Updated for 2019, the patented Rainbow is the solo version of our most popular shelter, the Double Rainbow, and includes the same special features. We haven’t encountered a solo shelter with more useable space on the market! An exceptional balance of strength, spaciousness, and value, the Rainbow is ideal for people who want a light tent with a large living space. The Rainbow is easy to setup, can be converted to freestanding with trekking poles, and can fit two standard width sleeping pads.
Need to sleep two on wide pads? Have a look at the Double Rainbow.
Your order includes:
- Fully enclosed Rainbow shelter with integrated fly and floor
- Aluminum arch pole
- Six 6” aluminum stakes + stake bag
- Silnylon stuff sack
Cata (verified owner) –
I’ve been using this tent for the last 2 summers in the Yukon, and I took it to Iceland last September on a 2 week trip. Performed well in moderate winds although the main pole did bent a little in 40km/h winds.
The good:
– packs small
– easy to set up
– spacious for one person + 60 pound husky
– performs well in moderate winds.
The bad:
– if the door is wet and you open it, water always drips inside! Super annoying
[Tarptent Note: the porch flap is designed to address that –> https://www.tarptent.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/rb2019_rain_curtain_halfopen.jpg%5D
– the doors zipper isn’t working properly anymore and separates when trying to open or close the door which results in the door not closing properly.
[Tarptent Note: Dust in the coil spreads the sliders apart. We offer free sliders and instructions on how to address zippers problems here –> https://www.tarptent.com/zipper-repair/ ]
Carl Bernsen –
I love love love this tent!
I’ve used it all over Europe, on rock, sand and mud. Fantastic space one, big enough for two, simple and easy to set up. The ventilation prevents condensation most nights and if it is humid it’s easy to wipe the inside before packing up.
It’s so light and compact I carry it ‘just in case’ with a down quilt and thin foam mat on trips when I’m not sure I can find a room to sleep.
I’ve even camped outside small airports ready for a very early morning flight or for when I fly in late and there are no buses running; it’s probably paid for itself in saved taxi fares and hotel rooms already.
Granite State Viking (verified owner) –
I’m over the moon happy with my Rainbow! This purchase was a bit of a risk for me as I only had seen one Tarptent a few days before purchasing it, and it was a different model, and I was skeptical of the whole single-wall thing, but I was left with a good enough of an impression and on a time-critical hunt for a solid single tent, so I pulled the trigger. I’m so glad I did!
I’ve just come back from a canoe trip that included heavy consistent rain throughout one night, wind, and humid pitching environments. I was blown away. The construction and stitching is top-level, and after a few practice set-ups and take-downs in the yard I can get it pitched in two minutes, easy. The interior volume is copious for me, I’m 6’2″ and had plenty of room in both directions so I didn’t even come close to the fabric. On the first night it absolutely poured for over 8hrs and I was pitched on the side of a lake in cool temperatures. Obviously, I got some condensation on the interior, as I would in any tent. This is where the single-wall actually shows it’s strength, because when the condensation started to mist-off when the tent was hit by the heavier raindrops coming off the overhead branches I could mop the condensation up with my chamois cloth. I can’t access the fly in my double-walled tent at all, and I would have to deal with the misting all night coming through the mosquito mesh. I purchased the liner, and at this point decided to set it up as the rain was not letting up and we still had hours to go before dawn. The liner went up quickly and without fuss even for a fogged-up sleepy brain. The small clips are slightly open and the liner tabs just slip into place. I was back in bed, no misting at all now, and was back to the Land of Nod in no time. The liner is worth the extra 4oz in humid climates.
As mentioned the interior volume is giant for a one-person tent. Again, I’m 6’2″ and some and I can stay away from the edges of the tent in all quadrants, sit up with plenty of room overhead and side-to-side, and just generally sprawl around and keep my clothes and other nighttime gear with me. My partner had a 1-person tent from a large cooperative outdoor retailer at a similar pricepoint and similar weight but it was an absolute goat-wrestle to get it up, taking an enormous amount of time and so many stakes it boggled the imagination, and the interior was a coffin. There is no way I would’ve fit my tall-sized sleeping bag in there without getting the footbox totally wet as it would inevitable smoosh up at the end of the tent.
The Rainbow is big, it’s quick to set up, it’s built right, it’s light, it’s worth every penny. One trip only and I am in love with my tent, in a way that is difficult to express and happens rarely with gear. It “sparks joy” as some would say, and then some. I am definitely getting the Double for my wife and I.
The thought and engineering and high level of workmanship that went into the Rainbow is obvious from the moment I pulled it out of the bag to when I woke up in the deep woods after a night of soaking rain and wind. There are no compromises with the Rainbow. Thank you!
(Also the customer service from Tarptent was A+! Thanks everyone for getting me out the door for my annual canoe trip!)
Daniel Sutton –
After spending several years sleeping in a bivy, a bad thunderstorm on a really hot night made me decide to switch to a tent. I looked around at the tents being offered at the local stores and online, but also looked for tents made in the U.S. by smaller companies. I happened to find tarp tent and really liked the Rainbow. I have used the tent for several trips over the last two years and really enjoy sleeping in it. The spacious interior allows me to keep all of my gear dry in inclement weather and not be cramped. The lightweight means that I haven’t considered taking the bivy out since I got this tent. It has provided many comfortable nights of sleep from humid Kentucky summers, windy and freezing conditions on the shore of Lake Michigan, and in the mountains of Colorado and California. I have always stayed dry and comfortable no matter how hard it has been raining outside. I would recommend this tent to anyone.
Chris Garcia (verified owner) –
I wanted a tent that was light, easy to set up, and packed small. The Rainbow was it!!!! I just tested it out on a 3 night section hike on the JMT and it passed with an “A”. The third night I got rained on for 4 hours with about 1 hour of that being hail. Other than being scared for my life with the lightning cracking right over my head the tent kept me dry and it held up to the relentless hail. I couldn’t be happier with my purchase. Sealing it myself was actually good practice to get oriented to my tent.
Thomas –
An incredible tent at a very attractive weight and price point. I especially love the options for ventilation.
Brian D. –
I just wanted to drop you a quick note letting you know that I just returned from my REI Adventure Trip along the Bechler River in Yellowstone. I appreciate you taking my call personally the Sunday before I left and answering all my questions! I cannot say enough how stellar the Rainbow Tarptent performed. From the speed and simplicity of setup to even more critical – dryness! We had heavy Thunderstorms overnight Two of the 4 nights….and even though a few folks in our group got wet in their tents from REI (Half Domes I think) – I was Bone Dry the entire trip! I am currently airing my Rainbow out here at home relaxing from the trip and wanted to send you a personal Thank You – for making such a great Product. I shared my story about your Customer Service as other folks on the Trip inquired about the Tent…..
Brian D.
Harleysville, PA
Johannes –
Dear Henry and Team,
I just returned from a rather epic 9000 mile walking pilgrimage from Liechtenstein to Jerusalem and back. I crossed the Alps, the Carpathians, the Caucasus, the Taurus and the Negev desert. I climed the highest peak in Armenia and stood at the lowest place on earth. I was awed by a flash flood in Jordan and hit by a car in Italy. Over a period of 15 months I left my foot prints in 26 countries. And what about those 458 nights? Well, most of them I spent in my Tarptent Rainbow.
I want to congratulate you on your product and say a big thank you. I had lots of gear, but the Rainbow never weighed me down and withstood not few adversities. Even the "paper-like" ground sheet (which I find indispensable) is still with me after all this time. The one thing that suffered most and the one tiny detail that could be improved is the pack sack. It could be a little wider. In that way it would maybe experience a little less strain when packing and therefore last longer. In my case the top ripped after about 5000 miles. I had it fixed and the whole part with the string to close the sack came off 2000 miles later. But that is just the pack sack. The tent is great! Again, thank you and keep up your excellent work!
Cheers,
Fr. Johannes