After we started searching for the perfect ultralight fastpacking shelters, we discovered straight away that shelter preferences are very like pie preferences. Rhubarb, cherry, or key lime? Nobody can agree. A few of us at iRunFar are completely satisfied underneath easy and versatile flat tarps whereas others are solely snug when encapsulated in a totally enclosed tent. A few of us fastpack with working poles, which can be utilized to pitch non-freestanding shelters. Others don’t fastpack with working poles and want an ultralight tent with a devoted pole set. However one factor is for sure, there are high quality contenders in every of those classes of shelters, and we needed to search out them.
We examined each single-person and two-person shelters for this information. We additionally examined easy tarps, single-wall tents, and modular, double-wall tents composed of each an inside mesh tent and a fly. A few of the single-occupant tarps we examined are massive sufficient to accommodate a accomplice. If a one-person ultralight tarp is massive sufficient for 2, we word it within the evaluate.
To accommodate varied shelter preferences, we researched over 50 ultralight tents and tarps and examined 14 of them in Silverton, Colorado, the Uinta and Wasatch Mountains of Northern Utah, and in varied areas all through the Colorado Plateau. Unsurprisingly, no single shelter was top-ranked by all of our testers, however 11 of them stood out as being gentle, stormworthy, versatile, and sturdy sufficient to go well with a wide range of fastpackers with varied wants.
Under are our favourite fastpacking shelters of 2022. For extra background data, see our shopping for recommendation, testing methodology, and often requested questions under the picks.
Be certain to take a look at our greatest fastpacks information, ultralight sleeping pads information, and ultralight sleeping baggage information as effectively!
Use these hyperlinks to skip shortly to the sorts of shelters you’d prefer to study extra about:
The Mountain Laurel Designs SoloMid XL was a strong shelter throughout a spring squall at 11,000 toes in Colorado. Photograph: iRunFar/Eszter Horanyi
Finest Double-Wall Trekking Pole-Supported Tents
The Mountain Laurel Designs SoloMid XL is our favourite one-person, double-wall fastpacking shelter as a result of it’s gentle, simple to pitch, super-durable, stormworthy, and supremely versatile, accommodating each solo and partnered fastpacking journeys. It has additionally stood the take a look at of time, with one among our testers spending greater than 120 nights in it with out situation.
The tarp itself weighs 16 ounces, and with sealed seams and lengthy guylines, it’s nonetheless solely 18.2 ounces. With the inside, this shelter turns into a totally enclosed tent weighing 30.1 ounces with out stakes. It pitches with 4 stakes, however 9 are beneficial for a sturdy pitch. With 9 stakes, the entire bundle weighs simply over two kilos.
One of many very best issues about this ultralight tent is its rectangular base. The fly could be pitched simply and shortly with solely 4 stakes so to get out of the rain earlier than organising your sleeping space. This isn’t attainable with most freestanding tents with a devoted pole, which implies the shelter comes with its personal pole or poles quite than requiring using a trekking pole.
To pitch the tent shortly, merely stake out every of the 4 corners ensuring that every one is at a proper angle to its neighbors. Then insert the deal with of your trekking pole into the apex of the tent and prolong the pole. This entire course of can take as little as 60 seconds, no joke. This issues when these afternoon thunderstorms roll in and it is advisable to get out of the rain ASAP. The oblong form additionally tensions the perimeter, making this shelter very secure in wind. As soon as located and heat, you possibly can add extra stakes and enhance the pitch if want be.
Whereas not as gentle because the Zpacks Hexamid Pocket Tarp with Doorways, the lightest shelter on our record, this tent supplies all-sided safety and sufficient area for 2 folks with out the inside at a really cheap weight. Not like many flat and formed tarps on this record, this tent can pitch all the best way to the bottom with out sacrificing very a lot inner quantity.
For such a spacious shelter, this tent packs down very small, about 4 x 14 inches for the tarp, inside, and 9 stakes, however it can squish down a lot smaller than that in your pack.
The 20-denier silnylon that Mountain Laurel Designs makes use of for this shelter sags much less when moist and appears to stay waterproof longer than different silicone- and polyurethane (PU)-coated sil/PU) materials we’ve examined. The high-grade silicone coating does have a tendency to draw sand, nonetheless, so bear in mind that the shelter will want substantial cleansing after a visit via canyon nation. The zipper on this tent is a really burly #8, the most important and most sturdy zipper of any on our record.
The one actual bummer about this shelter is that it’s expensive — $275 for the tarp alone and $455 once you embrace the inside. The lead time can be lengthy, usually about six to eight weeks, so plan forward if you wish to add the Mountain Laurel Designs SoloMid XL Tent to your package.
Kind: Double-wall pyramid tent
Marketed Weight: 16 ounces (454g) tarp solely with out seam sealing and guylines, 11 ounces (312g) inside solely, 27 ounces (765g) full tent earlier than seam sealing and guylines
Precise Weight: 18.2 ounces (516g) tarp solely with seam sealing with guylines, 11.9 ounces (339g) inside solely, 30.1 ounces (855g) full tent
Packed Measurement: 4 x 14 inches (10 x 35cm) full tent
Professionals:
- Versatile and can be utilized as tarp or tent
- Sturdy supplies
- Massive #8 zipper
- Double-wall helps with condensation
- Roomy and sleep one or two
Cons:
Store the Mountain Laurel Designs SoloMid XL
The Durston X-Mid 2 is without doubt one of the most hyped merchandise within the ultralight backpacking world, and it lives as much as, and possibly even surpasses, that hype. This spectacular shelter is a double-walled, modular, two-person, two-door, trekking pole-supported tent.
One in every of our testers has used this ultralight tent as his main two-person fastpacking shelter for a couple of yr and a half and has nothing however good issues to say about it. It’s large, stormworthy, snug, cheap, and sturdy.
One in every of his favourite attributes is its rectangular base. With solely 4 stakes, you possibly can pitch this tent on nearly any terrain. The oblong base doesn’t simply make pitching simple, it additionally tensions your complete perimeter, creating an extremely sturdy construction. As soon as pitched with 4 stakes, you possibly can throw your pack inside to get it out of the rain earlier than including further stakes or organising your sleeping space. And talking of rain, as a result of this tent is constructed from a sil/PU polyester, it doesn’t stretch or sag when moist.
Whereas 37.4 ounces might sound like quite a bit for a fastpacking tent, it supplies plenty of area for the burden. The X-Mid 2 has two doorways, every with an enormous vestibule, so every particular person can arrange and handle their very own gear with out bothering the opposite. The tent can be tall sufficient for each occupants to sit down up with out scraping the roof.
Plus, as a result of this can be a double-walled modular tent, you don’t must take the inside if bugs aren’t going to be a problem. The fly alone is simply 22.2 ounces and sleeps as much as three folks comfortably. It additionally serves as a celebration tent for as much as seven, as we found one snowy afternoon within the San Juan Mountains of Colorado.
Kind: Two-pole, double-wall pyramid tent
Marketed Weight: 35.4 ounces (1kg)
Precise Weight: 37.4 ounces (1.06kg) total tent, 22.2 ounces (629.4g) fly solely
Packed Measurement: 6.5 x 12 inches (17 x 30cm)
Professionals:
- Versatile and can be utilized as a tarp or tent
- Cheap
- Roomy and past snug for 2
- Can sleep as much as three with out inside
- Sil/PU polyester doesn’t sag when moist
Cons:
- Brief nook guylines must be changed with longer ones
- Heavy
Store the Durston X-Mid 2
The SlingFin SplitWing Shelter Bundle is a contemporary tackle the standard A-frame-shaped tarp pitched with two working poles. It’s a modular shelter that may be pitched tarp-only or with an inside to make it an entire tent. Two folks will match within the inside mesh physique in the event you don’t thoughts smashing collectively like sardines.
Distinctive on this class, the tarp has two small wings at its opening to deflect rain and snow. In a yard rain take a look at, we had been stunned by how effectively the tarp’s wings labored. Throughout three days of virtually fixed rain, the inside tent remained utterly dry. This was principally vertical rain although — if it was tremendous windy, you may need to add the vestibule beak to the tarp. The beak is a small triangle of cloth that attaches to the trekking pole deal with and clips on both facet of the doorway making a vestibule and growing the stormworthiness of the shelter considerably.
The guylines on this ultralight tent are absurdly quick and have solely about three inches of precise adjustability. On rocky terrain, they make it troublesome to discover a respectable place for a stake. We might suggest changing these guylines with longer ones — at the very least for the corners — so you possibly can pitch this tarp on variable surfaces.
Just like the Yama Mountain Gear Cirriform Tarp – Min, this shelter was most attention-grabbing to us as a easy tarp. It solely weighs 9 ounces, pitches taut and low to the bottom, and resists rain and wind fairly effectively. This tarp’s silnylon was much more immune to water absorption and sagging than every other nylon we encountered aside from the Mountain Laurel Designs SoloMid XL.
All in all, the SlingFin SplitWing Shelter Bundle is a high-quality, ultralight tent in want of a few tweaks. We’d prefer to see longer guylines and to see it rebranded as a one-person shelter or made bigger to suit two extra comfortably. As is, we’d suggest it as a one-person shelter that may accommodate two when sleeping consolation is way much less necessary than pack weight. For 2, it’s simply barely a step up from a bivvy.
Kind: Double-wall catenary-cut tent
Marketed Weight: 21 ounces for the whole bundle (224g)
Precise Weight: 9 ounces (256.2g) tarp solely, 11.5 ounces (326.1g) inside solely, 2.3 ounces (64.7g) beak solely, 22.8 ounces (647.5g) full bundle earlier than stakes
Packed Measurement: 4 x 7 inches (10.2 x 17.8cm) tarp solely, 5 x 11 inches (12.7 x 28cm) full bundle
Professionals:
- Gentle
- Lack of tarp zippers nice for desert use
- Excessive-quality silnylon
Cons:
- Very small for 2
- Brief unadjustable guylines
Store the SlingFin SplitWing Shelter Bundle
Finest Devoted Pole Tents
The Huge Agnes Fly Creek HV UL2 Answer Dye is the newest iteration of a tent that has been within the Huge Agnes lineup for a very long time. It’s a tried-and-true shelter. One in every of our testers reported that her seven-year-old model has carried out admirably via two multimonth New Zealand bikepacking journeys and lots of multiday fastpacking adventures in Colorado and remains to be going sturdy.
The HV on this newest model’s title stands for top quantity, and this tent is certainly roomier than older variations our testers bear in mind utilizing almost a decade in the past. The answer dye course of makes use of much less power and water than different Huge Agnes tent materials and leads to a extra UV-resistant materials.
This ultralight tent, with its devoted pole set, is a superb choice for fastpackers and ultralight backpackers who don’t carry working poles. For 2 medium-sized adults, this shelter is snug when sleeping however cramped when getting ready for mattress or getting dressed for the day. The one entrance entrance makes coming into and exiting a delicate process with a sleeping tent accomplice proper there. All that mentioned, the tent’s small measurement retains the burden low sufficient — 31.9 ounces — for it to qualify as a fastpacking shelter.
The 15-denier nylon material on this tent has been silicone coated on the surface and polyurethane (PU) coated on the within — referred to as sil/PU nylon for brief. As a result of it’s a low-denier material with a PU coating, it sags extra in rain than silnylon, the fabric on the SlingFin SplitWing Shelter Bundle. In our three-day yard rain take a look at, we noticed this tent sagging markedly greater than silnylon tarps and tents.
For essentially the most half, this tent’s main shortcoming — the sunshine and saggy material — is totally acceptable and comprehensible. We don’t assume it wants higher material, a greater general design, or higher poles. We do, nonetheless, want the guylines had been longer and adjustable. Brief, nonadjustable guylines are tolerable on tundra or in grassy meadows however not on sandy or rocky websites the place pitching is troublesome.
The quick non-adjustable guylines additionally make it troublesome to re-tension the tent within the rain when the fabric begins to sag. We discovered ourselves having to tug up stakes and pound them again in about three inches out from the unique stake areas. If this shelter had line tensioners and longer guylines, all you’d must do is re-tension every one in a fast, 20-second lap across the tent. In case you purchase this tent, change its guylines with longer ones and use a trucker’s hitch to re-tension the shelter throughout a storm.
Huge Agnes makes an enormous assortment of tents to go well with a wide range of wants, and we’re conscious that they make tents even lighter than this one, however the considerably larger worth and lowered sturdiness of those choices drove us to decide on this tent over them. The Huge Agnes Fly Creek HV UL2 Answer Dye made our record as a result of it’s gentle, cheap, compact for a hub and pole tent, stormworthy sufficient, and sturdy sufficient for use on fastpacking journeys the place climate uncertainty is ever-present.
Kind: Semi-freestanding, devoted pole tent
Marketed Weight: 31 ounces (879g)
Precise Weight: 31.9 ounces (904.2g)
Packed Measurement: 5 x 20 inches (12.7 x 50.8cm)
Professionals:
- Main producer
- A great choice for individuals who don’t use working poles
- Cheap worth
Cons:
- Small for 2
- Cumbersome to pack
- Brief, unadjustable (however replaceable) guylines
Store the Huge Agnes Fly Creek HV UL2 Answer Dye
The Tarptent Double Rainbow is without doubt one of the solely two-person, two-door, devoted pole tents within the two-pound vary that we might discover that was additionally priced fairly. The one-pole design saves weight however shouldn’t be freestanding. The one-wall design eliminates the mesh between the sleeping space and the fly, making it really feel gigantic inside. And since there are two doorways, you will get out of the tent to pee in the midst of the night time with out waking your tent accomplice.
Single-wall tents are typically much less stormworthy than double-wall tents as a result of there isn’t any mesh physique to catch condensation dripping from the fly. We discovered this to be considerably of a problem with this tent.
This shelter is constructed from a really high-quality 30-denier silnylon. For context, this material is about twice the thickness of the sil/PU nylon fly material on the Huge Agnes Fly Creek HV UL2 Answer Dye that we reviewed above and is that this tent’s main competitor on this record. This tent’s material doesn’t sag a lot when moist and is probably going fairly sturdy judging by the thickness.
People who don’t use working poles and who recognize the bug safety a totally enclosed tent affords might need to contemplate this shelter. Though this tent doesn’t require working poles for setup, it isn’t freestanding and requires cautious staking for a sturdy pitch. That mentioned, you may make this tent freestanding by clipping your trekking poles to the bottom of the tent on the head and foot the place the only pole terminates. We recognize this function for pitching on rocky terrain the place it’s troublesome to drive stakes into the bottom. This may make the tent considerably sturdier, however you’ll nonetheless need to stake it out.
Kind: Devoted pole tent
Marketed Weight: 35.8 ounces (1.01kg)
Precise Weight: 37 ounces (1.05kg)
Packed Measurement: 12 x 6.5 inches (30 x 17cm)
Professionals:
- Cheap
- Two doorways imply you gained’t hassle your tent accomplice
- Excessive-quality silnylon
- Don’t want working poles to arrange
Cons:
- Single wall not nice for condensation
Store the Tarptent Double Rainbow
Finest Tarps
The Yama Mountain Gear 1P Cirriform Tarp – Min is essentially the most refined tackle the standard A-frame, two-trekking-pole, formed tarp that we have now ever seen. It’s constructed from high-quality recycled silpoly, pitches taut and low to the bottom, and appears good in addition.
When organising this ultralight tarp on a very rocky campsite within the San Juans of Colorado, we appreciated the lengthy guylines as a result of they allowed us to look a big radius for soil into which we might drive stakes. Shorter guylines, like these on the Tarptent Preamble — which was arrange beside the Min that night time in Colorado — made pitching tougher on the rocky terrain. We predict fastpacking tarps ought to have lengthy guylines as a result of we by no means know the place we’re going to finish up for the night time: sand, slickrock, snow, or tundra, and we would like our tarp to have the ability to adapt to any of those surfaces.
This shelter’s catenary curves give it an aesthetically interesting form, making it one of many best-looking shelters of your complete bunch. However they do greater than that: these curves additionally make for a decent pitch. As a result of this tarp pitches tremendous taut and low to the bottom, it performs beautifully within the wind — assuming you’ve obtained it well-staked.
In a yard rain take a look at, the silpoly material on this tarp absorbed much less water and sagged lower than different shelters constructed from silnylon, or sil/PU materials. We left it out for 3 days in a near-constant deluge and it didn’t droop or sag in any observable method.
This tarp could be very gentle at 13.1 ounces and packs down smaller than your rain jacket. We additionally recognize that this tarp units up the identical method each single time, as a result of on the finish of a 30-mile day, you might not need to take into consideration the way you’re going to pitch your flat tarp. The 1P Cirriform Tarp – Min may also be paired with a bivvy such because the SOL Escape Bivvy or one among Yama’s bug bivvies to make a roughly 24-ounce shelter together with stakes.
Kind: Formed tarp
Marketed Weight: 13.1 ounces (371g)
Precise Weight: 13.1 ounces (371g)
Packed Measurement: 3 x 6 inches (7.6 x 15.2cm)
Professionals:
- Very gentle
- Low profile good in wind
- Lengthy guylines make pitching in variable terrain simple
- Material doesn’t sag when moist
Cons:
Store the Yama Mountain Gear 1P Cirriform Tarp – Min
At 6.1 ounces, the Zpacks Hexamid Pocket Tarp with Doorways is the lightest fastpacking shelter on our record. It’s our suggestion for fastpacking in arid environments the place we cowboy camp 90% of the time however need to carry a shelter in case of climate. One in every of our testers makes use of it as his main fastpacking shelter within the Colorado Plateau area the place rainfall is rare and storms are short-lived once they do happen. In these environments — the place shelter use is unlikely — it is smart to hold essentially the most minimal shelter attainable.
To make this shelter much more versatile, we prefer to pair it with the Borah Gear Ultralight Bivy. This fashion, we are able to cowboy camp most nights within the bivvy, solely organising the tarp when there’s an opportunity of precipitation.
Our greatest situation with this ultralight tarp is its size. It’s marketed as being 102 inches lengthy, however that’s solely true of the entrance fringe of the tarp, whereas the again edge is 94 inches. This begins to really feel small once you’re ready out an all-night storm. One in every of our taller testers discovered himself tucking right into a ball to maintain the foot finish of his sleeping bag dry. Shorter folks should not have any situation with the size of this shelter.
Though $350 is some huge cash for a floorless tarp with no bug safety, it might be value it for fastpackers prioritizing a light-weight pack. In case you just like the feathery weight of the Zpacks Hexamid Pocket Tarp with Doorways however need the safety of a totally enclosed tent, check out the Zpacks Plex Solo Tent.
Kind: Pyramid tarp
Marketed Weight: 6.1 ounces (173g)
Precise Weight: 5.3 ounces (151g)
Packed Measurement: 3.5 x 6 inches (8.9 x 15.2cm)
Professionals:
- Very gentle
- Lack of zippers nice for desert use
Cons:
Store the Zpacks Hexamid Pocket Tarp with Doorways
We initially needed to check the Paria Out of doors Merchandise Sanctuary SilTarp as a result of it was the most affordable flat tarp we might discover that gave the impression to be constructed with high quality supplies. We figured that even when it wasn’t the best performing shelter on the record, its worth might warrant its inclusion. We weren’t improper.
This ultralight tarp is constructed out of 30-denier sil/PU nylon for sturdiness and reasonably low weight. With all guylines hooked up however with out stakes, our 8 x 10-foot tarp weighs 19.5 ounces. This isn’t gentle in comparison with a number of different tarps on this record, however once more, the worth may justify the burden. A few of the additional weight comes from the tarp being a bit of overbuilt — there are a complete of 16 ¾-inch webbing loops across the perimeter. That is nice for versatility, but it surely does add up.
This shelter is massive sufficient at 8 x 10 toes to suit two adults comfortably. It pitches with two working poles of any size however may also be arrange in different methods. This tarp could possibly be a good selection for fastpacking journeys via piñon and juniper woodlands the place there’s usually an choice to string it between bushes, creating a cushty and sheltered campsite for ready out these desert monsoons.
Kind: Flat tarp
Marketed Weight: 15.5 ounces (440g)
Precise Weight: 19.5 ounces (553g)
Packed Measurement: 4 x 10 inches (10 x 25cm)
Professionals:
- Versatile and could be pitched in lots of configurations
- Sturdy supplies
- Cheap
Cons:
- Material absorbs water
- Material coating appears much less sturdy than some others
- Heavy
Store the Paria Out of doors Merchandise Sanctuary SilTarp
Probably the greatest methods to decrease your pack weight is to verify particular person objects have a number of makes use of. Use your sleeping bag’s stuff sack as a pillow. Use your trowel as a spork. Properly, possibly not that one. The Six Moon Designs Gatewood Cape is a rain poncho and tarp in a single, saving each weight and bulk over the standard setup of getting each a rain jacket and a shelter. However does it work?
The reply is sure, however with some compromises. This ultralight tarp excels in particular use eventualities however shouldn’t be proper for all conditions. One in every of our testers chooses it for on-trail ultra-minimalist journeys with a promising forecast. She discovered it to maintain her dry in each shelter and poncho kind. It additionally units up together with her most popular mountain climbing pole size of 110 to 115 centimeters and is simple to pitch when you get the cling of it.
One other tester agreed however added a few issues. He famous that as a shelter, it doesn’t pitch taut and tends to collapse considerably with the wind. Due to this fact, he wouldn’t select it for journeys with a stormy-looking forecast. As a poncho, he did discover it to successfully shield him from rain. Each testers mentioned they might not suggest this poncho-tarp for off-trail use as a result of it, like all ponchos, might get snagged when bushwhacking.
After weighing this shelter’s execs and cons, we finally determined that it deserved to make the record due to its worth. The nascent fastpacker who has neither rain jacket nor tarp however wants each to embark on their initiatory journey might select the Six Moon Designs Gatewood Cape attributable to its cheap worth level of $155.
Kind: Pyramid-style tarp
Marketed Weight: 11 ounces (311.8g)
Precise Weight: 10.2 ounces (289.9g)
Packed Measurement: 3 x 6 inches (7.6 x 15.2cm)
Professionals:
- Gentle
- Multi-use
- Cheap
- Easy
Cons:
- Floppy pitch
- Awkward for working
- Not ultimate for bushwhacking
Store the Six Moon Designs Gatewood Cape
If somebody requested you to attract a tent in 10 seconds, you’d in all probability scrawl one thing just like the Tarptent Preamble throughout your development paper. This tent is interesting partially as a result of it’s blatantly non-revolutionary, proving that gear doesn’t must be fancy and costly to work. Certainly, this tent is solely a barely improved reboot of Henry Shire’s very first Tarptent, full with the retro purple colour he initially used.
Basically, this tent is a floorless shelter that provides bug safety. It’s tapered from head to foot and has a catenary-cut ridge for a taut pitch. It has bug netting sewn across the perimeter and over each the top and foot openings. The netting zips closed alongside one fringe of the top of the tarp. The pinnacle of the tarp additionally encompasses a strong door, a triangle of cloth that creates a vertical panel, however no vestibule, when closed.
The material is 20-denier silpoly, a fabric you’ll in all probability be seeing increasingly more usually on shelters as a result of it’s gentle, cheap, doesn’t sag within the chilly or rain, and could be constructed from recycled polyester. After hours of rain, sleet, and snow, it didn’t sag in any respect, so we didn’t must re-tension guylines in the midst of the night time. The material can be tremendous compressible. This tarp, with eight stakes and guylines, packs right down to concerning the measurement of a giant burrito.
As a result of there’s no flooring, we’d suggest utilizing some kind of floor sheet to stop punctures when utilizing an inflatable pad. The extra weight of the groundsheet shall be value it for most individuals. With a big piece of polycro for a groundsheet, this shelter nonetheless is available in underneath 24 ounces together with stakes.
We had been initially enamored with the simplicity of this tent, but it surely finally didn’t rating very excessive on our record for just a few causes. Whereas the inside flooring area of this shelter is roomy for one, the headroom is poor. If you wish to sit up in your shelter, don’t purchase this one. And with two folks inside, gear tends emigrate to the perimeters the place it’s vulnerable to drifting out of the tent and getting moist. The sunshine and floppy material that closes off the foot finish of the shelter appeared ill-designed to us and tended to float inwards with wind.
Known as “the Mannequin A of tents” by one among our testers, this design has been surpassed many occasions over by better-engineered shelters. Nevertheless it might nonetheless have its place as a result of higher-performing shelters price much more. This tent is smart for our record as a result of it’s a light-weight, compressible shelter with bug safety. The Tarptent Preamble impressively affords this stuff for under $200.
Kind: Single-wall tarp/tent
Marketed Weight: 18.1 ounces (513g)
Precise Weight: 18.9 ounces (536g)
Packed Measurement: 4 x 10 inches (10 x 25cm)
Professionals:
Cons:
- Small #3 zippers susceptible to failure
- Floppy, billowing foot space
- Low headroom
Store the Tarptent Preamble
Finest Bivvy
The SOL Escape Bivvy is a specialised instrument for fastpacking journeys with a light forecast or when sleep isn’t actually on the menu anyway. It weighs 8.6 ounces and packs right down to concerning the measurement of a grapefruit.
This bivvy doesn’t present the identical kind of storm safety as a tarp or tent. Our group takes this bivvy on journeys with an emphasis on protecting floor, not sleeping. After we tuck into this bivvy on the finish of an extended day, we attempt to discover sheltered campsites, reminiscent of under the bows of a large fir tree, or underneath an overhanging rock. Good campsite choice will improve the stormworthiness of this shelter. A few of us additionally like to make use of it together with a tarp if we all know the climate goes to be gnarly.
This bivvy shouldn’t be as gentle as SOL’s zipperless model, however our testers discovered the latter troublesome to wiggle out and in of, so we want this heavier zippered model. Even this one is tight inside, however a smaller or medium-sized particular person can match a sleeping pad, bag, and themselves in there when wanted. Due partially to the reflective liner materials, this bivvy additionally provides important heat to a sleep system. Condensation can happen contained in the bivvy, particularly across the toes, although we frequently discover it to be frozen condensation, which isn’t almost as dangerous as a drenched sleeping bag. Our group has additionally discovered this bivvy to be fairly sturdy as a few of us have had ours for years with no points.
Lastly, we are able to’t overstate how superior the SOL Bivvy’s worth level is. $63 is past cheap for a bivvy that may final a very long time and maintain you secure in your most minimalist in a single day journeys.
Kind: Bivvy
Marketed Weight: 8.5 ounces (241g)
Precise Weight: 8.6 ounces (243.1g)
Packed Measurement: 3.5 x 6.5 inches (8.9 x 16.5cm)
Professionals:
- Cheap
- Available
- Gentle
- Packs small
Cons:
- Condensation
- Specialised instrument/restricted use instances
Store the SOL Escape Bivvy
Fastpacking Tent and Tarp Material Glossary
Discuss with this glossary for extra data on a shelter’s material.
Siliconized nylon (silnylon): Nylon material coated on either side with silicone.
- Low water absorption
- Excessive tear energy
- Extremely waterproof
Silicone-coated polyester (silpoly): Polyester material coated on either side with silicone.
- Virtually zero water absorption
- Extremely waterproof
- Could be product of recycled polyester
Silicone and polyurethane-coated nylon (sil/PU nylon): Nylon material coated on the face with silicone and coated inside with polyurethane.
- Cheap
- Could be seam taped
Silicone and polyurethane-coated polyester (sil/PU poly): Polyester material coated on the face with silicone and coated inside with polyurethane.
- Cheap
- Could be seam taped
- Could be product of recycled polyester
Dyneema Composite Material (DCF): A non-woven material consisting of a lattice of ultra-high-molecular-weight-polyethylene (UHMWPE) fibers laminated between two sheets of polyester.
- Extraordinarily excessive tear energy
- Very waterproof
- Very gentle
Writer Ben Kilbourne sleeps within the SlingFin SplitWing Shelter Bundle within the Wasatch Mountains of Utah. Photograph: iRunFar/Ben Kilbourne
Utilizing the Tarptent Double Rainbow within the Utah desert. Photograph: iRunFar/Ben Kilbourne
Purchaser’s Information: How you can Select a Fastpacking Tent or Tarp
Forms of Shelters
There are three primary classes of shelters: freestanding shelters, non-freestanding shelters, and bivvies. Throughout the non-freestanding class, there are 4 primary varieties of shelters: flat tarps, catenary-cut tarps, single-wall tarp tents, and double-wall tents. A few of the shelters in our record can be utilized both as tarps or tents, which we’ll clarify under.
Devoted Pole
Freestanding, devoted pole set shelters require no staking for setup, though even freestanding shelters MUST be staked to be used in inclement climate. These shelters make the most of an included, devoted pole set to make them freestanding. The Huge Agnes Fly Creek HV UL2 Answer Dye is the closest factor we have now to a freestanding shelter, however even it requires staking out the foot finish to completely prolong the fly.
Trekking Pole Supported
A lot of the shelters on our record are non-freestanding, requiring trekking poles and stakes for setup. A trekking pole-supported shelter such because the Mountain Laurel Designs SoloMid XL, which we reviewed above, is usually lighter and packs a lot smaller than a freestanding tent with a devoted pole set.
Tarp
A tarp is a floorless shelter, normally supported by trekking poles or strung between bushes.
The Tarptent Preamble weathered nights testing in damp spring climate fairly effectively. Photograph: iRunFar/Ben Kilbourne
Flat Tarps
Flat tarps are rectangular or sq. and could be pitched in many various configurations. They’re tremendous versatile and lightweight. In addition they take a little bit of apply to grasp organising. The Paria Out of doors Merchandise Sanctuary SilTarp, which we reviewed above, is an instance of a flat tarp.
Formed Tarps
A formed tarp is constructed with a curved or catenary-cut ridgeline and edges to make the pitch very tight. These tarps are inclined to flap much less within the wind than flat tarps. Folks normally select formed tarps over flat tarps for wind efficiency. The Yama Mountain Gear 1P Cirriform Tarp – Min, which we reviewed above, is an instance of a formed tarp.
Tents
Tents are absolutely enclosed shelters, which means they include a tarp or fly, bug netting, and a flooring. They provide extra safety from climate and bugs than ultralight tarps do. Tents could be both freestanding just like the Huge Agnes Fly Creek HV UL2 Answer Dye, which we reviewed above, or non-freestanding just like the SlingFin SplitWing Shelter Bundle. Tents may also be both single-wall or double-wall, which we’ll clarify under.
Single-Wall Tents
Single-wall tents, typically referred to as tarp tents, such because the Tarptent Double Rainbow we reviewed above, are a single layer. Tarps are additionally a single layer, however they don’t embrace the bug netting or flooring. With single-wall tents, the bug netting is sewn to the fly and the ground to save lots of weight. These tent designs can typically endure from condensation points.
Having fun with the Mountain Laurel Designs SoloMid XL in Utah’s Wasatch Mountains. Photograph: iRunFar/Ben Kilbourne
Double-Wall Tents
Double-wall tents, just like the Durston X-Mid 2, which we reviewed above, include two separate items: a fly or tarp, and an inside tent that has bug netting and a flooring. You too can take into consideration many double-wall tents as modular tents as a result of both a part of the tent, the fly or the inside, could be pitched individually.
The primary profit to double-wall tents, apart from modularity, is their elevated climate efficiency over different varieties of tarps or tents. The ground supplies safety from the moist floor, the tub partitions on the ground shield the sleeping space from spindrift and splashing rain, and the mesh tent physique protects the sleeping space from condensation.
As moisture accumulates on the within of the tarp and drips off, it can land on the mesh quite than your sleeping bag, rolling down the surface of the tent inside towards the bottom. This may assist maintain your sleeping bag dry. It’s value noting that you could possibly expertise condensation each in a moist meadow underneath a transparent sky and when it’s dumping rain. In each conditions, a double-wall tent will outperform a single-wall tent.
Material
Whereas the material on each one of many shelters on our record is completely different, we are able to slim them down into 5 classes: siliconized nylon (silnylon), silicone-coated polyester (silpoly), silicone- and polyurethane-coated nylon (sil/PU nylon), silicone- and polyurethane-coated polyester (sil/PU poly), and Dyneema composite material (DCF).
The Mountain Laurel Designs SoloMid XL is an instance of a tent constructed from silnylon. This 20-denier material is coated on either side with silicone. It’s a long-lasting, very waterproof material with excessive tear energy and low sag. The one actual draw back of this material is that it can’t be taped and due to this fact the seams must be sealed by hand utilizing Gear Support Silnet Silicone Seam Sealer. Most producers provide a seam-sealing service.
The nylon material on the Huge Agnes Fly Creek HV UL2 Answer Dye can be silicone coated, however solely on the surface. The within of the material has a polyurethane coating so the seams could be taped. This material is known as a Sil/PU nylon. The PU coating decreases the tear energy and will increase the sag compared with a totally silicone-coated nylon. One of many advantages of PU is that it attracts much less sand than absolutely silicone-coated nylons, making it a good selection for desert outings.
Nevada’s Ruby Mountains are good proving grounds for the Huge Agnes Fly Creek HV UL 2 Answer Dye. Photograph: iRunFar/Ben Kilbourne
It’s broadly agreed upon that polyester has barely decrease tear energy than nylon, however how a lot decrease is up for debate. Moreover, the tear energy of nylon might drop when it’s saturated with water. However right here’s the place polyester actually shines: it doesn’t soak up water to the identical diploma that nylon does. Which means it gained’t sag when moist and it’ll not be as heavy in your pack as saturated nylon could be after an evening of rain. The Yama Mountain Gear 1P Cirriform Tarp – Min is an instance of a shelter constructed from polyester that has been coated with silicone on either side. This shelter’s material can be product of recycled supplies, one thing very troublesome to perform with nylon.
The Durston X-Mid 2 is constructed from polyester with a silicone coating on the surface and a skinny polyurethane coating on the within. This sil/PU materials has little or no sag, in our expertise. It’s additionally cheap, so it helps maintain the worth down on this tent.
DCF, or Dyneema Composite Material, is a non-woven material consisting of a lattice of ultra-high-molecular-weight-polyethylene (UHMWPE) fibers laminated between two sheets of polyester. The one tent on our record constructed from DCF is the Zpacks Hexamid Pocket Tarp with Doorways. There are a lot of wonderful DCF shelters on the market, however within the curiosity of constructing fastpacking extra accessible to extra folks, we have now left these expensive shelters off the record. DCF is lighter than the opposite materials on this record, has an astonishingly excessive tear energy, and doesn’t soak up water. There’s some proof exhibiting that DCF doesn’t final fairly so long as high-grade silnylons.
The Six Moon Designs Gatewood Cape is examined in shelter mode within the Uinta Mountains of Utah. Photograph: iRunFar/Ben Kilbourne
Denier
Denier is a tough estimate of the thickness of a person thread in a material. Tents and tarps on this record have materials that vary from 10 to 30 denier. Increased denier materials are typically stronger than decrease denier materials, and decrease denier materials are lighter. The development and coatings of a material make a distinction as effectively. The ten-denier silnylon on the SlingFin SplitWing Shelter Bundle, for instance, absorbed much less water and sagged lower than the 10-denier sil/PU nylon discovered on the Gossamer Gear Twin Tarp, which didn’t make the record due to the comparatively poor material efficiency. In different phrases, it’s necessary to know the denier of a shelter material, but it surely doesn’t let you know all the pieces.
Hydrostatic Head
The waterproofness of a material is measured utilizing the hydrostatic head take a look at. This take a look at measures how a lot water stress a fabric can deal with earlier than moisture begins to seep via. Materials on this purchaser’s information vary between 1,200 millimeters (Huge Agnes Fly Creek HV UL2 Answer Dye) and three,500-plus millimeters (Mountain Laurel Designs SoloMid XL). The upper the quantity, the extra waterproof a material shall be.
Guyline Size
Our most popular guyline size for many shelters’ corners is at the very least 12 inches, and ideally 24 inches. Whereas line tensioners are ultimate, not each shelter on our record has them, and that’s effective if the guylines are lengthy sufficient to tie a clove hitch or trucker’s hitch to pressure them.
Why You Ought to Belief Us
The iRunFar group has been fastpacking for over a decade, and we have now watched the journey area of interest develop. What began off as two separate endeavors — ultralight backpacking and journey working — have now merged into one, fastpacking. Due to the overlap in gear wants, fastpackers have been utilizing ultralight backpacking shelters for the reason that sport’s inception.
To develop this record, we thought of over 50 shelters and examined 14 of them in Silverton, Colorado, the Uinta and Wasatch Mountains of Northern Utah, and in varied areas all through the Colorado Plateau. Some shelters had been in our group members’ quivers for greater than 5 years whereas others had been new to all of us. Completely different customers with completely different wants tried every shelter to make sure that we weren’t overlooking any shelter’s blatant flaws or sudden boons.
To nobody’s shock, no single shelter carried out completely underneath all circumstances, however 9 of them stood out as being gentle, stormworthy, versatile, and sturdy sufficient to go well with a wide range of fastpackers with differing wants.
The iRunFar group took refuge within the Durston X-Mid 2 to attend out a spring snowstorm, and located it match us all simply effective. Photograph: iRunFar/Meghan Hicks
Ceaselessly Requested Questions About Fastpacking Tents and Tarps
What’s fastpacking?
Fastpacking is actually the mix of ultralight backpacking and journey working. Need to make the most of your total weekend by linking two 30-mile runs with an evening out underneath the celebs? Fastpacking. Need to push your self to do a 100-mile thru-hike in solely three days? Fastpacking.
When fastpacking, you are taking absolutely the minimal tools you’d want to securely spend the night time within the wilderness, after which hit the path. Run a bit of, hike a bit of, cease to hone your newbie naturalist abilities, after which run and hike once more. With a pack within the 15-pound vary, working usually isn’t very practical, particularly when shifting over tough terrain. But when you will get your pack weight low sufficient — and hopefully, the shelters on this record will assist — you possibly can have a little bit of a pep in your step on the flats and when cruising downhill.
Spring testing with the Zpacks Hexamid Pocket Tarp with Doorways in Colorado means snow! Photograph: iRunFar/Eszter Horanyi
Do I would like a shelter for fastpacking?
We don’t suggest that you simply embark on a fastpacking journey and not using a shelter as a result of we imagine some safety from rain, sleet, or snow is obligatory for security. At a really minimal, carry a small pyramid tarp such because the Zpacks Hexamid Pocket Tarp with Doorways, or a bivvy such because the SOL Escape Bivvy. This stuff, which we reviewed above, are tiny and lightweight and can assist maintain you secure if the climate turns moist.
Do I would like bug safety?
Properly, typically. All through a lot of the yr, roughly August via April, bug safety shouldn’t be vital on the Colorado Plateau the place a lot of our testers reside and play. Early-season and late-season alpine zones are additionally usually bug-free. For that reason, many people right here at iRunFar don’t use absolutely enclosed tents a lot of the time, opting as a substitute for flat and catenary-cut tarps.
After all, your native playground could possibly be completely different. Relying on the place you reside, ticks, scorpions, sand flies, and mosquitoes could be almost fixed issues.
So, in the event you fastpack principally via the tick-infested Appalachians or the mosquito-infested Wind River Mountains in July, deliver a shelter with bug netting. A number of tents on our record will shield you from creepy crawlies. The Mountain Laurel Designs SoloMid XL, the Durston X-Mid 2, the SlingFin SplitWing Shelter Bundle, the Tarptent Preamble, and the Huge Agnes Fly Creek HV UL2 Answer Dye will all protect you from biting and stinging bugs.
Testing the Mountain Laurel Designs SoloMid XL on a cold spring morning in Colorado. Photograph: iRunFar/Eszter Horanyi
Ought to my shelter have a flooring?
That relies upon. Tent flooring shield you from the moist floor and your inflatable pad from sharp rocks and particles. These are protections you won’t at all times want. In case you camp principally in bug-free, arid landscapes such because the canyon nation of the Colorado Plateau in autumn, you might not want a shelter with a flooring. And in the event you use a foam pad as a substitute of an inflatable, there’s nothing to puncture.
How gentle ought to my shelter be for fastpacking?
As with each different merchandise in your tiny fastpacking backpack, the lighter the higher. A lighter shelter will scale back your general pack weight, permitting you to maneuver quicker on the path. However lighter weight can translate to lowered sturdiness or decreased storm safety in some instances. Remember to ask your self in case your shelter is “stupid-light” contemplating the climate circumstances you could possibly encounter in your fastpacking journey.
Nobody at iRunFar would take the SOL Escape Bivvy on a weeklong jaunt via the Weminuche Wilderness of Colorado, for instance. These mountains are unpredictable, so, on this case, we’d fortunately take the burden penalty of a totally enclosed tent in trade for some storm safety, sturdiness, bug safety, and peace of thoughts.
Utilizing SOL Escape Bivvies for a fast in a single day within the alpine of Colorado. Photograph: iRunFar/Meghan Hicks
Are bivvies pretty much as good as tents? When would I exploit a bivvy?
Bivvies don’t provide as a lot climate safety as ultralight tarps or tents, however they’ve their place. Their main appeals are their low weight and ease of use. If you cease for the night time, simply throw it on the bottom, climb in, and fall asleep. Their main downsides are their low consolation and susceptibility to condensation, and thus a moist sleeping bag. Our testers prefer to take bivvies on journeys when there’s a non-threatening forecast.
As a result of bivvies could be gentle, we additionally like to make use of them when sleep is a decrease precedence than shifting quick via area. For these causes, we selected the SOL Escape Bivvy for our record. It’s gentle, cheap, and can shield you from climate once you want it. It’s a specialty instrument, and most of us at iRunFar want tarps or tents for 95% of journeys.
I don’t use working poles, however I nonetheless need a double-walled pyramid tent. What ought to I do?
In case you don’t use working poles however you continue to need a double-walled trekking pole-supported tent, you aren’t out of luck. You possibly can nonetheless expertise the fun of a pyramid tent such because the Mountain Laurel Designs SoloMid XL by buying it with this carbon fiber pole. This may add three ounces to the shelter for a complete weight of 33 ounces with out stakes.
The Tarptent Preamble (proper) and Yama Mountain Gear Cirriform Tarp – Min (again and left) after a brief spring snowstorm in Colorado. Photograph: iRunFar/Eszter Horanyi
However why, you may ask, would anybody select this pyramid over a devoted pole, semi-freestanding tent such because the Huge Agnes Fly Creek HV UL2 Answer Dye, which weighs solely 31.9 ounces earlier than stakes? The quick reply is that most individuals wouldn’t. Devoted pole tents are easy and largely foolproof. However the SoloMid XL could be arrange tarp-first in a downpour, which retains your sleeping space from getting moist. It’s additionally constructed from larger high quality silnylon, which is stronger and sags much less within the rain than Huge Agnes’ sil/PU nylon.
The SoloMid XL can be simply roomy with almost half of it a vestibule. In the end, there’s no proper reply. Some folks will want trekking pole-supported pyramid tents, and a few will want devoted pole tents. Even in the event you don’t use working poles, you should use both sort of tent.
Is Dyneema Composite Material definitely worth the cash?
Dyneema Composite Material (DCF) is lighter and has higher tear energy than the silnylons or silpolys discovered on this record. It additionally doesn’t soak up water, so you possibly can shake a lot of it off earlier than stuffing the DCF shelter again into your pack. These are worthy attributes and can understandably push many to decide on DCF shelters. However DCF could be very costly, and that is the first motive we solely have one DCF shelter on our total record. We need to make as many objects as attainable accessible to fastpackers of all earnings brackets.
We’ve got additionally discovered that the majority DCF shelters thrash within the wind whereas nylon or polyester shelters have some give to them. Which means the guylines on a DCF shelter shall be underneath immense stress. Stakes on DCF shelters are thus extra more likely to pull out of the bottom than stakes on nylon or polyester shelters. This pressure can also trigger DCF to deform, particularly across the hem and on the corners the place stress is biggest. Ultimately, it turns into troublesome to get a very good pitch on a DCF shelter.
A few of our testers have noticed that zippers on DCF shelters don’t final so long as zippers on nylon or polyester shelters. That is due, almost definitely, to the rigid nature of DCF which places pressure on the zipper slider. The excessive pressure grinds sand into the metallic slider, carrying it out shortly. Happily, it’s simple to exchange zipper sliders.
What sort of working poles do I would like for these shelters?
Most non-freestanding shelters on this record use poles starting from about 110 to 140 centimeters, with the perfect size being about 125 centimeters. It’s best to make use of adjustable three-piece or two-piece poles, as they’ll let you get a decent pitch, however mounted poles can be utilized as effectively.
In case your working poles are too quick on your most popular shelter, you possibly can add these carbon pole jacks to succeed in the shelter’s ultimate pole top. Some taller tents even include jacks. It’s additionally attainable to lash two fixed-length trekking poles along with a little bit of paracord or two Voile Straps to realize a taller pitch top.
Name for Feedback
- What’s your favourite ultralight tent or tarp?
- Have you ever ever fastpacked and not using a shelter?
- Do you like ultralight tarps, tents, or bivvies for fastpacking?
The Mountain Laurel Designs SoloMid XL in Colorado. Photograph: iRunFar/Eszter Horanyi
