Tarptent Moment Report

I used a Tarptent Moment last weekend on a three day backpack at Point Reyes National Seashore, which is just north of San Francisco, and was very impressed with the design and build quality. The tent got a good workout as it rained profusely on the first night, and it fact, was pouring as I set it up. It took less than a minute to set up even though it was the first time I had set up in the field. My friend Had an MSR Hubba Hubba, and was still fussing around with his poles three minutes after I was completely done. The interior of his tent was soaked by the time he got the fly on. It rained so hard that there was a frog in my tent in the morning. It was windy and rainy all night, but the Moment weathered the storm very nicely. Oh, there was a little condensation, but you have to expect that in a single wall tent when the humidity is 100%. There was never enough condensation to cause it to drip inside, and I simply wiped the interior with a pack cloth in the morning. The tent is very well ventilated with numerous openings for air to come in. I sealed the seams prior to use per Henry's instructions using GE Silicon II mixed with paint thinner applied with a foam brush. The seams didn't leak at all. It is also larger than I expected for a single person tent, with more usable room than my friends Hubba. Of course, it's also lighter than the Hubba. Over all very impressed and wouldn't hesitate to recommend to anyone.

That's very good to know about the condensation part. I hate my BD Hilight for being hard to insert the poles on the inside and get it set up if it is raining. Worked ok last year in AK.

Thank you.

Sounds like a good test. You might tell your friend that next time he sets up his Hubba Hubba (or Hubba) in the rain, use the fly-and-pole setup instructions to set the fly up first, then clip the body on from inside, to keep it reasonably dry.

How'd the frog get in?

i think he meant that it was under the single wall but outside the screened area

Ahhh - that makes sense.

How would the netting door be to zip up in a hurry to keep bugs out in the summer?

Duane,

I have a TT Moment also. The screen door has teh standard L-shaped zipper track and is easy to close. The Moment's vestibule is large enough to store your pack to the left of the inner screen door. (And still have room to cook in the vestibule if you pull the tent floor back 6" off its Velcro on the ground level pole guy webbing.)

In the high winds I experienced one nioght at Colorado's Arapaho Pass at 11, 300 ft. teh Moment is very secure with no flapping whatsoever.

Eric

Greetings from work in N. NV. Thank you 300winmag and for the additional info too. Down the road maybe, my department at work has been out sourced, so will have to see if I make the reduced size team.

No, the frog was actually inside main body of the tent in a corner by my head. It was a small green Pacific Tree Frog. Around 2 or 3 in the morning it stopped raining, so I unzipped the door for more ventilation. I left the screen open because there was no worry about bugs at that time. It must have come in then. He was really feisty and jumped around a bit when I spotted him. I sent a picture of it to Henry Shires of Tarptent, and he said he wanted to use it on his website, so you may see a picture of it in his gallery.

Also I wanted to mention that yes, there was condensation on the inside of the tent, but it was no problem as it didn't drip on me, and the tent was big enough to prevent contact with my sleeping bag. Don't let the condensation issue prevent you from getting this tent. Any single wall tent, or tent fly would have condensation under those conditions.

When my friend with the Hubba or Hubba Hubba or whatever that thing was first saw the Moment he was skeptical. "That Tarptent is weird looking like a stealth tent. It's too light and wont' work." After seeing it in action, he wants one.

Duane, Also wanted to mention that the screen door is very easy to operate in the dark. When you sit up in this tent your head is at the highest point in the tent and right in front of the door. I am 6 feet 1 inch and my head doesn't hit the ceiling when I sit up. Obviously a lot of thought went into the engineering of this tent.

The photo is now posted in our gallery

http://www.tarptent.com/photogallery.html (scroll down a little)

Cute little fella (gal?), I must say.

-H

Cool Henry. I've been working on my close-up photography skills lately, and I must say it turned out pretty good. Shot with a Canon PowerShot A720IS in close-up mode. I caught the frog and let him go 20 yards from my tent, so hopefully he/she is still hopping around at Point Reyes (Reyes means king in Spanish) catching bugs and having fun.

Thank you. I'm 6' and my original Squall works ok, I don't like the condensation it gets in rainy/cold conditions, gotta think positive with it's light weight.

Not wanting to hijack the thread but which Tarptent would you guys recommend for one person plus a lab sized dog? Camping between June and September.

I notice some of them are sized for 1+. Would that work ok, or is a 2 person model better? Thanks.

Howie

Eric,
Were you using the optional crossing pole?
I'm considering TT moment and was wondering if optional pole is necessary at high wind condition. Thanks

George,

The crossing pole will give you very little extra wind stability. Tying down on the arch pole sleeve tieouts is the best thing to do. I have pre-cut and made up Triptease cords W/small plastic snap hooks so I can snap them into the pole sleeve tieout loops very quickly - as in a very windy thunderstorm situation.

For heavy snow you can use Triptease cord to tie from the crossing pole ties on the roof over to a hiking pole stuck in the ground just beyond your stakes and then down to another stake in the ground. This is similar to using a hiking pole to support the center, foot end on a Contrail.

Howie,

A lab would not fit too well in the triangular space by the wall opposite the entrance. BUT there is plenty of room in the vestibule. You may want to have a lightweight, synthetic doggie quilt for your dog to lay on. That way it wouldn't be so "ruff" for them. (Dogs can get rhumetism and arthritis from laying on cold ground continually.)

Howie, I'd get a 2-person tent. The single Rainbow might work, but see my next paragraph.

Two problems with a solo tent, even if for "1+": First, it's really cramped if you and your dog have to spend the whole evening in the tent due to rain. Second, the ventilation system in 1-person tents was designed for one, not two, so you'll have lots more condensation than you want. I tried a Six Moon Designs Lunar Solo tent, putting Hysson in the triangular space at the back. It was fine when we were in the tent only to sleep, but not for rainy evenings. Nor for cold nights when pitched in the open, especially when Hysson woke up before I did and started the dreaded Labrador tail-wag routine (think monsoon inside the tent). Phat now has the tent (plus some extra insulation in the form of Hysson's hair which despite my best efforts was missed during my cleaning).

A Tarptent Squall 2 would be great--plenty of room for both of you and the option of accommodating another human, along with the dog, without overcrowding. I'm now using a Gossamer Gear/Tarptent Squall Classic, 12 oz. lighter than the Squall 2, which I really like, but it's really pricey and would be really tight with a second person added! If you don't mind the cost and want really light weight, Joe Valesko's Hexamid, in cuben fiber, is being designed in a 2-person version weighing about 3/4 lb. It's also really pricey, but a LOT lighter than the Squall Classic. It might have some problems with dog claws on its netting floor, even with a ground sheet inside.

Not nearly as much that came home on my hiking gear from petting him when I came down there and hiked with you two ...

But hey, Labs like love, and have that big tail. I'd say unless you're doing a seperate shelter for your dog, you want a two man tent to have a Lab in it.

FWIW I got to experience the Scarp 2 on South Coast Trek, and it's quite the palace. very nicely done.

Many thanks for the 1 plus dog advice. Squall 2 may fit the bill.

Howie

Speaking as a Moment owner, if I had one recommendation for the Moment's design it would be to add an "eyelid" at the apex of the canopy's zippered door, a la Hilleberg's current Akto.

This would give additional weather shielding whe the dor is opened. As well, it could permit the door to be slightly unzipped to permit cooking water vapror and fuel fumes to vent in a rain or snow storm.

Eric

That's actually a vent on the Akto.