Testimonials
I recently ordered a Sublite after having owned a Rainbow
for a couple of years. The Rainbow's a great tent but the
lure of an 18 oz tent was just too much to pass up. I couldn't
be happier! On a recent backpack on one of the Grand Canyon's
tougher routes, the Sublite proved to be extremely easy to
set up, spacious (for my needs), and very very stable in
high winds when camped on an exposed ridge as a cold front
moved in. (In fact, my friend's Sierra Designs Clip Flashlight
blew over - with twisted poles - the same night that I had
the best sleep of our trip!) As much as I love my Rainbow,
I definitely didn't miss carrying the extra pound on my back
- not to mention the extra three or four pounds I would have
carried had I used another manufacturer's tent!
Thanks for making such a super product!
John Melville
Baltimore, MD
Greetings,
I wanted to let you know that I had a chance to use my
new Contrail this past weekend. I took a 3 day trip into
the Pecos Wilderness located in the Sangre
De Cristo Mountains north of Santa Fe, NM. I practiced the set-up and take
down a few times at home, after seem sealing, and thought
it was a breeze. However,
it wasn't until I was setting up at the same time as my "tent friend" that
I realized how easy it really was. I had it fully pitched before he had the
pole in his tent. The next morning I had it back in my pack before he had his
rain
fly off. My buddy came down with a severe case of tarp envy. The Contrail is
very convenient to use and has plenty of room to spare inside. I need the comfort
of bug and critter protection, and can't imagine a better tent than the Contrail
for the weight, volume, and ease of set-up. Also, the Pecos Wilderness is exceedingly
muggy this time of year due to frequent and heavy thunderstorms. Nevertheless,
I had zero condensation inside due to the great ventilation.
Thanks for the Contrail, it has really improved my backpacking
experience.
Scott
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Dear Henry,
I bought a Rainbow Tarptent last November and actually used it for the first
time on December 1st. Four of us went up a trail near Snoqualmie Pass, Wa.
expecting 3" of snow overnight. What we got was actually closer to 5'!
The Tarptent withstood the load! This adventure turned into a 4 day rescue
ordeal and we were in a pickle to put it mildly. Everything we had was wet,
all of our clothes, our bags, tents etc., we were cold, I got frostbite and
eventually lost a toe. The four of us survived in one 2-man tent while the
Tarptent held all of our gear snug and secure. When we finally got rescued,
my gear, along with the Tarptent was cached on the mountain. I considered
this gear to be lost and a litter recovery mission at best. Yesterday, 9
months later, my gear was recovered and the Tarptent had withstood this test
of time on the mountain with no damage whatsoever. It was actually slept
in for the second time last night and it is as new. There is a slight mildew
odor in the stuff sack from being packed wet for so long along with wet dirty
clothes but was not noticeable when pitched. This was money well spent. Thank
you for making such a great product.
Chris Van Over
Marblemount, WA
Hello,
I purchased a Rainshadow 2 tent a few months
ago and
I just want to tell you how thrilled I am with this tent. I have
used it twice in the Montana Beartooth Wilderness and once
in the South Dakota Black Elk Wilderness. It is easy to set
up, easy to pack, has room for three with plenty of gear
storage, and has a great vestibule design. The waterproofness
of the silnylon is superb as I experienced on the last trip
with my teenage son and daughter. I made the mistake of choosing
a very attractive flat spot for pitching the tent that was
also a low spot. We had an hard thunderstorm early that evening
that resulted in at least 3/8" of standing water in
places under the tent from runoff of the surrounding rocks
and high ground. The amazing thing was the standing water
did not penetrate the tent floor and we stayed completely
dry! We joked about the "water bed" we were sleeping
on until the water finally soaked into the ground after several
hours.
I have owned several tents over the past 40 years but never one as water-proof
or as well designed as the Rainshadow 2. It holds up great in high elevation
(10,000 feet) winds, ventilates well (even in the mid-day sun!), provides good
headroom (we sat up and played card games for 2 hours in the rain one evening),
and the tent is spacious for three and incredibly luxurious for two. I also really
like the flexible vestibule design that can be opened up for ventilation or closed
in a few seconds for cool weather and rain. Combined with the ultra lightweight
I don't think this tent can be beat for functionality at any price. Our backpacking
trips this year have been more enjoyable thanks to the Rainshadow 2.
If I ever wear this tent out I will certainly purchase another one from you.
Thank you for designing and manufacturing such a
great
tent.
Kind regards,
Frank Schaner
Billings, MT
I want to say thanks for the rainbow
tent you sold to me: it's great! I used it
on a 14 day bike trip in Morocco and liked it very much.
It's amazing what value you
provide for such a light tent. It's well-built,
has good materials and some clever features. Thanks again!
I don't have a fancy photo of the tent that I can send
to you, but more than one fancy memories of using it. Keep
up the good work!
Dirk Bernhardt
Berlin, Germany
I'd like to thank you for the outstanding customer service
and the outstanding product that you put out. My wife and
I thru-hiked from GA-ME this 07 season and could not have
been happier with our choice to use the Double Rainbow.
We battled many rainstorms and some seriously cold nights
and hid from mosquitoes with stealth quality. We met plenty
of other Tarptent owners and they couldn't have been happier
with their nylon homes.
I've attached a picture of our tent in 100 mile wilderness
in Maine. A beautiful sunrise after a thundery night. Congratulations
to you all. You make a wonderful product and provide exceptional
service. Best Regards,
Ron Gaulden
Charlotte. NC
I received my Contrail just a few weeks ago and had been
dying to try it out. I finally got a chance on a weekend
trip to Dolly Sods Wilderness in WV. It rained on us both
nights, but my Contrail did a wonderful job shedding the
water. Even when things got kinda windy my trusty little
shelter held up to it and kept me and my gear bone dry. Thanks
to the great ventilation in the Contrail I had hardly any
condensation inside the walls.
I took the Contrail out again this past weekend on a four-day
backpacking trip through Shenandoah National Park. It was
great to have such a light shelter compared to the heavier
ones my friends were lugging around. One of them actually
admitted to having "tarp envy" because the Contrail
was lighter AND roomier than his "ultralight" tent.
I also appreciated the quick and easy set-up, which allowed
me to help the others with their tents. The Contrail rocks!
I can't wait to use it again.
Thanks again. Keep up the good work.
Jared Nudd
Laytonsville, MD
To the good folks at Tarptent.
The Rainbow worked well. In Northern Minnesota in the second
week of May, we had snow, light rain, sleet, hail, and
heavy rain during a five day hike on the Superior Hiking
Trail. My dog and I stayed perfectly dry. A photo of the
snow is attached. A well thought out tent in my opinion.
Craig Mueller, P.E.
Windom, MN
A month or so ago I ordered a Cloudburst 2 from you.
I was the Jared who had
his tent accidentally sent to a different Jared
in idaho somewhere. You sent my tent up to Browning MT
so I would have it time
for my hike in Glacier. I wanted
to let you know that I picked up as planned and it was
beautiful. The first time I set it up was in the middle
of Glacier National
Park. It set up so fast and easy, I kept checking things
over to make sure I had not forgot something. I'm an
engineer by profession, and I must say I was thoroughly
impressed
with the design of your tarptents. Very stable, very
light, strong stitches and the sewn in bathtub floor
is a brilliant
design. It was the first time I had even seen one of
your tents in person and I was super glad I went with
you. I've
been telling everyone about your tents. Some of my friends
are, I think, regretting their recent tent purchases
with other companies after seeing mine.
Thanks again Henry. Much appreciated and much impressed.
(by the way, thanks for seamsealing it for me too, we
got a whole nights rain on our third night and stayed
completely
dry. The cloudburst 2 is brilliant.
Sincerely, Jared Nelson (of Nebraska - not Idaho)
:)
I used your Tarptent on both my PCT and CDT hikes. I just
wanted to let you know that it served me well. It is a great
tent that is easy to put up and take down,
better than any tent I ever had. Thank you for an excellent product.
Best regards,
Cliff Hardin
"Cliffhanger"
AT '90- Pct '03-CDT '05
Just wanted to thank you for getting my order shipped so quickly! I set up my
new Rainbow as soon as I got it. This is by far the best tent I have ever seen
in any category of shelters. The pack size, weight & ease of set up are amazing!
I am 110% satisfied.
Scott Aiken
Gray Court, SC
First let me thank your staff for turning my order around
so quickly in time for me to actually get a chance to sleep
in the Cloudburst 2. I have nothing but praise for this
tarptent. It held it's own when the wind and rain started.
I did follow the simple rule of pitching feet first into
the wind. Simple enough.
I was relieved to find the front and rear extended beaks did in fact actually
stop the rain and spray. Conditions were 20-25 mph winds and rain which fell
sideways at times. My partner was in his Eureka Zephyr (1 man-3.4 lb) and when
it came time for dinner and coffee he didn't have enough cover to enjoy himself
or prepare his meal. Day three came to a close with us on an exposed ridge
in a driving snow storm. I offered to share my home with my friend who makes
a living flying fuel, people and various goodies around up in Alaska. Needless
to say when dawn came next I found three inches of fresh snow above us and
we both just marveled at your creation. Thank you again to you and your staff.
Have a great Holiday and Merry Christmas to all.
Mike McMullen
White Bluff, TN
Just wanted to let you know I received my new Squall 2 on
Thursday and headed out into the Superstition Wilderness,
Friday afternoon for what I thought would be a gentle test
run over the weekend.
As it turned out we encountered about 9 hours of non-stop
rain that came down in every intensity from drizzle to torrential
downpour, mostly the later and in every direction imaginable.
I hadn't even seam sealed the seams yet, but the Squall 2
withstood both the intense rain and the wind keeping us dry
and secure. It also housed both of us very comfortably along
with our backpacks. I spend an awful lot of bag nights out
there and this shelter truly impressed me. Keep up the good
work.
Kent Struble
Mesa, AZ
I borrowed my buddy's Virga 2 for a trip down the Ozark Highlands
Trail and I cannot believe how
great this tent was. I have been minimalist camping for
almost 15 years and I have never felt as
spoiled as I was in your tent.
It was roomy and comfortable, condensation was not
a problem and the snow was not even a concern.
I am saving up right now to purchase the Squall 2 in about
a month. My girlfriend
loves to camp with me
and it would be perfect for us. I am planning
my dream hike thru of the AT in '07 and this
is the tent I want with me.
I wanted to drop you a line and tell you how impressed I
am with your product.
Simply fantastic and I
am looking forward to getting one of my own!
Thanks,
Garvin Carrell
Rolla, MO
Have been meaning to get a note off to you about the Tarptent.
Did receive it in time for the hike which was planned. Must
say
it is the
best, will never get another tent. We were on Mount Rogers
in
Southwest Virginia, the storm came up during the night, it
rained hard
and harder, I in the meantime remained in the tent dry, while
my hiking
partner was battening the hatches, he had water everywhere
in this
tent, and was up drying everything, as he could between storms,
I in
the meantime was dry. I think this has changed my whole hiking
experience. This is the first tent that I can say that I
enjoy and
will use, perhaps more so than a shelter. Fine product!
Dick Hostelley
Stanley, VA
Thanks for getting the Cloudburst here,
it was great to have on the trip. I couldn't believe how
much space it afforded for
such little weight. We had terrible weather, which makes
for good tent testing I guess. The
Cloudburst kept
me and my girlfriend dry in a torrential downpour that
lasted all night. The rain
was so hard that it would wake us up numerous times during
the night. In addition I was fearful that the tent was
going to blow away; but it impressed me more the longer
the storm
lasted. On the hike out we saw numerous trees that had
been blown over during the storm, but your tent stayed
right in
place.
Thanks again
for a great nights sleep in a terrible storm.
James Lyles
Bronx, NY
I completed my thru-hike of the PCT on August 3, 2003;
it took 83 days. The tarptent worked perfectly. I did not
get a
drop of rain all summer but did get 5 inches of snow at
Dick's Pass. The tt
withstood the snow :-) I don't know how it does in rain.
I used the Squall every night on the trail but one when
I slept out. I was in a motel
about 4 nights total. So, around 78 nights. I would often hike
late and sometimes in the dark. I set the Squall up
on rocks, bushes, at weird
angles, etc. To be honest the floor should have ripped
a dozen times. The flooring
on the tt is bulletproof. If you saw the locations
I setup in, you would have cringed ... I expected
it to rip at least a dozen
times. You must have given me kevlar but mistake.
[Ed: Congratulations
to Ray for breaking
the PCT speed record!]
Best,
Ray Greenlaw
Savannah, GA
I wanted to let you know how my Cloudburst tent fared on
my recent 9 dayYosemite trek. The answer is GREAT. No problems
whatsoever. I did not
get rained on during that period; however,
there had been a torrential
rain a few hours before my first night out.
There was a lot of drip
from the trees onto the outside of the tent, but no water
inside the tent.
Although I usually camp with my son, this trip was solo,
and the size and headroom
of the Cloudburst were
a real luxury. My 6'6" sleeping
bag was easily accommodated
and I had plenty of room for all my gear. The large panel
of mosquito netting at the
front
affords a nice view while still providing bug protection.
And, the silnylon body diffuses the morning light beautifully. When
rolled up, the tent fit nicely into the side pocket of
my GVPgear G5 tent. Also, I used the rear aluminum pole
sections (which are wisely designed by you to be 20 inches
in length) to
stiffen my folded Thermarest Ultralite pad (also 20 inches
in width), which I then used as the frame for the Gossamer
G5 backpack.
Lastly, your customer service was spectacular. All my (many)
questions and concerns
were answered along with many useful tips on ultralight backpacking.
Best wishes for continued success.
Doctor Bob
Palo Alto, CA
Thanks a lot for getting the Tarptent
to me in time for my class outing to the Oregon Dunes National
Recreation Area.
It was a perfect weekend to test the Tarptent; it withstood
rain, high winds, hail, sand, and mosquitoes. Not one drop
of rain made it in, and there was absolutely no condensation!
Everyone (including the instructor and myself) was very
impressed with the design.
Thanks again.
Eric Salisbury
Eugene, OR
I bought a Virga from you last year for a cycling trip along
the Great Divide Mountain Bike Trail that parallels the Continental
Divide from Montana to Mexico. Fires postponed the trip until
this year. Everyone I
met in the backcountry was amazed at the weight, design and
performance of the Virga. Most thought that the bundle on
the rear rack was the tent pole sack not the complete shelter.
I had rain, cold, hail, wind, heat and lots of bugs. None
bothered me
at all.
I could not ask for better performance. Thank you
.
Don Kolstad
Santa Barbara, CA
My sweet wife & I used the squall with pleasure as we
hiked a week in BC Canada
with thousands of feet
elevation change every day, then kayaked for a week,
the squall our only shelter.
It was a real treat to have such a lightweight,
easy-to-pitch and elegant shelter that kept
the bugs at bay and kept us snug and dry in a rip-roaring
thunder storm. And so light on the
feet!
Molto mahalos,
Dr. Jon-Pierre Michaud
Hilo, HI
My first use of the tarptent was last week on the Superior
Hiking Trail. Report: NO condensation with evening temps
varying from 45-70 degrees; was dumped on from the heavens
two times and stayed dry and snug as a bug; enjoyed the tent's
light coloring allowing the
sunlight to beam through in the mornings; quick and simplistic
to set up and take down; wonderfully lightweight.
Thank you for a superb product. It will be my companion on
my AT thru hike next year.
Jan Matson
Rochester, MN
Wow. I just received my Tarptent.
I have been researching tents for the past couple years.
In an attempt to reduce
pack weight, most of my hiking buddies have purchased single-wall
mountaineering tents or small solo tents. None of them felt
right—they felt like a compromise. I've tried tarps,
but they didn't provide the bug protection I wanted.
In my mind I knew what I wanted, but I couldn't translate the desire into reality.
I'm not sure how I found your website—it was quite by accident. Instantly
I realized that this was what I wanted: Easy to set up, rain protection, bug
protection, ultra-light, reasonably priced. So I ordered.
I must add—the Tarptent exceeded my expectations. I read the instruction
sheet that came with the tarp and it only took me 2 min. 15 sec. to set it up
the first time. I slept in it the last 2 nights just to test it out. I was really
surprised at how much I like the color, the way it diffuses the light in the
morning, gently rousing me from sleep. With the netting around the perimeter,
I had no little buzzing sounds around my ears keeping me awake. I'm usually hiking
solo, but I decided on the Squall since I like to bring my pack inside for the
night. It's a perfect size.
Again thanks so much for the Tarptent. I'm glad someone was able to translate
my desire into the perfect product.
Eric Bissey
Bourneville, OH
Thanks again for a great piece of design, compared with Golite tarps and
nets it is way ahead.
Regards,
Chris Knapton
United Kingdom
I have owned and tested many tents over the years but most were before
my conversion to lightweight hiking. I still test shelters and prefer
silnylon tarps to tents but missed some of the comforts of a tent. Well,
that is until I purchased an early version Squall from Henry. There are other quality wannabee's for sure but haven't needed to test these. At this
moment, the Squall Tarptent remains my favorite three season shelter.
Period. For winter hikers, my favorite all season solo shelter is the
Hilleberg Akto. Not bad company.
John Macri
Outdoor Gear Writer & Moderator for The Lightweight Backpacker
We took our brand new TarpTent into the Glacier Peak Wilderness area over
Labor Day weekend. Sunny and about 80 degrees on Saturday. We camped at
about 6300 feet, and set up the tent with a majestic view of the
surrounding peaks. By 10 pm, it started raining, and then the wind came
up. It rained all night until 10 the next morning, nonstop. (Fortunately
I seam sealed the ridgeline twice. I saw a drop or two come in, but no big
deal. I'll go over it once more just to make sure. )
The wind was fairly horrendous, quite often blowing so hard that the tent
would get pushed down over my face. The wind blew from every direction,
and every once in awhile rain would get blasted through the bug screen in
front and burst into a million tiny misty droplets. What a refreshing way
to wake up! We simply grinned at each other, safe in the knowledge that
our TarpTent was holding up valiantly, and went back to sleep with the
sound of wind and rain in our ears.
Here is my review: That was for sure the best night I have ever had in the
mountains. I was breathing fresh air, instead of stale tent fumes. I had
a gorgeous view, unobscured by a drooping rain fly as is usually the case.
I felt totally secure in the waterproofness of the tent. There was not a
drop of condensation inside, which is a first also. The tent was wide
enough that the rain rolled harmlessly off the side, a safe distance away
from our Feathered Friends down bags. We did get the foot area of our bags
a bit wet, due to the uncertain direction of the wind. We scooted away
from the front a bit to avoid the rain blasts, and then the wind would
drive the rain through the other end.
[Ed: the '03 Tarptents now have excellent rear storm protection]
We had to pack up our gear the
next morning in the tent, as it was still raining outside. This was a
little tricky due to the low roofline. The solution was to crawl down to
the foot-end of the tent and watch the storm while my wife packed up. I
felt like a little kid in a fort. The Tyvek ground sheet worked expertly,
as I'm sure you already know. When it was time to pack the tent,
everything else was already ready to go. The tent is so small, it can go
anywhere in your pack, so there is no need to pack around it or make room
for it. We just crawled out into the now dying rain, and popped the tent
into a little duffel bag, and away it went into the top pocket of my pack.
We love the tent. 4 Stars. A+++, AAA, and all that. Thanks Henry. You
revolutionized our hiking experience.
Ron and Erika Snyder
Wenatchee, WA
Your tent was the final piece in creating an 11 pound
weekend pack and I wanted to see what I could do with it.
A friend and I flew through the Alpine Lakes wilderness
in Washingtons cascades, covering 45 miles of INCREDIBLE
country with massive elevation gains as well- all in 47
hours! It was a crazy weekend and an incredible experience-
moving through that much country was so invigorating and
also showed me what I was truly capable of. As my buddy
and I looked over our experience and the gear we had chosen,
we both commented on just how wonderful your tent was to
use. It went up easily, had much more room than either
of my other 2 person tents, held up beautifully in strong
winds one night, and packed down to nothing. It is really
an engineering marvel and is now one of my favorite pieces
of gear. Furthermore, I would choose this over one of my
older favorite (North Face Slickrock) even when I WASNT
going for ultralight. It was that easy and comfortable
to use.
When I picked up the latest Backpacker and their selection
of innovative ultralight tents, I just had to write a letter
to them. What they selected I've used but your product
is in a completely different league.
Thank you for your well thought-out and worked-through
design- it is making my wilderness adventures that much
more enjoyable.
Cheers!
Doug Johnson
Seattle, WA
The weekend after I placed my order I was hiking a local
trail and met another fellow headed the opposite direction.
We stopped and chatted for a few moments. We each noticed
that we had versions of GoLite packs on our backs which prompted
additional "light" backpacking
conversation. I was just about to tell this fellow hiker
that I had ordered one of your Tarptents when he excitedly
blurted out, "I just recently
received a Tarptent in the mail that I had ordered!" Of
course I laughed and told him of my recent order. Again,
excitedly, he asked,"would
you like to see mine?" I don't think I had even responded
yet and he had his pack off and was proudly presenting
his new purchase. Up until that moment I had only researched
your product and asked questions of others online (having
become convinced that I had to have one); and was very
eager to see it! Now, I'm even more excited! Hurry Henry
Hurry!!! ha ha ha ....just kidding (kind of). :-)
Mike Askins
Aurora, OH
Just wanted to let you know that I received the tarptent and have
allready had the pleasure of using it in Haleakala crater on Maui. Everything worked flawlessly and I can't tell you how amazing it was
to carry a tent 25% of the weight and size of what I was used to.
Thanks
so much!
Aloha,
Cary Young
Kula, HI
Got back from my JMT thru-hike and I just wanted to let you know
that the Tarptent was superb. Pitched easily and provided excellent
mosquitoe protection. My buddy, who had a
regular
Golite tarp was quite envious of my Tarptent.
Thanks again for the great product.
Tom Krizay
Reston, VA
We survived Shasta, barely. It's nothing I would ever recommend to
anyone - a pile of loose rubble 14,000 feet high!
The maiden voyage of my new Tarptent Squall was highly successful. My 6'2"
brother and I shared it and never bumped shoulders. The
floor-to-netting connection meant we could really spread out without
us or our gear falling out of the tent, and the normal camping-grit
coating the floor received eliminated any worries about excess
slipperiness. The netting kept out bugs and even dust, while
providing us with ventilation and a fine view of the moon rising over
the flank of Shasta (when we woke up at 2 a.m. to begin the ordeal).
The Squall provided more floor space than my old "ultralight" tent,
at much much less packing volume and much much much less weight, and
was the envy of all passers-by. Congratulations on a great design
and precision construction, too!
Frank Cipriano
San Francisco, CA
I just completed the John Muir Trail. Your Tarptent Virga was perfect for
this hike. At less than 20oz it was light and provided the security that I
wanted.
Thanks for a great shelter.
Don Clark AKA Goose (2K AT thru-hiker)
Orange Park,
FL
Just returned from a 6 day Emigrant Wilderness outing sponsored by the
Sierra Club. We had a great time. The tent set up in under 90 seconds.
The bugs were kept at bay and the netting kept me cool on several
unexpectedly warm nights. What a tent. WE had to make sure we had our
personal gear down to under 25 lbs because they were going to give us an
extra 15 lbs of group gear. So with water one could conceivably be at 45
lbs. Ugghh! I weighed in at 15 lbs largely because of the Tarptent. So my
carry weight was 35 lbs. and over the week got lighter and lighter. What I
really like was that I could squash your tent down to the size of a
softball. So my pack form was exceptionally compact and balanced. Most
everyone else looked as if they were carrying the kitchen sink and they felt
like it, too.
By the way, I think you are under priced for the quality of your tent. I saw
several other tents on the web that were obviously knockoffs of yours priced
in the $200 to $250 range. All the best and thanks again for making such a
great tent!
Mitchell F. Keil, CFP
Fountain Valley, CA
I got it, and I set it up, and I must say, you have a brilliant design!!
So
lightweight, spacious, and easy to set up. WOW. Can't wait to take it
on
the trail!!
Jackie McDonnell
Overland Park, KS
Well, we had almost perfect weather for testing a tent! The first night had winds gusting to 45 mph, pouring rain, sleet, and a little wet snow! I stayed warm and dry except when one tent peg pulled out at about 2:30 am. I reset it and everything was fine. I used the two guy outs on the long sides just to be extra safe. I don't know if I really needed them, but I was glad for the extra margin of safety. Next night had a little rain and almost no wind. I got a little condensation inside the second night, but nothing too bad( a thin film, but no droplets). One big, sturdy (heavy) tent in our group blew down completely! I'm in love with this tent. Let me know when you are ready for production so I can start telling the world about your tent.
Thanks for all your help.
Mark
Bartechko
Encinitas, CA
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