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Gear Reviews
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| Biographical Information |
Name:
|
Mark
Wood
|
A Brief
Introduction
I grew up camping with my
parents and had taken a few short backpacking trips, as well as a
couple of 10-day trips before I got married. While my wife and I have
enjoyed car camping and day hiking for close to 6 years, this year we
have decided to make backpacking a permanent part of our lives. Our
trips are generally shorter (2 - 5 days) over rocky, hilly terrain. My
general pack weight for a 3 day trip is around 35 lb (16 kg) including
food
and water. |
| Age
/ Sex: |
26 / Male |
| Height: |
5' 11" (1.8 m) |
| Weight: |
250 lb (113 kg) |
| Email
Address: |
mwood_bgt at frontiernet dot net |
| Location: |
Chenango County, NY, U.S.A. |
| Product
Information |
 |
| Manufacturer: |
Tarptent
by Henry Shires |
| Year of Manufacture: |
2006 |
| URL of Manufacturer: |
http://www.tarptent.com |
| MSRP: |
$215
US |
| Listed Weight: |
30.0
oz (855 g) |
| Weight as Delivered: |
32.25
oz (915 g) |
| Listed Dimensions: |
Floor
Width: 38-46 in (96-117 cm)
Floor Length: 88-96 in (223 - 244 cm)
Apex Height: 43 in (110 cm)
Packed Size: 24 x 4 x 3 in (61 x 10 x 7.5 cm) |
| Measured Dimensions: |
Floor
Width: 37 in (94 cm) -- Measured from bathtub floor corners
Floor Length: 87 in (221 cm) -- Measured from bathtub floor corners
Apex Height: 44.5 in (113 cm)
Packed Size: 25 x 5 x 4 in (64 x 13 x 10 cm) -- Easily compressible
though |
Materials:
(From Web page) |
Roof
/ Floor: High Tenacity 1.1 ounce / square yard ripstop silnylon
Netting: No-see-um netting
Guy lines: 2mm reflective Kelty "Triptease Lightline"
Stakes: Easton Aluminum
Poles: Easton Aluminum 7075-T9 |
The
Tarptent Rainbow is a new offering by Tarptent this year. It
is a
1-2 person tent which boasts the ability to be pitched free standing
with the use of 2 trekking poles. Using stakes, the tent can
also
be pitched without trekking poles, but it will not be free standing.
As with all shelters made by Tarptent, the
Rainbow is a
single walled shelter designed to promote exceptional airflow and
reduce condensation while boasting a low weight. There are
two
versions available -- one with a sewn in "bathtub" style floor, and one
with no floor. I received the style with the sewn in floor.
Included with the Rainbow is one Easton aluminum pole, 6 Easton
aluminum stakes with silnylon pouch, the shelter body and a silnylon
stuff sack to hold everything. There is also a one page
instruction sheet which includes setup directions as well as
directions for seam sealing. This instruction page is also
available on the manufacturer's web page.
In order to determine the measured weight for individual applications,
I weighed each element separately. The measured weight is as
follows: |
Tent
Body:
Pole:
Stakes (each):
Stuff Sack:
Total: |
23.6 oz (670 g)
5.8 oz (163 g)
0.4 oz (10.6 g)
0.6 oz (17.5 g)
32.3 oz (914 g) |
It
is important to note that the above calculated weight is given
assuming that all 6 stakes are carried. According to the
manufacturer's web site, only two stakes are required when using the
tent as free standing with trekking poles -- one for the beak and one
to guy out the back side. This would bring the total
carried weight down to 30.75 oz (872 g).
Erecting
the Shelter
After laying out all the components, I decided to follow the
manufacturers directions for pitching the shelter in its freestanding
mode. To begin, I inserted the included pole through the pole
sleeve. The pole sleeve is made of yellow fabric and it is
quite
easy to find. Once inserted, the pole ends are secured in a
grommet on either end of the shelter. From here, it's simply
a
matter of securing the trekking poles to either end and looping the
corner pull-outs to the ends of the trekking poles. Since I
have
the sewn in floor, the corners of the floor have shock cord loops which
are looped over the ends of the trekking poles as well. The
manufacturer recommends that the trekking poles be adjusted to at
least 50 in (125 cm) in length, but I found that slightly longer seemed
to provide a more taut pitch. After all corners are secure,
the
tent is completely free standing. At this point, all that is
left
is to (optionally) stake out the beak and the one tie out point
directly across from the door. In nice weather, neither of
these
steps are really necessary. I've only erected the shelter
twice,
and I would say I can do it by myself in under 5 minutes. |
| Initial Impressions |
This tent is very
well made.
Everything fits together just perfectly and I can achieve a
taut
pitch without a whole lot of effort. Once set up, the tent is
absolutely beautiful! The interior is bright enough not to
feel
gloomy when the sun is out, but still blocks enough light that I could
see myself napping quite easily in bright sun without a problem.
The Interior
The interior of the tent is nothing short of
spacious for one person. In fact, I could easily fit two 3/4
length inflatable pads side by side. It would be a tight fit,
but
two persons could share this shelter if absolutely necessary.
Also, the Rainbow is quite long. I could easily put
my pack
at the foot of my sleeping bag without cramping my feet. The
interior height is also quite nice. Not only is it tall
enough in
the middle to sit on my knees, the arch of the pole provides very steep
sides so I had no worries about brushing my head or shoulders against
anything while sitting up. Two people could definitely sit
facing
each other to play cards or other camp type activities without feeling
cramped.
Ventilation
Tarptent goes out of the way to provide
plenty of ventilation. The rainbow is no exception in this
category. Not only is the front all mesh with an ample beak
to
keep the rain out, there is ventilation directly across from the door
near the peak of the tent. This vent is adjustable with hook
and
loop fastener and can close during a storm (in theory, to keep
the elements
out). To provide even further ventilation, there is mesh all
around the floor of the tent! The sewn in floor does somewhat
negate this ventilation, but the floor un-clips at all four corners and
lays flat when there is no risk of rain to gain back the ventilation
properties.
|
| Field
Conditions |
I try to get out in nature at least twice a month
either car camping or backpacking. Most of the trips involve two nights
of camping. The Tarptent Rainbow will accompany me on all such
excursions and be used for my shelter during the testing time frame.
Most of my hiking and backpacking trips center around the Adirondack
and Catskill regions of New York as well as numerous overnight trips
along the Finger Lakes Trail which passes within 10 miles (16 km) of my
home.
Due to the timing of this test, it would not be unreasonable to expect
a wide range of weather conditions from harsh winter to warm summer
months. Precipitation is very common in this region so snow and rain
are almost a certainty. Average elevation for the areas surrounding my
house is 500 - 2500 ft (150 - 750 m). Average temperatures during the
testing time frame 0 - 80 F (-17 - 25C).
Also, during the first couple weeks of June, my wife and I are planning
a thru-hike of the Northville Placid Trail. This would be around a 14
day trip. Elevations would range from around 800 - 2500 ft (250 - 750
m) and the average temperature around this time is 45 - 75 F (7 - 24 C).
|
| Test
Plan |
I plan to test the following aspects of the Tarptent
Rainbow over the testing period:
A shelter must keep me and my gear safe from the elements. To me, this
means keeping me dry when it’s raining and shaded when
it’s
sunny. It must also block the wind.
- Does the Rainbow prevent water from entering during a
storm? What about wind blown rain?
- How well does the high shielded vent flap protect the
vent when closed?
- How well does the beak keep water out of the
entrance?
- How much water, mud and debris splash under the fly
and enter the living space?
- How well does the Rainbow protect me from the wind?
Does it shake excessively or does the wind blow past easily?
- Is it necessary to guy out the back wall and the
front beak for the tent to shelter me from the elements?
- Is it necessary to stake down the corners for the
tent to be stable during normal use?
- Is there enough room for my gear either under the
beak or in the shelter?
- Does the tent arrive with all the seams sealed? If
the user is responsible for this, are adequate directions given?
A shelter should be easy to setup, especially in adverse conditions
when you need it most.
- How easy is the rainbow to setup? The website claims
that
all tarptents can be setup in 2 minutes. Can I meet or beat this number
with practice?
- Can I set it up during a downpour without getting the
inside completely wet?
- Does the pole slide easily into the pole sleeve even
when both are wet?
- How easily do the corner pullouts adjust?
- How hard is it to adjust and secure my hiking poles?
- How hard is it to setup the beak and rear vent flap?
- Can I do all the above things with gloves on?
- Can I setup the Rainbow successfully with or without
the trekking poles?
- Are there any limitations to what sorts of trekking
poles work with the Rainbow?
- Do the supplied stakes work well in various soils?
A shelter must be comfortable to live in. It must keep out
unwanted pests (bugs and such) and ventilate well enough not to feel
stuffy or cause condensation.
- The Rainbow is made from a very lightweight silnylon.
Does
this material let in enough light to be cheery while waiting out a
storm? Too much light to sleep at night with a full moon?
- Does the bug netting on the front of the tent seal
well enough to keep out biting insects?
- There are many ventilation options. I sleep very warm
and
have tremendous problems with condensation in every tent
I’ve tried. Does this ventilation allow for enough airflow,
even
during hard rains, to keep the inside relatively moisture free?
- Is there enough interior space to sit up? Can my wife
and I both sit facing each other in the tent to wait out storms?
- Do I feel cramped in this tent? Can I easily maneuver
around to dress / undress without hitting the walls?
- Do I have any trouble with my sleeping pad sliding
around
inside the tent, causing me to constantly have to re-adjust myself
during the night?
- If necessary, how hard would it be to cook under the
beak? Is it even practical?
A shelter must pack well, even when wet. It must not take up too much
precious pack space. It must be lightweight while not sacrificing the
above necessary traits.
- Does the shelter pack in a shape that is easy to pack
on the inside or outside of my pack?
- How quickly does the shelter dry when completely wet?
Finally, I will report on any other findings which merit mention during
the length of the test. |
| Summary |
After setting up the tent a couple of times and
seeing the interior, I have to say that I think this is going to be one
fun test!
Likes:
- Quite easy to setup
- The one page instruction sheet included is very easy
to read and quite descriptive.
- Easy entrance and exit from the tent
Dislikes:
- Really nothing to complain about, but I did notice
that there was no included repair sleeve for the pole.
|
I
would like to thank Tarptent and
BackpackGearTest.org for the opportunity to participate in this test!
Read more reviews of Tarptent gear
Read more gear reviews by Mark Wood
|
