Tarptent Rainbow by Henry Shires
Initial Report – April 7, 2006
Tester Information:
Name: Jason Boyle
Age: 28
Gender: Male
Height: 5' 6"/ 1.68 m
Weight: 170 lb/ 77 kg
Email address: c4jc "at" hotmail "dot" com
City, State, Country: Snoqualmie, Washington, U. S.
Backpacking Background:
I have been camping and backpacking for about 17 years. My introduction to the outdoors started with the Boy Scouts of America and has continued as an adult. I have hiked mostly in the Southeastern and Northeastern United States. I am generally a lightweight hiker, but will carry extras to keep me comfortable. I have recently relocated to the Pacific Northwest and spend most of my time hiking and backpacking in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness, but I can be found exploring the other wild areas of Washington!
Product Information:
Manufacturer: Tarptent by Henry Shires
Model: Rainbow with extended sewn in floor
Color: The tent is a slivery blue color, with a black silnylon floor
Year of Manufacture: 2006
URL: www.tarptent.com
Listed weight: 30 oz/ 855 g (from Manufacturer’s website)
Measured weight: 34 oz/ 964 g (This includes stuff sacks, poles, stakes, everything)
**Disclaimer: The closest my scale will measure is in whole ounces.**
Fabric Content:
Roofing/Flooring: High tenacity 1.1-ounce/yd^2 ripstop nylon, impregnated with silicone. Final fabric weight is approximately 1.3 ounces/yd^2.
Netting: No-see-um. Fabric weight is approximately 1 ounce/yd^2.
Listed Dimensions:
Apex Height: 43" (110 cm)
Floor Width: 38-46" (96-117 cm)
Floor Length: 88-96" (223-244 cm)
Measured Dimensions: using trekking poles and floor clipped up
Apex Height: 44" (112 cm)
Floor Length: 84" (213 cm)
Floor Width: 36" (91 cm)
Not sure how Tarptent got the variable dimensions.
MSRP: $215 US
Country of Manufacture: All Tarptents are made from US materials in Seattle, Washington.
Product Description:
This is a lightweight, single wall, 1+ person, two poles, freestanding (with trekking poles) tent. It has a single entry door, single vestibule, and small rear beak. There are copious amounts of mesh on the tent. The entire front wall under the vestibule is mesh as well as around the bottom of the tent. It also has a sewn in bathtub floor that connects to the wall of the tent via 4 small clips. The tent may be set up with trekking poles or with the included Easton aluminum stakes. The vestibule and the rear beak have guy lines to ensure a taut pitch. The tent has two poles. One that forms the arch, and one that I call the tensioning pole which runs perpendicular to the arch pole and stretches out the roof of the tent. There is also a nylon strap that runs underneath the tent between the two pole connections. I think this is supposed to add stability and strength to the arch pole.
Initial Impression/Use:
I am not what I would call an ultralight backpacker so this is a new venture for me. I have used single wall tents before, but not one made with silnylon and this light. I was extremely excited once this tent arrived and immediately set it up in the house using my trekking poles.
I don’t think setup is intuitive, but the included instructions are easy to follow. After practicing a few times setup has become second nature. If using the trekking pole method, Tarptent recommends that it be at least 50” (125 cm) long. In my opinion this is certainly a minimum and does not allow for a taut pitch. I found through trial and error that 54” (137 cm) provides a taut pitch without over stretching the tent.
Tarptent also recommends seam sealing the main sleeve of the tent where the long pole goes and also the tensioning pole seams. Seam sealer is not included, but instructions for making silnylon seam sealer are included. I followed the included instructions, which is basically mixing clear silicon sealer and mineral spirits to make a viscous solution the consistency of paint. This is then applied to the seams. It seams to have worked as directed but I will not know if the seams are really sealed until I test it in the field.
The inside of the tent is very roomy, a palace for one person, and would fit two people in a pinch. I am interested to see how well the tent manages condensation and the inclement weather I expect to encounter.
Improvements:
None at the moment.
Expected Field Conditions:
Average temperatures range from highs in the 50’s F to 60’s F (10 C to 16 C) and lows in the 20’s F to 40’s F (-7 C to 4 C lows). The average precipitation in April, May, June and July for the Seattle area is 3+ inches (8 cm) per month and will take all forms, rain, snow, and sleet. Most of my trips during this time frame will be in the Mount Baker and Snoqualmie National Forest. Specifically in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness, 20 minutes from my house. Elevation may vary from sea level to 14,000 ft (4267 m), although Mt Rainier will probably not be on the agenda until mid June. My normal outdoor routine consists of at least two day hikes a month, and no less than 2 nights of backpacking a month.
Test Plan:
I will examine the Rainbow on the following characteristics over the test period.
Durable:
- I often camp in normal forest areas with typical forest duff, but there are occasions when I camp on rocky ground. How well will the floor stand up to this type of normal use?
- Additionally, I find it easier to put my “ground cloth” inside of the tent just in case the floor has holes. Will this style of tenting keep the floor in better shape than the conventional way of putting the ground cloth underneath the tent?
- Do I even need to use a ground cloth?
Ease of Setup:
- How easy is the tent to set up?
- Can I figure it out without instructions or do I need the instructions?
- Can it be set up in the rain with minimal leakage into the inner body of the tent?
- Do the seams need to be seam sealed?
- How easy is it to adjust the tension in the corners using trekking poles?
- Is it easier to use stakes?
Usefulness:
- It can be extremely wet here. There are days that I have to conduct all of my evening activity inside of my tent, like cooking or making a hot drink.
- Also of concern is the center height of the tent. Does it provide enough room for me to sit up comfortably inside of the tent?
- Can I sit on my knees without scraping the top of the tent?
- Does the vestibule provide enough space to allow me to make my morning cup of joe or cook dinner?
- How breathable is the tent?
- As said the conditions here are wet, will condensation build up inside the tent? Is the entry door and vestibule entry easy to use?
- Are the zippers protected so that they don’t snag easily?
Thanks to BackpackGearTest and Tarptent by Henry Shires for allowing me to participate in this test.
Read more reviews of Tarptent gear
Read more gear reviews by Jason Boyle
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