Tarptent vs Wedge Tent Rain Evaluation

What do you folks think about this? Perhaps he isn't comparing apples to apples?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vW2dKsLdHWg&feature=related

Howie

It has been discussed in other forums. Usually most think it is a spoof but the guy is for real.

It is true that to use Tarptents (and tarps , tarp tents...) you do need a bit of skill, however if you just take a casual look at the way the tents are meant to look when set up correctly, you will notice that that guy has no clue at all.
The tent is floppy and the guylines are set incorrectly.
BTW note that he could not figure out that if you open the beak that will avoid you crawling under it. Very much like it helps getting into any tent when you open the door panel on the fly...

As for stability , have a look at this video :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaeMpU9o_Y0
do that with the Eureka! !!!
Franco

From Monty Python :
Knok on the door
Voice from inside : come in !
Crashing sound
From inside : OPEN THE DOOR FIRST

BTW, a common problem in the Forums is that people take notice of the opinion of guys that do not know what they are doing.
For example all too often sleeping bags are negatively reviewed (too cold at...) when in fact the problem is an inadequate mat and or going to bed cold in the first place.
Same with most gear when not used correctly.
Not for nothing there is the saying " a bad tradesman blames his tools"
Of course you can have bad tools, but it can be lack of skill.
With tents the easiest way to figure it out is that if it does not look the same as in the publicity shots , chances are it isn't set up correctly. If it isn't set up correctly, well it will not work...
Heavy folds, creases , indicate wrong or lack of tension. Here is a good example....
Which set up do you think will work better ?





Franco

From what I saw, the conclusion was already drawn before the "test" was performed. ("It's already drizzling. Let's see how they're doing on the beading test..." and both tents were beading nicely - so he began attacking the Tarptent on other grounds, like two guys can't play cards in it.) There was some definite ax-grinding going on there.

It appears the "tester" was mostly interested in proving that his choice (the Eureka) was the absolute best, and The Rest of You Are Doing It Wrong And You Need to Admit I'm Right And Do It Like Me. (Franco - I didn't think either tent was particularly well-pitched.)

Now, Franco and I absolutely do not agree on our preferred choices between the Tarptent Rainbow and the MSR Hubba/Carbon Reflex. The difference is, we both recognize that there are a lot of good tents out there, and different people will prefer different tents depending on their needs. Thus, I can be head-over-heels for my Carbon Reflex without feeling the need to call him an idiot for choosing a Tarptent, and vice versa.

Tents have many features: light weight, low cost, durability, water resistance, space/volume, color, and versatility are among them. Most tents are functionally equivalent in terms of water resistance and durability, mostly. That leaves a lot of room for people to make choices that fit their personal needs. I may care more about light weight than low cost and space, you may care more about low cost and space, and someone else might simply refuse to use a red tent regardless of any of the other features. That doesn't make any of us right, or wrong - just different. And it certainly means that I can't criticize your priorities or your choice merely for being different than mine. (I can criticize you if you say that light weight is more important to you than cost, and you choose a six-pound tent because it's cheap.)

Agreed Glenn. They are both set up really bad. He sounded a bit drunk in the video...??? Just throwing that out there heh.

Hadn't thought of the "acohol may have been involved" aspect - might explain the pitches.

I also didn't mean to imply that the Eureka tent was somehow second class (a re-reading of my original post made me think some might read it that way.) Quite the contrary - I used Eureka tents (and Camp Trails packs - moment of silence, please) quite happily for about 10 or 12 years. They were great tents, and still are great tents; they just haven't evolved as far in the same lightweight directions that MSR, TarpTent, Big Agnes, and a number of other makers have. But for a good, functional tent at a reasonable price, when weight isn't a consideration, they're a definite contender. (Actually, my first move to "lightweight" hiking involved a Camp Trails Wilderness internal frame pack and a "frog"-style Eureka made-special-for-Campmor tent - together, they only weighed about 8 pounds, and got me below the 30-pound "ultralight" benchmark of the mid-80's.)

The Eureka Solitaire seemed pretty nice. When I was first in the market for a new tent I almost bought one of those. Decided against it for my own reasons, but still seemed nice. My buddy who I haven;t seen in a few years used to have one and he swore by it

My friends who have the Solitaire love it.