Our most popular solo shelter, the ProTrail is the best tent for thru-hiking, bikepacking, or any trip where every gram/ounce is important. For day in and day out on the trail, the ProTrail’s lightning fast set-up and packability make it the perfect ultralight companion.
Want to get 1/3 lighter? Have a look at the ProTrail Li.
Need room for two? Have a look at the MoTrail.
ProTrail
ONE PERSON TENT
Your order includes:
- Fully enclosed ProTrail shelter with integrated fly and floor
- Four 6” aluminum stakes + stake bag
- Silnylon stuff sack
Daddy’s Back (verified owner) –
First off, the 4 out of 5 is due to the single wall construction, which if you are familiar with this and its tendency to collect condensation, you can disregard and assume this is a 5 star review.
I used a freestanding, double wall tent for a decade or so, and while a prefer it because of it’s spaciousness and ability to keep condensation out of the immediate tent area, the ProTrail is way lighter and smaller, which makes a big difference when bikepacking (what I use tents for).
Once you learn how to set this up, it can be done quickly and there are many little tricks to tweaking the tent depending on conditions. The steep roof keeps the tent quiet in rain and also allows for quiet sleeping when set up in heavy winds. The ends of the tent open up for great ventilation and views and on a nice clear night with no bugs, you can keep the front door wide open for ultimate freedom.
I bought mine with the additional poles, and I forgot to choose seam sealing from the factory, so I had to do it myself. Not a big deal, but if you just want to use the tent, have TarpTent do it for you and forget about the $15 or whatever they charge. They probably do a better job than me anyway.
Nothing is perfect, but this tent is quite good. If you are picky (or lazy) like me, you probably just want to own a few different tents depending on what you are doing with it. This is my go-to bikepacking tent now and I like it a lot. I have not used it in below freezing temps, so I can’t speak to its effectiveness in the cold, but it is probably decent.
Ivey “Kaleidoscope” Smith (verified owner) –
I adore this tent! I took it on my 2 week Long Trail thru-hike and slept in it every night! The first thing I love about the protrail is its weight, or lack there of! My knees were thrilled and I barely felt it in my pack as I climbed 4-8 mountains a day in Vermont’s steep terrain. The second thing I loved was how easy it was to set up, I’d only practiced twice before hitting the trail and even when I was exhausted, hungry, and irritable after a 28 mile day, I still had it set up, start to finish, in under 2 min. The third thing I love about this tent is the spaciousness and and breathability. Even on the hottest, stillest nights, I caught a whisper of a breeze and had good ventilation. And when it rained, or the bugs became heinous, I could throw my whole pack in there and unpack while inside, even sleep with my pack inside if I wanted to! It rained two nights and I stayed dry, and I expect I’d stay dry in the protrail even in a monsoon, as long as I didn’t pitch it in a creek bed or bog, of course. Thank you Tarptent for the amazing shelter! I’m already stoked for my next adventure.
Rachael Naismith (Booker) –
I am an older AT section hiker who’s not very mechanical. I adore this tent! Not only is it incredibly light (a few ounces), but it is sturdy, roomy and comfortable. I had some questions and the tarp tent staff were incredibly helpful. Superior customer service. I can’t recommend this tent highly enough.
Jack –
My wife and I squeezed into a protrail for a 45-day bike tour. Cannot recommend this shelter enough, it held up great throughout the west and midwest, in rain and hail storms. We only ever used 6 stakes and never had issues with durability.
Josh Baker (verified owner) –
Great tent except for Ikeep waking up with my sleeping bag being wet, both with and without a foot print. Ive used this in Ruby Horse thief along the river as well as Leadville 2 times and then in the woods here in Colorado
Matteo –
Lasted me on the Teararoa and the Pacific Crest Trail. I also slept on top of it several times in the desert. Now only a few tiny holes in the floor. Over 4500 miles on it. Impressed. Highly recommended.
Kevin b –
perfect for what i wanted
Dianne Tebbe –
I used this tent when I thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail last year. I loved it so much! It was my happy place on the trail. The setup is easy and once you figure out the guylines it doesn’t take long to get the tarp taut. Out of the 30-40+ days of rain on the trail it only ever took in water once and that was because I chose a terrible campsite. It also holds up very well in high winds.
Jonathan Maclean –
Superb shipping speed. Ordered on a Thursday and had it on my doorstep by Sunday afternoon. Easy setup everything it needs to be setup was with the package. Plenty of room for me plus my pack.
Cam H. –
During my five weeks in the Cordilleras Blanca & Huayhuash, I experienced a wide range of challenging conditions. High winds, rain, snow and an apparently short-sighted burro that mistook the vestibule of my shelter for a urinal. Throughout it all the ProTrail held up like a champ………….although it did have a lingering funky smell thanks to the aforementioned quadruped (sorry Henry