Light 1-Man Tent

[Graves14]

I hated my Fly Creek for this exact reasons.

Ended up with an Akto and im really happy. I think the Enan would have been nice to save some extra weight and you don’t give up much but I found a screaming deal on a used Akto so I jumped on it.

It is more expensive but it’s a perfect balance of room inside, one big vestibule, small footprint, and you can run the outer rainfly without the inner if you want to dabble in floorless.

I couldn’t recommend it more highly

 

[mtwarden]

I previously owned a MH Ghost UL 1, nice shelter, too small for me (6’ 185)- so it was sold. I purchased a Ghost UL 2 and it’s spacious for one, would work with a spouse or son/daughter- in a real pinch two adult males.

It’s 2.5 lbs on the nose all in- poles, stakes, stuff sack. Easy and quick to setup, free standing and storm worthy. They provide two additional guys (but not stakes) if you’re expecting windy conditions.

I just got back from a 100 mile adventure race across the Bob Marshall and used this shelter (as did another fellow), I give it high marks.

 

[jmden]

This is what the MH site says about the Ghost UL2. It seems that maybe 40D Nylon Ripstop for the floor would be stronger than 30D silnylon. But that would just be for the floor.
Fabric Body: Canopy: 15D Nylon Mesh Fly: 20D Nylon Ripstop 1200mm PU/SIL Floor: 20D Nylon Ripstop 1200mm polyurethane/SIL PolesAC Featherlight™ NSL
Pole Type: DAC Featherlight™ NSL
Fabric Fly: 10D Nylon Ripstop 1200mm PU/SIL
Fabric Canopy: 15D Nylon Knit Mesh
Fabric Tent Floor: 40D Nylon Ripstop 1500mm PU/SIL

That floor material may be marginally more durable fabric. The PU coating can decrease tear resistance while a sil coating often increases it. Not sure what happens with the PU/SIL combination. The rest of it will be less durable than 30D silnylon, which the entire TarpTent Rainbow is made of. The TarpTent Rainbow is not a double wall shelter. It's kind of a hybrid in that regard. So you will deal with condensation at some point, however, it is so large inside, I rarely rub up against the walls and I bring my rifle and pack in the tent with me. They are not left out in the vestibule.

 

[jmden]

One more question: What is the main purpose of the liner? Is it worth buying? It seems it's used for temperature regulations but I've never understood them.

If you are talking about a liner for the TarpTent Rainbow, it's to help keeep you from brushing up against the outerwall. It's basically trying to convert a partial single wall tent into a full-double wall tent. Because the Rainbow is so large and room inside, I've not seen the need for the liner. The Bowfin is a double wall design and if I were in your shoes, I'd be looking hard at that.

Also, the BA 2P Tigerwall is looking pretty good for weight at least. Looks like it's using silnylon as well, but I'm guess it's lighter than 30D--prob a mix of 15D-maybe 30D floor, given it's lightweight. Double wall is nicer for sure. You'll be warmer and more comfortable generally.

 

[Benjblt]

If you are talking about a liner for the TarpTent Rainbow, it's to help keeep you from brushing up against the outerwall. It's basically trying to convert a partial single wall tent into a full-double wall tent. Because the Rainbow is so large and room inside, I've not seen the need for the liner. The Bowfin is a double wall design and if I were in your shoes, I'd be looking hard at that.

Also, the BA 2P Tigerwall is looking pretty good for weight at least. Looks like it's using silnylon as well, but I'm guess it's lighter than 30D--prob a mix of 15D-maybe 30D floor, given it's lightweight. Double wall is nicer for sure. You'll be warmer and more comfortable generally.

Thanks for the explanation.. I looked at the Bowfin but it looked like a 25" pad wouldn't fit well in it since it's 20" wide at it's narrowest point.

 

[sneaky]

Thanks for the explanation.. I looked at the Bowfin but it looked like a 25" pad wouldn't fit well in it since it's 20" wide at it's narrowest point.

Is your pad 25" wide along the full length? Or does it taper like most pads do?

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[Benjblt]

Is your pad 25" wide along the full length? Or does it taper like most pads do?

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25" along the full length.

 

[jmden]

Everytime some new lightweight 1P-2P tent comes out that I hear about, I take a close look at it in terms of cost, weight, space...so far I've not parted with the TarpTent Rainbow the past 6-7 years...there's just alot of space in there for one person. Since the floor is a full 40" wide the full length of the 88" long floor, I think it is, you could theoretically put two people on two standard 20" width pads in there. It'd be tight, but doable.

 

[CaliforniaMuley209]

tarp tents are very high quality but also really light as well. the Protrail is their one man light tent it is 26 ounces and sets up really easy with a trekking pole. i run the Motrail, which is the same style but their two man version. it weighs 34 ounces i believe and is very roomy i can fit all my gear and my dog inside with room to relax. i like having a little extra room i don't like leaving my bow outside thats why i accept the extra 8 or 10 ounces of weight. still very light for being so roomy. also i like having a floor to get out of the dirt and their bathtub floor is very nice. prob not a late season tent but I've ran it in some nasty early season storms and never had a problem. good luck!

 

[tttoadman]

with a decent pad I am hitting my head and feet quite a bit on the end walls. I even have it setup up very high. Just something to be aware of. I love this guy though.

Did you mean to say you wouldn't recommend it for anyone taller than you?

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That's funny. You know what I meant

 

[erica@tarptent]

Thanks for the explanation.. I looked at the Bowfin but it looked like a 25" pad wouldn't fit well in it since it's 20" wide at it's narrowest point.

A 25" pad definitely fits into the Bowfin 1 (and you have a little room to either side and top and bottom to store your gear). Scroll through the pictures on the product page; I think there's one of a wide pad in the tent.

 

[TradLife406]

The Hilleberg Atko is pretty sweet for solo. Weighs 3lb and take about five minutes to set up. Just enough room for a big guy and gear. You can find deals on them here.

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[Benjblt]

The Hilleberg Atko is pretty sweet for solo. Weighs 3lb and take about five minutes to set up. Just enough room for a big guy and gear. You can find deals on them here.

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Thanks for the info. I think I"m going to go with a Hilleberg for a 2 person. I'm thinking the Anjan 3 GT. 3 pounds seems a bit heavy for a small 1-man.

 

[boom]

i have the fly creek UL1. it is a good tent. i wouldnt call it a self standing tent. it relies on some staking to hold up the lower half.

it is light and easy to carry. i am not a big man (5'10")..the tent works for me. the front entrance isnt the most ideal, but it works. but if you're older and cannot crawl easily, this isnt the tent for you. i can still scurry in like a hobbit. i got caught in a rain storm.i pulled my pack in with me and propped it up under my head. i slept amazingly well like that. it is not that much lighter than the same 2-man,but it does pack down small. smaller than the 2-man by far.

 

[Jimss]

Hilleberg makes fantastic tents! They have lifetime warrantees and are definitely worth the investment. No one has mentioned this but one really super light weight option which is bomberproof is using the fly off a 4 season tent. There are a number of Hilleberg models you can use several poles plus the fly for ultra-light backpacking with gobs of room to spare! I use the fly off my Nallo and bring along a painters cloth or tyvex sheet for a floor. It only weighs a couple pounds and has gobs of room. The nice thing about it is it doubles during the late fall/winter with the fly plus tent as a super rugged 4 season tent. In super wet weather or snow I add a footprint to either the fly or tent plus fly. I've been using this with great success in Colo, Wyo, and Alaska for years!

 

[slim9300]

I've been looking for a quick set-up light weight tent for 1 guy. I need something at least 30" wide to fit me and my sleep system comfortably. The two I've been looking at are the Big Agnes Fly Creek HV UL2 and the Mountain Hardware Ghost UL2. Surprisingly the Big Agnes is lighter then the MH. I can get the Mountain Hardwear stuff half off though and the stuff seams pretty well built. I've looked at some of the 1 man options, like the Big Agness UL1, and some of the them are big enough but for a little extra weight it seems worth it to go with the two man. I'm planning on staying in the 2-1/2lb range. Have any of you used either one of these tents or have a better suggestion? I'm not interested in something floorless really. Feel free to mention some of those options but I'd rather stay focused on enclosed shelters like the two I mention. Any help/advise would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

It sounds like your budget is limited? Or would you spend more to get more room and lighter weight?


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[mtwarden]

I missed the part on the 50% off Mountain Hardwear- that’s a no brainer then- order the Ghost UL 2, if for some reason it doesn’t work out, you won’t lose a penny

 

[Benjblt]

It sounds like your budget is limited? Or would you spend more to get more room and lighter weight?


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I would spend more. I'm looking at getting a 2 man (3-man) and a 1 man, which originally I was looking at a bivy from OR for $180 and weighing 1 pound. A tent that weighs 1.5 pounds more (2 total), and with a lot more room, just seems more practical and comfortable.

 

[slim9300]

I would spend more. I'm looking at getting a 2 man (3-man) and a 1 man, which originally I was looking at a bivy from OR for $180 and weighing 1 pound. A tent that weighs 1.5 pounds more (2 total), and with a lot more room, just seems more practical and comfortable.

I think you can have everything in one tent with no real weight penalty if you run trekking poles (you should). Obviously the footprint will be larger but I see that as a positive.

The HMG UltaMid 2 (comes in green). The outer shelter is 19.01 ounces. With the full floor at 21.91 and the half at 14.53, you end up with a large UL shelter you can walk into.

I would certainly call the size of this two man much more of a three man. Even if you run it as a solo shelter, it’s still light but you have a palace.

If you spend any kind of real time in a shelter and you do long hunts regardless of the weather, a day will come when you will want more space. If you are a fair weather hunter (as in pull out when it gets nasty), it’s not a big deal running a small shelter.

My Ultamid 4 is about 30% larger than my Hilleberg Nallo 4 to give you an idea of size.

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[jmden]

I would spend more. I'm looking at getting a 2 man (3-man) and a 1 man, which originally I was looking at a bivy from OR for $180 and weighing 1 pound. A tent that weighs 1.5 pounds more (2 total), and with a lot more room, just seems more practical and comfortable.

I've done the bivvy thing...no more. A little bit of weather? Ughh. My bivvy (old goretex military bivvy--bombproof, but heavy) weighs a bit more than my TarpTent Rainbow and it is really luxurious 1-man tent camping because it is so big.