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Testimonials


Extensive Reviews on BackpackGearTest.org

Scarp 1 review at TGO Magazine
Rainbow review on gearview.com
Squall 2 review on Away.com

I wanted to send you all a picture of our Scarp 2 setup on Steamroller Pass overlooking the Clear Glacier. It is far and away the best tent I have ever owned. It is lightning fast to set up, very comfortable and feels secure in the wind. Unfortunately it's a little crowded for two people and two 70lbs dogs (Before I was married I thought dogs could sleep in the vestibules. I have been corrected). So We'll be looking forward to that Hogback you're sending to Anchorage. Thank you for making such a great product in the USA.

Rhett Paulson
Anchorage, AK

I received my Notch and have taken a weekend packing trip in the Georgia Appalachians near Neel's Gap. The Notch was perfect. We set up in rain without getting the tent interior wet at all. Your design is incredibly efficient, smart, and accomodating for the tent resident once inside. There is generous space exactly where needed without wasted fabric. Movement within the tent is comfortable due to your design and the ability to snug up the rain fly from within the tent is great when a rain blew up again in the night. I was camping low at a creek side with temps in the high 30's and upon rizing I couldn't find a drop of condensation under the rain fly. Excellant ventilation options. I got the half solid /mesh wall interior and was glad I did. It simply gives me more options with extending the hiking season and avoiding cold damp draft blowing over my head and down bag at night. I struggled with the decision of all mesh or half mesh here in Georgia, but after using the Notch and comparing to my trips with another brand solo all mesh interior tent, I much prefer the half solid interior.

The setup of the tent is a breeze and the trekking pole support structure gives the Notch a sturdy feel. I had packers that passed my site, come over and ask what tent this was...I guess it makes quite an impression. I' d have to add that the 2 entrance doors and the 2 big vestibules gave me total access and adjustability to stow gear, batten down one side against a changing wind/rain direction while leaving the other side open. With a directonal rain, I can see the option of adjusting one trekking pole to a lower height and snugging the tarp to the ground while leaving the other pole at its normal setting to maintain good airflow. Wow, the most adjustable, usable tent ever!

Thank you, Henry for such a smart, superlight, adjustable, and comfortable tent. I have backpacked all over the U.S including Alaska and in Canada for over 40 years and like many folks have experienced the evolution of gear and fabrics available for backpackers. I am 100% satisfied with my Notch and can't wait for my next trip in the mountains with it.

Henry Hibbs
Watkinsville, Georgia

Hello Henry

I wanted to thank you for all your help and generocity with your time. Our family greatly appreciates it. We LOVE our Hogback. My husband used to be a buyer for Neil's Gap on the Appalachian Trail and is a bit hard to please (he's a total gear snob). He is also 6'4" and that makes for a bit of a cramped tent for him. Add in a 220 lb Mastiff, a 40 lb Doberman-mutt, a 7 year old, and myself and you have a bit of an interesting situation to try and gear up for. As a long distance backpacking family, we are all thoroughly happy with what you guys have done.

Pictures:
The Hogback is at Yocum Ridge on the Timberline Trail around Mt. Hood in Oregon.

The motley crew which is our family is pictured after completing the Big Loop around the Three Sisters in central Oregon. The Mastiff was just a puppy then, you tent still fits him now that he is quite a bit bigger.

Lastly, thank you so much for helping us in our son's wish to break the PCT thru hiker record. When we started backpacking with The Barracuda (as he is known most everywhere now) at 4 we never thought it would turn into this, but we are proud to support him wherever he decides to walk. He is a bit determined and has firmly decided we are going to do it. A smaller TarpTent is our last piece of gear. If you would like to see our progress in this endeavor, we blog about our family at Endofordinary.blogspot.com.

Happy Holidays!

Thanks Again,

Brynn Dahlquist
White Salmon, WA

Dear Tarptent

I and four friends just returned from a winter hike in North Carolina on the Art Loeb Trail. Our plan was to hike the entire 30 miles of the trail but a sudden unexpected (not forecasted) winter storm caused us to bail out early. I carried my Rainbow that I've owned for about a year and a half and my friend Patrick was carrying his just purchased Rainbow on it's maiden voyage.

Day one was cold but no problems. We woke on day two to heavy overcast skies and snow mixed with sleet. We hit the trail and after about an hour the storm moved in with a vengeance. 40-50 mph winds pounding us with horizontal rain and sleet. This along a 6,000 ft ridge top trail. We decided to make camp mid afternoon on the back side of a ridge to try and get out of the direct windblast in a small grove of trees, the only place we could see in the fog and wind. We pitched our tents and hunkered down inside them for the next 17 hours until the storm had passed. At first the wind was slamming the side of my tent so hard it would buckle and hit me in the face if I was sitting up. I decided to get back out in the storm and tie the tent to the tree beside me which solved the problem. Other than having to tie it off to a tree the Rainbow performed flawlessly in the most extreme conditions I've ever experienced in a tent. It never leaked, the rain/sleet/snow did not come in under the tarp which I was concerned about but it was never an issue.

Patrick was also impressed with how durable and how well his Rainbow performed. In those conditions you need equipment that will take a beating, because, in this case our lives depended on it.

Thanks for a great product,
Charles Hill
Grayson, GA

Here are few shots of the Double Rainbow in action at 12,600 ft on Lake Fork Peak in the Wheeler Wilderness, New Mexico. The lamb wouldn't leave the tent alone! She liked to bite and pull the arch pole and the bottom hem of the vestibule :)

Besides the abuse the little miss dished out, the tent also withstood four days and nights of high winds and heavy thunderstorms of rain and hail...absolutely no problems! Thanks for making a superb product, and please enjoy the photos

Your friend,

Adam Simms
Santa Barbara, CA

Very pleased with the StratoSpire 2 tent!
(photo at Parakai Campground north west of Auckland)

Thanks.

Susan Jackson
Aukland, New Zealand
Greetings from Hobart, Tasmania - where you will find some of the best wilderness walking in the world!

I bought a Contrail from you last year. ( My mate bought a Moment in the same order.) The Contrail didn't get much use during our winter but I have just had the pleasure of taking it on a 10 day and then a 15 day summer hike. It was magnificent. Easy to put up. Heaps of space. Stood up to terribly strong winds that toppled trees in the vicinity. Kept me dry and was so easy to carry!

Congratulations on a truly superb piece of gear. I'd recommend this tent to anyone. Keep up the great work.

Cheers

Adam Croser
Hobart, Tasmania
I just wanted to write in with praise for the Moment. I purchased it for my AT thruhike this year, and it served me well from Georgia to Maine. The inside of that tent quickly became my portable, collapsable home and place of solace, and I can't remember regretting my purchase even once along the entire way. At 6'3" I was worried about feeling cramped in an ultralight single person tent, but I found the Moment so spacious and comfortable that I would march right past empty AT shelters in favor of even the most marginally acceptable tract of land to pitch. Of course, with the 2 leisurely minutes it takes to set up this tent (if even that), the Moment made setting up camp a breeze. I don't think it would be at all inaccurate to say that for every one night I was begrudgingly forced to spend in a shelter, I spent 10 happy inside your wonderful tent! After using it well over a hundred times, the tent pole finally broke in the 100-Mile Wilderness -- I was HEARTBROKEN at the thought of not being able to use my tent for my last few days on the trail, because the freedom, privacy and comfort it represented had gone such a long way towards helping to define what my thruhike experience had been all about. Luckily another hiker rescued with me a splint! What a shame it would have been not to have been able to set up next to Rainbow Lake and drift off to sleep by the sound of loons.

The Moment is the first tent I've ever purchased, and honestly, for my needs, I don't see a reason to buy something else anytime soon. I have a feeling it will be with me for a long time to come. Just need to replace that pole -- how can I go about doing that, incidentally?
[Ed: Replacement poles can found under "Extras" in the webstore]

- Chris "Buck" Wilhelm

During our honeymoon in Hawaii, we used our Double Rainbow for the first time on a great backpacking trip on the Kalalau Trail on Kaua'i. It is a really tough hike and we were very happy that the Tarptent was easy to set up after the long journey in to the gorgeous beach where we camped. The tent was perfect for the two of us! We're really looking forward to using it again on backbacking trips closer to home on the East Coast this winter.

We're really happy we found your great product! Here is a picture of our camp spot under the waterfall at the end of the Kalalau Beach.

All the best!
Shane & Cheryl Rauch
Charles Town, WV

Hey Henry, just wanted to say thanks for building such quality, affordable products over the years. Been really enjoying my Contrail. Never seems to fail me.

Here's my campsite last October in Canyonlands...

Best wishes this year for you,
Dan Briggs
Valrico, FL

The tent has been fantastic - Double Rainbow. I've attached a picture, in case you'd like to post it. It's at Truchas Lake in Santa Fe National Forest, NM.

We actually didn't camp there - breaks the rules, too close to the water, not that there was probably anyone else within 100 miles of us. But we carried the tent down there to just to take a nice picture with it. Thanks,

Tom Ingling
Dallas, TX

Thought you guy's might like these pic's of my Moment in the snow on new years weekend 01-01-2011. We had a tarp over both tents, when in the middle of the night it snowed about 18" and collapsed one of my trekking poles, burring my friends tarp tent, and leaving the rest of the snow up against my Moment,but it held up solid like a rock. This was my 4 time in the snow with my Moment, this thing is a BOMBER TENT AND I LOVE IT ! ! !

Jack Elliott
Bakersfield, CA
Henry & Co., I want to thank you and your staff for developing such innovative and lightweight shelters. My wife and I recently purchased a Rainbow and we couldn't be happier. After testing it in Glacier National Park in shoulder season, we were warm and excited to enjoy a night in the wilderness made of both simplicity and elegance--in large part due to our TarpTent.

Basically, all I want to say is this: "Thank you." The Rainbow is an excellent, simple product that performs wonderfully. It's funny; when I first started preparing for backpacking, I was always intrigued by ULers, but never thought I had the income to afford such a hiking profile. Now, you have made my push for lighter, more purposed gear an attainable goal. And on top of that, my wife is happy too! (I don't want to set up this binary where she is the comfort-oriented one and I am the Spartan--the truth is too complicated for those kind of oversimplifications.) Regardless, your Rainbow tent has performed beautifully, and I thank you for being involved in the lives of your customers and critics. Seriously, your presence on the BPL forums and your accessibility is a big part of what made me push for a TarpTent upgrade with my wife.

I'm sorry that this is long-winded. All I meant to say is this: "Thank you." Let us know if you are ever in Glacier or the Flathead. It's a beautiful place to be, and we are blessed beyond imagining to live here.

Join us if you can,

Clayton Mauritzen

Kalispell, MT
Dear Henry,

Loving the Scarp II so far. Have been through spring snowfall in the Cascades and windy passes of the Coast Mountains of British Columbia and love the tent in every aspect--weight, sturdiness, ease of setup, the works. Regards,

Terry Woodburn
Portland, OR

I love my Sublite. I used it on a two thousand mile, six week bicyle trip this summer on the northern tier bicycle route from the washington coast, through the washington cascades, idaho, montana, north dakota, minnesota, and to madison wisconsin, camping 95% if time and it was great. Lightweight and very durable. Super easy set up and tear down. It was a great investment. We got hit by some very hard, cold rain in the cascades. Through montana, we got rained on six or seven nights in a row and actually sat through three tornado warnings in North Dakota and Minnesota. The sublite was great. the only time I got wet was a couple of nights when I set up in a hurry in the rain and didnt stake it out correctly. The sublite was great though. Especially in the high winds and rains of the tornado warnings. It definitely kept me warm and dry. I'm taking in out again for a three week thousand mile solo trip. Cant wait. By the way, on my trip, we ran into quite a few other cyclists. Everyone was really impressed with the sublite, so hopefully you may be getting a few more orders. Thanks again.

Dave Orduno
Chico, CA

Hey Henry, I came back from hiking Longs Peak yesterday and wanted to let you know that this tent is solid. The forecast was calling for 25-35mph steady winds with gusts near 60. I camped at the Boulderfield (12,400') and pitched the tent at the best angle to minimize the wind resistance...at that time. About 7:30pm, they wind direction shifted to the broad side of the tent, so I guyed out the wall to a large rock. Around 9pm the winds picked up and seemed to come at me from all directions, staying fierce all night. At times it almost felt like my sleeping pad was lifting off the ground, but the Rainbow held strong. Thanks for building such a great product!

Rick Howell
Littleton, CO
First and foremost, I would like to say that I spent many hours researching tents before making my Tarptent purchase. I traveled to many stores and was allowed to setup many tents. In the end I purchased my Scarp 2 having never seen or setup the tent. My three main reasons were: 1. Weight, 2. Testimonials and 3. It was made in the good ole USA. The third reason being maybe the most important to me!

I instantly set it up as soon as it was unpacked and, having briefly run through the included paper work, found it to be a no hassle setup. I seam sealed the tent and then packed it way for my first trip, which was on January 20th 2012. A hike along the Ohlone Wilderness Trail in the East Bay area of the San Francisco Bay. The trail travels from Mission Peak in Fremont to Lake Del Valle in Livermore Ca. Not hitting the trail head until 4pm on Friday night meant we would be camping just off Mission Peak that first night. This night would be the defining night for the whole trip. The sun soon set and as it did the weather quickly changed. Before my partner and I were to the backpackers camp site, the wind and rain were battering us so bad that we were leaning so far toward that had it not been for the wind we would have fallen on our faces. Less than this and we would of been blown over backwards. Upon reaching our site we quickly setup camp, even with the darkness, wind and rain the tent setup fairly easy. Had I lost my grip on it though it would quickly have blown away to be lost forever. I used the crossing poles for extra stability and they quickly proved their worth. The tent was extremely stable and kept us completely dry in pouring rain that for the most part was sideways due to the extremely strong winds.

After the first night the rest of the trip was a cake walk. Upon returning home and checking the weather recording station on the next peak over, I found out that the wind speeds were 43.5 mph with gusts up to 54.7 mph. Because of the first night, I am writing this review. I will never hesitate to recommend this American built product to anyone. If they decide to purchase another product then shame on them, because you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make them drink.

I will soon be buying the single man version of this tent, the Scarp 1. Keep up the great work and Thank You for a great product.

Chris Hyde
Just returned from three weeks hiking in New Zealand with my new Moment tent. Just wanted to say thankyou for such an exceptionally well designed tent and offer some comments to people considering this Tarptent. I spent ten nights in the tent in various weather: hot and cold; wet and dry; windy and calm, high humidity and low humidity.

The Moment is the easiest tent I have ever erected, and even on impractical locations I found I could achieve a very good pitch. On this point, the floor of the Tarptents far exceeded the durability and waterproofing that I expected. For a shelter that weighs virtually nothing the interior space is very very large and long. My pack took up only half the vestibule which left the other half for easy access. One stormy night I was pitched in a wide open valley and found that the Moment handles gale force winds admirably and is not a noisy shelter to sleep in. Although possibly not required, I added two 1.5mm guy ropes most of the time, as I found the shelter moves from side to side in high winds.

I have found that once you have some experience with judging what the climatic conditions for the night might be, then it is easy to adjust the features of the Moment to suit. The two most relevant considerations in the Moment are adjusting for protection against cold wind on the one hand and managing condensation on still nights on the other. Firstly, the height of the side walls can be lowered to block on the windward side and either side of the shelter allow you to build a low wall of clothing etc to block the reminder of the wind. On nights when condensation would be expected, I found that if you promote all the venting options that the Moment provides, then this is not an issue. On sites where there is no air circulation, I did find that condensation does become a problem.

For a tent of this type ( 1 person single skin ) I cannot find a single flaw in the design, but would add that the top cap on the peg/stakes pull off quite easily when trying to remove them from hard compacted ground. This could be remedied by riveting the cap to the peg/stake. I also own the Scarp 1, which I plan only to use when the weather is colder. You will be pleased to know Henry, that I would like to purchase a Sublite Sil for shorter trips when rain is not predicted.

Nick Beer
Melbourne, Australia
On Oct 13, 2010 I successfully completed my thru-hike of the PCT after 5 months on the trail!
Thank you for making an awesome tent in the form of my 1-man Rainbow! It was a home, a shelter, and a reliable comfort throughout my journey.

Blessings
Tristan Oliver AKA Shake 'N Bake
My PCT website
Santa Barbara, CA
We couldn’t have been more pleased with the Tarptent Rainshadow 2. Although Tag-along and I slept in it more than 140 nights, this lightweight (43 ounce) single wall tent held up well and never let us down. That’s in spite of the fact that 2009 AT hiking season broke east U.S. rainfall records. The three-person design provided comfortable inside bug free space for both of us and all of our gear. With noseeum netting on both ends and along the lower sides, it is well-ventilated shelter. As a result, we had few issues with condensation. Carrying a few small eyehook screws allowed us to easily set-up on tent platforms. We never found any need to carry a protective ground sheet. FINAL VERDICT: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Dane Ward
Rising Fawn, GA

My wife and I bought the Double Rainbow a while back and have used it now for over a year. We live and do most of our hiking/backpacking in Alaska. Other than that we have also used it on a Pacific coast biking trip. Throughout all that we have put it through a lot of use and used it in almost every weather situation you can think of. I have recommended this tent and company to everyone that I know and will continue to do so. For the weight, this tent can't be beat.

Nick Gillespie
Anchorage, Alaska
I just wanted you to know I took my tent out, for its first time, over the weekend. It worked fantastic! I was never hot, nor did I have inadequate air in the tent, nor did I have condensation. It rained and poured a good chunk of the weekend and had gusts of wind up to 50mph at times. We were camping on a hilltop of a forest line (360 view). The hill got almost a cloud-like fog. You could wave your hand in front of your and it would get totally covered in mist. The temp was 30s-low 40s until Sunday and we got to mid 70s and sunny...that's Ohio for ya.

My tent was dry and a great sanctuary from the elements when it came time to rest. Just what I was looking for. Plenty of room in my Scarp 2 for a 6'2" 285lb man and all of my gear. Also, my friends were envious of the fact I could flip my tent, air it out and then fold it down into my backpack in short order. I was packed ahead of everyone and used the extra time to them tear down.

You have a great product, and I love that it's made right here in good old USA. May your company grow leaps and bounds.

Sincerely,

Dan Drake
Powell, OH
Just returned from a 3 day hike on the AT near Damascus, Va. I'm happy to report my Rainbow performed flawlessly. It pitched easily, remained taut, and had no condensation inside despite occasional rain showers during the night. Temps were in the low 50's with little breeze except for when it was raining hardest. I'm amazed at how well the Rainbow vents and kept my dry. I couldn't be happier with it especially after trying several other solo shelters, none of which were large enough for me and my gear and had severe condensation issues. It's a solo hiker hotel and at 2 lbs 2oz it's so light I hardly knew I was carrying it. Thanks for all the work you put into creating such a great solution for solo backpacking.

Charles Hill
Grayson, GA
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
Hello-- I ordered a Contrail Tent from you guys last year in preparation for my thru-hike on the Appalachian Trail. At first the tent was on my list of gear with major issues to resolve. It leaked, through the screen around the floor, whenever it rained. I called it my "bathtub," and was extremely grateful to have my Thermarest as a floatation device. Because of my Thermarest, my sleeping bag stayed relatively dry.

Then I met a couple of guys on Avery Peak in the Saddleback Mountains, Maine. They fiddled with my tent showing me how to add guy lines, pulling the tent walls out, making them taut. We used rocks instead of stakes. They were puzzled with the way the line on the front, left side was attached. They thought the design bad. I contemplated taking that line apart and fiddling with it but I am a knuckle head and would no doubt make it even worse. After that, although it took extra time to set up, my tent improved with the extra guy-lines and I rode out some major thunderstorms.

Later, in Vermont, I hiked into camp and found that there were two other hikers with Tarp Tents! We could have made a nice advertisement for you. Sky Dog had a Contrail like mine and his was set up so beautifully I asked him to look at my tent. He noticed the left guy line was tied incorrectly and redid it. Since then the tent worked splendidly. My Contrail went off the gear issues list and onto my FAVORITE equipment list.

It took me 166 days to hike the entire AT from Maine to Georgia and my favorite nights were the nights I slept under the stars in my Contrail. I pitched it in the rain, on high peaks in the wind, brushy stealth spots along the trail and even in the snow. It is a palace of a little tent. Good Times! Thank you for a great product.

Yours,

Birdy AKA

Karen Mansfield

Chicago
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