Tarptent Prototype

[Franco]

Hi Sunnyape,
The Pro Trail is aimed at the through hiking brigade.
Folk that use the tent for 100 plus consecutive nights on the trail not particularly concerned about maintenance.
Velcro is less likely to fail (without regular cleaning) than a zip , or to put it another way , zips are the first thing to fail on a tent apart from accidents.

As for the curtains , what you see is just an optical illusion* , the curtain is on the inside .
Here is a better view courtesy of Logan and BackpackingLight were there is a rather long ProTrail thread :


*OK , just kidding. The photos you have seen are of a prototype with the curtains on the outside.
The one that Swami used was made by Henry by hand so not the same as the production version.

[sunnyape]

Thanks so much for the detailed information and picture from the inside, Franco. It all makes sense now. I also noticed in the pictures that the floor tub now uses elastic to connect to the corners of the tarp on the front instead of guylines + adjusters. Another small improvement.

I'll order some guline and a rear strut for my Contrail. With those additions, I should be able to get a nicer ridge down the middle to give me a little more height inside and better water shedding when it does rain.

[Franco]

Sunnyape,
with the rear strut and front guyline in place on the Contrail, it becomes a lot stronger in the wind particularly side winds.
If you have a spare pole section you can use that then improvise a way to put the guyline trough it.
I used an end tip upside down for mine.

Or if you use two trekking poles , one can be used at the back.

[Franco]

Going back to the Pro Trail, Henry tells me that the factory can't keep up with the orders right now but the situation should improve in a few weeks.
Last year we underestimated the demand for the Double Rainbow by over 50% (talk about educated guesses) yet it was never out of stock for very long.

[stry]

I can wait a while before committing. It's not like I have nothing to use in the meantime

[stry]

Hi Franco.

Any idea how the supply/demand situation is running on this now ?

[Franco]

I was going to post that they are in stock but I had a look and now are listed as " on order" again.
They were in stock a few days ago.
There should be only a 2-3 week delay at the most between running out of stock and a new production run.
(it is the busy season at TT right now)


In between production runs they cut the fabric panels and bits needed for assembly, so when we run out of a shelter that is slotted in to the next run because (usually) they just need to be sewn together.
That is the advantage of having our own production line, the disadvantage is that it is expensive compared to Asian factory production.

[Strider]

And the quality control isn't as good as Asian production either...

[Franco]

Given that the factory that makes Nemo and MSR tents managed to send out full production runs with faulty PU coatings, I am not all that sure about that...

Anyway, that comment reminded about how differently people interpret the same thing.

On another forum , recently, I spotted this comment :
The service of "well known brand" is outstanding
I sent a PM to (someone) regarding his earlier post about failing (well known tent) zippers but I want to repeat it here:
I've had the same experience both on the tent body and the fly. Even though I've had the (well known tent) tent since 2011, I just sent it back to (well known brand) and, in each case they put in a brand new zipper and mailed it back to me within 2 weeks (Free of charge).

So rather than focusing on the problems, this guy is very happy with the solution.
Glass half full, glass half empty.

[stry]

Thanks Franco Northern hemisphere spring and summer would see everyone hard at it I s'pose.

[Franco]

Most of our sales are in the US and now is when people preparing to do the big trails order their shelter.
Still, last year was our busiest ever but we had stock most of the time.

[Gold Coast]

[quote="Franco"]I was going to post that they are in stock but I had a look and now are listed as " on order" again.
They were in stock a few days ago.
There should be only a 2-3 week delay at the most between running out of stock and a new production run.
(it is the busy season at TT right now)

Hi Franco,
The Protrails still show ''on order'' on the online page. If I order one now, do you know what the delay would be, before it is sent.

Also do you know at what stage of the ordering process is the billing translation completed. I'm a bit nervous of the dollar jumping around, so would like to be billed straight away and not at shipping time.

On the technical side. The tyvek footprint is cut to fit the inner floor. Is there any advantage or disadvantage with it also covering the ground in the vestitube.
I don't know much about the subject, so don't be afraid to explain even the simple things.

Thanks for your advice.

[Franco]

HI Gold Coast,
right now we have 3 shelters (out of 14) "on order", you can expect to see all of them back in stock in 1 to 3 weeks.
Henry slots into the production line whatever shelter he has run out of, and usually the factory already has enough panels for an extra run or two.
The customer is billed the same day of shipping or the next day.
You can add "bill me now (send when ready) , because of the exchange rate" in the comment box .

Yes the Tyvek groundsheet is shaped like the floor.
Having the vestibule covered can reduce condensation from ground evaporation (grass and sand can be bad for that) but you can also have the risk of rain splashes hitting the Tyvek and then having a wet layer between the tent floor and the ground .
You body pressure over that could push water through the floor.
You are also more like to have more dirt to carry when you pack it up.
So, no right or wrong way, just what works for you.

[Gold Coast]

Hi Franco,
Thanks for the reply.
Do you think it is a good idea to order a Protrail now, and have my name down, just in case the sell out fast, with the US hiking high season.

[Franco]

We had a lot of problems a couple of years ago keeping up with the demand but we increased the capacity at the factory since then and had a better guess last year (yes it is just a guess...) forecasting the demand except for one particular shelter. ( we had a 60% increase with that one...)
So I really don't expect long delays, as for currency fluctuations I have no clue whatsoever there...

[squiddy]

Just received my Protrail Traptent, this is the next version of the Contrail. took about three weeks to arrive. The sealant was not packed so had to send request and was received promptly. Read all the instructions and videos but still cannot get it setup properly. I live on the Gold Coast and willing to show anybody the tent if you help me set it up.

Thanks