Lightweight tent recommendations?

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  • Similar height to you and explored a few options. Ended up with a Nature Hike Star River 2 which I'm very pleased with. Has vertical rather than sloped end walls which means there's room for head and feet not to touch, and there is space enough to sit upright. Previously had a Vango Banshee 300 and was never comfortable in it, even though supposedly it was a 3-man.

  • Weird, looks very much the same and on one of the customer review photos it even has a zipper that says 3f ul gear.


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  • I just bought 3F branded Lanshan Pro and spent my first 3 nights in it. I do own a nice 2p MSR Hubba Hubba nx which I would always bring when I am with my partner. Hands down the best tent I ever owned.
    The Lanshan is lighter and more compact though for when I am on my own and since its kind of modular you can be a weight weenie and get the nicest and smallest carbon pole and ti pegs for it.

    Doing a functional seam seal is very straightforward and easy. When I ordered mine it actually came with a syringe, brush and sealant to do the job. What is a bit tricky is to do a visually neat job. If you aren't bothered by looks you can do it in half an hour.
    I followed these instructions: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3sv2Hhrn1Vg

    Then a friend sent this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Tb0RxnQXoU
    which is potentially cleaner and better looking.

    Additional notes:

    1. Getting a good pitch on this tent requires setting it up a few times. You need to get the tension right on all corners so the bathtub of the floor can do its job and it doesn't sag as much when getting wet or cold.
    2. It's a single-wall tent so there is no layer between you and the outer wall that catches condensation. I am 6ft and there was enough space for me to not touch the walls when the tent was pitched right. I recommend bringing a tiny micro towel so you can wipe the inner. If the weather allows it just sleep with the vestibule open and condensation shouldn't be an issue.
    3. It's not freestanding. So pick your spot well. If you want to move it you have to take the whole thing down. If the ground is too hard or too loose for your pegs it can be difficult to get a good pitch.
    4. I also immediately replaced the floor/bathtub loops with bungeecoord which made pitching easier in my opinion.
    5. Thinking about ditching the stuff sack as it is super slippery which makes it hard to get it to pack small. I actually ended up just stuffing the whole tent in my frame bag.

    All in I am quite happy for the price/value ratio. The Lanshan will replace my Snugpack stratosphere hooped bivy as it packs down as small, is even lighter and provides more comfort.

  • That's really comprehensive, thanks alot.👍

  • I'll be looking to sell my 3F UL tent soon - I suppose it's maybe a Lanshan 1 from the messages above? I bought it from @ghostface maybe 4 years ago or so. I bought it for £74 so I'd be happy for £50 (with pole but without stakes). If anyone's interested let me know

  • Thanks to everyone who messaged - I've responded :)

  • @sacredhart & @ACRe19 in case you aren't aware there is a Lanshan 1 and a Lanshan 1 Pro. They are built slightly differently. The original "non-pro" is a two-wall tent with an inner and an outer making it a few grams heavier.
    The much more significant difference in my opinion is the size. The Pro is slightly bigger to accommodate taller people. If you are over 5 10 you should look for the Pro because you might touch the walls with your head and feet otherwise and they'll get wet.

  • @oddo thanks for the info.

  • small pack size, bivvy style 1p tents with a side opening, are there any out there?
    I'm happy with my Ferrino Sling 1 but it's got a quite cumbersome top opening that is a pain in the ass to get in and out of

  • Does it have to be bivvy style, or just small pack size/light?
    For that money, you could have a Lanshan 1 & Bearbones pole, space to sit up, big doors, less weight.

  • Would anyone like a used once TT Double Rainbow? It’s not seam sealed. It includes carbon poles. I accidentally broke a clip that allows it to be freestanding, but it could easily be fixed with super glue. Also, the only time to really make it freestanding is if sleeping on rock.

    Caveat: I’m in the US. But I’d sell it cheap enough that even with imports and shipping it will still be much cheaper than buying direct or buying one from a European seller.

    Great tent. Just too big for me.

  • I admit I had pretty much ignored tents that require a pole because I thought it would always mean a much bigger pack size but it seems not...that looks like a good option, cheers

  • @skinny your chance to get a palace

  • Thanks but not for me. Need a light 1 person or 3 person.

  • I took the altaplex away last week as I didn't need a tent every night and only figured it would be windy and not really rain bad. And with the inner removed it's 250g which is attractive. Sadly one night had to camp near water and the mozzies were crazy. But actually pitching it really low prevented them getting in and worked well.

    Still need to get something like enan, moment dw or mld solomid, to replace.


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  • The Terra Nova laser pulse 1 I picked up earlier might fit the bill - it fits into small 2L cage bags for reference, and a really nice feature has been the poles fold up with the fabric and can be packed down, saving strike and pitch time.
    What I haven't fully assessed yet is how bomber it is... it understandably wet out the only weekend I took it out as there was a heavy summer storm.

  • I had an aliexpress carbon pole snap a couple of days ago, the wind was stronger. Kind of user error though, too windy. It was in the highlands of northern Norway. There I was and chose the least windy spot but still, it's all so open. Was close to the edge of the area though so just packed it up and descended for an hour or so to find a better spot and a tree branch to replace it for the night. In the morning I sawed the broken part off and it works again for now, just 5 or 6 cm shorter. And now I ordered a new one, the Six Moon Designs one made by Easton. Is it good, what's the best five-piece pole, about 124cm?

    Here's a picture close to the place I was going to camp at and the temporary replacement.


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  • Theoretically one could make a tent lighter than anything in the shops without any sewing for a reasonable price. Anyone interested? You just buy DCF https://ripstopbytheroll.com/collections/dyneema-composite-fabric and tape https://ripstopbytheroll.com/collections/thread-tools-repair/products/1-cuben-fiber-repair-tape Mfrs are wary of the lighter grades of DCF because customers subject it to rubbing and it wears through and they demand a refund. But if you make it yourself you won't mind patching it and you'll take better care of it, so you can be brave and use the very lightest DCF. In which case your tent will be one of the lightest ever made. It's the same story with carbon poles.

  • What are you on about? DCF tape is for waterproofing seams/repairing pinholes/small cuts. It doesn't replace traditional sewn seams lol

  • I read somewhere that it's better than sewing if you're using DCF fabric. If you sew DCF fabric you make a permanent hole, as if you'd used a small drill bit. Water can get through the hole. DCF is not woven. There's no warp and weft. It's more like a big sheet of plastic. With conventional fabric, the hold made by the needle closes itself.

  • I'm actually going to backtrack and apologise. You are right, I am wrong. But, the tape you linked is repair tape, rather than the kind of tape that is actually used to attach one piece of DCF to another. Hot bonding is the best method of creating seams in DCF tents AFAIK.

  • But is the sewing strictly necessary? Or is it added by manufacturers as insurance in case of clumsy handling or gales? What happens if there's no sewing?

    Edit: looks like we crossed. If I'm right it's an accident, as I have no practical experience, apart from reading stuff on Reddit which might be rubbish. If it's possible to do this I'd love to do it. Been wanting to try it for years, but illness has prevented it. I got as far. as ordering samples from Ripstopbytheroll

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Lightweight tent recommendations?

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