New Tarptent dipole

[Walk_fat boy_walk]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h39a7QndxqQ
Looks huge inside for the weight.

[crollsurf]

I like the look of it and the weight is good. It's kind of a next gen Duplex design. Huge amount of livable space and ventilation but the vents at the apexes look a bit small and need guying out to be functional. I'd like to see larger vents and a little strut on the Apex vents.

The other question I ask re ventilation, is how much do you really need. Having been a tarp user, sometimes it doesn't matter how much ventilation you have, you're still going to get condensation. The vestibules should offer enough ventilation but having 4 big vent options would be nice to handle changing wind conditions once set up.

The fact that it doesn't have any large panels that can get buffeted by the wind is a big plus, when vestibules are guyed out.

Still a Protrail Li fan boy but seriously considering the Durston DCF 2P offering for my next tent.

This design I haven't seen before so it will be interesting to follow. Might make choosing my next tent a bit harder.

[Walk_fat boy_walk]

Durston pro is a solid option still and quite frankly might even then still find it hard to justify upgrading from the silpoly xmid 2p for the sake of few hundred grams, given the cost. But bugger me that tt dipole looks comfortable... slightly heavier than the xmid pro but so much room in all dimensions

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[headwerkn]

Saw the livestream yesterday - looks like an excellent design, particularly for ventilation and more vertical height at the ends of the internal floor than, say, the Double Rainbow Li, which admittedly does get a little low at the head and foot ends.

Won't be buying anytime soon as Tarptent already have enough of our money (!) but I am curious how it performs in wind versus the DRLi. Those sides and ends do seem flatter and more "wind catching" rather than the smoothed over shape of the (hoop pole supported) Double Rainbow. The latter has proved itself to be quite capable (for what is a proper UL tent) of taking solid gusts of wind at various angles without much issue.

Maybe it's just my eyes but the Dipole design seems like it would catch a bit more wind. To its advantage it would be resisting them with two stiff walking poles rather than one flexy CF pole that needs further lines to hold in place during bad weather.

Still, great to see lots of options out there.

[north-north-west]

It is, like all Tarptent offering, a great design. Like headwerkin, the performance in strong winds is the only question I have.
Fortunately I have (more than) enough tents so my budget is safe for noww.

[Franco]

The Dipole are an updated Saddle design.
The main goal was to have a larger floor area than the typical solo and double (both take the wide long mats) but not a huge footprint and not too many pegs /guylines required to set them up.
At the same time I would use at least the extra apex guylines in most situations.

[Joynz]

These look great.

[crollsurf]

Dipole 1 and 2 are now back in stock, Dipole 2 plus delivery cost $1,425.44 AUD via Paypal!!!

[crollsurf]

Mini Dipole 2 Review

Straight up with the USD going gangbusters, this tent is over priced for what it is. But what an amazing tent.
It's an evolution of the 2 pole mids, in that it has mini poles at each end. You can setup your tent according to the site and then control ventilation accordingly, and as conditions change. That's a big win. The 2 end poles also offer a lot of head room, making it a very liveable tent.

For a full review check out the backcountrylight here https://youtu.be/h39a7QndxqQ

Thing I noticed is the length of the floor isn't as big as the review would suggest, if you travel with large mats. Both my large S2S Etherlight XT and large Thermarest Neo Xlite, side by side, while fitting comfortably in the tent, didn't provide any extra space length wise and together, they only just fitted. Two large S2S XT's would be pushing out the side.

I setup the tent with 4 stakes within 5 minutes, closer to 3 minutes. And while this is exceptional, it is not a 3 season tent at this point but if you want to get out of the rain quickly, 4 stakes is fine even in 3 seasons. 1-3 season, I'm not sure why you wouldn't stake out the 2 vestibules because it makes the tent so much better. It comes with 4 x 8' nails but I'll carry a couple of groundhogs for the vestibules and possibly a couple of extras and some guy lines to guy out the ends if I'm expecting bad weather.

Awesome tent and build build quality and design is faultless.

One thing I also noticed is when you setup, setup the tent taut with 4 stakes before inserting poles. First time I left a bit of slack before inserting poles and the apex ended up too high, which caused the floor to poke out the ends a bit.

[crollsurf]

Longer term review

After being a hard-core Protrail fan for years, I've changed my allegiance to the Dipole 2. I just never reach for the Protail anymore, even though the Dipole 2 is heavier.
For one person, it's glamping and ultralight at the same time! There is so much space, everything can live comfortably inside the tent and being over 6' tall, there is plenty of headroom. This is easily the most livable lightweight hiking tent I've owned.

Condensation wise, with the vents at either end, it's as good as a tarp but with superior wind/rain management, and it's easier to setup than a tarp. A tarp does offer better options when trying to find a site though.

Wind wise, you'd do better with an 8 stake setup. 4 corners as standard, 2 stakes for the vestibules, and 2 to guy out either end. I got hit by a Southerly Buster a while ago and didn't have the ends staked out. It was over 80klm gusts according to the BOM. A couple of stakes got ripped out, but once I got that sorted, the tent handled the wind no worries. But the ends did flap around because they weren't staked out.

It definitely takes up more space in a pack than the Protrail. So if you're walking with a ~38L, you may struggle. These days, with a 55L pack, there isn't a problem with this tent. In fact, I've always hated getting a tent back in its bag, so I just fold and roll (like you should with DCF) and stick in a plastic bag. Takes up even more space but with a 55L, who cares.

One last point, the pockets in this tent are weird. They're deep and narrow but perfect for a drink bottle if you're paranoid about your bottle leaking inside the tent.

As a 2 person tent, there wouldn't be enough room for all your gear inside but the vestibules are generous and offer reasonable protection from the weather.

The only real issue is price and the USD. That will change over time but ATM, I can't blame anyone for thinking Yeah... Nah.





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[Letstryagain]

Dipole 1 and 2 are now back in stock, Dipole 2 plus delivery cost $1,425.44 AUD via Paypal!!!

Well there goes that idea.

Seriously how can they cost that much and more so why would anyone pay it? They can't be that much better than rival brands.

Pass

[north-north-west]

Dipole 1 and 2 are now back in stock, Dipole 2 plus delivery cost $1,425.44 AUD via Paypal!!!

Seriously how can they cost that much and more so why would anyone pay it? They can't be that much better than rival brands.

Have you considered that the rival brands probably cost more?
Importing anything from the US is prohibitively expensive these days, and DCF is not cheap.

[crollsurf]

Dipole 1 and 2 are now back in stock, Dipole 2 plus delivery cost $1,425.44 AUD via Paypal!!!

Well there goes that idea.

Seriously how can they cost that much and more so why would anyone pay it? They can't be that much better than rival brands.

Pass

There's 2 parts to this
1. Being taller than average, I don't fit into cheaper Chinese brands, so not an option for me
2. Quality comes at an exponential cost, not incremental. To get a product that's twice as good, expect to quadriple the price. And that pretty much applies to everything. Actually, when it comes to clothing, cars, real estate etc. it's exponential++

But I agree, it's not a tent for anyone looking for value for money. Its a luxury item for sure.

[Letstryagain]

Mont, sts, ferrino all make quality tents than you can buy for a 3rd of that price.
Each to their own though for sure.

Consumerism relies on the fool and his money.

[north-north-west]

Mont, sts, ferrino all make quality tents than you can buy for a 3rd of that price.
Each to their own though for sure.

Not DCF, for one thing. Going ultralight costs.
If I could afford both the cost and the weight penalty, I'd stick to Hilleberg red label tents, which cost even more. But they're a level up from anything most other manufacturers put out.

[Walk_fat boy_walk]

Mont, sts, ferrino all make quality tents than you can buy for a 3rd of that price.
Each to their own though for sure.

Consumerism relies on the fool and his money.

The above manufacturers make good gear but nothing compared to TT/HMG/MLD etc DCF-based shelters in terms of weight/performance etc, and those are inherently expensive because of both the materials and limited market. I don't accept the "fool and his money" assertion - it's niche, expert-level equipment that will be well worth the expense for those that can afford them and put them to good use over a long period of time.

(FWIW I can't justify the expense either as I'm perfectly happy with my X-Mid and see no need to upgrade at that cost, but there are people with a legitimate use case that can easily justify the expense... who aren't fools by any means).

[Walk_fat boy_walk]

(double post)

[headwerkn]

Mont, sts, ferrino all make quality tents than you can buy for a 3rd of that price.

Really? Gonna call bull on that one, sorry.

Any legit 3-season sub-1.5kg 2pp tent made from lightweight silnylon or silpoly is basically a $1000-retail proposition, and has been for a quite some time. MSR Hubba Hubba, Big Agnes Copper Spur, etc. you're not getting much change out of a grand unless you get a great special. Nemo was once the cheaper option, but they are edging $800-$900 for equivalent models these days.

Anything that costs $300-$400 these days is a 2.0-3.0kg basic PU nylon tent designed for car camping and backyard sleep overs. Or a Snow Gum Storm Shelter II, which is a perfectly good, affordable four-season tent, but weighs a tonne and takes up half your backpack I don't miss it...

Our Double Rainbow Li cost about $830 (AUD) landed here a few years back. Was actually cheaper than the retail price of a Hubba Hubba NX it was replacing. Granted, the current exchange rate isn't helping at the moment, but still a comparable cost.

The tent outperforms the Hubba Hubba in every way shape and form: it has much more floor space, more interior height, better wind and storm performance, much better waterproofing, easier to set up, more adaptability to conditions (porch mode, semi-freestanding option) and weighs literally half as much. About the only advantages the Hubba had are perhaps vestibule space (only slightly bigger, mind you) and being dual-layer, the fly can be flipped upside to help dry it out faster. Can't do that with a single layer tent, but DCF dries much, much faster the moment it catches a little sun.

There's a bunch of ~1.0kg 2pp semi-freestanding tents now on the market around that $1000 mark that use silnylon rather than DCF. That's impressive, but they're all 1. absolutely tiny with tapering floors requiring tapered mats to fit 2pp in, and 2. use very thin silnylon which is not only delicate but also a pain the backside to try and patch. DCF, by comparison, is a doddle to repair when necessary.

Not saying sub-$500 tents are worthless. Not everyone can afford or justify expensive gear, or needs that level of performance for their activities, and that's perfectly fine. I relied on that old, heavy Snowgum for a decade before I could afford to upgrade, and that old tent helped get me places in all kinds of conditions. But those tents simply aren't comparable to contemporary DCF- or Ultra-based UL tents.

[Letstryagain]

Fair enough. Valid points, but still not for me. I've been camping in Tassie Highlands and ranges for 40+ years and I've never felt inadequate or unsafe in my cheap tents. Unless you do a lot of snow camping 3season tents are more than reliable here.

[Moondog55]

Even my BD Megalite is pushing $600- now buying in the USA and needing to use third party shippers.
Chasing that last gram of weight saving has always been expensive but for many people it is considered worthwhile

[headwerkn]

Unless you do a lot of snow camping 3season tents are more than reliable here.

Agreed... you can get away with a lot in a decent three-season tent with care. Care being careful site selection and if necessary, clever rigging/guying. Likewise, four-season tents in the wrong conditions eg. summer are just plain horrible. The old Snowgum was not a fun tent to sleep in during warm east-coast nights.

That said, there's not a lot of buyer's regret when you're toasty warm, perched on a completely exposed ridgeline and your Hillberg's all like <swedish accent> "pfft, you call this a blizzard?"

Chasing that last gram of weight saving has always been expensive but for many people it is considered worthwhile

Especially as you get older and still want to maintain a regular walking schedule. Your body can handle all kinds of abuse in your 20s... that changes in your 40s, 50s and beyond It's actually been interesting to see a trend recently amongst some of the walkers I know in their 60s and 70s, who've long stubbornly persisted with their old, heavy AF equipment finally ditch it for more ultralight gear. Seeing their endurance be maintained over long trips and faster recovery times in between, that's where the value of UL really comes into play.

[north-north-west]

That said, there's not a lot of buyer's regret when you're toasty warm, perched on a completely exposed ridgeline and your Hillberg's all like <swedish accent> "pfft, you call this a blizzard?"

Ahhh, the memories. That Akto has seen some action.

[Moondog55]

True but I do want to leave my kids "something" other than old camping gear.
Walk slower and less far too also works, after all we retirees have all the time in the world

[Franco]

Mont, sts, ferrino all make quality tents than you can buy for a 3rd of that price.
Each to their own though for sure.

Consumerism relies on the fool and his money.

You may want to think about it bit longer the next time before posting comments like that.
There is no doubt that paying over $1k for a tent is a lot of money but you always need to ask : compared to what ?
With your comment " the fool and his money" you have branded all that have bought those DCF tents (and many brands do have them ,mostly at similar or higher prices than Tarptent) "fools" .
Maybe you should consider that some pay a premium price for a premium product to get...a premium product.
This is exactly the same with most products sold.
As you go up in quality/performance (in this case also down on weight) you pay exponantialy more for it. That is almost always not because of profiteering but simply because it costs more to make and sell a premium product...
BTW, DCF is 5 to 10 times the cost of silnylon/nylon/polyester ...

[Letstryagain]

Hi Franco.
I'll respectfully disagree with you here
I understand you are a tarptent employee so understand your biased opinion. However as I've said I've had40 years experience using these " cheaper" inferior products here in Tasmania without any issues whatsoever. I believe that is all the evidence needed

Regards

[headwerkn]

As an aside, it's also worth considering that any $300-$400 tent sold in a store is actually a $150-$200 tent, once distributor and retailer margins are taken out.

One aspect I do like buying directly from smaller cottage makers is taking those middle men out of the equation. I'd rather more of my money go in the hands of the people who actually designed and built the tent, than those who just play pass-the-parcel and take their cut

Speaking of Tarptent specifically, Henry's customer service is literally second-to-none. I've contacted Tarptent maybe half a dozen times over the past few years with questions and queries, and getting the business owner to respond to you personally within a day or two isn't something you're gonna get with Cascade Designs or Sea To Summit. He's also renewed our DCF patch kit three times now, for free. There's a reason why two of his tents grace our cupboard, and likely a third in the next 12 months.

Either way, it is unreasonable to say the only difference between cheap and expensive tents is marketing and a sucker soon parted with their cash. Materials, design, performance and fulfilling specialist niches beyond the basic semi-dome all matter.

[Walk_fat boy_walk]

As if to heap fuel on the fire (and acknowledging it probably belongs in a different thread), but overnight Mr Durston has gone and dropped a new oversized XMid 2 Pro (calling it a "Pro 2 plus")
https://durstongear.com/products/x-mid-pro-plus-tent-ultralight-thruhiking

Some seriously good gear in this space now.

[Franco]

Hi Franco.
I'll respectfully disagree with you here
I understand you are a tarptent employee so understand your biased opinion. However as I've said I've had40 years experience using these " cheaper" inferior products here in Tasmania without any issues whatsoever. I believe that is all the evidence needed

Regards

I haven't been a TT employee (or had any financial support from them, my dcision...) for over 3 years. (we are still friends ,as it was well before I started to get paid for looking after enquieries on the forums).
You obviously did not understand what I wrote.
It was about the fact that top gear made by using the most expensive materials inevitably ends up costing a lot more than the rest.
This is for pretty much anything at all , not just tents or outdoor gear but anything you can buy.
I personaly would not spend the money on a DCF tent but I also do not think that those that do are stupid .
BTW, I never stated or implied that non DCF tents are inferior, generaly DCF tents are lighter but to some there are also other advantages that they like.

[headwerkn]

Heheh yeah I noticed that on IG. 550g for a stormworthy 2pp tent with a proper wide floor is off the show. That's not far off a ProTrail Li.

That and those spacious vestibules are compelling, but I'm still of the opinion that better ventilation and (with it, hopefully) condensation management are more so, at least in the places we tend to camp. I know the XMids can be pitched 'up' off the ground a bit to improve airflow but the Double Rainbow has proved you can only encourage so much ventilation with low-to-the-ground mesh gutters especially when the vestibules are closed. I think that's still the Dipole's trump card, though the proof will be in the pudding. Would be very interested to see how the larger, flatter fly panels each handle strong winds, especially when variable. I'm convinced that's where the Double Rainbow's design has the edge.

Urgh, a decade ago we had very few options in UL, now we have almost too much choice #irony

[north-north-west]

As if to heap fuel on the fire (and acknowledging it probably belongs in a different thread), but overnight Mr Durston has gone and dropped a new oversized XMid 2 Pro (calling it a "Pro 2 plus")
https://durstongear.com/products/x-mid-pro-plus-tent-ultralight-thruhiking

I hate to think what the footprint on that is like - it's already hard enough to find spots where the standard 2pp will fit. But, ohh, the temptaion to get a DCF fly for my XMid ...
Good thing I'm broke for the forseeable future.