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Single-SkinTents
An ÔAÕ shape, a transverse arch, and a tiny
tunnel. Simon Willis tries three
ultra-light tents suitable for UK conditions. The problem is simple but the solution is not, which
is why the perfect ultra-light tent has yet to be designed. The challenge is this: how to
maximise space while minimising weight and still producing a shelter suitable
for UK conditions. Tents for
British use must be able to withstand a battering, be midge-proof, allow you
to cook in the inevitable rain and cope with the condensation that results
from our maritime climate. Two
new tents for 2007 and an older model tackle this in different ways with
different degrees of success.
Since single-skin tents are fundamentally different to regular tents,
you also need to learn a couple of techniques to get the most from them. The weights listed below are mine and
are heavier than listed by the manufacturers who often omit pegs from their
figures. Rainbow-1 by Tarptent.com Weight: 965g Price: $215 Dimensions: L=264cm W=117cm
H=109cm Stockists: www.tarptent.com Almost half the hikers on the Pacific Crest Trail
seem to use a Tarptent. TheyÕre
designed by Henry Shires, a teacher from Northern California, who is finding
his side-line business taking over his life. We used a prototype on our 2002 PCT hike, since when Henry
has continued to improve and expand his range. The Rainbow-1 is his first transverse arch design which
bears a striking similarity to an old Phoenix tent, although Henry swears he
had never seen it until I sent a photo.
Like all Tarptents, the Rainbow-1 is very easy to
put up. There are just six pegs
and no guy lines and yet, provided the end points into the wind, it seems
quite stable although IÔve yet to use it in a hoolie. Henry put a lot of thought into the
size and shape of what he calls Òthe beakÓ, the door and porch area. It fastens with Velcro and again,
provided the end is into the wind, the flaps can be staked out to create a
small porch with just enough room to cook. Wet gear has to be either brought inside or preferably
left outside in a bag. At first glace, the space inside single skin tents
is misleading. In all tents,
condensation usually builds up on the wall during the night. With a double-skin tent you donÕt see
it, you only see the inner skin, which stops you accidentally brushing
against the outer and soaking your sleeping bag. Gravity pulls the worst of the condensation down the outer
skin and it drips into the ground.
In a single skin tent, condensation behaves in exactly the same way
but you must behave differently.
Because thereÕs no inner skin to remind you to keep away from the damp
wall, you need extra space. So a
single skin tent might appear huge, but thatÕs because you have to use the
middle section, well away from the drips on the side walls. On this principle, the Rainbow-1 looks roomy enough
for two but performs best as a solo tent. Cunningly, the walls have a slightly larger ÔfootprintÕ
than the bath-tub floor and the two are connected by bug-netting. Gravity draws condensation down the
walls where it drips, not onto the floor, but through the netting into the
ground. In summer, biting insects
canÕt get up through the gap into the tent, so you can seal yourself off from
midges. ThereÕs also a large,
midge-proof vent at the top of the back wall ideally placed to expel warm,
moist rising air. My only disappointment is that the inner bug-netting
door is zipped on just one side, which reduces the flexibility of how this
otherwise excellent tent can be pitched. That said, I appreciate why Henry has done this to
maintain the internal structure.
In fact, the more I use this tent, the more I can see HenryÕs brain
working, looking afresh at issues of internal space and condensation
build-up, and finding solutions un-constrained by the commercial demands a
bigger company might place on its designers. In short, this is an exquisitely designed single skin
tent. Rigel X2 by Coleman Weight: 1013 Price: £95 Dimensions: L=230cm W=140cm/60cm
H=68cm Stockists: www.coleman-eur.com ThereÕs nothing subtle about this tent. ItÕs a large, side-zipped bivi bag
held off the ground with a couple of hoops andÉ well, thatÕs it! Its predecessor, the Coleman Raid was
popular with some mountain marathon competitors because it was claimed to
weigh just 980g and cost £70. Since
it was only used one night at a time, they would endure the boil-in-the-bag
condensation in exchange for low weight and price.
With the X2 Rigel, Coleman says it has cut the
weight, put up the price, and devised a way of minimising the
condensation. A mesh panel has
been sewn into the flat roof and, to stop the rain pouring in, a detachable
flap has been stretched over. It
is a limited success. It works
in dry, windy conditions but fails in muggy rain. I used a sample Rigel X2 on the Original Mountain Marathon
in October 2006, and even though my partner and I slept with the door propped
open to increase ventilation, our sleeping bags were damp with
condensation. This is less of a
problem when itÕs used solo, but even then the condensation which does
collect on the walls has nowhere to drain, so it pools on the floor. I carried kitchen towel to mop it
up. By rights, I should hate this tent. The pegs are too short, thereÕs no
midge protection, I canÕt sit up, and cooking in rain is a real challenge,
although IÕve pinned an extra guy line to the door so I can use a trekking
pole to create a porch of sorts.
Yet despite these short comings, I really like it. It gives the same direct contact with
the landscape that you get in a bivi bag. As in a bivi, I donÕt feel IÕm sealing myself off from the
outside world, just crawling under a piece of fabric to shelter from it. And for the same reasons I rarely use
my bivi-bag, I wouldnÕt use the Rigel X2 for more than one night at a time. GoLite Trig 1 Weight: 1217 Price: $180 Dimensions:
L=287cm W=144cm/68cm H=87cm Stockists: www.golite.com The thicker fabric, stronger guy loops and sturdy
construction make this a more robust shelter than the other two. Unfortunately, this adds to the
weight. The Trig-1 requires a
trekking pole front and back to create its traditional ÕAÕ shape, but if you
walk with poles anyway, this is a better use of weight than carrying
additional tent poles. IÕm 6ft
tall and can only just sit upright in the entrance with my head pushed hard
against the roof. Nevertheless,
the Trig-1 has, until recently, been my preferred solo backpacking tent.
Like the Rainbow-1, it initially appears large for
one person, but as IÕve explained, this illusion swiftly disappears when you
realise itÕs essential to keep away from the sides. Once again, the walls are connected to the bathtub floor
with bug-netting which helps condensation to drain but this system doesnÔt
work as well in the Trig-1 as the Rainbow-1. The Trig-1 makes up for this with a large porch, big
enough to take wet gear and to cook.
An excellent feature in hot weather is that the
bottom section of the walls can be rolled up to hugely increase air flow
while keeping out midges and flies.
Disappointingly, this feature isnÕt flexible so the sides canÕt be part-rolled
or staked out to increase ventilation when itÕs raining. So when all zipped up, the Trig-1
feels snug and secure, but the down-side of this is a lack of circulating air
and consequently, condensation.
When GoLite gear first appeared we all wondered
whether the products were built to last. IÕm still using the light Rain-jacket I tested early in
2001 and the Gust packs we carried 2,500 miles down the Pacific Crest Trail
show astonishingly few signs of wear.
Of the three tents tested here, this is the only one IÕd comfortably
use in the very worst British winter conditions and I suspect it will last
for years. SimonÕs Verdict I like the Rigel X2, particularly the price, but
itÕs too flimsy for year round UK use.
In a howling gale IÕd want to be inside the Trig-1, but then, IÕd
probably stay at home. Of the
three IÕve tested, the Rainbow-1 from Tarptent will probably become my
regular solo backpacking tent.
ItÕs so light, two of us will cram into it for several mountain
marathons this year, pushing it well past its design
specifications. Anyone contemplating a long backpacking trip should
consider this tent and its big brother, the two-person Double Rainbow, which
is even more versatile with doors on either side. With the pound strong against the dollar, itÕs a good time
to find a friend in the USA who can post you this as a ÒgiftÓ rather than
importing the product and paying tax. When buying any single skin tent, remember the
apparent space can be deceptive as you need more room to avoid brushing
against condensation on the walls.
In addition, I prefer to use a sleeping bag with a water repellant
coating, which adds a little weight but gives much greater protection to the
down inside. Liz and I used Rab
bags with a Pertex Endurance outer shell for five months on the Pacific Crest
Trail. Combined with the
prototype Tarptent, the sleeping-bags only became a little soggy after
several nights camped in heavy snow. |
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