I started backpacking in earnest in 1975. I've climbed, bivouacked, and backpacked in every season and nearly every climatic possibility with most types of shelters from simple tarps, and 4 season mountain tents to 3 season tents and the Tarptent.

Honestly, I've never experienced greater condensation in moderate conditions than with the Tarptent Rainbow I owned last year.

It's a beautifully made and thoughtfully designed "tent" but it just doesn't work for me, and I'm no great "sweater" either.

I hate these threads, at least the indecisive perfectionist in me does. I need a tent (ignoring the fact that I have no money for a decent one right now), but reading these stories I can't help but feel like no matter what I pick, I'll have picked wrong...

Think of it as the glass being half full. That is, no matter what you pick, you will have picked right.

There often isn't a right and wrong in such matters. It's just do what works for you.

I think it's more a matter of appropriateness. If you are only out one or two nights at a time, and you are watching the forecast like a hawk before you go and canceling if it's going to rain, any tent will do. At that point it's just in case. If you are going no matter what, you would rather have something that is roomy enough no matter how many hours it rains.

My favorite tent for rainy trips is a hammock.

In the old days, when we did a weekend trip and expected perfect weather, we simply left the tent home and "cowboy" camped. My issue with a tent is that the tent is purchased for foul weather (or really thick mosquitoes), not good weather. Why carry the extra weight if not needed? I want my tent to hold up to wind, rain, hail, snow. In good weather small tarp, bivy sack or nothing works fine, all for one pound or under. A good tent is a good investment. Watch sales and you can pick up a good one for about $250. Otherwise, invest in a good simple tarp. Black Diamond makes what esentially is a tent fly that you set up on trekking poles. It is in the $100 range. You can purchase an inner tent later. Lori uses a hammock - I have never used one, but that is something else to consider.

Oregon Mouse
2E is my mate's mascot, not mine.
I still have one cat , Lucy, she is over 20 but doing well...
Franco

I've cut a deal with Sir Richard Branson for a Virgin Air heli to drop the shelter of my choice once I figure out what the weather is up to--otherwise it's always a crapshoot when packing. Having solo and two-person Tarptents, I can say they offer great shelter for weight, but both have condensation, wind resistance and pitching-on-rocky-area issues. Nevertheless I use them, frequently and most of the time, they're great. It's the ten percent I worry about.

A good deal of backpacking involves management by exception.

Speaking of hammocks, last weekend I had, for the first time, two perfectly sized, shaped and placed trees to hang from. Never imagined this would happen; usually I have one that's three-feet in diameter and one ten-incher bent at a twenty-degree angle. What a luxury! Tried a new tensioning scheme that worked, too. Still figuring out the pad thing, though.

Cheers,

Regarding condensation: I'm not personally troubled by a damp canopy. Once, when using sewn-in floor, it was a problem in a coated tent during heavy foggy snowfall around freezing(no drainage) but this isn't recommended. Is another reason NOT to use floors.

Also, regarding the rainy PNW climate, I note that the driest month in Tacoma (0.58 average July rainfall) is drier than all but the three driest months of the year in Phoenix.

I am sorry it took so long to post regarding the tent I ended up purchasing. I wanted to take it out on a few trips before I posted my thoughts. I ended up buying the LightHeartGear Wedge. I absolutely love it. I haven't gotten to try the Wedge under extreme conditions with high winds or a downpour, however, I stayed dry in steady rain and didn't have any condensation. It has loads of room for a one man tent. I can fit my pack inside easily if I want or even my 10 year old son or dog. It's extremely light at 28.5 oz. It can be set up with 4 stakes but I prefer 9 stakes. It takes me less than 2 minutes to setup with my hiking poles. The titanium stakes and carbon rainfly pole that Judy sells are ultralight. The tent packs very small. My favorite aspect of the tent is all the options for setting it up. The attached rainfly can be fully closed or open. The wedge can be raised about 3ft to allow me to see out of the tent even in rain while staying dry. Or I can have either side fully open while the other side is closed. In other words, I get amazing views while under cover. Here is a link to the LightHeartGear website: http://www.lightheartgear.com/index.php?...6f89edc38a81f6f