow which weighs 2 pounds (making it 2 pounds lighter than my current solo tent). I prefer a more substantial tent in the winter.

I've also been impressed by the Big Agnes tents.

Are there any "backpacking" tents that are flame retardant?

Arnab,

I believe Marc already left for his Northern Rockies trip, so he probably won't be able to comment. On a separate thread, he recommended the Bunker 1 tent made by Mountain Hardware as a great 4 season solo tent. That's what he's using now. If you really want to go light, the bibler bivis are awesome, but they suck for cooking in a snowstorm or for hunkering down for more than a day. But if you go out for just a few days with a low likelihood of bad weather, the light weight is worth the minimal discomfort.

Hey Arnab,

If I needed a lightweight, solo, winter tent, the Bunker by Mtn Hdwr would be my choice. I would NOT recommend the Hubba - it's not a sturdy tent at all, especially in high winds, has no guy out points and a high profile. If you don't really need a bombproof shelter, I'd recommend the Mtn Hdwr Skyledge 2 - even though a 2 person tent, it's not too heavy, is super solid, and is fine in all but the most insane conditions. I would NOT recommend the Six Moon Designs tents you mentioned for winter camping.

Cheers

Carl

Arnab,

Catching this thread a little late, but take a look at the Black Diamond Lighthouse. About as close to a perfect 4-season tent as I've come across. Read my (and others) review of the tent here: backpackgeartest.org. Look under shelters. This is an excellent resource for unbiased backpacking gear reviews. I am a test moderator for the group, but on a temporary leave of absence to work on my photography.


I am a gear tester as a hobby and highly recommend this tent. plenty of room , very light, rugged (not Bibler rugged!) great ventilation and breathability. I've used mine all year round for several years now.