Discovering the precise tent for a backpacking journey is all the time tough. You must steadiness packed dimension and weight towards livability and the way nicely it stands as much as wind and rain. I’ve all the time erred on the facet of a sturdy tent over any weight issues, which is why I really like the Hilleberg Akto, however I do not all the time want the Akto.
There’s a brief season in my neck of the woods known as summer season, when storms are much less probably and temps do not drop a lot under the 60s. That is after I’ve been utilizing the Lunar Solo, Six Moon Design’s flagship ultralight one-person tent. After a number of late and early summer season journeys across the north woods of Wisconsin and Michigan, it has proved itself a succesful shelter. It weighs simply 2 kilos, packs down fairly small, and checks an entire lot of different containers on my tent want checklist.
Loads of House
{Photograph}: Scott Gilbertson
There isn’t any one tent to rule all of them, and looking for one is a mistake. You are higher off with two tents, figuring out the constraints of every and utilizing every when it is the very best for the job. Which is to say, I really like the Akto, however I additionally suppose Six Moon Design’s Lunar Solo is great for summer season journeys whenever you prize touring mild over withstanding intense storms.
That is to not say the Lunar Solo will not hold you dry. It would. The silicone nylon, or silnylon, is loads waterproof, although you may both must seam-seal it your self with some Seam Grip, or have the Six Moon Designs crew do it for you earlier than they ship it, which prices $35. My testing tent arrived seam-sealed, however being sufficiently old to recollect whenever you needed to seam-seal nearly each tent, I’ve performed it sufficient occasions to say it is not exhausting must you select to DIY it.
The Lunar Solo is single-wall, single-pole tent supposed to be pitched with a trekking pole. This makes for a really small and light-weight tent but additionally has two potential drawbacks: structural integrity and condensation. Extra on these in a second. As soon as pitched, the Lunar Solo affords 26 sq. ft of residing area and a peak top of 49 inches, and the vestibule affords 8.5 sq. ft of further gear storage. Total I discovered the Lunar Solo to be loads spacious for one particular person with gear. The rear wall expands out barely, supplying you with a spot to stash continuously wanted objects with out pushing them up towards the tent wall.
The 20D silnylon and mesh partitions really feel as sturdy as something you may discover at this weight, except you need to go together with a Cuben Fiber/Dyneema tent, however to my thoughts the excessive worth of Cuben places it in a unique class. The ground of the Lunar Solo is a extra sturdy 40-denier (40D), and has a bath form to assist guarantee water would not get in. The rear of the Lunar Solo has a 6-inch mesh portion between the ground and the principle wall that helps with air flow.
Any single pole tent goes to wrestle in wind, irrespective of what number of guyline factors it affords. I did discover the Lunar Solo compressed a superb deal after I pitched it in excessive winds on the uncovered shores of Lake Superior. It was admittedly not a terrific campsite from a seeking-shelter viewpoint, not one I might decide if I wasn’t testing the wind resistance of a tent. However it did persuade me that the Lunar Solo wants both a trekking pole or a heavier tent pole than the ultralight pole Six Moon Design supplied. (I did a superb portion of my testing whereas bikepacking so I did not have trekking poles.)