Tent advice for beginner to multi-day hiking.

[abbztract]

Hey, all!

Hoping to get some advice on gear and tent advice since I'm new to long / multi-day hikes and ultralight-ing.

In 2024, I'm hoping to do the Overland Track and Frenchman's Cap in Tassie, Boronia Trail and part of the Grampians Peaks Trail in the Grampians and some other two-day hikes in summer too.
I'd also like to do some of these in winter for some snow time.

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The features I'm hoping for in a tent are:

- Available new or second-hand for under $600 AUD or $320 USD.

- Ideally freestanding: I have never had hiking poles so ideally freestanding interior but open to something modular that can go from freestanding to tarp-based.

- 360-degree coverage from the elements so a proper waterproof floor, double-wall body, high sides on the floor. So this could be a light-material inner tent suitable for summer and a removable oversized full-coverage waterproof layer.

- Ideally around 1kg or less.

- Enough space for two people and some gear.

- Compact when packed up, of course.


I really like these but are out-of-budget so alternatives would be amazing:


- ZPacks Duplux Zip - $699USD - $1250 AUD - Not freestanding but great deep floor and nice size.

- ZPacks Free Duo - $699 - $1350 AUD - essentially meets all my wants but would prefer the ZPacks Duplex shape :/

- The Two - Gossamer Gear - $750 AUD / $300 USD - looks nice like Duplex above but reviews say bad at keeping water out.

- Hyperlite Ultamid 2 - $1250 AUD!!! Crazy expensive but beautiful. Another $700 for the inner tent.

- Locus Gear Khafra - $1100 AUD used with inner tent

- Duomid XL - $565 USD- including the Inner Net to make it a double-wall. 30% bigger than Duomid. GearLab called the Duomid a "true four-season shelter that can be used nearly anywhere on the planet".


In my budget and interesting are:


- X-Mid 2 - Durston Gear - $280 USD - well regarded - not freestanding.

- SMD Lunar Duo Explorer - $650 AUD - looks nice but floor doesn't cover full area under tarp and not Freestanding.

- DD Hammocks Superlight Pyramid XL - $110 to $225 AUD - looks nice, big, waterproof. Extra $90-$170 AUD for inner mesh tent with waterproof floor. Seems good value for money!

- Tarptent Double Rainbow DW - $370 USD - wish the vestibules had a floor and were fully covered.


Is there anything that is like the ZPacks Duplex Zip, Hyperlite Ultamid 2 or Locus Gear Khafra but budget?

Is the Duomid XL at $565 USD including the inner tent / X-Mid 2 at $280 USD the best value for money option for me? Will it really be like a true Double-Wall?

Thoughts on the DD Hammocks Superlight Pyramid XL? It looks like the best option to get the Ultamid 2 style structure for a much lower price.

Sorry, all. This is super long. I hope the extra info from me is helpful and not just a pain.

Thanks for taking the time to read all this! Your help is really appreciated

[Neo]

Hi have a look also at Big Sky Revolution 2p it is great but around 1.5kg

https://bigskyinternational.com/en-au/c ... d-shelters

Pyramids are cool, I have the MSR front range in green with a OnePlanet 2p inner. You loose a little of the floor space around the edge and no fly/door overhang but grty so much vestibule type space. I think it comes on at 750 grams plus pole. Then you add just a half footprint or a bug-proof one depending on the trip.

[headwerkn]

AU$600 and sub-1KG will be tough unless you get a good deal on a well-used secondhand tent.

If you're a beginner and looking at intermediate walks like the Overland Track and Frenchmans Cap then I'd probably recommend giving the ultralight hiking-pole supported tents a miss for now in lieu of gaining experience with a more typical semi-freestanding dome-style tent like the MSR Hubba Hubba, Big Agnes Copper Spur or similar. These will be a bit north of 1 kilo but are still compact and pretty light, easy to set up on timber platforms and varying ground and will tolerate a decent amount of wind and light snow if used with commonsense. Brand new these tents tend to be AU$800-AU$1000 still but they come up secondhand regularly, often in barely used condition.

If you're deadset on something lighter, the Tarptent Double Rainbow would be my pick. We've had the Li version for going on four years now and it is definitely a great tent design... spacious for two, very easy to set up, very flexible set up if you need it (freestanding mode/porch mode with hiking poles) and definitely punches above its weight when it comes to strong wind resistance.

If you really want a groundsheet that covers the vestibules, just get Tyvek or sim. and cut to suit. That said, it is a great way to funnel water under your tent if you're not careful. A foam mat is easier to deal with IMHO.

[Plod]

Tarptent have a sale on at the moment too. Double Rainbow 2 is 20% off, going for USD239.20 ex shipping.


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[abbztract]

Hi have a look also at Big Sky Revolution 2p it is great but around 1.5kg

https://bigskyinternational.com/en-au/c ... d-shelters

Pyramids are cool, I have the MSR front range in green with a OnePlanet 2p inner. You loose a little of the floor space around the edge and no fly/door overhang but grty so much vestibule type space. I think it comes on at 750 grams plus pole. Then you add just a half footprint or a bug-proof one depending on the trip.

These look great! After further deliberation, I'm starting to consider similar shaped options from Tarptent (Double Rainbow) as well as the SMD Lunar Duo Explorer and also the X-Mid 2. I've also seen some used MLD Duomid, Nemo Osmo and LC Khafra floating around too!

[abbztract]

AU$600 and sub-1KG will be tough unless you get a good deal on a well-used secondhand tent.

If you're a beginner and looking at intermediate walks like the Overland Track and Frenchmans Cap then I'd probably recommend giving the ultralight hiking-pole supported tents a miss for now in lieu of gaining experience with a more typical semi-freestanding dome-style tent like the MSR Hubba Hubba, Big Agnes Copper Spur or similar. These will be a bit north of 1 kilo but are still compact and pretty light, easy to set up on timber platforms and varying ground and will tolerate a decent amount of wind and light snow if used with commonsense. Brand new these tents tend to be AU$800-AU$1000 still but they come up secondhand regularly, often in barely used condition.

If you're deadset on something lighter, the Tarptent Double Rainbow would be my pick. We've had the Li version for going on four years now and it is definitely a great tent design... spacious for two, very easy to set up, very flexible set up if you need it (freestanding mode/porch mode with hiking poles) and definitely punches above its weight when it comes to strong wind resistance.

If you really want a groundsheet that covers the vestibules, just get Tyvek or sim. and cut to suit. That said, it is a great way to funnel water under your tent if you're not careful. A foam mat is easier to deal with IMHO.

I really appreciate the reply, mate. I'm definitely looking more towards the used market since it'll be better value for money too.

I do like the idea of semi/fully-freestanding tents and it is what I initially thought would be the way I'd go however I'm also starting to get more interested in modularity and space and am starting to consider options like the SMD Lunar Duo Explorer, MLD Duomid, the X-Mid 2, Nemo Osmo and I loved the HMG UltaMid 2 hahaha but that is crazy hefty so the Locus Khafra! I love the TT Double Rainbow suggestion but I would like the double-wall in that one which will be nearing the used price of the ones I've named above (exc. Ultamid and Khafra).

And yeah, I've now realized that a floor in the vestibule isn't as good of an idea as I first thought it was

[Neo]

I really like the external pole style. Very few around. Do much so I'm keeping and patching and maybe re-siliconising the Rev until it dies! I am currently loving my TT moment DW DCF more often.

If there is rain or condensation then that moisture gets squished everywhere when you pack up the Rev2 but dries quick enough when you pitch again at the end of the day.

[abbztract]

Tarptent have a sale on at the moment too. Double Rainbow 2 is 20% off, going for USD239.20 ex shipping.


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Ooooo nice! Thanks for the heads up! I'll go check how much the double wall version ends up with shipping!!

[abbztract]

I really like the external pole style. Very few around. Do much so I'm keeping and patching and maybe re-siliconising the Rev until it dies! I am currently loving my TT moment DW DCF more often.

If there is rain or condensation then that moisture gets squished everywhere when you pack up the Rev2 but dries quick enough when you pitch again at the end of the day.

So I just had a look at the Rev 2P on the website and it comes to about $475USD = $750 AUD. I feel like at that point maybe a used Nemo Osmo or LC Khafra would be more worth it. Or the MLD Duomid or SMD Lunar Duo Explorer. What do you think of those?

[Neo]

No real experience, did spend one night in a Nemo tent. It seemed very thin and skimped on the fly coverage. Some tents are tried and true, some others trim materials either in fabric denier, placement, pole type. Some have bigger marketing budgets (think Samsung, Macpac, Kathmandu) Don't really know and not pointing fingers. The Big Sky have been tested in harder places than I go, the Revolution or the three pole Chinook could be worth a look. Also the Chinese brands that appear to be copies of other designs get good reports.

[north-north-west]

Out of all that, I agree completely with headwerkin: the Tarptent Double Rainbow with a Tyvek groundsheet is your best bet. You'll have trouble finding a better option. Second choice would be the XMid, again with a Tyvek groundsheet; you don't have to have trekking poles, there are lightweight poles made for tents like this and I think a set are listed on Durston's website.

[headwerkn]

And yeah, I've now realized that a floor in the vestibule isn't as good of an idea as I first thought it was

There's a time and place for it. The footprint on my Hilleberg Soulo - which covers the vestibule - rarely comes off the tent itself. But that's used 80% of the time on snow and importantly fits behind the very low (touching the ground) walls of the tent, so its ability to catch and funnel rain is minimal.

For most 3-season tenting I've found a foam mat and pack cover covers basically all the necessary "stuff in the vestibule off the ground" requirements. YMMV of course