One person tent? Advice please

[frank_in_oz]

Hi All,
Looked around here for something on this topic and could not find anything so hope this is not a double up!

Wife is seriously considering doing the Overland Track next month on her own. She has done it with me several times before, so no issue about experience or capability (nor of her getting lonely, it will still be "in season")
We are looking at purchasing a one person tent for this trip (and others we may do solo) No serious budget, just want something lightweight and waterproof!

We have looked at places like Annaconda and Rays (we are in Victoria) . Their stuff looks more suited for "less challenging" weather conditions and is quite heavy (near 2kg)We are heading off to the serious hiking places in Melbourne today for a look around and to see what else is available.

We have a great Mountain Design's in Geelong and they have suggested a Sierra brand (but have not got the style details with me..duh)

Anyone else out there with ideas /experience???

[norts]

My one man tent is a Macpac Microlight, expensive these days $499 but it is pretty bomb proof. I have used it in the SW of Tassie and always been dry and it will stand up to most wind if pitched in the right direction. Great tent but it gets squashy if you are tall(which I am not). Good sized vestibule and it is very quick and easy to pitch. 1.8kg. Vetilations is not as good as some.
Probably a bit over the top for the Overland track as you have the huts to fall back on in case of really wild weather.

Roger

[Son of a Beach]

I'd like to find something like this too: A one person tent weighing less than 1.5 kg. But I don't want to go as far as a bivy bag.

My old tent was a $90 el-cheapo brand 2-man tent and only weighed 1.9 kg (even less when I replaced the fibre-glass poles with alloy). Surely the good brands can produce something significantly less for a 2 man tent, and even less still for a one-man tent?

I do remember looking into this recently, and not being terribly thrilled with anything I saw. I eventually found something that I thought would be OK, but I can't remember what the brand or model name was... I'll keep looking.

[Son of a Beach]

aha... here's one of the ones I was looking at. Rather expensive though.

1 person, 1.38 kg (packed):
MSR Hubba HP

Slightly cheaper and slightly heavier - 1 person, 1.5 kg (packed):
MSR Hubba

[Son of a Beach]

And a 2 person tent at 1.7 kg (packed):
Sea to Summit (Wilderness Equipment) Bug Dome

(not sure about that open ended fly though - too bad if the wind changes during the night!)

[Son of a Beach]

Does anyone apart from MacPac make single- integral-pitch tents? Ie, the tent and fly usually stay together, and you don't have to pitch one first, and then the fly over the top afterwards, but pitch them both at once (although they can still be separated, and pitch just one or the other if desired).

These are soooo good to set up in the rain!

EDIT: now that I've been educated (by norts, below), I've used the correct term, instead of 'single-pitch'.

[frank_in_oz]

My one man tent is a Macpac Microlight, expensive these days $499 but it is pretty bomb proof.
Probably a bit over the top for the Overland track as you have the huts to fall back on in case of really wild weather.

Roger

Thanks for that norts, agree probably OTT for the Overland Track but have bought crappy gear in the past and regretted it a year or 3 later. (Although $500 is a fair slug!)

[tasadam]

I've been watching tents on ebay for a while, looking for a kids tent.
Have noticed these -

This one 1

This one 2

This one 3

This one 4

Don't know whether that helps.

[norts]

Wilderness equipment tents (Sea to Summit) First Arrow and Second Arrow can both be set up fly first or integral.
Neither of these tent are one person though, although the Second Arrow would be a nice roomy one man tent but a bit heavy at approx 2.6kg.

I have the first Arrow and it is a good tent, don't use it much, prefer the privacy of my Microlight on long trips.

Roger

[Son of a Beach]

ah, "integral pitch"... that's what I meant!

Just found this PDF comparing many different tents from a Melbourne shop. It's an excellent guide comparing many features of many tents in a tabular form.

[frank_in_oz]

ah, "integral pitch"... that's what I meant!

Just found this PDF comparing many different tents from a Melbourne shop. It's an excellent guide comparing many features of many tents in a tabular form.

Great guide, many thanks. That store was going to be the first port of call anyway so now looking forward to it

[Penguin]

If you have time BigAgnes in the USA has great tents. I bought a 1.5kg free standing tent which is half Event material (similar to gortex) and half with fly. LAnded in Australia with footprint it was approx $AUS 450.00 with the dollar at about 80 cents. I have used it in teh SW in some very incelment weather and it was fine. Also pitched in the snow. And in 35 dgree temp in New Zealand. USA has a much better range of single person tents than Australia. We do seem to be getting some more choice recently.

[DaveNoble]

You may want to look at a Mountain Designs Neutrino 1 - about 1.3 kg - and quite roomy inside (a lot more room than a microlight)

Dave

[Son of a Beach]

You may want to look at a Mountain Designs Neutrino 1 - about 1.3 kg - and quite roomy inside (a lot more room than a microlight)

Dave

I like the look of that one. For reference:
1 person at 1.5 kg (packed):
Mountain Designs Neutrino 1

[Penguin]

A mate has one - he is very happy with it and it has withstood some significant weather. The main problem is that is is not free standing, which just makes pitching a bit harder.

[norts]

From memory I liked the size of the neutrino but I thought the ventilation was even worse than the Microlight. Something to consider on those hot nights.

Roger

[tas-man]

I have had a Mountain Designs 1 to 1.5 person "Pass" model, an earlier design than this current model. http://www.mountaindesigns.com/Index.cf ... oductID=68. It has been on several long trips and survived the winds on the South West Cape range, is comfortable for an enforced stay if the weather is bad with good room inside to sit up and if pitched in the right direction, with the ventilation flap and entry flap on the lee side, is OK for protected access when you just "have to go out" in the rain. Good area for you pack etc outside the innner liner, but not as good bad weather protection as a tunnel tent with vestibule. If it is chundering down, you need to make a quick entry/exit to minimise the ingress of rain, but as I said before, the rain and wind generally comes from the west so if pitched in the right direction it works OK. Tent outer and inner weighs about 1,8kg and packed with single alloy pole and tent pegs about 2.1kg. Here is a picture of it set up with my "luxury" hammock and "Borde Bomb" stove in action (see Equipment/Vintage Stoves).

Last edited by tas-man on Wed 06 Jan, 2010 11:58 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[frank_in_oz]

Thanks to everyone for your excellent feedback. Had a good look around at "Bogong". an outdoor store in Melbourne. had a look at several one person tents that were set up. All had some issues (either price,weight, design or even waterproofness...)

Also checked out the Sierra Designs Light Year CD at Paddy Pallin. It had been recommended by our local Mountain Designs store (where we trust the owners and staff opinion) It was $299 at Paddy and we were quoted $279 at MD .

Have also found some reviews on it that were pretty positive http://www.trailspace.com/gear/sierra-d ... d/#reviews .

It had plenty of space and enough headroom so It might be the one.

Thanks again for everyones input.
Frank

[Son of a Beach]

Also checked out the Sierra Designs Light Year CD

For reference...

Sierra Designs Light Year 1
1 Person, 1.5kg (packed)

Sierra Designs Assailant 1
1 Person, 1.9 kg (packed)

Sierra Designs Velox 1
1 Person, 1.6kg (packed)

(BTW, I'm adding these mostly for my own future reference... can't afford a second tent right now, but I'm hoping to get a light weight 1 person tent myself one of these days).

[mag3000]

I can vouch for the Macpac Microlight, have had one for years.

Mine is the Comp version, which is a little lighter that the standard.

I have had no trouble with it in any weather conditions, including snow. The advantage with the tent so small you can push the tent walls out without getting out of your sleeping bag.

I have attached a pic of one nights snowfall near the Walls in '02

Attachments

120-2036.JPG (160.29 KiB) Viewed 38130 times

[mag3000]

I forgot to add a second tent that I have been using lately is a Black Diamond Megalight. The name says it all and it can sleep a heap of people in a pinch.

It is a very simple pyramid with no floor, not so good in summer with the bugs, but great as a backup or winter shelter.

[bluewombat]

It is not really a one man tent but have owned a Sierra Designs Clip flashlight for a few years now and it is great. Weighs in at a tiny 1.6kg, sleeps 2 and vestibule is big enough for some gear (about 2/3rds of a square metre). It is a tough little puppy, goes up quick, stuffs into its bag easily. I have never used it in heavy snow (3 season tent) but it has stood up to some wet and windy stuff with ease. I believe there is a newer version around now predicatably called Clip Flashlight2.
bw

[slick41st]

I've had a microlite for years - not a bad tent, a little tight for space. As with all Macpacs so far the quality is excellent - especially in the floor.

But I've been using this Holleberg Atko for a few years now, and it is now my preferred light option (but is expensive): http://www.moontrail.com/tents/hilleberg_akto.php

For shorter, good weather trips I use a Salewa Micra, slightly heavier but heaps more room.

[slparker]

I've had a Macpac Minaret for 15 years. It's outrageously expensive ($700 htese days) but is 4 season and i've used it in snow and *&%$#! weather (waterfall valleyu, overland track high winds....) plus papua nwe guinea and cycle touring. My verdict - brilliant; but as an allleged two person tent it makes a great one person tent.

[etrangere]

A newish one man tent on the market is the Wilderness Equipment Tectile 1. WE is an australian brand with a pretty good reputation so might be worth a look.

http://www.wildequipment.com.au/tent_de ... e=WETEC1UL

[sef]

*waits for argument about heavy single skin tents*

[Ent]

*waits for argument about heavy single skin tents*

They appear to be rare in Australia but appear to becoming popular in America. The posts from a few people suggest that do not work as well as people hoped but be good to see a decent thread on them and their good and bad points.

Cheers Brett

[adventurerichard]

WE tents are on the whole well designed and well made. Certainly the tent linked above is fast becoming the norm for light tent design: single pole and sil nylon. One Planet do a nice line similar to these.

Now i thought i'd posted this eaqrlier today so forgive me if a re-post but the tent i'm hanging out for having nearly bought a 1 man bivi tent is the new vaude power lizard. it looks the same as that WE tent but hits 1kg. For a TWO man tent!!! I can't think of a one man tent less than that so you might as well get some extra room in the mix i reckon and spread out. they haven't come into aus yet but rucsac supplies who distribute them here reckon on a rrp of $799. I don't know how that compares with other tents mentioned here but in the end all i can see is 1kg>2 person>mmmmm

[davidmorr]

WE tents are on the whole well designed and well made. Certainly the tent linked above is fast becoming the norm for light tent design: single pole and sil nylon. One Planet do a nice line similar to these.

The difference is that the WE tent has the pole going across the line of the body inside, meaning not much clearance at head and foot. The One Planet tent has the pole lengthways, so you have reasonable clearance over your head. (Although it looks very narrow....)

[Moondog55]

I would put in a recommendation for the Black Diamond "Megamid" Big footprint is the big drawback but I have found it bombproof, especially as I tend to protect my bag with a bivvysac.